The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-10-18
OCTOBER Is, 1855.
4
OLD SETTLERS MEETING.


About the first of March In the wear 1906
nv father, three brothers and myself left Cler-
mont county, Ohio, for the purpose of setting
in the valley of Whitewater. We found an
indistinct road a. far as where Fairhaven is
now situated; but the remainder of the way
to Elkhoru we had 10 cut out road for cur
teams We arrived at Elkhorn on the 10th
of the month. On the evening Of our arrival
we cut board tree-the next day we cut the
logs, hauled them, raised cabin 16 bv IS
feet. made the clap boards, covered our cabin,
and moved into it that evening. We then
went to work and cleared of five acres OF
land, and planted it in corn. This done We
commenced building mill. which was ready
for cracking corn in the month of August
The difficulty then was. that there was but
little corn to crack, until the growing crop
ripened y large proportion OF the corn was
SO badly frost bitten, the people could not
think of eating l. L was SO much injured
that it could be smeled, when being ground.
several rods from the stones. However. some
persons had to eat il. and they looked well
and were hearty. The hogs were fattened
on beach mast.
There had some fopr or five families come
out in advance of US. and those who had
raised any corn had to pack il 10 the Great
Miami, or 10 Brookyille AS there was no mill
10 operation.
There was but small strip of territory,
about eight miles WIDE between the old boun
darv line and the Ohio : ate line, running up
TO Fort Recovery, belonging TO Dearborn
county In the fall we built a somew ha
more comfortable cabin, when our father
moved up the family, consisting of three sis
ters, two younger brothers, Charles and Ste
phen, and our nephew, James H. Andrews
leaving the three oldest brothers, jonathan,
James and Timothy in Ohio. The brothers
who came with me were named George, John
and William.
By this time there quite number OF
new comers had landed IN our neighborhood,
and the small STR . of territory was nearly all
taken up-cabins We're built all over The woods
and wherevera cabin was put up he string
of the latch always hung on the on. side
Friends | wish we could have retained this
hospitabls feature OF The early settlers OF this
county. There was much brotEerly alice
ton and kindness We were more like hand
Of brothers. than strangers, coming We
did from the different States. This kind feel
,In, OF fellow hip UouriIluei until TN. cabins
were exchanged tor more costly Buildings.
and with this change the latch string
placed inside of the door. As the people be
came more independent of each other their
friendship decreased.
will now refer for a moment to the diff
culties we had to encounter in our settlement
here. The clearing Of heavy and dense for
es.-rolling logs and burning brush, requir-
ed severe and constant labor. If we had a
little surplus produce, we had to haul it to
Cincinnati, over an almost impossible mud
road We sold our wheat for three bits a
bushel, and paid 50 per bushel for salt Our
groceries had all to be broug ght from the same
RI ha tafT
to put up at taverns had there been such places
of entertainments; but compelled to
camp out upon the cold wet ground. True,
we made use OF but few luxuries, vet be
lieve we were better satisfied than we have
been since =ab
Our court was held at Lawrenceburg.-'
However, we had but little business there
for if any little difficulties arose among Us, it
was generally settled before Il. Rue. Esq,
who the only magistrate in this part of
he territory, and he had but Et.le business.
Sometimes the boys would GET up fuss al a
muster or some public occasion. and were
prosecuted for assault and battery.
Soon after General Harrison made the treaty
bv which the twelve mile purchase was secur-
ed and even before it was surveyed, and Of
fered for sale. the squatters moved on to it,
and by the time OF the war OF 1872. there
was quite a population on it. When the In
dians commenced stealing horses, the people
became much alarmed--sonle left for the set
dement's from whence they came and others
moved into Block houses.
After Hull's surrender. General Harrison
was appointed Commander-in Chief OF the
North western army. Nv brother George,
being Colonel of the 9Th Regiment-myse
and James Brown. Majors. Gen. Harrison
ordered that our regiment should furnish one
company, to march 10 the north. We organi
zed the company. and marched as far
Piqua, and when the Indians commenced
depredations upon our frontier. we petitioned
Gen. Harrison that the company might be
turned and stationed on the frontier. which
petition was granted, and the troops returned,
and were stationed on the boundary line of the
/ 2 mile purchase. spent the entire summer
of 1918, finding may own horse and provis-
ions, in raising troops and ranging to protect
the frontier, but not having been enrolled in
the regular army, | cannot derive any pay
under the pension laws.
Major Brown died soon after this. willis.
member Of the Legislature at Corydon.
Sometime before the war. my three elder
brothers. moved in the neighborhood, so there
were nine, of Us In the immediate settlement.
Four OF them died and were buried IN the
graveyard at Elkhoru-three removed To La
porte. and have since died. 50 there is but two
of the nine brothers remaining Charles who
resides in Iowa and myself.
! The families who resided here before We
came. were Richard Rue, and our venerable
old friend George Holman, who is still with
us-R<v. Lazarus Whitehead, A ndrew Ends
ley. and their families and perhaps others
Our neighborhood was called the Kentucky
settlement, because Geo. Holman and Richard
Rue, the two FIRST settlers had come from that
State. There was small settlement az the
mouth of Hanns's creek, which was called
the Ca ralina Setfleu1ept tho Ia