The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-28
HOME CORRESPONDENCE.
A PROMISING COUNTY.

sCoTTsBURG, THE NEW COUNTY SEAT OF
SCOTT CoUNTY-ITs RAPID GRowrH-THE
GENERAL PROSPERITY AND PROSPECTS OF
THE CoUNTY-rHE PIGEON RoosT MAssA-
GRE.
From an Occasional Correspondent OF the Sentinel.
SCorTsBURG, IND, April %, 1S74.-The
whole route from Jacksonville to this place
bears marks of the continued wet weather,
depriving the farmers of the opportunity to
put their crops in the ground for the season.
But the air is now more balmy and the
scene gives promise that summer will come
forward to ripen the delayed crops. This
place suffers from these wet seasons, and the
mud and rain have delayed the improve
ments in progress. In spite of these draw
backs the place is growing with remarkable
rapidity for the midst of an old settlement.
Some sixty buildings have been erected
since the last fourth of July and the COM
ing season promises to have as many more,
IL not an increase, in new dwellings. One
seems to be in new settlement and country.
A system OF drainage is to be adopted and the
streets improved so that the town may
rightfully, from its size and Improvements,
claim to be the county seat. Meantime, the
land north OF this is being cleared and
proves to be of the most productive in the
county. Thus the removal of the county
seat from Lexington to this point seems to
mark an era in the growth and improve
ment of the county. The county finances
exhibit an improvement equal to that OBJ.
served in any other department.. Formerly
this county was continually en-
barrassed by floating debts, but now, not
withstanding the expense of new court
house and other public buildings, orders are
at par and the bonds for the new buildings
are likely to be paid off within the coming
two years. The prospect for iron ore in the
of alo rxsx-
an impetus to its growth and induce an in
crease of settlement.
THE PIGEON BOOST MASSACRE.
About midway between this place and
Marquette the traveller may observe from the
cars, on the east side of the railway, the
marks of an old graveyard, denoting the
burial place of the early settlers. This was
also near the scene of the massacre by the
Shawnee Indians called the Pigeon Roost
massacre. On the I'd of September, 1872, In
dams of this tribe broke in upon the infant
settlement and murdered, in less than an
hour of twilight, some twenty-five persons,
leaving their mangled bodies to be subse-
quently found and buried by company
| from Clark county, which rallied to repel the
! invaders. The settlement had been made in
1909, on the borders OF the neighboring
stream, called 'Pigeon Roost creek" from
the gathering of those birds at the head
waters of the creek. For a long time this
was frontier settlement, while Central and
| Northern Indiana belonged to the savages.
| One can hardly now imagine that this neg
| lected settlement was once the outpost of
civilization. and that sixty years ago the in
habitants along this creek had to guard
against Indian inarauders, with no protection
| from the north, where now is the home and
wealth OF Indiana. Then this settlement
was considered one of the most inviting
portions of the territory, from the productive
ness of the soil and the beauty of the
scenery, but it is now passed by for the
richer lands of Central Indiana. A better
prospect, however, now opens for the i'm
provement and growth of this neglected re-
| gion. The system of drainage and manur-
| ing shows that this land may again be
rendered productive and restored to its orig
inal attraction. Besides, the mineral wealth
which has been found at different points in
the soil, promises to invite attention and
settlement to the country. VIAToR.