BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY HISTORY
Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana (1876)
This exceedingly rich and fertile county lies about forty miles south of the Capital
of the State, and embraces an area of about 300,000 acres of land. Much of this area
is the famous White River bottoms, which are known, the state over, for their
productiveness.
The surface is well watered by the East Fork of White River, Flat Rock
Creek, Clifty Creek, Branch Creek, White and Haw Creeks, and their numerous
tributaries, which traverse all parts of the county, affording abundant
water for farm and stock purposes, and eligible sires for mills and factories.
From Edinburg to Columbus, White River is called "Driftwood." The East
Fork of White River properly begins at the junction of Driftwood and
Flat Rock creek, though the river name is usually applied on all maps of the.
region to the Driftwood portion.
The fertile valleys of the streams were once covered with a magnificent
growth of timber. Massive oak, hickory, walnut and ash grew here in all
their native grandeur. The most valuable of these have fallen before the
woodman's axe, and, before the demand for them became general, were often
burned. Of late years they have been exported, for fine furniture and
cabinetry.
The principal timber remaining consists of the varieties of oak, hickory,
some walnut, ash, beech, sycamore, buckeye, haw, sugar tree and pawpaw.
The surface of the country is, in the main, level. The western part is
hilly, and, particularly near the Brown County line, the spurs
of the Allegheny Mountains. Their local mime is "Salt Creek Knobs."
They are covered principally with white oak.
One-fourth of the land in the county is bottom land, lying on the East
Fork of White River, and on Flat Rock and Clifty Creeks. There is but little
poor land, which is principally along the western edge of the county. The
sand and bottoms and level lands is a rich alluvium, mixed with limestone and
soil in the gravel.
That part of the county called "Haw Patch" (twelve miles long and six
miles wide) is not surpassed, for beauty and fertility, by any portion of the
western country.
Between Flat Rock Creek and White River (called here Driftwood) there
was originally a native forest for miles, without any undergrowth, where
tall and thinly scattered walnuts, blue ash and sugar tree no more interrupted travelers on horseback or in wagons, than would open parks, where
they have been planted and trimmed.
The hilly part of the county has a clay soil, adapted chiefly to the growth
of grass.
The chief productions are corn, wheat and grass.
Immense numbers of hogs are raised. Of late years the farmers have
much improved their stock of these, and few counties in the State can touch
them in the quality or the quantity of pork exported.
Although Indiana was admitted, as a State, into the Union in 1816, the
territory of Bartholomew County, at that time, was in the possession of the
Indians; and it was not until after the treaty of St. Mary's, in 1818, that
this county was made accessible to the whites.
The next year after the treaty, immigration began to flow into the County
from older counties in this State, and from other States of the Union. Among
those who came in 1819 were the following:
Elias Cox and James Parker� who settled in the Haw Patch� John Pruther (Prather ?)� who
settled near Jonesville, in the southern part of the county�
David Deitz� settled at the present location of Columbus� William Herod,
John F. Gevin, B. F. Arnold, Ephraim Arnold, Charles Jones, Edward
Ballenger, Joseph McKinney, Newton Jones, David R. Wayland, John
Hubbard, William Gabberd, Jonathan Bunnell and Tipton Linsey.
The first settlement in the county was the Elias Cox settlement, on
Haw Patch, on Haw Creek.
The next was the John Prather settlement, near Jonesville; and the
third the David Deitz settlement, near the present location of Columbus.
In 1820, the following settlers came with their families: Nathan Carter,
Isaac Gale, James Gilbraith, John Davis, Daniel Willis, Joel Newsom, Jesse
Ruddick and his brothers William and John, Benjamin Whittington, Joseph
Van Meter, Aaron Abbott, Jeremiah Brown, John Beck, Jacob Houser, Joel
Maskal, F. I. Crump, I. Steenbarger and Thomas Essex. The last three
mentioned settled with Dietz, near the present location of Columbus.
During the year 1819, Allan Wilson, Joshua McQueen, John Conner and
Tunis Quick made a settlement upon Flat Rock Creek, ten miles northeast of
Columbus. Tunis Quick is still living.
