Nathan B. Garrette

NATHAN B. GARRETTE.

I to-day write you a few lines by way of recollections of the locality in and about Mechanicsburg, and along the north line of the county. I settled one and one-half miles east of the "burg" on the 2nd day of October, 1836. The town at that time had but one house, and that you could not see for the trees and brush. The first mill built here was erected by Bowman Stout. He sold it to Isaac Snow, who sold to James Snow, when it was taken down and removed further west. This mill was in operation and the frame for a grist-mill up when I came. James Snow was the proprietor of Mechanicsburg. Mr. Anderson was selling goods here at the time I arrived. The house referred to above had two rooms, one part used for dwelling and the other served as a store room. The first preacher here that I heard was a Methodist by the name of White; the next was a Christian minister by the name of S. Downey. The name of the first school teacher I do not now call to mind. The first settlers’ names in this locality were as follows: William Nelson, George Fall, Joseph Symmes, James McMahan, Uriah Hardesty, Absalem Bowen, Robert Oliver, W. W. Phillips, William Phillips, Elisha Riley, James Riggs, A. Scott, A. J. Dwigins, James Dowing, F. C. Dowing, Abner Knotts and John Holdsworth. James Riggs was the first postmaster of the town. In those early days we cleared ground, raised houses, rolled logs, hunted deer for pastime, went to mill horseback, and when we got wheat ground had to bolt it ourselves. When we wanted to go to Lebanon, we started early in the morning and were lucky to get home again the same day. Our beautiful county seat now was at that day a little, dirty, mud hole of a place. Court was held in a log building; W. W. Wick was then presiding judge. The early settlers named above are nearly all gone – dead or moved away. I am comparatively alone here. But few as early settlers as myself are living here at this time. I am now seventy-one years of age; am glad to see the improvements going on in our county. You are at liberty to use this sketch if you think it worthy.

N. B. Garrette.
Mechanicsburgh, March, 1887.

Source: "Early Life and Times in Boone County, Indiana," Harden & Spahr, Lebanon, Ind., May, 1887, pp. 289-290
Transcribed by: Julie S. Townsend - June 27, 2007