MORGAN COUNTY INDIANA
JEFFERSON
TOWNSHIP
Lamb's Bottom
One of the
earliest settlements in Morgan County was in the small
fertile and famous valley in the southern part of Jefferson
Township, known by the above name. Here it was that, according to
some, the first permanent settlement in the county was made. It should
be known that the counties down the river (Owen, Monroe, Greene, etc.)
were settled from six to ten years before the county of Morgan. Before the latter had any permanent white
settlers, its territory had been
frequently invaded by prospectors who knew that ere many years,
the Government would secure the soil and open it to settlement,
and by adventurous hunters and trappers who penetrated its natural
fastnesses in quest of game and a livelihood. The country along the
river, especially, washus often inspected, but of course no permanent
settlement could be made, or at least was made, until after the Indian
treaty of St. Mary's, Ohio, at which time the fine tract of country
called the New Purchase, of which the county of Morgan formed a
part, was ceeded to the United States. Settlers in the lower and older
counties had waited patiently for this event, and the ratification of
the treaty was no sooner announced than the adventurous home seekers
penetrated the New Purchase for permanent settlement. The survey
of the land was ordered, undertaken and completed during the years 1819
and 1820, and on the 4th of September the first sale took place at
Terre Haute. Early in the spring of 1819, the exact date not being
known, but probably in the month of March or April, three men in one of
the lower counties (Jeremiah Lamb, Joseph Munden and Humphrey Harris),
loaded with provisions and implements, and armed with rifles and
knives, journeyed up White River until the valley above mentioned was
reached, when, after examining the country there thoroughly, they
concluded to make a permanent location, and began immediately to erect
a rude log cabin in which to live while they were clearing a few acres
for a crop, and until better houses could be reared for the families
that were to be brought out in the fall. The temporary cabin was
hastily built, and the three men went resolutely to work to clear a few
acres for a crop of corn and vegetables. They concluded to farm the
first year in common, and after clearing about five acres, they planted
the same with corn and garden " truck," and two of them went back
whence they came and the third remained to care for the crop. The
others returned and assisted. The three men "bached" during the summer,
often joining their families for provisions and to care for property
there. One or more of them was always present at the new home. During
the summer, three substantial log cabins were built for the three
families, and three small tracts were cleared and larger tracts
deadened. In the fall, the families were brought out and domiciled in
the cabins. For two or three years, this settlement became well known,
and was universally known as "Lamb's Bottom," called thus for Mr. Lamb,
the most prominent of the three settlers. The cabins of these men
became great resorts for all the hunters, who came up the river during
the years 1819 and 1820, and for numerous home seekers. Game was
very abundant then, and the cabins were always supplied with wild
turkeys, venison steak and quite probably sometimes with bear steak.
In January, 1820
(or perhaps the following January, 1821), the
family of Mr. Munden had been so closely housed for some time by
excessive cold weather that the supply of meat ran short, and one
morning when the cold seemed somewhat modified and the approaching day
seemed auspicious, Mr. Munden took his rifle and went out in quest
of game. After three or four hours had elapsed, it suddenly clouded up,
and the snow began to fall heavily, and in a comparatively short
time lay upon the ground twelve or fifteen inches deep. The snow then
ceased to fall, the wind veered round to the northwest and it became
intensely cold. To increase the horror of being out, the light snow was
raised in clouds by the wind, and scarcely a foot could be seen in
advance. The day wore away, but Mr. Munden did not return. His family
became uneasy, but hoped for his appearance before night. Inky darkness
settled over the earth, the storm continued with unabated fury, and
still the hunter did not return. The night slowly passed, and at
daybreak, as Mr. Munden did not appear, his family, with direful
forebodings, hurried to the cabins of the neighbors and told them of
the ominous condition of affairs. It was instantly resolved to go
in search of the missing man. The cold was yet bitter, but the wind had
died, and the snow lay in huge drifts. Five or six men, including
several who had lately come to the neighborhood, accordingly
started out in groups of two. After many hours of tiresome walking, two
of the men came upon human tracks nearly, filled with snow. These were
five or six miles from home, and were followed as rapidly as possible.
They led in a rambling way toward the settlement, and finally struck
the old Indian trace. Here it was found that the man had lain down in
the snow to rest. The half concealed tracks were followed, and soon
another resting place was found. This was repeated six or seven times,
the resting places coming nearer and nearer together, until at last
the dead body of Mr. Munden was
found, frozen stiff, and half covered
with snow. He was in a half sitting posture with his gun in his hands,
and when overtaken by death was no doubt attempting to raise himself to
his feet with the assistance of his rifle, in another effort for his
life. Intense was the sorrow of his family when the news became known.
The corpse was taken home and buried. The family remained in the
settlement a year or more and then left, and their subsequent
movements are unknown. How long Mr. Lamb and Mr. Harris remained in the
settlement cannot be learned, but it was not to exceed about three
years. What became of them could not be learned. Their farms, which
they did not own, were purchased by others, and the names of all except
that of Mr. Lamb are well nigh forgotten.
CONTINUED
SETTLEMENT
Among those
who bought land early in the township were James K.
