The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-11
RISE AND DECAY or HINposrAN.
How . Prospective Metropolis OF In
diana Was Wiped Out.

diana Was Wiped Out. -
Abundant and valuable discoveries of
gas and olfrecentiy made In the vicinity
of Eoogootee. Ind, have revived interest
In several important and interesting his
torical stories that are associated with
the hills, rocks and caves of Martin coun-
ty.. One of the best OF these narratives
is that told OF old HIndostan, the first
county seat, and at one time thriving
business city OF $500 inhabitants, says the
Indianapolis Journal. Its location was
at the falls Of White river, four miles
southeast of Loogootee. and the only re-
minders OF its former greatness are an
old diapldated log house and the cavities
hewn In the big fiat rock that supported
the four corners OF what was then the
largest grist mill In Indiana.
There is a record of tho settlement dat
ing back as far as ITO. 1t was only
small trading post on the east bank Of
the river, and besides the few French
settlers who had come hither from Vim
cennes, number OF Indians had pitched
their wigwams there and hunted and
trapped In the surrounding country
1t was not until 1870 that the town could
boast of 100 inhabitants. Its great Inn
petus came when, In the year $780, a rude
yet passable roadway was opened from
New Albany to vincenncs by the way
of Hindostan. 1t thus became a sort
VI halfway place, WneT6 travellers going
either way would camp for the night.
The settlers made regular monthly trips
TO New Albany to dispose of their valu-
able collections OF furs and herbs and
to purchase the necessities of life that
could not be obtained in the wilderness.
A few years later a party of engineers
and workmen went over this road and
repaired It so that travellers were able to
make uninterrupted progress all along
the route.
In 1912 a company OF spectators opened
bi-weekly stage line from Louisville by
way of Hindostan and Vincennes to st.
Louis, The little town now grew rapidly
and soon became OF almost equal i'm
portance to any place on this once IA
nous road. Machinery was transported
thither. and sawmill. gristmill. a
carding machine and milestone factory
were soon constructed. In 1920 Martin
county was organized out of a part of
Daviess county. and Hindostan was given
the honor Of being the first county seat
rude log courthouse was built. and the
2,1oo people thon residing In the entire
county elected the few officers necessary
to discharge the duties of the county
government. A Jail was constructed
with double log wall and stood directly
on the highest point Of the river bluff
The jailer lived In the small upper story
and guarded the trap door, the only way
of communication with the dungeon be-
low. The county seat remained there
until 1875, when the legislature passed
an act removing it to Mount Pleasant
The removal was made next year, but the
town continued to grow, and many of the
wealthy Eastern men In search of invest
ment settled there and purchased or built
factories. In the spring of 1928 the esti-
mate of the population was $500; many
old residents contend that 1t was larger,
eartro tive
But in the midst Of all this prosperity
doom overhung the little city. 1t was
in August, 1929 that the first blow came.
A few of the inhabitants suddenly died
from peculiar, inexplainable disease.
1t appeared to be contagious. Whole
families were stricken down within
weeks time, and without moments
warning. The doctors exerted their best
efforts to check 1t, but to no avail. With
in sixty days almost half of the people
were dead and the terrible scourge was
continuing its depredations without cess
sation. II was rightly named the black
plague" Travellers ceased to visit the
place and business had come to stand
still. Such fatality could not be endured.
and the remaining residents left their
effects and fed In dismay. The few who
remained soon died, and in 100 days after
the breaking out of the plague not a soul
was left In Hindostan To this day it has
never been rebuilt, In after years some
of the buildings were moved to Mount
Pleasant, and the old gristinil was seized
ana put into service by the farmers of
the neighborhood, but every vestige of
the town has long since disappeared All
OF the dead who were buried lie resting
on the east bank of the river.
The real cause of this mysterious
black plague" was never known, and no
physician can advance a theory that does
not rest on liberal conjecture. Some
claim that the contagion was miasma
which arose from the rank vegetation In
the fertile river bottom, while others be-
lieve that 1t came about from drinking
the impure river water.