The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-09-21

Great deal of its adverstes nevertheless we still
have our being-at least have. have not you
for months but hope you are still on the outer
side. z@I
You well aware that am not terary man,
have not been scrib5ler for the various papers,
Therefore, you will excuse me when ask you to in
sert this in your old Pal. That name back al
most beyond the memory of man.
tits known to great many that am among the
frs.-yes the first that settled in the White Water
country over sixty years ago. was brought to In
diana territory, By my parents, from the State Cf
Kentucky. Thus you see date back over half cen
tury-and as few have written any thing in relation
to the prvatons AMI hardshps of the early settlers
Of that part of Wayne county, where Richmond now
stands, thou ght it might benefit those ho are to
after to know something OF its early history
At the time above referred the present site OF
Richmond dense forest, the axe of civilized
man had marred none of its primeval grandeur and
beauty. My father the first owner of the land
north of the National Road, known the Sta RI or
Cox quarter, though he settled on the track where
Bull now lives at which place Remained unit l
was nearly grown, and with my strong arm aid
ed my father in clearing the land, rolling md burn
ing the brush to prepare the ground, that he cod
raise the wherewithal to support the family. All
middle and northern Indiana wild wilderness
where the Red roam,d hills and valleys
which sometimes commended with him for the mastery
for habitation with him in their native forests The
Indian felt himself to be lord of the soil. He looked
upon the vast herds of deer and bufaloes, and the
numerous aocks of turkeys, peasants and prairie
hens all his own given TO him by the Great Spir
it, for the of himself his squaw, and his
papooses and the bear, WOLF otter, beaver and
many instruments furnished to his land
in order that he might have raiment with which to
Jro,
ter.
But the Indian has gone further toward the setting
Though once they roamed through every forest
| in Indiana and their camp fires burning
hilltop and in every valley, and their Wild whoop
heard to ring in all the forests they have all dis
appeared few who still cling to the graves of
their fathers Instead of the Wild unbroken forests
which stood in all their majestic grandeur sixty two
years ago, now, in every part OF Indiana fields o.
golden grain Inste ad of the gwam the
stately farm house shows its proper tons instead of
natures orchards where grew the wild plum, cherry
and grape, now may be cultivated orchards,
| producing all the varieties of the most delicious
fruits instead of the Indian village composed of
few smoky huts rises the populous city of Rich
mond, with paved mieldamisel streets, its ex ten
sve business houses, stately mansions and church
edifces, with their lofty spires pointing towards the
clouds instead Of the Indian trail, the eye
catches the track of the railroad, along which dashes
the iron HORSE hitche1 to the ponderous train con-
tanning its hundreds of hum beings nd many tons
of freight. How great the change sixty-two years
have wrought!
The first settlers of Indiana subject to priva-
tions hardships and tolls to which the present in.
habtants are strangers thereto. They were shut up
to their resources for the means of living, and
the necessares of life. The nearest mill to our home
for two or three years after we came to the White
Water Valley, Dayton or Lawrenceburg, with
all their energy ingenuity and skill these few.
They were inhabitants of the wilderness. Saw mills,
grst mills dry goods and grocery stores not in
the country. Well does the writer remember when
there not road that wagon could run upon,
nor a wagon in the country, for the emigrants all
came to the country pack horses.
Then cabins were built OF unhewE logs covered with
c!apboards, stick and clay chmneys, with puncheon
floors. bivouaked with my mother in a camp until
such the above could be constructed. Two
of the cabins of the first settlers had each wind ow
In them. The reasons were two. First there was
glass to be obtained, there being such thing
as that. Second a window lett opening by which
wild animals could enter to the dismay of the family
Wolves bears, p1nthers and wild cats often prowled
around their dwellings, in the darkness of the night to
the great annoyance and terror of the family par
ularly the little
During the day the door of the cabin was KEPT
open afford light, and at night through winter
sons, ght emitted from the fireplace, where
huge logs were kept burning candles and lamps
out of the questions FOR few years. and at thai
time petroleum had not been struck. When lamps
, and candles came into use, they purely domes
tic in their manufacture. Candles were prepared by
taking wooden rod ten or tw elve inches long
wrapping strip of cotton linen cloth around it
then piece of beeswax well warmed and pressed or
with the hands. The Stat, as they were called, wa
made and answered well the purpose of large can
die. Many the men in old Wayne who can re-
member well spending evenings with the dark-eye,
maids of the forest by the light of OF these Sat.
and happy were these nights! Lamps prepar
ed by dividing large turnp in the middle, scrapn
out the inside quite down to the rnd, then TIM
stick, say three inches in length in the center,
that it would stand upright slip of cotton line
cloth then wrapped around it, and melted lar
deer's tallow poured in till the turnp rind
FULL then the lamp was ready for use. BY the ligh
: ofthese, during the long winter evening, the youn
e idea taught to shoot or the spun AM
sewed, and the read, when books could be OBJ
tanned. When neither lard taow could be OBJ
tanned, then the large blazing fire supplied the needle
i light. By these great fire places many cuts Of threa
8 have been spun, many yard of linen woven, many
h frock and pair of buckskin pantaloons made.
Usually one man in the neighborhood served tn
people in the way of drawing teeth and
There were post offices post routes. Letter
0 were conveyed by private hand When the friends
left behind in the older portions of the country, des
red to send letter to those who had emgrated to In
:, diana, they forwarded by some emigrant goin
further west, and addressed in something like the
), lowing: "To Mr.. A. b., Whitewater Settlemer
;. of Friends, Indiana Territory - instead of being
rected to post Office, letters always drecte
:" to some particular settlement.
In addition to all other hariShiDs to III
first settlers of Indiana subjected to, they ha
J to contend with the hated Indians. From the SER
u wrongs, as they considered, done them by til
whites; wrongs they had been suffering for year