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In October, 1831, R. A. Ferguson had platted the village of Livingstone in the western part of what is now Wabash Township, on the
National Road, and lots in this village, a little later, sold at fabulous prices.1
David Wyrik came from Indiana in 1829 and settled where the Darwin and Livingston roads crossed.
He came here in a wagon, and was five weeks on the road.
He built a cabin and a blacksmith shop, and worked at horseshoeing and fixing plows.
He was joined, the next year by Robert Ferguson, who was his brother-in-law, and was also from Indiana.
Deeming this an eligible state, he entered the land and laid out the village of Livingston.
It is located in the west half of the southwest quarter of section 9, township 11 north, range 11 west, and put the lots on the market.
Among the first families who settled here, were James Twilley, Rufus Brown, Jacob Cline, Joseph Bavis, John Bavis, Eli Bavis, James Dixon, David Bucklin and a man named Winds.
Mr. Winds opened a store, and by means of a great deal of wind, soon worked up a large trade.
He brought goods from Louisville and Cincinnati in wagons, before the iron horse had crossed the prairies of Indiana.
A large part of his trade was to the hands working on the
National Road, and while it was in its course of construction he had a big trade.
Soon after work ceased on the road he closed out his store.
A second store was established, in 1833, by a man named Eversoll.
He also hauled his goods from Louisville, and kept a good stock for tat early period.
He erected a brick building on the north side of the
National Road, one and a half stories high and 20x40 feet in size.
He carried on a store for thirteen years, and then sold it to a man of the name of Hutchinson.
In 1832 Ferguson erected the two-story frame building where Mrs. Cline now [c. 1883] lives.
He started a store in one room of it, which he operated for some time and then sold out to one Murphy, who had come from
Darwin with a small stock of goods.
Murphy put up a building east of Ferguson building, and sold goods for twelve or fifteen years.
McGrath then bought him out and continued the business until 1851, when he wound up.
David Wyrick erected a two story frame hotel in 1833, on the corner of Main Street.
The building was put up under contract, by a man named Kibbey, and the lumber for it was all sawed with a whip-saw, by Wiley and Levi Cline.
Wyrick kept the house until 1845, when he sold it and moved one mile south of town.
The house did a good business, and was long a favorite stopping place.
Twilley also built a tavern on the corner opposite Wyrick, which he kept for about twelve years.
He kept a "grocery" (a saloon) in connection with his tavern, and "the boys" used to have high old times there,
occasionally.
Ferguson, after he sold out his store opened a tan yard in the south part of town, and kept a leather store in the room of the building on the north side of the street.
He worked several men and did a large business.
In 1861 he sold out to Hunt, who carried it on several years when he died.
His widow married James Blackman, and continued the business until a few years ago.
Livingston became quite a business point, and was the center of a large trade.
Society was not as good as in some other places, and mixed up with the business of the town was a good deal of deviltry, committed by the more ungodly of the population.
The town grew rapidly for a number of years, and during the agitation at different times upon the subject of moving the county seat, Livingston entered into the contest, and became a rival for capital honors.
When Marshall was finally selected as the "permanent" seat of justice, Livingston began to decline in prosperity.1
**To be continued**
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