The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-29

$3.50 edness OF the fourishing cities OF
1850 sodofn and Gomorrah displeased
S-1----S the Ruler of the Universe and
they were visited by a destroying rain
OF fire and birthstone which so completely
obliterated them that even their situation
has been lost in the Intervening years.
Whether the riotous pleasures Of the
villagers and their manifold neishbors in
cited a proviGential obiteration of Dicks
burg, has never been sacredly revealedi
but the impious town, fiourishing a genera
ton or two ago. has been just as completely
| effaced as the ancient cities OF the plains
| Old Inhabitants recall no showers of fire
/ and birthstone, but times ravaging hands
and the encroaching waters of White river
! have destroyed the last vestige of the town,
and another generation will know naught
/ OF the wild existence of the once noted
| resort of Dicksburg; and ii is strangely
| true that with the extinction OF the town
the immediate family name of the orig
| inator of the village has died out The
only son surviving James Dick died in re-
cent years without leaving male child
to perpetuate the name of the noted builder
| of the town
few miles below the point where the
, mingle with the waters of the west fork
stands a row of hills that is ciassed among
| the phenomena of nature. and from the
hil-built town of Hazleton presents a
picturesqueness which natures admirers
| place among the most beautiful of all the
pretty scenes of the State.
The Dicksburg hills overtop all surround
ing elevations. and from the highest point
the distant dome of the Vincennes court
house can often be seen glistening in the
sunlight. This same high point is doubly
conspicuous by the simple gravestones that
mark a rural burial ground; and even yet
there may be seen an occasional procession
winding its way up the weary road that
leads 10 this place Of tombs.
But the phenomenal characteristic of this
row OF hills lies in it's magnificent isolation.
Rising from level plain, Ii rears its three
miles OF green peaks above a wide stretch
of fertile lowlands. Not far from the foot
OF the north peak and for some distance
along the east side, flows the wide river,
and when the waters are swollen above the
banks. they rise TO the hills and sur
round them, giving them the appearance
OF verdant oasis upon the bosom of a
watery desert; and at such infrequent
times. a loveler scene is almost beyond
conception.
harass the natives, and while the bears
yet roamed the forests, Thomas Dick erect
ed large two-story double log cabin at the
east foot of one of the hills of this pc
culiar chain. The traditional date of the
erection of this spacious residence is about
l!s2. and II stood the storms and ravaging
elements for one hundred and fourteen
years, when Thomas Lockwood son-in-law
of James Dick. the founder of Dicksburg,
completely RACED it. A few of the logs are
scattered about the farm, and are the only
remaining relics of the Anticipated town.
NAILS HAMMERED BY HAND.
The most potauorthv feature ~ tho oop-
struction of this house is the fact that ev-
cry nail in 1t was hammered out by hand In
a neighboring blacksmith shop. They were
made after the fashion of horseshoe NAIL
except that the heads were one-sided. like
those of railroad spikes.
This house became the second In impor-
lance to the town of Dicksburg, and was
never occupied by any family aside from
the descendants of the builder. James Dick
succeeded his father as lord of the mansion,
and it was he, who conceived the idea Of
building town. He was a man of much
popularity, dealt heavily in politics, and be-
came prominent. In the days of his zenith
he moved to Vincennes and was elected the
second mayor of that city. In the early
fifties he represented his district I'M the
State Legislature. AS local character. he
stood pre-eminently at the head of the list.
Having once been seized with the impulse
of starting a town. he plated off ninety
three lots near his home, between the hills
and the river, and at once placed them on
the market at nominal price. Considering
the sparse population, the lots moved off
well, and about half of them were easily
disposed of, and an early era of house-huild-
ing resulted.
These were active times at the new town.
The woods echoed the sound of the axes as
the sturdy men hewed the logs. and the
usual festivities. always accompanying the
pioneer house-raising, were hilariously prev
alent.
Dicksburg soon grew into a hamlet. The
old stage coach made its regular stops TO
load and unload passengers and mail; Heze-
kiah Brant established blacksmith shop;
a saloon and tavern followed; then a gen.
eral store and a warehouse. the latter soon
being converted into schoolhouse. where
the village and country children became ac-
quainted with books and hickory sprouts; a
diStillery was not distant, and a church.
well. there was everything else but this.
Whether James Dick originated the town
with the intention of making it resort
for sporting amusements and a rendezvous
for sports Is not recorded but that 1t be-
came such Is matter of history verified
by living participants, who take pleasure
in recounting the riOtouS days when Dicks
burg was in its highest glory. If there
were any ante-bellum amusements or games
of chance not conducted within the shadows
OF the beautiful range of Dicksburg hills
they were either too tame were omitted
through gross carelessness on the part OF
the managers
But, be this as II may, every special oc-
casion attracted widely. and visitors in
large numbers and practicers of sports and
gambling attended from Vincennes, Prince
ton, Evansville and all surrounding towns
until the woods seemed full of people-men
and women.
The catalogue of amusements has been
lost but ii is known to include horse and
foot racing. cock fighting, turkey shooting.
fistic combating, poker and chuck-a-luck
playing and dancing, and all of them ac-
companied by the common indulgence OF
liquor drinking and its usual results.
TWO OR THREE RACE TRACKS.
There were two three race tracks not
very distant from the town, but the prin-
cipal one was on the Henry Crow farm.
The tracks were all straight and from three
hundred to six hundred yards in length
There was no racing against time. no trot-
ting or pacing. and no bicycle-wheeled carts
or other vehicles; the horses were saddled
and mounted by their owners and urged by
spurs and beech limbs to their utmost run
the end of the track first was the bet win
Der. There was no big cash prize given the
owner of the fastest horse-only the wager
made by the owner of the defeated beast
All races were arranged by and between the
owners of the horses, who placed bets of
from 500 to 500 on their respective ami
mails
Henry Crow was the most active horse
racer of that section of the State and he
always owned several fast animals. He
now resides on the outskirts of Vim
cennes and loves fast horses STILL but his
age is a preventive against his old-time