The three Newsom brothers, Daniel, David and Willis, with John Hall
and Samuel Richardson, made the first settlement in the southeastern part of the
county.
William S. Jones was about the first settler in that part of the county
between Driftwood and Flat Rock Creek, called German Township.
Mr. Jones was born in Kentucky, in 1790, and settled on the farm on
which be now lives, in 1820.
Eli Pence, S. H. Steenbarger and Benjamin Irwin came during the same year.
Some reports affirm that the first settlement made in the county was in
the present Ohio Township, by A. K. Nepp, who, it is said, settled there in
1814. But this is very doubtful, as it was two years before the treaty at St.
Mary's, and at a time when the Indians had exclusive control of this section
of the country.
During the year 1820, settlers came in very fast; and it would be beyond
the design of the present writing to attempt to name them.
By the month of May, 1821, there were 378 tax payers in the county.
only one of which 378 had a gold watch. Eighteen of them had silver watches.
The owner of the gold watch was John Linsey, the County Agent.
But two of the 378 had a wagon. These were John Pence and John
Fowler. There was not a two-wheeled vehicle in the county.
Eighty-one of them had no horses.
Twenty of them had oxen, and four of the twenty had but one each;
but two of the twenty more than two, those two having four oxen each.
For the truth of this, citizens are referred in the certificate delivered to
the County Treasurer by the Sheriff, on the 5th day of June, 1821. The
document is in the County Auditor's office. This is the showing of the
fit Bartholomew County had when organised, in 1821.
The first Coroner's bill paid by the county was five dollars. It was
allowed John Parker, August 18th, 1822, for holding an Inquest over the
body of Samuel Murphy, deceased.
The total amount of taxes for the year 1821 was $882.25.
John Linsey was licensed to keep the first ferry in the county, March
19th, 1821 ; and, the same your, Joseph Cox built the pioneer mill of the
county, on Haw Creek.
In 1821, Matthew Redwince and Nancy Pitcher were married, their
license being the first obtained in the county.
Three years afterward, Elizabeth Young procured a divorce from her
husband, George Young, on the ground of abandonment.
In 1828, a man named Wilton erected a brick house in thee county seat;
and, in the fall of that year, Frank Crump, now President of the First
National Hank, made six coffins per day for seven weeks.
The people were dying from some disease, called by them the "black tongue."
Mr. Frazier came to the county seat in 1822, with a small stock of goods,
groceries, etc., and opened n store in a small log house, which stood on
Washington street, near the present location of the Bowlin House.
This same year (1822) marks the advent of school privileges; and, soon
after, the Methodists erected church on Washington street, on ground now
occupied by the grocery of John Bruner. The Rev. Joseph Fawcet, of this
denomination, preached for them, having been their pastor, while traveling
on the circuit, in 1821.
The earliest industry was a flouring-mill, erected in 1828 by Whiteside
and Banfill.
At the session of the Circuit Court in 1821, a man named M. D. Herrington
was sentenced to the State prison for committing some misdemeanor,
and in 1833 occurred the only execution of criminals in this county. Two
men, named Jones and Herron, were executed by Sheriff John McKinney.
Jones for the killing of John Ray, and Herron for the murder of his uncle,
John Coleman. The gallows stood a little west of Jackson street, in the
northern part or town. Both men expiated their crimes at the same time.
Bartholomew County was organized under on act of the Legislature of
1821, and named in honor of Gen. Joseph Bartholomew, of Clark County.
The first court met in the town of Columbus on Monday, April 8,
1822. This was the Probate Court, presided over by the Associate Judges,
John Pence and Ephraim Arnold. The first order of this court was to this
effect, that:
Whereas, "On the 6th day of November, 1821, Nathan Richardson
obtained a letter of administration, to administer on the estate of Charles
Drain, deceased, of the county of Delaware, and State of Indiana, and as he
appears and does not produce a perfect inventory of the sale of goods and
chattles, it is ordered said business be continued until the next term of said
court."
