Wayne
County, Indiana
Franklin
Township
Franklin township was
formed from New Garden, May, 1834. Its shape is oblong, being 7 miles
in length, north and south, and 4 miles in breadth, east and west,
containing 28 square miles of territory. The Richmond and Hillsboro
turnpike enters the township one mile west of the Ohio line ; and the
road runs along the lines of lots straight through the township to its
north line. Its principal stream is the Middle Fork of Whitewater,
which enters the township from Ohio, about 21/2 miles south of the
north-east corner, and runs almost directly south, about half a mile
from the Ohio line, to the south line of the township.
The first settler within the township is believed to have been Isaac
Commons, from North Carolina, in 1808 or 1809, one mile north of
Middleboro, on land now owned by William, son of John M. Addleman. He
was soon followed by Robert Morrisson on the lot adjoining, north,
which he sold to Henry Palen, and Palen to Joseph Ashton. John
Nicholson settled on land now owned by J. M. Cox and Joseph Nicholson.
Barnabas Boswell, on the south line, land now owned by E. Townsend and
John Cox. Isaac Hiatt, on the quarter now owned by J. Butters and
Robert Cox. All of these, it is believed, were
Friends from North Carolina, except Nicholson and Ashton, who came from
Delaware.
A little later, the following named persons settled in this, the
south-east part of the township : Dr. John Thomas, on the south line,
where his grandson, Henry W. Thomas resides ; the land first settled by
Isaac Hiatt, as above stated. Edward Barton, on land now owned by Wm.
Barton. John Nicholson also owned, and sold to Wm. Webster, the land
now owned by Wm. E. Barton. Charles Teas, from Delaware, settled on the
land now owned by JohnTownsend. John Zimmerman, from Pa., on state
line, now owned by Edward Starbuck, Jun., and William Strawbridge.
Benjamin Elliott, N. C, where Abraham W., his son, resides; lived there
until his death. James Wickersham, on the quarter now owned by W.
Newbern, S. Williams, and J. Duftee ; John White, on part of section 2,
now owned by John It. Smith and Joseph P. Addleman.
In the south-west part of the township John P. Thomas settled, where
his sons, John, George, and Henry now own, on the south line. Jonathan
Grave, from Delaware, on land now owned by H. G. Nickle; Wm. Starbuck,
N. C, where Joshua Jeffries lives; Bonj. Harris, N. C, where Daniel C.
Rich lives; Paul Swain, N. C., where D. Taylor owns; Meshech Llewellyn,
afterward Wm. Starbuck, where Joshua Elliott lives; Elijah Mundin, the
quarter now owned by John M. Brown and James V. Marshall; Edward B.
Hunt, N. C, on the quarter since owned by N. S., William, and Jesse
Hunt; John Venard, where S. Smith lives; Joseph Brown, Pa., where he
still resides; John Simmons and Thomas Fisher, N. C, east half of the
two east quarters of section 33, and Daniel Fisher the west half of
said quarters, the latter now owned by James Perry, of liichmond;
Micajah Jones, N. C, the south-west quarter of section 33, now owned by
Elihu Hunt.
The progress of settlement northward was materially retarded by
apprehensions of danger from the Indians, until after the close of the
war of 1812. Job Elliott, N. C, in 1815 settled half a mile south of
the present town of Whitewater, where F. Fonts lately lived, now Josiah
White. Stephen Elliott on quarter adjoining town. Wm.
Hunt, N. C, on the east side of town; land afterward sold to
John Unthank, and next to John White; now owned principally by Handy D,
Bowen. Henry Newton, from England, where John Pyle lives on state line.
Jonathan Commons on state line, where David Stidham lives. Thomas
Mason, from N. C, in 1816, near town, on the quarter now owned by Wm.
Addleman and Joseph S. Wood. In 1818 Samuel Williams, from N. C, near
town, on land now owned by James K. Dugdale and Peter T. Parris. Henry
Garrett, N. C, land now owned by James Garrett, Hiram Supplee, and
Barnabas Barton. Benj. Parker, from N. C, and Joseph Skinner, on the
quarter now owned by John Powell and Joseph Draher. Elihu Hunt, N. C, a
mile north-east of town, where Jonathan Williams lives. Richard Bunch
on land now owned by Stephen Bunnell. Thomas Mason, Jun., three-fourths
of a mile north of town, on the quarter owned by Jesse Hunt, Wm.
