I was born In Thorntown In 1890. My great-grand-father was Gregory Farmer Hawkins, who came to Indiana from Hiland County In 1849. He was a master builder and farmer. He settled south of Thorntown.We have a clipping saying he "built or assisted in building most of the houses and barns In Lebanon during the 60's."
    When I was four years old my family moved to a farm one-half mile north of Stringtown on the Lebanon-Frankfort road.   Very few roads were gravel.   Most of them were dirt and during the winter or the rainy season they were almost too muddy to travel on except by horseback
    Before the land was drained by the large open ditches, we see today, there was lots of water standing in the fields and  woods. Most farms had ponds which never went dry. I have seen some of these ponds In spring and fall literally covered by ducks and geese.
    The Lebanon-Frankfort road was a gravel road and was a toll-road. When we moved from Thorntown it had ceased to be one, but I can remember the remains of the old toll gate which stood just about where Ulen Drive comes into North Lebanon Street
    We would take a sack of com and a sack of wheat to be ground at "Billy" Means' flour mill which stood where the Junior High School stands.   North of It, George Busby had a carpenter shop and west on Lebanon Street where the senior high school stood was the Coombs-Campbell lumber yard and planing mill, which burned down In 1905.
    In the early days, peddlers came by selling pots, pans, extract and liniment "good for man or beast. " Numerous tramps, and wagons of gypsies. Itinerant photographers, all came by. They even came by selling kitchen stoves and many housewives discarded the old stove for one of these newer up -to -date stoves.
    There were no rural free delivery routes, no telephones. We went to Lebanon once or twice a week to get the weekly newspaper and what few letters there were. A postal card had Martha Washington's picture on It and cost a penny. You could send a letter for a two cent stamp with George Washington's picture on It. Wonder how much money they lost in those days?
    We burned wood, because there was plenty of it and most of It was sawed in the fall or winter.  Later on we burned coal. Most people had an outdoor toilet, which was air conditioned, as were the houses. By mis I mean the air Inside was the same as the air outside. Most water was gotten from dug wells. There were wooden pumps which froze up when the weather was cold. They had to be thawed out by a heated iron rod stuck down the pump from the top.
    Food was very plain, but wholesome, consisting of beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, squirrel, fish, eggs, cabbage, turnips, parsnips, beans, apples, com, wild plums, wild gooseberries, wild strawberries, nuts, mushrooms, etc. My grandfather was William M. Hawkins.   He was a Civil War veteran and was a farmer most of his life. My father was John II. Hawkins, the oldest child of William Hawkins and was a farmer and gardener most of his life. I can remember going to my grandfather's house for Thanksgiving dinner. There would be 35 or 40 people. Children waited until their elders were served, but mere was plenty of food and no one went hungry.
    There was lots of timber In those days and I suspect that one half of our farm was still in timber. We ditched it and grabbed out the small trees and cut down the large
trees.  This took years to clear up enough ground for corn or wheat. The large stumps were blown out with dynamite. The pieces were piled and burned. In the fall the farmers would rake melt com sulks and burn them. There was smoke a lot of the time, but no one complained of pollution.
    We hauled gravel on the din roads to pay the road tax. We also cleaned out so many sections of me open ditches to pay ditch tax.
    Finally, the telephones came. We got rural free delivery of mail. We switched from the old steel-tired buggy to the rubber-tired buggy. We bought a surry with the fringe on top. which was class in those
days. Not long after came the automobile and the interurban and most roads were graveled and life was speeded up and modern living was on its way.


    The history of the Harlan family of Boone County encompasses the Civil War, the Interurbans of the early 1900's, and Boone County sports.

Jacob Harlan and his wife, Sarah Far low, whom he married February 22, 1866, migrated to Boone County in 1871 They settled on a farm near Pleasant View.

Three of the Harlan's six children lived to be adults: Armlida Harlan, John W. Harlan, and Oris J. Harlan, the father of the writer. From the farm, the family moved to Lebanon where Jacob Harlan was engaged In the real estate and Insurance business with Joseph Saunders. He was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace and held that office for several years, Jacob was also a charter member of the First Christian Church on North Lebanon Street.

Sarah Ann Harlan died on January 27, 1314. Jacob Harlan died May 31, 1328. Both are buried In Oak Hill Cemetery.

As a young man, Jacob Harlan, who was born January 4, 1845, In Rush County, enlisted in Company H., 123rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry, on November 18, 1863. He was honorably discharged on May 28, 1866.

