WILLIAM READ
of Jennings County, Indiana
Written by Karen S. Carter, 3rd Great Granddaughter of William Read
May 2021
William Read was born on the 4th of August in 1821, probably in Campbell Township, Jennings County, Indiana. He was the eldest son of Samuel Read and Nancy Threlkeld Read. Their home, we assume, was on land purchased by Nancy's father, William Threlkeld in 1818 and 1821, located just south of Butlerville. Samuel Read can be found in the 1820 census in this township listed as a single man, with his occupation listed as farming. His future brother-in-law Moses Threlkeld is listed next to him. Samuel likely was preparing a home for his future wife. While their marriage is among the lost records of Scott County, Kentucky, they were probably married in 1820, possibly by James Sugget, a Baptist Preacher near his Kentucky home. Samuel named his 3rd son after this Preacher. Two adjoining quarter sections of land of 160-acres each, about 1.5 miles south of Butlerville were eventually sold by William Threlkeld to Samuel Read on September 8, 1830 - land the family had probably been living on since 1820.
In 1827 William's father Samuel is listed as a Messenger for Concord Baptist Church to a Baptist Association meeting. A messenger was a highly esteemed member of the congregation, so this is likely the church young William attended with his family while growing up. Concord Baptist Church would have met in the homes of its members until a log meeting house 26 by 30 feet was built around 1830. The land it was built on in the South East corner of section 27, was later sold by Samuel and Nancy Read to the Church Trustees in 1834.
By 1830 William's family had grown to include three brothers - Hiram T. Read, James Sugget Read, and Wilson M. Read. Hiram and Wilson were born in Jennings County, but James is listed as born in Kentucky, likely at the home of William and Sally Threlkeld, his grandparents. Family letters document visits between these two families and they probably also visited their other grandfather Samuel Read and his second wife Nancy Baldwin Read, before that family moved to Missouri in about 1831.
William's father sold 187 acres of his land to David Clinton, a neighbor, in May of 1834. In January of 1835 he sold 111 acres to Jacob Clinton, another neighbor. With the 2 acres he sold to the church, this makes 200 acres sold. It is possible this was when he moved into the town of Vernon or he may have retained the parcel his home was built on. Samuel did still own 120 acres in the area, but he may have been taking on more work in brick building jobs.
In June 1835 Samuel and Nancy Read transferred their Church membership to Vernon Baptist Church. By that time two more children had joined their family - a daughter, Sarah Virginia Read and a son, Merritt Read.
In 1837 the Madison to Indianapolis Rail Road was started in Madison. By 1838 and 1839 it was in the vicinity of Vernon and some of the stone and brick produced by the Read family surely would have been used in its construction through the area. The Overpass in downtown Vernon may have used materials or workmanship of the Read family, since it used both stone and brick, but the builder is unknown.
By 1840 another son John Samuel Read had been born, making 6 sons and 2 daughters, although only one of these daughter's names has come down in the records. The census also shows 5 family members working in the manufacturing and trade category. William (19), Hiram (16), James (14) and Wilson (11) must have been working making bricks or building brick houses and businesses alongside their father. They also built a house in Vernon for the whole Read family at about the same time. This house, now called the Read-Foster House is located on Brown Street.
William Read is said to have built the original Mill on the Muscatatuck about 1840. It was about 100 feet upstream of the current Vinegar Mill site. It was the more traditional water wheel mill we usually see and was operated for about 7 years. The name "Old Vinegar" is said to have been given to William Read and then his Mill about the same time. The name could have referred to loads of apples processed at a grist mill or perhaps the vinegar-like disposition of William himself. At any rate "Vinegar Mill" stuck as the Mill's name even when a second mill was built. A description of the second Mill by Leslie White says that the Mill cut stones for window coping and door coping. The Muscatatuck flowing through Hick's pond furnished water through pipes to run the machinery. The pipes emptied into buckets joined by chains. As the buckets filled, they were pulled down the face of the cliff by gravity, turning the machinery connected to the metal stone-cutting blade. The buckets emptied at the bottom and traveled back up to the starting point. William and his family used stone from the quarry and processed at the Mill in building local houses and businesses. William also manufactured and fired brick for the projects his family built.
In May of 1842 William joined the Vernon Baptist Church. Another brother, Elijah T. Read and a sister, Martha E. Read joined the family, making a total of 7 sons and 2 daughters in Samuel's family by 1845. We know little of the family life of the time, but in a letter to James Read a few days before Christmas in 1844, William mentions a Christmas Day Quilting Bee at "Uncle Thomas McGannon's." Thomas McGannon and family were members of Freedom Baptist Church just South East of Vernon and the young people probably enjoyed many such gatherings. James Read was attending Franklin College at the time the letter was sent.
