The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-08-13
"Reminiscences OF Evansville.

Inc Board OF Trade nave Just puDllShed
pamphlet, upon the history, resources and
trade of our city. The Introduction con-
tains a sketch of the city's history, followed
by few pages of interesting "reminiscences
from the pen of Judge Battell. The statis-
teal tables arc preceded by an able and full
report by Judge Foster. The publication of
the pamphlet has been delayed two months
by the loss of the manuscript copy in the
fire, which consumed the JOURNAL office.
The following are Judge Battelrs remi-
niscences of the principal changes that lave
occurred during his forty years residen( in
Evansville. They will recall many pleasant
and some sud recollections TO the minds Of
the old residents of the city;
/ REMIYIscESCEs.-I came here for the pur-
pose of attending Court in June, lSl9.-
This place had beeh selected and laid off as
IA town. II was considered as the most eligi-
ble site for commercial city of any on the
Ohio river below Louisville This was my
opinion, formed from representations of
many persons, and from inspection of the
the Judge. You remember, at that period,
there was almost an epidemic prevailing
among the people of the West to make
towns, under the expectation that they
would soon be great commercial cities; in
which expectation the founders were gener-
ally disappointed. Money, such as il was
the Banks of the Western States, founded
on nOthing-was very plenty, which gave
an opportunity, for a short period, for wild
speculation. | found the place full of peo-
pie, emigrants from almost every place in
the Union, and from Europe: there had
been an exodus during that year and for
three years previously from the east. great
or than for the same number of years before,
and for many afterwards; like myself they
were looking for place to settle.
There might have been here, then an
hundred hosscs, mostly log cabins with
very sparse sprinkling Of frame houses
Mr.. Alfred O. Warner, brother to the late
Aanson Warner, kept the principle hotel:
it was a small frame building, standing near
the present residence of Mr.. +. Link, on Lo-
Gust street, with small los-cabin for bar
room, on part of the ground which Mr..
Link mansion now covers. remember
the hotel was full TO overilowing; there was
hardly room to eat drink or sleep. The
Judge Of the circuit was Il. Daniel. OF the
mel1bers of the bar. there was William
Prince, then residing in Princeton, one of
the first American emigTants to VinceDncs
man of strong mind. In any perilous en-
terprise, requiring courage, hardihOod and
endurance, none could surpass him. He
was often employed by General Harrison to
settle Indian difficulties was at the battle
of Tippecanoc, and died during the term for
which he was elected member of Congress
from this district. David Hart, one of the
proprietorS of this town, an excellent law
yer, aud one of the pureSt ard best men
ever knew. was Anothet- Ihc,--..s.|- rrI:rr
Court. was our fellow citizen, the venerable
Judge John Law. He had uoi at that time
attained bodily those magnificent proper
tions which now give men such a dignifed
bearing; on the contrary, he was slim and
lithe-in fact, handsome and gay young
man. General r. NJ. Evans, and Mr.. James
w. Jones, the founders and proprietOrs of
this town, men OF enterprise and public
spirit, are among those | remember being
present on that occasion. Their remains
now lie buried in Evansville.
] The Court was convened in n small log
cabin, situate, believe, Somewhere on the
public square. At the next term it was
held. think, in Needhams Warehouse
"A building situate on Main street this
was afterwards occupied for wholesale
grocery by the late Asa Bement.
At the fall term of 1919, lots sold at very
high prices. In IS20-22, and 23, there
was considerable immigration TO this place,
and many improvements made. We recall
IL .bplx ,,Ia fha sp-
ciety here at that period, for hardly q mem
bcr of il is now here-somc have left; much
the greater proportion, probably, arc IN the
world of spirits. We remember ball held
i'm the aforesaid warchouSe--we have attend
ed many, but we have never attended any
in which there was more enjoyment and
more intelligence and beauty
After this, in consequence Of the general
failures of the banks and other causes, came
on decline of our prosperity. lie who
looked upon this place from 1928 to 1892
would have beheld a melancholy scene
houses dilapidatcd-grass ard gypsum weed.
growing in the streets-people moving list
o leSsly and Sluggishly about, most of them dc
; sirous, but hardly able to get away.
!. In 1852, our first house tor religious wor
: ship was built: it is the church on Second
=, Pastor. The lot on which it was built ha'
been purchased nearly as early as 1922 ol
y 1928, principally through the pious zeal ant
e influence of the Rev. Mr.. Banks, then c
y Henderson, Ky, but before and afterward
l. of Louisville, where he died, much lamentec
The funds to build it, were raised mainl
through the same pious zeal OF the Rev. Cal
n vim Butler, who was the first pastor of tn
church. lie, too, is deceased, but his men
ory is held in great veneration by all VIII
know him. From that time Evansvill
seemed to recover from its long sleep a
g. most of death. In 1884, the Bank was e!
r; tablished here and the next year the systel
~ ~ of internal improvements was adopted b
sh our State, and one of them-the W. *
Canal terminating here, had great effect u
= on our prosperity. In June, 1886, the le
y ting of our canal was commenced; on whi'
:. occasion most of the distinguished politician
,r- of the State attended, among others Go
OF Wallace. A dinner was provided, at whi'
for appropriate speeches were made, and maj
:" brilliant toasts drank. The festivity "
closed with Il ball, which was graced by t
presence of the beauty and fashin of this al
u the surrounding counties including lar
up representation from Henderson.
An For a year or more after this eve