Jacob Harlan was engaged In the battles of Rocky Face Ridge, Resseca. Lost Mountain and Pine Mountain, Georgia, and In battles around Atlanta, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee.  He was wounded once. He kept a diary during the Civil War years while serving with Sherman's Army. A copy is now on display in the Indiana State library in Indianapolis. He was also a member of Ridge Mountain Post, G. A. R.

Of the children of Jacob and Sarah Harlan, Armilda was married to Phillip Reagan and they lived on farms in the Thorntown community. One of their six children survived. John Harlan was married to Maude True.  They were the parents of four children: Ray, deceased; Forest: Mary Harlan Lowe; and Madge Harlan Richmon. John Harlan and his family lived on the Witham farm near Mechanicsburg many years.  Both are now deceased.

Oris J. Harlan was born June 1, I880, and was married to Mable Florence Chappuis on June 19, 1901   They were the parents of five children: Ralph J.; J. Devaughn (Dee); Juanita; LaVern; and Eathol Oris worked for Coulter-Smock Furniture Company for several years. He was motorman on the cars 'Dorothy*' and "Frances" running between Lebanon and Thorntown for several years, also. Just about the time of World War 1 Oris bought the Henderson Monument Company, which was located on North Lebanon Street, about where the Mount Floral Shop ii today. My maternal grandfather, Charles W. Chappuis, had worked with Mr. Henderson, as a stone cutter for several years. He joined my father In the business. Later they bought a building on North West Street. Grandfather Chappuls did all the lettering on marry memorials located In Oak Hill Cemetery and other surrounding cemeteries. He was an excellent artist and created many designs.

At the front of Pleasant View Cemetery, a monument Is erected showing the site of the First Church, organized on November 6, 1836. The design showing a log cabin church was created and cut into the stone by Charles Chappuls. At the bottom of the base of the monument. Is a bronze plate, telling who erected the monument. It also encloses many records of the church and surrounding vicinity. This box is to be opened in 100 years.

Charles W. Chappuis was married to Anna Michael on June 6, 1881, in Greenfield, Ind. Charles died on May 31, 1928, and Anna died In October of 1937.

Oris died March 31, 1943, and Mable died June 4. 1941

Both of my brothers were prominent In Lebanon High School athletics.  Ralph was captain of the 1924-25 basketball team. He also played football. Ralph was awarded the Noble Beck Loving Cup In 1925,

J. DeVaughn (Dee) was also a prominent athlete In basketball and won the Noble Beck Loving Cup the year he graduated, 1935 or 1936. After the death of Noble Beck, my brothers established the Harlan Loving Cup, which Is still being given.

Ralph was married to Myrtle Craig, of Lebanon, and Dee was married to Josephine Ban, of Tipton, Ind. LaVern married Harry Stuart of Frankfort, ind.; Juanita married James Boaz, of McKenzie, Tennessee. Eathol married Lowell Mount, of Lebanon.

Ralph died February 28, 1956, and Dee died fourteen months later In May of 1957. LaVern  and Eathol live In Michigan and Juanita lives in Florida.

My husband, Lowell L. Mount, Is a descendant of Elias Plew, who is buried in Pleasant View Cemetery. Elias Plew was born in 1722 and died in 1842.   He was a Revolutionary War Soldier and crossed the Delaware River on floating ice with George Washington. He was made Washington's body guard because of meritorious service rendered.

On the west side of Pleasant View Cemetery there is a large monument erected by the U. S. Government in memory of him. There are large letters -1776 - on the front of the stone.

I can't say that the Harlan family carved any great trails in Boone County, bur our family has called Boone County, and especially Lebanon, "home" since 1871.

Original printed in the Boone County Magazine 1987 it is their Bicentennial Edition and was written entirely by the people of Boone County




David Holloman was born In 1835 In Steelville, Missouri. When he was 16 years of age In 1851 he migrated to California.  To pay his way he helped lead an oxen train and Mother says that she can remember him saying that they thought they were going to be attacked by Indians but thankfully nothing happened. He spent some time in the Marysville and San Jose areas of California, and If he prospected for gold he was not successful He returned to Missouri via ship and land.  He sailed from San Francisco to the Panama area and then portaged across the Isthmus of Panama and by ship again to Norfolk, Va. While coming around Cape Haiteras there was a storm and he was afraid that they would be shipwrecked but were not.

