The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-09-20
or the FallaQlUl
OLD SETTLERS MEETING.

After Mr. Peele had concluded, Henry
Hoover, said:
ITO such who have recently came to Wavne
county, and who are not appraised Of the object
of this gathering. may be disappointed in the
narratives of the first ssttlers.--may look for
hair breadth escapes, fighting with the Indi-
ans, and with the wild beasts of the wilder
ness. The difficulties in settling Wayne
county. were not with men, nor Indians. nor
wild beasts, but with living and dead trees,
which had to be removed before bread could
be obtained. Passing on from these prefa-
tory remarks, | will say that it was some
time in August, 1906, that l first looked Oh
the land where Richmond now stands, almost
an unbroken wilderness. John Smith and
jeremiah Cox were the only settlers from North
Carolina, the few scattering families besides
were from Kentucky. l well remember the
grinding of peck Of hard corn on Cox's
steel mill, or rather tearing grain Of corn in
TO eight pieces and then with my hands wash
ing this hominy into dough, filling large
dutch oven. and baking the same. when cold
1t had nearly the consistency Of grindstone
Towards the last of March. 1907, my father
left Warren county, Ohio, and with his fami.
ly. myself, the Oldest, with him, and landed
in snow storm on the last day of March. on
the bluff little north of Griffin Mendenhall's
residence. This snow covered the ground
until the 10th of April, when the process Of
grubbing and clearing land commenced in
good earnest. At that time | was in my nine
teenth year, and | think had never tasted
now very common drink, called coffee, and
was here first made acquainted with vegeta,
bled called Ramps, or wild garlick, which our
milk cows greedily eat. causing the milk to
taste much like skunk smells This was a
serious drawback in the article Of milk and
butter, but in this. necessity was the mother Of
inventions, and the chewing of the article re-
moved the Objectionable taste of the milk
Our cabins were generally Is feet by 90 or
"a, with single door facing the south pole,
with one small window, one story high
puncheon floor, and fire place from four to
eight feet in width, and in these cabins there
were peace and plenty, and minds more at
ease, than can now be found in three stories
with costly ixings.
The contest, which church could rear the
tallest steeple. had no place in the minds of
the early settlers, and the first gathering of the
Society of Friends in a religious capacity
was in small log cabin nearly where STAIRS
barn now stands. which for its novelty drew
together the scattered settlers The first re-
ligious meeting | attended in the Territory,
was at the cabin Of Richard Rue, Lazarus
Whitehead being the pastor.
But TO return TO the modus opeyandi Of be-
ginning to fix for living, or something to live
on. As the main object of each settler and the
man. who used the maui and wedge, or the
axe dexterously, obtained a character for use
tulness equal TO mill light in this day, and
he who could plan log pile, and WELD to adj.
vantage a handspike, was second TO no man
In this exercise delighted, and if the ground
on which Richmond now stands, could speak
it would be witness. that had aided in ma
king many piles of old sobby logs. which al.
most bid defiance TO fire. In June. l9o7. az
ter having planted our corn. FIVE of Us mount
ed each q horse, and with meal sack in place
of saddle, passed through Ea'on some six
miles. where we shelled each grist. and in
the evening to Nisbet's mill, and in the morn
ing started for home, and felt quite indepsn-
dent so long as the meal lasted. There were
some among US poor newcomers, who would
borrow fifty cents, and leave their little fami-
ly in tent. and ride to Saltwater. nearly forty
miles, dim track the only road. get their grist
and on their return night would over-iake
them. when the horse would be hobbled, and
the sack pillow until day; at the rising of the
moon he would resume his march, and on
his arrival at his camp. his little children and
wife would manifest more heartfelt JOY, than
is now witnessed on the return of merchant
from our eastern cities.
The gathering OF the first years crop made
us all indie pendent, 50 far as bread and meat,
and vegetables was concerned. and had little
to spare, for sold an Indian a bushel of
corn for pair of mocasins-
Until 1910. Dearborn county extended from
the Ohio river up to Fort Recovery. but in
that year Wayne county vas formed and CIR
ganized-snd | believe I was member of
The FIRST Jury tina: tried criminal case in this
county The court Vas one Of Oyer and