William's Brother, Hiram Read married a neighbor, Catherine Vawter in March 1844 and had a large celebratory dinner, mentioned in a letter written by William. But, by September 1844, William was one of several witnesses summoned to a court case filed by Achilles Vawter, Catherine's father, against Hiram Read. Whatever their differences in the early years of their marriage, Hiram and Catherine went on to have 10 children over many years of marriage.
William wrote a letter to his brother James, which is currently displayed in the Muscatatuck Park Office, mentioning that he married Ellen McGannon in June 1846, without the fanfare of his brother's marriage. Well-known local Baptist Preacher, William T. Stott performed the marriage. William also mentioned in the letter that his father was out of town on his way to St. Louis earlier in the month. That trip was probably to see his father also named Samuel Read, who was gravely ill and died later in 1846 in Boone County, Missouri. William must have been in charge of whatever building projects were going on while his father was gone. His brother James was at Franklin College studying to become a minister, so the family workforce was somewhat reduced. By December 1846, Samuel had returned to Vernon as a letter written by Hiram to James at Franklin College said "Father and William at the mill at work" and that father was sending money enclosed in the letter.
William and Ellen's daughter, Penelope or "Neppi" as she was called was born in April 1847. William purchased property just before she was born, just east of Vernon on Otter Creek. Perhaps the new family lived there or he may have farmed the property.
William's sister, Sarah Virginia was married in April of 1849 to James H. Wells. William's first son, Hiram Alonzo was born in May of 1849.
In October of 1849, William's mother, Nancy Threlkeld Read, died unexpectedly at the age of 48, of a heart attack. We know from the 1850 mortality census that she died of disease of the heart with duration of illness of only 1 day.
The census of 1850 lists William, Nancy, Penelope, and Hiram A. in their own home. William's occupation is listed in the census as a brickmason with $200 in real estate property. This must have been the value of the property on Otter Creek.
In March of 1851 William and Ellen's son Samuel Thomas Read was born. Also, in March of 1851 William's father sold him the land on which he built the Muscatatuck homestead, now the Park Headquarters. Sadness would follow later that year when in August, William and Ellen's 2-year-old son Hiram died.
In April of 1851 William's brother Rev. James S. Read, newly graduated from Franklin College, was in St. Joseph, Missouri on his way to Oregon Territory for the Baptist Home Missionary Society. He had arrived on a steamboat with wagons and provisions for the trip west, traveling with Rev. George Chandler, former head of Franklin College and others headed to Oregon or California. Perhaps those on board also included other family members, since we know that sometime in the spring of 1851 Samuel and his sons Wilson, Merrit, and John headed for the California Gold Rush. They may have stopped in Missouri to see Samuel's half-brothers and sisters, as St. Louis was the starting place of a major route to the gold fields. There is an undated letter from one of his half-sisters in Boone County, Missouri inviting him to visit again. We don't know if they visited, but by Spring of 1852, Samuel and his sons are listed in a special census of the California gold mining counties. They are in Mariposa County, California and all are listed as gold miners. This would have left William and his brother Hiram in Vernon to manage all the brick masonry business. One of them, or their sister Sarah must have been caring for their younger siblings Elijah (11) and Martha (6).
We know that Wilson Read died in the gold fields in March 1853 as there is a memorial inscription added to Samuel's headstone in Vernon Cemetery. We have no idea if he died of a mining accident or of disease, both of which happened frequently. Samuel and his remaining sons returned to Indiana in 1854 according to his obituary in the Vernon Banner. Along the way Samuel must have considered possible business opportunities, because he later set his sons Merrit, John and Elijah up in business in Labette, Oswego County, Kansas.
William's father Samuel married for a second time in July of 1855 to a widow, Julia M. Hall Westover. She and four of her children moved in with him. Shortly after, in September the youngest of William's siblings, Martha died at the age of 10 years old.
William Read must have prospered in his business dealings, because in Dec. 1852 he was able to loan George Schoonover $200 as a mortgage on property near Scipio, Indiana. This note was recorded in Dec. 1856 and finally repaid in full in Jan. 1859.
In September of 1857 Samuel Read received the contract to build the Jennings County Courthouse. Helping their father in the construction of the courthouse were William, Hiram T., and Elijah Read. William quarried the stone used in the Courthouse and cut it at his own stone mill. The stones used at the base of the building are massive, but stones were also cut smaller to use in windows and doors. Even William's young son, Samuel T. Read helped carry smaller stones to the Courthouse. One of the decorative stones on the Courthouse, different from all the other stonework, was said to be a guide mark for the Underground Railroad. Several buildings in Vernon were said to have tunnels or attics used in the Underground Railroad. We don't know if any of them were constructed by William.
