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Welcome To Greene County, Indiana
Circa 1890's Photo Enhanced by: Robert Manson |
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Point CommerceThe artilce as below - is Point Commerce history - and not Worthington. A Brief History of Worthington And of Old Point Commerce, The First Town The region which now embraces Greene County, Indiana was once the home of the Piankashaw Indians, a tribe which belonged to the Miami Federation. In about the year 1767 the Pianlcashaws made a treaty with the Delaware Indians who thereby gained certain privileges though actual possession was not relinquished by the former tribe. About the beginning of the 19th century the fertile lands of this reqion began to attract the white man. Prior to the year 1800 the only pale faces who had visited this region were explorers and trappers who passed up and down White river in canoes at intervals. Among these first visitors were the Jesuite priests or Catholioc missionaries, who were always well received among the Indians. It was about the year 1805 or 1806 that the first white men began to visit this territory with a view of forming settlements. They came from Vincennes which had been established 100 years and was known as the "Old Post." In the fall of 1809 this territory was ceded to the whites through a treg.ty made by Gen. William henry Harrison with the Indians. Two years later, Oct. 7, 1811, the battle of Tippecanoe was fought in which the Indians were defeated. This dispeled much of the terror of Indian massacres, which had retarded the gradual encroachments of the Pale Faces upon the domain of the Red Hen. The exploring parties from Vincennes had carried home favorable reports of the fertility of the lands lying along White River and our own meandering Eel river. These explorers came in pirogues or canoes by the river route, that being the only line of travel except the Indian trails through the forests. Consequently the first settlements were formed along rivers. Much of the adjacent territory being wet and marshy, elevated localities were chosen as sites for settlements. The bold bluff, later known as Point Commerce, had lone attracted the eye of the voyagers and explorers and as a result one of the first setllements in what is now Greene County was formed on that elevation. It is known that a settlement was formed there as early as l812. In a few years considerable of' a settlement had been established and clearings cut in the forests in that locality. Among the first settlers were Edmond Jean, Edward Dyer, Samuel Dyer and Richard Wall and Thomas Smith. Later there came George Griffith, - John Sanders, Caleb Jessup, James Stalcup, Thomas Stalcup, John .Jessup, Jonathan Osborn, Eli Dickson, Thomas Clark, William Winters, Hiram Ricks, John Craig, John Stanley, Benjaiain Shoemaker, William Lemons, Joab Wilsher, Henry Littlejohn and others. Some of these pioneers have descendants who are among the leading families of today. Later other settlers came. These pioneers entered land and acquired titles which have passed down to their posterity. Cabins were built, fields were cleared and homes were made in the forests. These settlers were hardy back woodsman, long acquainted to the hardships and privations of a life in the forests. In a few years the settlement of, Point Commerce had spread over the adjacent territory. Their cabins grew in number, their clearini;s broadened into fields and conditions improved each year. Corn was the principal crop but soon wheat was sown and orchards were planted. Samuel Dyer and Richard Wall raised the first wheat, which was threshed or beaten out with flails on quilts in the dooryards of the raisers. Richard Wall who had brought a quart of apple seed from North Carolina divided with his neighbors and in time each settler had a small orchard. Cotton was raised, spun and woven. Some raised sheep and wool was carded, spun and woven into cloth. Everybody wore homespun and hand-made g garments in those days when fashions were disregarded. By the resistless encroachment of the Pale Paces the Red Men had been pushed back towards the settling sun before a settlement was ever formed in this region; consequently the pioneers were in no danger of Indian massacre. The war-whoop, the tomahawk and the scalping knife had long lost their terror and the block-house was not a necessity in Greene County. Yet the pioneers remembered the sufferings and the dangers of what they called "early days" in other places where settlements had been formed by the forerunners of civilization while savages lurked aeound them and the whites were in constant danfer of Massacre; when one man stood sentinel, rifle in hand, while the other felled the trees for a cabin; when in the quiet hour by the fireside, an Indian would steal in at the postern g,ate and shoot the father at the hearth, or the mother as she rocked her babe to sleep; when children at play in the dooryard, were seized and carried to captivity. From such dangers the first settlers of this region were exempt, yet their hardships and privations were great. They were the advance guard which blazed the way for the civilization which we enJoy and to them we owe a llebt of gratitude we can never pay. Lot us perpetuate their memory. This is one of our puroses in publishing this brief history. The Divine Architect of the Universe built a town site at the junction of White and Eel rivers. Owing to its adventitageour situation it was named Foint Commerce. It grew steadily and the pioneer village became the best town on White River. In a few years the fame of Point Commerce spread and more settlers came to locate there. Stores were started, ferries