The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-12-27
For the Palladium.
OLD SETTLERS OF WAYNE co.



ciPle trading points for the early settlers
Whitewater. Eaton and Dayton, Oh
shared portion Of the Whitewater trad
Cincinnati was, however, the gre
commercial mart for the whole surroundi
country. The trade OF this region of co
Try WAS then but small. and consisted mo,
~ OF feathers. bees-wsx. tallow, furskir
and few hogs. which were annually dri
On 10 the Cincinnati market. The Que
City was then thriving village on the Oh
river. containing land Office, bakery, hs
tor shop and several stores and groceries b
sides different kinds Of mechanics shops
the necessary concomitanis ofevery growir
town.
Already had she shown signs of con
mercial greatness by . river trade with Pitt
burg. Louisville and New Orleans. Twit
ayear barges, broad horns. and keel boa
carried the surplus staples or the countr
from Cincinnati to New Orleans, and th
barges and keel boats returned freighte
with groceries. Prior to the year 1917. th
whole of the trade Of the Ohio and Missis
sippi rivers was done by boats OF the abov
description. There are many persons Still
living who have not far passed the meredi
ar OF life, who can remember seeing tn
Ohio river lined, day after day, with cara
vans Of keel-bosts ascending and descend
ing the river. and hearing the sturdy boat
men. IS they bent their shoulder to the set
ting ole sing their merry 'Hesve o. heave
and other songs mingled with bugIe note.
that fosted along the waters and echoed
among the distant hills. Masts were erec
ted on these boats just before the caboose
and sails were run up whenever the wind
promised auxiliary aid; but setting poles and
oars bush whacking and rdling were gen.
orally the man dependence in this isboGious
navigation. Steam boats and rail. Dads soon
superseded barges and keel boats. which,
like hand mills, hominy nortsrs, and stage
coaches, are regarded rs temporary make
shifts. endurable Only in new country.
can here scarcely refrain from drawing
q hurried contrast between the present con-
di,ion OF the country and the 'day OF small
things" about which l have been writing;
but the reader has doubtless anticipated me.
and has arrsyed before bis minds eye the
bright panorama OF the present developed
condition OF the county. Towns and cities
s2ringing up in the recent wilderness ss il
by mAglc-iruitful fields. iuxuriant orchards
and smiling meadows, taking the place Of
the wigwam. and gauntlet ground. and the
iron horse dragging ponderous trains Of
travel and Of commerce. where but lately
the fawn skipped amidst its native thickets
and timid rabits held their evening meals.
Did time and space permit, should be
glad to give brief sketch Of the lives and
emiosnt services of several Of the prominent
pioneers Of those early days. who assisted
in laying the foundation OF our present hap
piness aud prosperity, whose agency and ef-
forts in building up the social, educational,
moral and political institutions Of their coun-
try are like "bread cast upon the waters"
will be seen after many days. But must
content myself with barely mentioning
few, and but very few OF their names
John Test (father OF Judge Charles IL. Test)
was one of our earliest and best Representa-
tives in Congress. and James Noble. one Of
the early United States Senators from Indi-
ana, who had but few superiors in forensic
talents, and assiduous attention to the inter-
ests of his young and thriving State Of
which he was justly proud. Jesse B. Thorn
as, Benjamin Parke, Jonathan Jennings,
William III. Harrison, William Hendricks
and others, at different times represented
Indiana in the councils Of the nation, re.
hecting the will and wishes OF their constit.
uents, a grea: portion Of whom resided in
the Whitewater valley. As Virginia was
formerly called the mother Of Presidents,
SO was Brookville called the mother of Gov
ernors Of Indiana.
There we're two newspapers printed and
published in Brookvi lille, the county seat OF
Franklin county. in early times. One of
them by Rev Jocslyn, talented Methodist
preacher, and the other by John Scott, who
printed aud published the BrookviIls En-
quirer. 1.-THE first newspaper l ever ready
aud who. if l remember correctly. publish
ed the first regular Map and Gazateer OF
Indiana. and the pioneer newspaper on the
Upper Wabash, called the "Pottows;omie
and Miami Tines" psblished at L.! o!ansport.
the county seat of Cass county. This paper
was started at Logansport 10 the spring of
1899, aud it was not until the following
September that Maj John b. Semans com
menced the publication of the Free Press
in Lafayette, from which; has sprung the
Lafayette Daily Journal, now published in
that oity.
A brief notice Of the first Representatives,
Councilmen, and Senators in our Territorial
aud Safe Legislatures-our Judicial and
ministerial officers. including those who
composed the Supreme District, Circuit and
inferior Courts, could no, fail to be interest.
ing. But an attempt at this would swell
our meagre and hastily written Chronicles
province Of the historian. Without altemp-
ting any such thing. the reader will excuse
. brief allusicn to few OF the names oi
of some of the leading men of Old Wayne
'.long times ago. such as Robert Morrsson,
John Smith, Frosls, Plummers aud Nc
Guire, early merchants of Richmond, Mr.
Kibby, County Surveyor, Manshur. who
made axes, aud afterwa ards sold goods Phil
ip Harter, who kept tavern iu hewed log
house. opposite the Morrison corner. Jonas
Gsar. the cabinet maker. Jackson. the wag
on maker and old Toney. the colored black
smith. who made and peddied iron ladies
throughout town and country. and Doctor
Ithamer Warner and DR.. Plummer, who
practised the healing art throughout the
village of Richmond and the surrounding
country. James Rariden, Martin NJ Ray,
and John S. Newman. lawyers at Center
vile. David Hoover, Clerk aud Doctor Sack.
ct. Recorder; Samuel Hanna. Sheriff; VIM
Widup, halter; and Gentry the tanner and