Wayne County, Indiana
Clay Township
James Martindale, from North Carolina, is said to
have been the first settler on Green's Pork bottom, within the limits
of this township. He settled on the farm on which his grandson, James
W. Martindale, a son of John Martindale, now resides, half a mile from
the town of Washington. His purchase included lands now owned by
Branson L. Harris and John Brooks. Jonas Hatfield, Sen., from Kentucky,
in 1812, settled, with his sons, where the town of Washington now is,
and where his descendants still reside. Thomas, one of his sons, laid
out the town, and died many years ago. Jonas, another son, with several
of his children, still resides there. Abel Jenny, about 1812, settled
where Branson L. Harris now resides, east of and near the town. Jesse
Albertson, from North Carolina, after stopping a year or two in
Kentucky, settled two miles east of Richmond, and in 1815 removed to
the farm on which he now resides, half a mile east of town. His brother
Joshua, who came to Richmond a few years later than Jesse, after some
years residence there, settled south of his brother, on land bought of
Richard Ratciiff, now owned by John Bond, Jun., and Elwood Albertson.
In 1813, Wm. Fox settled about one mile north of town; land lately
owned by John Brooks, now by George W. Davis. Fox removed in 1844 to
Jefferson township, where he died in 1860. Joshua
Benny settled one
and a half miles north-west of town; land now owned by Richard and
George Faucett, and James T. Nicholson. James Spray, on land now owned
by Jacob Wood, afterward half a mile south on the farm since owned by
John Brooks.
In the east part
of the township, James Odell, about 1813 or 1814, settled on the farm
where Wm.. Coffin resides. Samuel and Joseph Evans on land now owned by
John Bean, of Green township, son-in-law of Joseph Evans, and Ransom
Cheeseman. In 1814, Miles Murphy settled one mile south-east of town.
John Baldwin, from North Carolina, in 1825, bought the farm of Murphy,
it being that on which his son Jonathan Baldwin resides. He had four
sons, Jonathan, Isaac, David, and Caleb. Jonathan married Mary Ann,
daughter of Jesse Albertson. James Porter settled early near the
Friends' meeting-house. Moses Martindale, brother of James, where
Alfred Underhill resides, Wm. Young, land owned by Josiah Clawson.
Benj., Angell, on land on the township line, now owned by Alfred
Underhill. In 1814, John Pierson settled where Henry Atkinson resides.
About 1815, Martin Martindale, son-in-law of Pierson, on land lately
owned by E. Harvey, now by David Fowler. Wm. Beall, adjoining the
township line, where he still lives. Joseph Thornburg where Daniel
Williams lives. Benj. Albertson, on land now owned by John Bond, Jr.,
one mile south-east of town. Owen Branson, on part of the land now
owned by I. McDon¬ald and Thomas Adams's heirs.
In the south-east
part of the township, Jonathan Cloud settled where now his son
Joseph Cloud resides. Wm. Pike, on land now owned by the heirs of his
son Stephen Pike. Isaiah Frazier, first, and afterward Jonathan
Mendenhall, on land now owned by Lewis Bailey and Henry Franklin. John
Hunt, after him Israel Gause, on land now owned by Isaac Gause and Mrs.
E. Brashure.
In the vicinity of Washington, south and west, were
Jesse Bond, who, after a residence of six years near Richmond, settled
a mile south of town in 1813; lands now owned by his sons Nathan, Wm.
C, and the heirs of his son Robert. Benj. Hall, lessee of Henry
Stidham, on land now owned by Larkin
Bond, who bought of
John Bailey. John Foland, on a part of the land now
owned by Matthias Wise.
In the south and
south-west part of the township, were Stephen Horney, who still
resides where he settled; Moses Coffin, where Andrew Horney resides;
Absalom Williams, on lands now owned by his sons, Henry and John
Williams; Isaac Mendenhall, on lands lately owned by David Cook,
deceased. Henry Hoover settled early on the east side of Green's Fork;
lands now owned by the widow of his son Andrew, their son John, and
Perry Wilson. Peter Hoover, brother of Henry, bought west and
adjoining; land now owned by the widow of his son Emsley, and their son
Owen P. Hoover, and Henry T. Bond. John Fincher settled near where O.
P. Hoover now resides. Valentine Foland, in the south-west corner of
the township, where he now resides. James Ridge, on lands now owned by
Theodore Cook. John Wise, in 1832, on lands now owned by his sons
George and Matthias Wise. He now resides in Jay county. Ephraim Gentry,
land purchased of David Hoover, now owned by Wm. H. Gentry, son of
Ephraim.