Worden, and Wm. D. Kemp. Nathan Jones, from N. C, entered the land now
owned by Calvin C. Hunt and Peter Blose. Gabriel Harrell, from N. C,
half a mile south-west of town, on the quarter now owned by Henry
Albright and others.
In the west part of the township, Wm. Hunt (not the Wm. Hunt who
settled near town,) settled where Elijah Roberts lives. George Blose,
of Ohio, where Wm. Hunt now lives. Andrew Starbuck, from N. C, on the
land now owned by John T. Voorhees, on New Garden line; first settler
probably Daniel Pucket, a Friend preacher. Joshua Brown, from Pa., on
land now owned by Joseph C. Graves. Isaac Pyle, on the northwest
quarter of section 27, now owned by Elias Chenewith and Hugh Stevenson.
Isaac Pyle resides on a part of section 22, formerly owned by Andrew
Starbuck. Edward Fisher, from N. C, near west line, where he yet lives.
Charles Thomas, from N. C, son of Stephen Thomas, where Jonathan Marine
resides. James White, on west line, where he still resides. Lemuel
Chance, from N. C, where Isaac Thomas lives, on section 16. Wm.
Fulghum, from N. C, settled and owned land where he and his son, Levi
G., reside.
Wm. Addleman, from Penn., in February, 1819, settled a mile and a half
north-west from town. The second tree cut on his farm measured 7 feet
and 7 inches across the stump, and its length to the lowest limb was 77
feet 7 inches. The body of the fallen tree formed one side of the camp
built against it, in which he lived with six children for several
months before his cabin was built, his wife having died before his
removal. John M. Addleman settled where 8. D. Wallingford lives, 11/2
miles north of town. Wm, B. Kemp, from Md., where Henderson Kemp lives,
near town. Joseph P. Addleman, where Wm. Hill lives. Nathan White, on
the land now owned by Wm. G. and Joseph White, 11/2 miles north of
town. James White, from S. C, after a few years' residence near
Middleboro, settled on the south half of section 13, 1 1/2 miles north
from town, where he still resides. [See Sketch.] Nathan Elliott, N. C,
settled on land now owned by Nathan White. Robert Starbuck, from N. C,
where Whitmell Hill resides. Cornelius Vaunuys, where he now
lives. He was an early blacksmith.
In 1817, James Harlin,
from Kentucky, with a large family of children, whose names were
Valentine, Elihu, Joshua, John, (who never lived here,) Jacob, Nathan,
James, Edith, Polly, Anna. The father, with Jacob, Nathan, and James,
settled near the township, in Darke county, Ohio. The other brothers,
in 1817, commenced a settlement, known as the "Harlm settlement," now
Bethel. John, Nathan, and James reside in Iowa. Nathan Elliott, who
settled in 1816, where James White now resides, also removed to this
settlement in 1817. John Thompson and five sons of Nathan Anderson,
John, Joseph, David, Nathan, and Wm. H., settled in the vicinity about
the same time. The friends of these settlers constitute a large
proportion of the inhabitants of the northeast part of the township;
the Anderson families numbering some ten or twelve.
In the north-west part of the township, Jesse Overman settled where
Josiah Haisley resides, on land adjoining the north line. Wm. Nixon,
where Peter II. Wright resides. Samuel Henderson, where Nathan Edgerton
lives. Thomas Simons on land now owned by Jesse Outland.
Paul Swain, Wm. Simmons, Thomas Roberts, Daniel Fisher, Nathan and
Henry Hunt, who settled in the southwest part of the township, assisted
in opening the road called the " Quaker trace," from Richmond to Fort
Wayne. Edward Fisher and Ann, wife of Henry Blose, are the
only children of these families now living in the township. Also,
Abraham Ashley and Enos Grave, both of "Wayne township, belonged to the
party. Grave was surveyor of the trace.
A Saw-mill is said to have
been built in the south-west corner of the township, by Wm., Starbuck,
about 1817, and was owned at different times by several persons. A
saw-mill was built on Middle Fork by Henry Newton and John Unthank,
about the year 1825; another afterward by John White, three-fourths of
a mile north of Newton's; and another by James White, three-fourths of
a mile still further north, which run about 35 years, having been once
rebuilt. John Nicholson and Isaac Commons built a saw-mill in the
south-east corner of the township, which is now owned by Abraham B.