He returned to California In 1864 with his first wife, Elizabeth Dunlap, of Missouri. They had three sons and a daughter.  The oldest son, Robert, died In Miami, Florida, In 1935; the next. Reed, was a lawyer and judge in New Mexico.   He was a member of the Constitutional Convention when New Mexico was admitted to the Union In 1912.   Reed died In Santa Fe, New Mexico in 19657.  The youngest son, Tom, was a barber and died In San Antonio, Texas, in the early 1960*s. The daughter died In infancy and is buried along with her mother, who died in 1877, in San Jose, California.

David Holloman came to Boone County in 1879 because his Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Will DeVol had a farm here.  The DeVols had entered 640 acres from the Government and at their deaths, David received 105 acres (presently owned by Keith and Arena Cunningham). He farmed this land and had a specialty orchard containing many varieties of fruit previously unknown In this area.   Of the remaining acres, George Rigsby, whom the DeVols had raised, received 300 acres and the remaining acreage went to the DeVol heirs.   In 1881 David married my grandmother Frances L Henderson. They had three children; Lila (Mrs. Walter Hodge) who died to Lebanon In 1924, Newell T., who died In Lebanon in 1967, and my mother Mae (Mrs. Stanley E. Jones), who Is still living.

Grandfather Holloman loved California and so they moved to the Bakersfield, California, area, living near what at that  time was called Kern City, but today is known as East Bakersfield.   David died In 1902 and is burled In Union Cemetery, Bakersfield. My grandmother and the children returned to Boone County about a year later.


Andrew Belt and son, Alfred (Mike) were running a huckster wagon in the year of 1916.   Mr. Belt worked for Art Beck, father of Dorthea Smith, owner of the Coffee Shop In Lebanon. Mr. Belt and son served  several communities. Including Shepherdsville, Whitestown, Gadsden, Advance and Jamestown.

The following Items were carried In the huckster wagon: canned goods, kerosene, flour, sugar, horehound candy, vinegar In a keg, chewing and smoking tobacco. They traded for eggs and chickens In those days. Groceries were generally traded for Instead of paid for.

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Belt, a well-noted pioneer family around Shepherdsvllle and Fayette, were married January 19, 1907, by the Justice of the Peace Squire N. A. Perill In Lebanon.

They have four living children: Alfred Bell and Dorothy Perkins, of Lebanon. Oraer C Belt, of Indianapolis, and Mark Allen, of Boonville. Four Infants died at birth.

Besides running the huckster wagon. Mr. and Mrs. Belt farmed until the year 1931.  Then Mr. Belt was janitor and Mrs. Belt worked as cook at Perry Central School for 20 years.  In 1951 they moved to West South Street, Lebanon.   Mr. Belt then worked for the State Highway Department before retiring.

Mr. and Mrs. Belt were members of the Concord Church. Mr. Belt was a deacon in the church until his death June 6, 1969.   Mrs. Belt died October 25, 1974.


Bender, Crane, Coons, Evans, Hall, Hine, Kersey, Lane, Morrison, Sanfold, Taylor, Walker---are these names from the Lebanon telephone directory of 1976? No.  They are a few of the names of a group that met in the 1890's at a yearly reunion to join their relatives, the Becks.

John Beck and his wife, Judith Chenault, whom he married in Wayne County, Ind., on June 18, 1818, moved from Union County to Boone in 1836 onto a farm three miles northwest of Lebanon. That homestead of originally 320 acres remained In the hands of his descendants for 140 years, only recently removed after the death of Lester Beck, a great-grandson. One acre was given by John to be used as a cemetery, still called the Beck Cemetery, in which he and his wife, five of his nine sons and other relatives are buried.  This landmark is easily seen from the highway.

John and Judith were parents of thirteen children, nine of whom were sons to carry on the Beck name and tradition All but the oldest, Abner Beck, who remained In Union County, settled in Boone County. They were stalwart. Industrious, prominent land owners, and businessmen Involved in the development of Boone.

John's descendants were many. At one count, there were 76 grandchildren and 104 great-grandchildren. To date we do not have the number of great-great and beyond.

John Beck's father, Solomon Beck, Sr., came from Stokes County, North Carolina, into Union County in 1811, having purchased land first in 1806. followed by John's uncle, Henry Beck.  Then Solomon Beck moved up to Montgomery County near the Boone County line in 1828. Beckville (later called Orth) was established on what had been his land. Henry Beck soon followed Solomon. And In 1838, John Beck's youngest, uncle, Abraham Beck, settled In Boone.

Every year, descendants of these Becks have gathered from many states to carry on the tradition of the reunion. It is still being held at Lebanon on the 3rd Sunday in August at the 4-H center, instead of at a Beck homestead.


Transcribed and Contributed for Genealogy Trails by Barb Z.