In the west part of
the township, David Peacock settled on land now owned by his son David;
Wm. Widows, on land lately sold to John Allen, who owns other lands
adjoining. Mason Fithen, about 1817, settled on land now owned by Jacob
Wright and others; Enos Veal, Sen., and Peter Woolfert, in 1817, on
lands now owned and occupied by James T. Nicholson and Daniel
Strickler. Woolfert sold out and removed to section 15. Joseph Davis,
on land adjoining the township line, where George G. Hindman resides.
James Owen, Sen., on land now owned by Eulas Bunnell. In 1815, John
Brockus and Miles Dimet settled on land now owned by Cyrus Osborn and
John Bradbury. In 1824, Job Smith, on lands lately owned by Olinda B.
Bunnell and William Faucett. Ezekiel Bradbury, about 1825, where Jonas
Hatfield, Jun., resides. Jonas Hatfield, Sen., father of the present
Jonas Hatfield, Sen., bought the lands now owned principally by George
Faucett, Cyrus Osborn, and Daniel Bradbury.
In the north-west
part of the township, Jonathan Shaw settled, in 1815, on land
now owned by Daniel Strickler on the township west
line. On school section, [16,] first residents were Robert Watkins and Wm.
Elliott. Land sold in 1832 to Daniel Bradbury, John Brown, Matthew
Holcomb, Enos Veal, Samuel Adamson. Ithamar Lamb, Milo Bailey, and
Lewis Strickler live on it. John Bradbury, from Ohio, in 1815, and his
brother Josiah settled on Morgan's creek. John, a few years after,
removed to the Wabash, and in 1829 to his present residence a mile west
of town. Daniel Bradbury early bought of his brother Josiah, and
settled where Milton R Harris now resides; and in 1866 at his present
residence near town. The land first settled by John Bradbury is now
owned by Eulas Bunnell. David Sears, in 1820, settled on land now owned
by Edwin F. Ogborn. Enos Veal, Jun., and Elias Venniman, on land now
owned by Jane Ogborn and John Fowler. About 1828 or 1830, Peter
Woolfert, who settled about 1817 in section 27, and Wm. Ball, settled
on lands now owned by
E. Merritt Lamb and
Jesse W. Brooks. In 1821, Eve, widow of Evan Shoemaker,
(since removed to Wabash,) settled on land now owned by Joseph
Lamb. James Starling, on the land now owned by Joseph Long.
Henry Riggs, on the land Merritt Lamb owns. "Wm. Ball and Frederic
Dean, on land now owned by John Gil more and Eli Wiseman.
In the north part
of the township, section 14, Wm. Underhill settled on laud now
owned by John Ball and Oliver Wilson. Jes3e and Isaac Baldwin, on land
now owned by Enos Veal and John Wilson's heirs. Philip and Henry
Reuberger, about 1819, on land now owned by John Gilmore and John
Wilson's heirs. Henry Garrett and Abraham Elliott, as early as 1813 or
1814, on part of section 23; lands now owned by Samuel Cook and Wm. F.
Dean. David Young, where Wm. F. Dean
resides. Jonathan Ross and John Richter settled where
M. Funk now lives.
Absalom Williams, born in North Carolina in 1775,
after a residence of seven years near Richmond, entered in Clay
township the land where his son Henry resides. He died in 1868, at the
age of 93. Wm. Osborn, about 1820, settled near Washington, and died in
1831, aged 29. Cyrus, his son, resides half a mile below town. Daniel
Williams, born in North Carolina in 1792, from Pennsylvania in 1833,
settled in the
north-east part of the township, where Allen M. Harris lives; now
resides one and a half miles east of Washington.
John Brooks, from North Carolina, in 1831, to this
county, settled, in 1844, on the land entered by Wm. Fox, one mile from
Washington, and is now living half a mile east of town.
Thomas Cook settled, at an early day, where his son
Samuel Cook lives, two miles north from Washington, and where he died
in 1824, aged 56. He is supposed to have been the first saddler in
Washington. Samuel Ball, born in Virginia, from Tennessee in 1820,
settled where Benjamin Thorn lives, and died in 1849, near where his
son John Ball resides. John Wilson, from South Carolina, about 1820,
settled two miles north-west from Washington, where he died in 1852,
aged 36. Joseph Lamb, from North Carolina, settled, in 1829, on land
adjoining Perry, where he died in 1855, at the age of 73. His children
were, Ezekiel, deceased; Esther, Smith, deceased; Elias, Mournen,
Joseph, Ithamar. John Bailey, a native of Virginia, from Kentucky about
1810 to Richmond, thence, a few years after, to Perry, and next to
Clay, in 1859, where his son Milo resides; died in 1863, aged 72. Wm.
Hindman, from Ohio, in 1839, settled two and a half miles west of
Washington, and died in 1843, aged 42. George, his son, lives on the
west line. Wm. Wright, from Maryland, in 1825, settled two miles
south-east from town, where he died in 1854, aged 74. Jacob, his son,
lives one and a half miles west from town.