Elliott. A steam saw-mill, built in the north-west corner of the
township, owned by Peter H, Wright, was destroyed by fire a few years
ago.
In 1829, Valentine Harlan built a Grist-mill above James White's
saw-mill. In 1837, William Addleman, Jun., and Stephen Elliott built,
three-fourths of a mile north of White-water, a grist-mill which run
about twenty years.
The first Merchant in
Whitewater is said to have been John Price. After two or three years he
sold the goods to Stephen Elliott, who was on the south-west corner,
and by whom the house had been built. Thomas Morton, of Miami, Ohio,
had a store in the north-east corner about two years, and built on the
corner where Joseph A. Bowen now trades. Elliott Bold his goods to John
H, Bruce and Jonathan D. Gray. Wm. B. Schenck was here at least as
early as 1839, and as late as 1844. T. J. Ferguson & Co., in .1844.
At Bethel, Wm. McFarland appears to have been the first merchant in
1845, on the northeast corner, where are now a grocery and a tavern,
kept by Nathan Harlan, and traded several years. Edward Osborn, of
Newport, soon after established a store, kept by Joseph Unthank. There
were afterward, at different times, John A. Unthank, Walker Yeatman,
Jesse Richards, Jacob & Howard Harlan, Morgan & Henderson.
Present merchants, Martin Wiley, dry goods; Nathan Harlan, grocer.
Present merchants at Whitewater, Joseph A. Bowen, north-west corner;
Benj. W. Addleman, south-east corner. Grocer, Wm.. B. Robinson,
south-west corner.
The first Physician was John
Thomas, in the south part of the township, where his grandson, Henry W.
Thomas, now re-sides. He had an extensive practice, there being no
other physician near. He carried his medicine in a bladdery instead of
the ordinary saddle-bag. At Whitewater, afterward, were John H. Bruce,
Azel Owens, Richard G. Brandon, Robert Hamilton, Wm. Williams, Wm.
Commons, Robert Fisher, Harlan Harrison, now residing in Union. Dr.
Thomas T. Courtney, after an absence of several years, returned to
Whitewater, and died early in 1871. Present physicians, J. E. Beverly,
J. B. Stevenson, W. P. Griffis.
The earliest Religious Society
in the township was that of the Friends, who built a log meeting-house
two miles south of Whitewater, near the site of the present brick house
on the turnpike. Isaac Commons, Job Elliott, Wm... Hunt, Joseph Ashton,
John Nicholson, Jeremiah Cox, Jr., and Luther Tillson, were early
members.
The Christian Church at Bethel was formed in August,
1821, under the ministration of John M. Foster. Meetings were first
held in the dwelling of Valentine Harlan, afterward in a school-house;
next, in a large log meeting-house half a mile east of Bethel, where
the grave-yard is, until the present house in Bethel was built. Since
the pastorate of Mr. Foster this church has enjoyed the ministerial
services of Valentine Harlan, 2d., Eli Harlan, Hosea C. Tillson, Joseph
G. Harlan, Hardin Harrison, and Henry Polly, now residing at Union.
The Episcopal Methodists
organized a church near Jesse Hunt's, in the south-west part of the
township, about the year 1830. Edward Starbuck, Hugh Stevenson, Joseph
Henderson, and Joseph Whitacre were early members. The organization was
given up about six years ago.
A Methodist Episcopal Church
was formed at Whitewater about 1831 or 1832. Among its early members
were William Boswell, Thomas K. Peeples, Wm. Brown, and their families,
and Margaret Addleman. It was in the Centerville and Williamsburg
Circuits. The congregation at first met in a log house near where the
present h6use was built in 1854.
The Wesleyan Methodists
organized a church about 1854, and built their present house of worship
near the site of the old house of the Episcopal Methodists. Early
members were Edward Starbuck, and Edward,
his son, Jacob and M. Brown, Elijah
Roberts, Elias Cheneweth, Ambrose Roberts, with the families of most of
them. Edward Starbuck, Jun., was a local preacher. Among their
preachers have been John W. Johnson and Daniel Worth.
