The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-16
OLDEST LIVING SETTLER
AMOS M'CORMICk CAME To INDIAN
APOLfs THE SUMMER OF 1920.
He Is to BE Central Figure ut Re-
union of His Family at
Fairview.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
DANVILLE, Ind, Aug. 15.-At the ap-
preaching reunion of the Mccormick fami-
~ to be held at Fairview Park Aug. "a I'M
doubtedly one of the central figures of in
terest will be Amos Mccormick, of Carriers
burg, this county, who will celebrate bis
eighty-fourth birthday Aug. %, and is still
as vigorous in mind and body as the av-
erage man of sixty. Mr.. Mccormick is not
only one of the pioneers Of central Indiana,
the oldest living settler of Indianapolis, but
enjoys the unique distinction of having once
been stolen by the Indians. He was born at
Connersville Aug. %, 1919. He accompanied
his father, the Rev. Samuel Mccormick,
10 Indianapolis in the summer of 1920. His
father and two brothers, John and James,
opened up the first road into what is now
the city OF Indianapolis during the winter
before, cutting their way through the woods
from Rushville to the east bank Of White
river, where they arrived Feb. &c, 1890.
Samuel and James helped to build for their
brother John The first cabin on the ground
where Indianapolis now stands. There were
in this first party from Connersville eight
besides the three Mccormick brothers. All
hands Immediately on their arrival went to
work to put up a cabin and by night of the
day they arrived the walls were up for the
double cabin. Samuel then cleared five
acres of ground and in the spring put in a
crop of corn. Then he went back to Con-
nersville after his family and moved them
to the new purchase, making his home liz
one end of the double cabin until he could
build a cabin for himself.
In the fall of 1921 a strange band Of In
dams came to Samuel's house and de-
manded something to eat. They were given
food by Mrs. Mccormick, the men being at
work some distance away in the thicket.
AS the Indians left they picked up Amos
D.. then about two years old. His mother
told them to put the child down, but they
shook their heads, moving on, paying no
attention to Mrs. McCormick's cries. The
men heard her, and rushing to the house,
learned the trouble. Taking their guns they
followed the Indians and soon rescued the
boy, who, after these eighty-two years.
lives TO tell Of the occurrence.
Several months afterward a band OF In
dams supposed to be the same came by the
Amos with a t~omahawk. This almost
caused Indirectly the death of the little
the brush to 'cut trees with his new toy.
The father had a fierce cow which was kept
in a small Enclosure made by a high fence.
The boys wandered TO the far side of the
lIlClOSUIt dlQ Stiiu ~ III IOIle they
climbed over the fence and started through
the pen. The cow la for them, knock
ing young Amos down and throwing him
in the air again and again. An Irish
woman ran To tell his mother of the trou-
BILE, and having some difficulty in making
the mother understand the trouble, several
minutes passed before the men could be
called TO force the cow away. The angry
animal had TORN ali the clothing off the
boy.
Mr.. Mccormick is undoubtedly the oldest
sx-f, ,.,ato raeitanf Of indian na1fo r-l,o~o
Is a woman living who was there before
him-his cousin, Mrs. Tabitha Martz, of
Arcadia, md. She is the daughter of his
uncle John. who built the cabin and who.
with her twin sister Lavina. now dead.
accompanied her parents to their new home
In February. 1Sa0.
Amos Mccormick has the first dining
table ever used In indianapolis. 1t was