The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-12
NAMES OF OUR COUNTIES
INTERESTING FACTS CONCERNING IN
DIANA NOMENCLATURE.
Many OF Them Called After Early PO-
litical or Military Celebrities
Foreigners Honored.

the taxpayers in the State are able 10 tell
how their county received its name, for
whom or what IL was named or why 1t was
given the particular name which it bears.
IL less than a third of the taxpayers are
able 20 give the geneaology of the county
name, it is fair presumption to place the
percentage for 1.-The masses much lower.
This is not due much to ignorance as to
propinquity This ignorance. however, may
lead to some very embarrassing mistakes.
The average young man from Hendricks
county, for instance, might say-of course,
without thinhng-that his county was
named after Thomas A. Hendricks. Or
young man from Grant-also unthoughted-
ly-might say that his county was named
after Gen L. S. Grant. A moments
thought is convincing, however. Grant was
barefooted boy of but nine years of age
when Grant county was named, and
Thomas A. Hendricks was but five years OF
age when Hendricks county was named.
Some even more embarrassing mistakes are
not uncommon It is well that people know
something about their own county name and
also what is interesting about the other
rinety-one.
In the beginning it can be remembered
that no Indiana county was named by acct
dent, and there is a straight pedigree with
every name Then. a foundation upon
which to build, ii can also be remembered
that these counties were either named for
some one, or because of some natural con-
dtion, or by a condition of the settlers
In those named after men it should also be
remembered that wars are the great name
n akers. l. county was to be named to-
day, of course the chances are that 1t
would be called Dewey" The pioneers had
their idols as we'll as people have to-day.
Some of the counties were named when the
revolutionary heroes were still captivating
| tools, others in the years following the war
of 1872 and the Indian affairs. The central
| figures in political affairs, state and ma
| tional, also demand consideration In NAM
|, ing children-likewise counties With this
| foundation and few dates. any one has
good key to begin solving the problem
There are some counties, such as Switzer-
| land, Orange and Union, however, which
seem to defy any set of rules. Most OF these
have interesting stories behind them
FOR MEN OF THE TIME.
Among the counties named for men are
| Adams, for John Quincy Adams; Allen, for
| Col John Allen, a distinguished Ken
| tuckian, who fell at the battle of River
! Raisin; Bartholomew, for Gen. Joseph Bar
| thoomew, state senator and colonel of note
| In the battle OF Tfppecanoe; Benton, for the
| celebrated Thomas III. Benton; Blackford,
| for Judge Blackford; Boone, for Daniel
| Boone; Brown, for Gen. Jacob Brown, one
| of the heroes Of the war Of 1872; Carroll,
| for Charles Carroll, who in 1S2S. when the
| county was named, was the sole survivor of
| the signers of the Declaration of indie
| pendence; Cass, for Gen. Lewis Cass; Clark.
for Gen. John Rodgers Clark; Clay, after,
| the great patriot; Clinton, for De Witt
| Clinton; Crawford, for Col. William Craw-
| ford, land agent Of General Washington in
| the West, taken prisoner by the Indians
! and burned near Sandusky; Daviess, for
| Joseph II. Daviess. distinguished lawyer
| killed at Tippecanoe; Dearborn, for Gen.
Henry Dearborn, at that time secretary of
| war; Decatur, for the gallant commodore;
| Floyd, for Col. John Floyd, Of a distin-
| guished Virginia family, who was killed by
| the Indians on the opposite side of the
river from the county; Fountain, for Major
! Fountaine of Boone county, Kentucky, who
| was killed while at the head of mounted
| militia in the battle of Maumee Oct. %,
| 1880; Franklin, for DR.. Franklin; Fulton, for
Robert Fulton; Gibson, for Gen. John Glib
| son, secretary Of the treasury, who re-
| peatedly acted as territorial Governor in
| the absence Of Gen. w. II. Harrison Che
was taken captive by Indians, made him.
| self one of them for long time and later
went blind-a pronounced character); Grant,
| for Capt. Samuel and Moses Grant, killed
by Indians near Grant creek, in Switzerland
| county; Greene, for General Greene, of
revolutionary war memory; Hamilton, for
Alexander Hamilton; Hancock, for John
| Hancock; Hendricks, for William Hen
bricks, then Governor of the State; Henry,
| Tor Patrick Henry; Huntington. for Samuel
| Huntington, of Connecticut, signer of the
Declaration; Jackson, for Gen. Andrew
Jackson; Jay, for John Jay, celebrated
statesman and patriot; Jefferson, TOR
| Thomas jefferson; Harrison, for William
Henry Harrison; Jasper, for Sergeant Jas
per, of Carolina, who died in defense of his
country in the Revolutionary war; Jen-
ningS, for Jonathan Jennings, Indiana
States first Governor; Johnson, for John
Johnson, one of the first judges Of the Su-
preme Court of the State; Knox, for Gen
H. Knox, first secretary of war and OF
Revolutionary war Distinction; Lawrence,
for Capt. James Lawrence; Madison, for
fourth President; Marion, for Gen. Francis
Marion; Marshall, for Chief Justice Mar
shall; Martin, for Major Martin, of New
pert, KY, hospitable and patriotic citizen.
Monroe, tT6Slu6lI james MOHTOes MOul-
gomery, for Gen. Richard Montgomery;
Morgan, for Gen. Daniel Morgan; Noble,
for Governor Noble; Owen, for Col. Abra-
ham Owen. Of Kentucky, killed in battle OF
Tippecanoe while serving as a volunteer;
Parke for Benjamin Parke, first member OF
Congress from Indiana; Perry. for Com
modore Perry; Pike, for Gen. z. NJ. Pike
who fell at the capture of York; Porter. tor
Commodore David Porter: Posey for Gen
Thomas Posey, Governor appointed TO sue
coed Harrison; Putnam, for Gen. Israe.
Putnam, OF revolutniary fame; Ripley, foi
Gen. E. w. Ripley, distinguished officer in
war of 1872; Rush, for DR.. BENJAMIN Rush.
Scott for Gen. Chas. Scott, distinguishes
soldier in revolutionary and Indian war
and later Governor Of Kentucky; Shelby.
for Isaac Shelby. officer of distinction H.
the revolutionary war and later Governo.
of Kentucky; Spencer, for Capt. Spier Spen
Ger, who fell at Tippecanoe; Starke, foI
Gen. John Starke, victor at the battle OF
Bennington; Sullivan, for Daniel Sullivan
who was killed by Indians on road from
Vincennes TO Louisville while carrying pub
lie papers; Upton, for Gen. John Upton
one Of the greatest OF the pioneers VIII,
was serving in Congress when he died
Vanderburg, for Henry Vanderburg, cap
tain in revolutionary war. member OF Leg
islat1ve Council OF Northwest Territory anC
DreSidinR iudga The first curt orpanfze,