The first term of the Circuit Court met on the 28th day of October, 1822,
the Associate Judges presiding. The members of the grand jury were:
Jacob Houser, Joab Gabberd, John Sanders, Robert Wilkinson, David Dates,
Joshua McQuin, Willism Maskell, Jacob McAdoo, Giles Mitchell, John
Keller, John Lee, William Rice, John Farque and Woodson D. Parker.
The first county officers elected were: Edward Ballenger, Clerk and Recorder;
David Deitz, Treasurer, and Newton Jones, Sheriff.
William W. Wick was Judge of the Circuit Court, and the Commissioners
Jesse Ruddick, William Ruddick and Solomon Stout.
The lawyers admitted to practice law in the Circuit Court, were
Sweetser and Daniel S. Bell. The first indictment returned by the grand jury
was: "State of Indiana against George Sumpter. Charge, assault and
battery."
The first case tried was Slate of Indiana against Jesse Ruddick, Solomon
Stout and William Ruddick. County Commissioners. Charge. "Malfeasance
in office." Tried by jury, and found "not guilty." April term, 1823.
Judge Wick presided first at this term.
COUNTY BUILDINGS
The first court house was built of logs, in 1821. The second one was
built of brick, on Jackson street, in 1828; afterward used for a foundry by
Mr. Joseph Carr. The third court house was erected in 1835, of brick, in
the center of the public square. This one remained until the present
magnificent edifice was completed. It was commenced in 1871, and finished in
1874, and cost the county $212,000. With the exception of those at Indianapolis
and Vincennes, it is the finest court house in the state.
The first jail was built of logs, in 1821. It stood about half way between
the center of the southeast corner of the public square. The second jail
was built in or near Jackson street, in 1832. Its walls were double; the
space between the logs was filled with gravel, lined with heavy oak plank.
Tho third jail was built of stone, in 1844. It was on Walnut street. The
present jail and Sheriff's residence, on the south east corner of the public
square, was erected in 1870, at a cost of $80.000.
COUNTY INSTITUTIONS
The poor farm of Bartholomew County contains 220 acres. The pauper house is
a frame building. The farm residence is a two-story brick building.
The total cost for all improvements was $6,000.
The agricultural society of this county was organised in 1855. The first
fair grounds were located one mile north of Columbus. Through the influence of
William McEwen, the grounds wore changed to a point one mile
southeast of the city, in 1860. The President, in 1875, was Jacob Davis, and the
secretary, John Lyle.
The present (1876) county officers are: Clerk, Gabriel E. Miller; Auditor, Silas
S. Thompson; Recorder, David Stobo; Treasurer, John G. Schwartzkopf; and Sheriff,
William B. Davis. The County Commissioners are James M. Perry, Jabez D. Hammond,
and William R. Gant.
The Judge of the Circuit Court is James Hester, of Brown County. His Judicial
Circuit comprises the counties of Bartholomew and Brown.
THE COUNTY SEAT
The act of the Legislature organizing Bartholomew County appointed William P.
Thompson, Edward E. Morgan, John E. Clark and James Hamilton Commissioners to
select a location for the county seat. The present location was
the one selected. They contracted with John Tipton for thirty acres
of land in Section 21, Town 9, Range 5, for $1,000, and with Luke Bonstiel, for
thirty acres in Section 25, Town 9, Range 5, for $2,000, upon which to lay out
the seat of justice. John Newton was appointed County Agent to survey and sell
the lots, and was ordered to advertise the lots for sale on the 1st day of May,
1821. It was then called "Tipton." On the 20th of May, 1821, the name "Tipton" was
changed to "Columbus."
Columbus was incorporated as a city under the general law in 1864.
The city was then divided into three wards, and the following Councilmen
elected: First Ward, William McEwen and E. T. Blankenship; Second Ward, F. J.
Crump and Henry L. West; Third Ward, Samuel Hege and Richard Carter; Mayor, Smith
Jones; Clerk, William Dean; Treasurer, George M. Gilbraith; City Attorney, W. W.
Herod.