established, shope were opened, saw-mills were located, boats were built and the pioneer village continued to thrive. The first merchant was J M H Allison who settled there and opened a general store in 1835. Shortly afterwards he was joined by his brother, J. E'. Allison who surveyed and named the village. In addition to a large general store the firm engaged extensively in the pork-packing business and in the purchase of the products of the farms, which they shipped to New drleans. Sometimes the Allison Brothers shipped 25 or 30 flatboat loads of pork, furs, lumber and grain to the southern marked in one season. They built a big pork-house on Eel river near where it empties into White river. The farmers slaughtered their hogs and sold them, dressed, to the pork-packers. They also estab1ished.a double ferry where the rivers met. Allison & Allison built a large hotel which was called the Junction House. It became a famous hotel among river men. There was an old saying, "The Junction House is good enough for Philadelphia." The old hotel was brought to Worthington in later years and now forms a part of the Commercial House. J M H Allison also erected a fine two-story brick house which still stands and is now owned by Jasper Hutchison. Mr. Allison was an adventurous speculator. It is said he sank a large fortune at Point Commerce. In time more merchants came and other lines of business were established and Point Commerce cave promise of becoming a great city. There were blacksmiths, wagon makers, tailors, tinners, turning lathe, a cabinet maker, a saloon (then called a grocery) a saw mill, a grist mill and finally a distillery and powder mill. Ferries were established. One ferry was operated by Thomas Smith across White river about where ihe wagon bridge now spans that stream. Another ferry was started north of Point Commerce by Jonathan Osborn. Later, the village having become a thriving business centre, a double ferry was started at the junction of the rivers. Another ferry was started across Eel river, where the wagon bridge now spans that stream. Some years later a wagon bridge was built over Eel river, just above where I & V railroad bridge is now located. The large rocks on the south bank of that stream formed a natural abutment for that end of the old Wooden bridge. A wagon road ran along the ridge, now known as Hays Heights, and descended to the bridge where the orchard of Herman Kautz is located. In time a larce brick Methodist church was built. Later it was razed and the brick used to build the residence now owned and occupied by Marcus Hays. Then a school was started and a church organized. A two-story frame building was erected, the lower story being; used as a school room and the upper story as a Masonic Hall. Later this building was transferred to Worthington and used as a carpenter shop by Squire Riggs. It still stands, near the Water & Light Plant. A grist mill and saw mill combined stood on the bank of Eel river at the old "Indian Ford." Later a carding 'Mill and subsequently a weaving department were added. Lumber was sawed, cloth was woven, flour, meal and feed were ground and shipped down the river to the southern market. That important industry was owned and operated in later years by Samuel Miller, father of F. N. Miller. There were two saw mills on Eel river between the first wagon bridge and White river. Later another pork house was built on east bank of Eel river just above where the wagon bridge now spans the stream. It was established by E. H. Sabin who was a preacher as well as a pork-packer. Though Allison & Allison, merchants, pork-packers and shippers, hotel keepers and speculators were the pioneers, other large stores and rival merchants were soon located and a11 did a good business. Among the pioneer business men of old Point Commerce were the following: J. M. & J. F. Allison, general merchants. W. C. Andrews, general merchant John Barekmen, general merchant Andrews & Toppings , gencra.1 merchants. McIntyre & Jaquis, gcncral merchants Joseph Miller, general merchant. Wm. Bradshaw, cabinet maker and turning lathe. Wilson Heims, carpenter. T. Messick and J. Stanley, tailors. J. Barkeman, squire. John Beach & Jas. Abbott, show . Sam and Alf Willy, blacksmiths. William Wooden, wagon maker. Bob Leach, wood workman. Fount Gooley, harness and saddle maker. Isreal Carrell, coffins and undertaking. Jesse Brazier, brewer and baker. Jesse Brazier, saloon or "grocery" Sam Miller, saw mill Aaron Craigg, woolen mill. John Sanders, distillery. Jonathan Osborn, powder mill. William Bays, squire. Mr. W. C. Sanders of Point Commerce whose grandparents were among the first settlers, recalled the names of merchants and other pioneers, besides many interesting events in the old flat-boat days, when Point Commerce was in her prime. Mr. Sanders rerncmbers when his father had a distillery and made corn whiskey, apple brandy and peach brandy. Often he would haul a barrel of whiskey to other points in an ox-cart and sell it at 12 1/2 cents per gallon. Mr. Sanders remembers Rev. Eli Farmer, pioneer circuit rider who preached at Point Commerce. He was a great exhorter. The first school house which Mr. Sanders recalls was a small brick structure which stood near where the residence of B. F. Hays is situated. "In those days," said Mr. Sanders, "the people made the jeans and woolseys for their clothes which were all handmade." "When I was a boy," continued Mr. Sanders, "drunkeness was much more common than it is now. The elections were then held in August. Several rough and tumble fiat fights always occurred on every election day, as well as at all horse races or other public gatherings." |
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