A Christian Church at
Whitewater was formed in 1867. Early members were James M. Gist, Jesse
T. Hunt, Wm. R. Winsor, Henry W. Thomas, Wm. L. Robinson, and their
wives, Sally White, Aleda Harney, Milesia Addleman. Their permanent
place of worship is the lower story of the Academy building. Their
preachers have been Mr. Buff, who had preached before the organization,
Wm. D. Moore, and their present preachers, Joseph G. Harlan and Edward
Fenton.
The Academy was built by
a stock company, styled Franklin
Township Academical Association,in or about the year 1859. The
school is still continued.
A select school was kept a year or longer by Milton Hollingsworth
before the Academy was built.
The Town of Hillsborough was
laid off by Stephen Elliott and John White, proprietors. The
description and survey of the plat was acknowledged and received for
record November 14, 1828. An addition made by Stephen Elliott is dated
September 8, 1832. The name of the town was, a few years ago, changed
to Whitewater.
The Town of Bethel was laid out April 6, 1850; Elihu Harlan and Joseph
Anderson, proprietors.
Biographical
and Genealogical
JOHN M. ADDLEMAN was born
in Chester county, Pennsylvania, April 14, 1790; married November
24,1813, Sarah Whitaker, who was born February 17, 1796. He settled, in
1826, in Franklin township. He was elected in 1829 or 1830 a justice of
the peace. He had fourteen children, of whom eight were married : 1.
Ann Maria Margaret was married to Wm. Kemp; 2. Joseph P., to Catharine
Townsend; 3. John C, first 16 to Nancy N. Wood; second, to Mary Eliza
Dulin; 4. James B., to Hannah Morton, and died about 1850; 5. William
S. first, to Judith Townsend; second, to Ellen Townsend; 6. Sarah Ann,
to Henry H. Reed; 7. Benj. W. 9 first, to Martha Kemp; second, to
Melissa Addleman; 8. George JF., to Martha J. Broderick. He served in
the late war. Milton W.y the eldest, was killed by lightning. Five died
in childhood and infancy.
WILLIAM ADDLEMAN, from Chester county, Pennsylvania, settled in
Franklin township in 1819, a mile and a half northwest of Whitewater,
as elsewhere stated. [See Franklin Township.] His father, John Michael
Addleman, was born in Germany, December 15, 1723, and emigrated to
America in 1752. He was married on the vessel during his passage, and
settled in Chester county, Pennsylvania. William, his son, was born
there in October, 1758, and married Mary Hennix, December 6, 1790. He
had eight children, all married, as follows: 1. Mary married Joseph
Oglesby in Pennsylvania; settled in this township; removed to Ohio, and
died in that state. 2. John married McLease, and in a
few years returned to Pennsylvania. Both are dead. 3. Margaret married
Nathan Grave, an early settler in Wayne township. 4. Eliza married
Elias Ogan, an early settler. She died here; he in Somerset, Wabash
county. 6. William married Mary, daughter of Job Elliott, and had six
son9 and two daughters. Three sons were in Col. Meredith's regiment, in
the late war. Joseph 0., who died in the battle of Antietam; Jacob O.,
who returned from the army sick, and died in nine days; and John,
who,on account of sickness, was furloughed home. He re-enlisted, fought
in the battle of the Wilderness, and in August, 1864, was discharged
for physical disability. William O., another son, enlisted in the 147th
Regiment in February, 1865, and served until after the close of the
war. 7. Hannah married Robert Starbuck, removed to Ridgeville, where
she died, and where he still resides. 8. Jacob married Mahala Starbuck,
and died in 1864. Three sons, John, Andrew, and Flavius, were in the
war. John was killed in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain ____died
of sickness at Washington City.
BENJAMIN HARRIS, from North Carolina, settled, in 1807, about six miles
north from Richmond, and four miles southeast from Newport, in the
south-west part of the present township of Franklin. He was a son of
Obadiah Harris, Ben., elsewhere noticed. He died about the year 1850,
on the farm on which he first settled. He had fifteen children,
thirteen of whom attained to the age of majority, and were married: 1.