The present (1876) city officers are: Mayor, Thomas Essex; Clerk, Benjamin
Smith; Treasurer, Alexander Kraining; City Attorney, Nathan Carr; Councilmen
� First Ward, Joseph McFall and (vacant); Second Ward, William H. Brinkley
and William Gillgore; Third Ward, Isham Keith and Gideon B. Shults.
Columbus is on the J., M. & I. Railroad, forty-one miles south of
Indianapolis. The plat of ground on which it stands is very level, the streets are
broad, and many of the houses are very fine. It is the best business point
on the railroad between Indianapolis and Louisville. It contains nine dry
goods stores, four clothing houses, five drug stores, fifteen grocery stores,
two flouring mills, three hotels, and a population of 5,000.
There are Methodist, Christian, Presbyterian, Lutheran, German
Methodist and Catholic in the city; also a Jewish Synagogue. Total value of
the church property is $80,000.
The public schools of the city are very fine. Superintendent of City Schools,
A. H. Graham; Superintendent of County Schools, John M. Wallace.
THE PRESS OF COLUMBUS
The first newspaper published in Columbus was the Chronicle, established in January, 1831, by Lawson L. Dunkin. After Mr. Dunkin's
death, in 1834, the Chronicle passed into the hands of Williamson Terrel.
The name was then changed to the Western Herald. The Herald was sold
to
Mr. Deal, who moved it to Bloomington, Ind., in 1836. The next paper in
Columbus was the Advocate, published by Lewis F. Coppersmith,
a lawyer of
ability, who came from Maryland, In 1841, the Advocate passed into the
hands of Schofield & Farley, with W. F. Pigeon, now of Vincennes, as
editor. In 1842, it ceased to exist. The next paper was the "Ledger",
published by Samuel H. Kridelbaugh, during the winter of 1844. The Hoosier
Revived succeeded the Ledger, in 1844. It actively supported
James K. Polk for the Presidency. The Columbus Gazette was started in the
spring of 1844, by Henry C. Child, soon succeeded by George E. Tingle, as editor.
About this time the two papers consolidated, under the style of Hoosier and
Gazette. The combination, however, lasted but a short time, which it dissolved,
and Mr. Child resumed the publication of the "Gazette."
The Columbus Democrat started in 1848, by John P. Finkle.
In 1852, its name
was changed to the Indiana Democrat, with Mr. Stateler as editor.
The Columbus Bulletin was established by N. T. Carr, during the late war. its
Its name has been changed to the present, Democrat, edited by John Lyle.
During the war, the Indiana Dollar Weekly Union was published by Major
Allison; and the Labor Advocate was also conducted by him. The City
News was established by Alonzo Hubbard, in 1870. In 1852, there was a
Democratic campaign paper published in Columbus, called the Soup-Spiller.
and so named in ridicule of Gen. Scott, the Whig candidate for President.
The present Columbus Republican was established in 1871, by Brown &
Lance. It is now published by The Brown Brothers, with their father, Isaac
M. Brown, as editor.
OTHER TOWNS AND VILLAGES
HOPE,
situated in Section 20, Township 10 north, Range 7 east, was laid out by
John Essex, Henry Clayton and William Chitty, November 17, 1836. It is a
very enterprising business town, containing three dry goods stores, two
grocery stores, two drug stores, one large flouring mill. one large carriage
factory, two churches, and a fine public school building. The Moravian
Seminary, of Hope, is a beautiful structure, and is managed by a worthy corps
of
teachers. This institution was founded for the education of young ladies,
and is accomplishing a good work. Students from all parts of the Union
are in attendance.
HARTSVILLE,
situated in Section 36, Town 10 north, range 7 east, was laid out by
Andrew Callaway, June 15, 1832. It contains three dry goods stores, two drug
stores, several groceries, one flouring-mill, three churches, and a good public
school building, The Hartsville University is located here, and is an
ornament to the county, second to but few institutions of the kind in the State.
It is open to ladies and gentlemen. Hope and Hartsville are in Haw Creek
Township, and both about the same size, containing a population of about
700 each.
This website created January 30, 2014 by Sheryl McClure.
� Indiana American History and Genealogy Project
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