Hamilton, John Burnett, Samuel Newell, Hiram Stroud, John Kennedy,
Abraham Stroud, Jacob Cutler, John Conner, Fred Fry, Abraham Fry,
William McDaniel, Samuel Ashton, Andrew Waymore, Thomas Clark. These
men made their purchases prior to 1825, and all located their land in
Lamb's Bottom. Later entries were made by Alexander McKinney,
Frederick Buckhart, and still later by Solomon Watson, J. W.
Powers, George Shultz, P. Duckworth, John Hynds, Levi Walters, William
Stiles, William Riddle, Isaac Fletcher, Amos and Aaron Stout, William
Bragg, George Malf, Andrew Scott, Craven P. Hester, Solomon Teag, James
Newton, Emanuel Isenhower, George. Elliott, John Burnett, Hiram
McKinney, William Goodwin, John B. Gibson, Jacob Stierwalt, Christopher
Shultz, J. M. Worthington, Samuel Fletcher, Henry French, John Taggart,
Joseph Whitson, James Warren, Robert Burge, Nathan Bow, Joel Beam,
John Fowler, John Smith, Thomas Lockhart, Reuben Robertson, Joseph
Elder, Martha Townsend, Lawrence Fouts, Ingraham Collins, H. S.
Cunningham, William Crone, W. H. Allison, Robert Miller, John
Plasters, John O'Neil, John A. Worthen, David Lee, William
Shearer, William Watson, Thomas Dixon, Gideon Lewis, Charles B.
Butler, John Hudson, Fred Bronjon, David Snodgrass, T. Shipley, Allen
Smith, Silas Bartholomew, Joseph Snodgrass, Gideon Farris, Henry
Richardson, Gideon Reynold, J. W. Cox, Philip Engle, George Winters,
John Nutter, R. D. Worthington, Jonathan Powers and Hiram Collins.
POLL TAX
PAYERS OF 1842
Lewis
Asher, William Bragg, James Browning, Robert Bragg, Milton
Burpoe, James Ball, Noah Ball, Robert Burge, Walter Best, Joel Beam,
Daniel Bailiff, Wesley Ballinger, William Cox, J. W. Cox, William
N. Cunningham, Pleasant Duckworth, Nathan Dow, Thomas Dixon, William
Dixon, John Duckworth, Joel Elliott, C. W. Eaton, George Elliott,
Thomas Fipps, Henry French, Robert Foster, Joseph Fry, Samuel
Fletcher, Jesse Griffith, D. C. Gladson, Lawson Grunt, David Grunt,
Henderson Hutton, George Hensley, Thomas Hines, John Hynds, Thomas
Hynds, Emanuel Isenhower, James Kirby, L. C. Kennedy, William Kirk,
Amos Kirby, Gideon Lewis, Robert Miller, George Miller,James McKinney,
Peter Miller, John Miller. Henry Miller, Marsh, William Preston, John
O'Neal, Jesse Overton, Robert Pattison, William Payton, Henry
Richardson, Felix Rinehart, Edward Shipley, Jesse Stanton, Talhot
Shipley, George Shultz, David Smith, Allen Skelton, Amos Stout, Jacob
Stierwalt, William Stiles, John Stout, William Stout, John Taggart,
William Teag, John Wallace, David Woods, William Widner, James Warman,
Ira Worthen, John Woods, George Winter and Richard. Weathers.
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
The first
church organized in the township was the Mt. Gilead
Baptist society, founded soon after 1840. The leading members in
early years were Luke C. Kennedy, Harvey Sheppard, A. J. Duncan,
Alexander Knox, W. C. Townsend and others. After a few years, a
church was built. The class is yet in existence. Late in the forties,
the Christian Church in Lamb's Bottom was organized, the leading
members being Thomas Wilson, James Farr, Alexander Wilson,
Hezekiah Guy and Ephraim Hodges. The Mt. Olive Methodist class was
organized later, as was also the Presbyterian. The meeting house at
Crone's has been well attended at times. The township is well supplied
with facilities for worship.
THE SCHOOLS
The first
schools were taught in Lamb's Bottom. Several had been
started there before any other portion of the township was thus
represented. A log cabin about a mile and a half southwest of
Hyndsdale was transformed into a temple of learning about the year
1834, and a session was taught therein by some man whose name is no
longer remembered. Another school was started southwest of that point,
near the township line, about the same time. It has been stated that
school was taught in the twenties in the vicinity of Hyndsdale, but if
so the facts could not be ascertained. During the forties, several
schools were established in the central and northern parts of the
township. In almost every case, log cabins, with huge fire-places,
stick and clay chimneys, rude clapboard seats and desks, were the first
schoolhouses. The books were extremely limited, and early teachers were
obliged to resort to slates and blackboards of the rudest description
in order that the scholars might have the required advantages.
Sometimes one book served a whole class, being passed along as it was
needed. In 1850, there were six established schools. Now there are
eight.
HYNDSDALE
This little village was
founded soon after the railroad was put in
running order. It has usually had a store of general merchandise,
a post office and a blacksmith shop. Considerable timber is shipped
during the season. The Stouts have been in business there. The village
is convenient for the neighborhood