Hugh Allen, from Ohio in 1820, settled three miles
southeast from Hagerstown, near where he died, aged 66. His son John
lives about two miles west of Washington; Jacob, another son, in
Jefferson. David Cook, from Virginia, about 1831, settled one mile south
of Washington, where he died in 1870, aged 59. Theodore, his son, lives
two miles south-west from town. Emsley Hoover, from Ohio, about 1811,
settled on Green's
Fork, south-west from Washington, where his son Owen P. lives; died in
1865, aged 69. Valentine Foland, born in Virginia in 1789; served in
the war of 1812. In 1815 he bought, and in 1821 settled
on the land where he now resides, south-west corner of the township.
Henry Garret built the first Grist-mill, a mile and a half above town, about the year
1814. Jonas Hatfield soon after commenced building a saw-mitt that year
at Washington, but not living to finish it, it was completed the next
year by his son Thomas, who four or five years after also built a
grist-mill at the same place. Henry Hoover, (not of Richmond,) about
the year 1840, built a saw-mill two miles below Washington, and
afterward sold it to Samuel Boyd, who, about the year 1855, also built
a grist-mill at the same place.
About the year 1825, perhaps later, Thomas Hatfield
built a Carding Machine and a
Fulling Mill near his other
mills, and after running them about a year, he procured of Jesse Bond a
site a fourth of a mile below, to which he removed them, and soon after
sold them to the Bonds, who removed them further down to near where
Nathan Bond resides.
Wm. Underbill and Joshua Benny are said to have been
the first Blacksmiths in the
township.
Lisbon Basey and John Russell, in partnership, are
supposed to have been the first
Merchants, in the year 1818; next, Allen Osborn and Wm. Bunnell;
and next, John Martindale, son of James, who, in 1830, sold out to Mark
E. Reeves, who, with an additional stock, established a store which he
continued until 1840, when he removed to Hagerstown, continuing an
interest in the store at Washington in partnership with James W. Scott
for about five years. Jonathan & Stephen Coffin commenced trade in
1843; and the business was continued by Stephen. Present merchants: Dry
Goods—Dr. Lorenzo D. Personett and John M. McCown. Grocers—Allen
Daugherty, Wm. S. Hatfield.
The first Physician
is said to have been a Dr. Howard, who was soon followed by Dr.
Johnson. Dr. William Bunnell, who came about the year 1823, is said by
some to have been the first "regular," licensed physician. He died,in
1858, of cholera. He was succeeded by his son, Rhodes W. Bunnell.
Lorenzo D. Personett came in 1844. The two last-mentioned are the
present practicing physicians.
Abraham Elliott is supposed to have been the first
Justice of the Peace within what is now Clay township; the next,
per-haps, was John Martindale, brother of James.
The Friends formed
the first Religious Society; and a log meeting-house was built as early
as 1814 or 1815, by Jesse Bond, below the town, near the grave-yard. A
frame house was afterward built at or near the same place. After the
schism of 1828, those calling themselves "Orthodox" built a house about
a mile north-east of town, on land given for that purpose by John
Baldwin. The only society in the vicinity now holds its meetings in
this house.
A Methodist Church
was organized at an early day; but in what year has not been
ascertained. Their meetings were early held at the house of James
Porter, in the vicinity of the Friends' meeting-house, north of town.
In 1815, Rev. Mrs., Hunt was on Whitewater circuit, and is known to
have preached in this place. Among the early members were James Porter,
James Odell, Wm.. Fox, and their wives, and Polly Morgan, whose husband
had been killed by Indians at Morgan's Creek. The names of preachers
who succeeded Mr. Hunt on Whitewater circuit are given elsewhere.
The church of the United
Brethren is said to have existed upward of thirty years. The
precise date of its formation is not remembered. The society built a
frame meetinghouse near the creek, which they occupied until 1870, when
their new brick house in town was completed.
The Town of
Washington was
laid out by Thomas Hatfield, and the description of the original plat,
certified by him as proprietor, and Abraham Elliott, surveyor,
September 28,1818, was acknowledged for record November 19, 1818.
A Block-house
without a fort was built in war-time on or near Joshua Benny's farm, a
mile north of Washington. On John Martindale's land, four miles west of
this town, a fort and block-house were built by Martindale and his
sons, Elijah and William, Charles Morgan, Reynolds Fielder, Jacob
Galion, and Jonathan Shaw.
A Lodge of Free
Masons, Acacia, No. 242, was organized under dispensation
January 29,1859, and held its first meeting February 15, 1859. Its
charter is dated May 25, 1859. Its officers were Rhodes W. Bunnell, W.
