Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-28
NAMING AN INDIANA TOWN.
me Early Settlers Shot at n Target In
Settle the Dispute,

rioni the indianapolis Press
Resting by the side of General William
Henry Harrison's saber in the "Old Gu
rloslty Shop collection of antiques in the
Old State Bank building at Terre Haute
lnd, Is target rifle of ancient design that
IS declared to be the weapon that gave Lo-
gansport her name. The old rifle might
well come under the classification of heavy
ordnance, for It is over seven feet in length
IL weighs thirty-seven and a half pounds
and shoots bullet SO heavy that twelve of
them make a pound. In firing it an iron
rest had to be used, and the rest is exhibit
ed with the rifle Maurice Thomson re-
Gently resurrected the rifles history and
made 1t the subject of one Of his collection
Of Indiana stories.
According to his story in the latter mart
of the '20s the settlement at the mouth of
Eel creek had reached proportions that ne
cessitated the selection of a name The
main functfonaries met one afternoon I'M
der the branching elms along the Wabash
and undertook the christening. Every one
had suggestion and many settlers pressed
claims. General John Upton wanted to be-
stow Latin or Greek name that was
synonymous with 1.-The mouth of the Eel
Hugh B. McKeen, who had formerly re-
sided on the Maumee. near the spot where
the shawnee chief, Logan lost his life
while attesting his fidelity to the white
people. urged the name of Logan. Colonel
Duret Joined with Mckeen adding the
port" as the town was the prospective
great port of the upper Wabash, that was
then thought to be navigable.
The story has 1T that, unable to reach a
unanimous decision any other way, thu
frontiersmen finally decided to leave the
decision to the aim of the rifle. The best
smoothbores and squirrel rifles were
brought out and each man that had offered
a name placed the future OF his claim on
his nerve and eye. The Logansport man
1t is claimed hit the bulPs-eye of the tar
get which was placed on an elm tree down
along the river.
As a rule Indiana towns and cities have
either been named in honor of prominent
people. first settlers Indians or have
been given their names as the result of
locality. Elkhart was named after the
Elkhart river, and the Elkhart river was
given its name because there was an island
In the stream that the Indians fanced re-
sembled the heart of an elk. Gov William
Henry Harrison, riding through the forests
on the old Vincennes-Ohio Falls trail, heard
the sweet voice of Jennie Smith singing the
plaintive ballad '.Corydon." and ii attract
ed him many times to the Smith home
where he located the first capital of the
state and named Ii after the song
Rockville Is city buided a rich alu-
vial deposit, and but two rocks Of any size
can be found in the town. There was the
usual wrangle between pioneer settlers.
each of whom wanted the town named
after himself. At last a stranger laid his
here's fellow that's been here longer'n
any of you-name 1t after him." The one
flask of whisky in the crowd was drained
and the town was christened by the empty
bottle being broken over the fellow that's
been here lOnger'n any of U.S."