Obadiah, who married Sarah, daughter of John Lewis, of Green, and
settled on Green's Fork, near Williamsburgj now resides near
Indianapolis. 2. Pleasant, who married Hannah Massey, and settled in
New Garden; afterward on Nettle Creek, near Dalton. He has since lived
at South Bend, and last in Iowa, where he died. 3. James, who married
Naomi, a daughter of John Lewis, and settled on Green's Fork, where he
died. 4. Beersheba, who married Job Coggeshall, and settled near
Newport, where she died. He resides at Williamsburg. 5. John, who
married Nancy Harvey; settled in Center; removed thence to near
Newcastle; thence to Iowa, where he died. 6. Benjamin, who married
Lydia Hiatt, lived on his farm three years, and then settled near
Williamsburg, where he lived until 1868, and now resides a mile from
Richmond. Mrs. H. died iu July, 1867; and he married in April, 1870,
Hannah Ann Estell. 7. Rebecca, who married Henry Dutterow, and settled
in Franklin township. 8. Sarah, who married John Catey, of Green. 9.
Margaret who married John Gardner, and lives in Oregon, where he
died. 10. David, who married in Illinois, and died there. 11 Aaron, who
married Martha, daughter of Richard Lewis, and resides in Hunt-ington
county. 12. Elizabeth, who married Seth Gardner, and lives near Arba.
13. Nathan, who married, first, Hannah Thompson; second, Mrs. Edith
Anderson, and resides at Union City.
OBADIAH HARRIS, from North Carolina, father of Benjamin, came several
years later than his son, and still later, Obadiah, another son. They
settled in New Garden, a mile south from Newport, whence they removed
to Randolph county. Both father and son were preachers in the Society
of Friends.
LUTHER TILLSON was born eight miles from Plymouth, Massachusetts, in
1766. He removed to Vermont, where he was married, and in 1802 removed
with his family to Ohio, landing with a company of emigrants at
Cincinnati on Christmas eve. He bought land and settled in Butler
county. In 1817, he removed to Darke county, Ohio, near Franklin
township in Wayne county, Indiana, where some of the family afterward
settled. He had nine children, seven sons and two daughters. All had
families except the youngest, a son. Only two are living, Isaiah and
Hosea C, who reside at Bethel. Both united at an early age with the
Christian Church at Bethel, of which both are elders. Hosea has been a
minister for many years.
JAMES WHITE, son of James White, was born in Nelson county, Kentucky,
June 9,1792. In 1800, he removed with his father's family to Butler
county, Ohio, where, eighteen months after, his father died. About the
year 1810 or 1811 he came with the family to this county, and settled
at or near where Middleboro' now is. He was married September 20, 1814,
to Jane Boswell, a daughter of Barnabas Boswell, born August 24, 1794.
In 1818, he settled in New Garden, now Franklin township, about a mile
and a half north-east from Whitewater, where he has resided until the
present time. He had a large share of the experience of pioneer life.
About the year 1826 he was elected a justice of the peace for the term
of five years, and re-elected for a second term of five years; and
after an interval of one term, was elected for a third term of five
years. He also held the office of notary public by appointment from
Gov. Willard and Gov. Wright. He had twelve children, all married, as
follows: 1. Malinda, to James Garrett, and died in the township. He
resides at Hagerstown. 2. Lucinda, to Peter Ellis, and resides at
Whitewater. 3. Eleam, to Susan Curliner, and resides in the township.
4. Israel, to Nancy Oten. 5. Tabitha, to Augustus Bunch, and died at
Whitewater. He removed to Tennessee. 6. James, to Anna Wright. 7. John,
first to Sally Hubbard; second, to Jane Tillson, and died in 1829. 8.
Joseph married Esther Addleman. 9. Nathan married Anna Harrison. 10.
William, to Salina Vannuys. 11. Daniel, to Martha Wright. 12. Jonathan,
to Eliza Guess. Those living, whose residence is not mentioned, reside
in the township.
The brothers and sisters
of James White, above referred to, were: 1. Mary, who married Milton
Ashby, who died of disease in the war of 1812. She died in 1814,
leaving two children, one of whom, Lavinia, married Wm. Austin, now
residing at Winchester. 2. John, who settled near his brother James,
married Delilah Boswell, and died in 1835. 3. Elizabeth, who married
Abner Clawson; both dead. 4. Joseph, who married Alice Clawson, settled
in Wayno township, and died December 26, 1868. They had six sons and
four daughters; two daughters deceased. 5. Nathan, who married, first,
Elizabeth Cook, and had a son, James C, who was killed in the battle of
Kenesaw Mountain ; second, Susan Cox, by whom he had five sons and
three daughters. 6. Sarah, who married Thomas Gray, and settled on the
state line, Ohio side.