M.; Wm. McCafferty, S. W.; Hugh H. Keys, J. W.; Charles Evans,
Treasurer; Daniel D. Rogers, Secretary. Walter Rogers, Sen. Deacon;
Samuel Cook, Deacon. 14
Green's Fork Lodge,
No. 184, I. 0. 0. F. was instituted February 25,1857, with the
following named persons as the first officers: James W. Scott, N. G.;
Calvin Conner, V. G.; Thomas M. Kerr, Secretary; Joseph F. Reynolds,
Treasurer.
Bettis Encampment,
No. 71, I. 0. 0. F., was instituted August 31, 1865. First officers:
George W. Ebersol, C. P.; John Bean, H. P.; Joseph Ludlum, S. W.;
George W. Davis, J. W.; Lorenzo D. Personett, Scribe; Adam Reinheimer,
Treasurer.
Biographical and Genealogical.
JESSE BOND was born in
Grayson
county, Va., and was married to Phebe Commons, a daughter of Robert
Commons, in North Carolina. In 1807 he emigrated from Virginia to
Indiana Territory, and settled on the farm on which the Earlham College
buildings stand. In 1813 he removed to a farm near the present town of
Washington, where he continued to reside until his decease, April
11,1862. He was a member of the Society of Friends and a minister from
his youth. He was one of the earliest ministers of the Whitewater
meeting. The existence of American slavery he deplored most deeply; and
had his life been protracted another short year, he would have had the
satisfaction of witnessing its overthrow. He is represented as having
been exemplary in his deportment, and singularly faithful in the
discharge of domestic, social, and religious duties. He had eleven
children.
1. Nathan, who married
Tamar Kenworthy. 2. Robert, who married Rachel Thorenburg, and died in
1864. 3. John, who married Mary Bawnald, and died in 1867. 4. William
C, who married Hannah Locke, daughter of Wm. Locke, an early Bettler in
Perry. 5. Enos, who married Susan Hoover, and removed to Newcastle,
where she died in 1869. 6. Isom, who married Dinah Kenworthy, and
removed to Miami county, Ind., where he died in 1847. His widow married
Jediah Bond; they live at Louisville, Henry county. 7. Ruth, wife of
William Nicholson, and resides at Newcastle. 8. Hannah, wife of John
Wilson, who died in 1852. 9. Isaac, who married, first, Catharine
Eargood, and resides at Peru; second, Millicent Mendenhall. 10. Jesse,
who married, first, Jane Cox; second,
Harriet Haugh, and
resides at Peru. 11. Isydia, wife of Oliver Mendenhall, and resides at
Newcastle.
DANIEL BRADBURY was born in
Warren county, Ohio, in the North-western Territory, September 22,
1800. He removed to this county in 1819, and settled in what is now
Clay township, on Morgan's creek, three miles north-west of Washington.
He was married, August 23,1821, to Mary Elliott, at Jacksonburg. In
1866 he removed to the farm on which he now resides, half a mile north
of the town. He had six children, of whom three died young. Of those
who survived them, John died from injuries received from the running
away of a team; his widow and a son died a few years after. Jane
married, first, James Wilson, who died about three years after his
marriage; second, Edwin F. Ogburn. Matilda married Milton R. Harris.
All reside in the neighborhood of Sugar Grove. Mta. Bradbury died April
4, 1868. Mr. B. married for his second wife, Hannah Buck in 1869. He
was in 1839 elected a county commissioner. In 1840 he was elected a
representative in the legislature, and in 1841 declined a nomination.
He has also served for thirteen years as assessor, principally in four
townships, and for twelve years as superintendent of the county asylum.
VALENTINE FOLAND was born in
Virginia in 1789, and was married in 1811 to Sarah Holer. He served in
the war of 1812. In 1815 he purchased, and in 1821 he settled on the
land where he now resides, in the south-west corner of the township.
Anne, his daughter, born December, 1811, was married, in 1828, to John
Kepler, of Harrison, and had a daughter, Mary Catharine, who was born
in 1839, and was married, in 1856, to Wm. A. Black. Their children
living are Lycurgus, Virginia B., Frank M., and Charles.
HENRY HOOVER, a native of North
Carolina, from Ohio in 1811, settled on the land now owned by his son
John, two miles south of Washington. He died in 1842, aged 68. His
children were Lelah, Rebecca, Levi, Rachel, Andrew, Nancy, Elizabeth,
Catharine, Henry, and John, of whom Lelah, Elizabeth, Catharine, Henry,
and John are living.
SAMUEL OSBURN, a native of New
Jersey, came from Ohio to Washington in 1825, and died in 1839 about a
mile and a half
west from town. His children were Joseph; Mary, deceased; Edwin F.;
Allen W., who lives in Dublin; Evan; Lydia, wife of Francis Elliott;
Ezra, in Chariton, Iowa; Joel, Union Mills, Iowa; Ann, deceased, wife
of Rev. G. BL Bird, Fairview, Randolph county.