In March of 1859 advertisements in the Vernon newspaper show Samuel Read and Son are "Dealers in Foreign and Domestic Dry Goods, Clothing, Queensware, Hardware, &c." and were located on the south west corner of Brown and Pike Streets, Vernon, Ind.
In the Census of 1860 - William Read is listed with wife Ellen, daughter Penelope, and son Samuel. His real estate is worth $1500 and his personal estate is worth $1000. His occupation is still a bricklayer, so it is unclear if he is the Son mentioned in the store advertisement. His Son Samuel T. Read is listed as attending school during the year.
In 1863 when the Civil War Draft Registrations were filed, William lists himself as a quarryman who is 41 years old. We have no evidence that William served in the War, but he probably was present on July 11, 1863 when Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his Morgan's Raiders reached Vernon. The citizens of Vernon barricaded the bridge with hay bales and wagons and with the Indiana Guard troops defended with whatever weapons were available. The Raiders turned away and headed to Dupont.
In 1865 on the Civil War Excise Tax form, Read and Brother are listed as Tin and Queensware of $34 and taxed at $2. In the 1866 Tax form, William is taxed for a pianoforte, taxed at $4 and H.T. and William Read are taxed as Retail Dealers at $10. Hiram T. Read is taxed for a Buggy and their father Samuel is taxed for both a Buggy and a Gold Watch.
In February 1868 William Read, Ellen Read, Hiram T. Read, and Catherine Read sold land just north east of Scipio on Bear Creek to Sarah Ann Elzer for $270. The two brothers must have entered other joint business deals beside the store they ran in Vernon. William also owned land in Newton County, as rent from the property is included in settlement papers of his estate. William was certainly one of the well-to-do citizens of Vernon as $270 in 1868 would be about $5,000 today.
On August 11, 1868, William Read of Vernon, Indiana filed a Patent. Number 81,0003 for an Improvement in Horse Rakes. This was on Revolving Horse Hay-Rakes regarding the arrangement for releasing the rake-head, allowing it a half revolution with an automatic spring-catch to prevent any backward motion - all controlled by the operator. There was a detailed description and drawings of the invention.
On September 1, William Read died suddenly at the age of 47 years and 27 days, according to his obituary in the Vernon Banner -transcribed here.
William Read -Obituary- Vernon Banner, September 9, 1868, front page.
Died - On Tuesday, September 1st, 1868, at his residence near Vernon, Mr. William Read, oldest son of Samuel Read, Esq, and of Nancy Read, deceased, aged 47 years and 27 days.He united with the Baptist Church at Vernon, in May, 1842, of which he was consistent and devoted member until his death. In his business transactions with his fellow men, he was scrupulously honest; in all the pursuits and duties of life he was industrious and persevereing; and in the application and use of the good things of this life, he was economical and frugal.
He possessed many virtues, and, perhaps as few vices as any other.
As a husband and father, he was unsurpassed in affection and kindness.
As a son, a brother and a relative - he was dutiful and loving.
As a christian he was exemplary; and as a citizen he was generous and benevolent.
Of him it is truthfully said - "he was a good man," and his memory is fondly cherished by his deeply afflicted widow and fatherless children, a father, brothers and sisters, and by a large circle of other relatives, friends and acquaintances.
For him his family mourn as none but a widow and fatherless children can mourn. - A father, brothers and sisters mourn - and an extended circle of relatives and friends join in the common grief.
For him all mourn. But we mourn not as those having no hope. He died in the triumphs of faith; in the hope of a blessed immortality.
Sept. 3rd, 1868 P.D.B.
Also, the International Order of Odd Fellows published the following tribute to William Read.
Vernon Banner - September 16, 1868
Tribute of Respect
Of Mt. Ida Lodge, No. 73, I. O. O. F.
WHEREAS: It has pleased Almighty God, in the dispensations of His providence, to take from our Society and from the fellowship of our beloved Order, our worthy and highly esteemed brother William Read:
THEREFORE be it Resolved That in the death of our beloved brother, our Order has been deprived of an upright and efficient member, Society has lost a respected and good citizen, and the widow has been bereft of a loving husband and his children of a kind parent.
RESOLVED, that the members of our Order deeply sympathize with the family and relatives in this their great affliction, and that we will in accordance with the teachings of our beloved Order, remember the widow and the fatherless.
RESOLVED, that these resolutions be published in the Vernon Banner, and that a copy of the same, stamped with the seal of the Lodge be given to the widow of our deceased brother.
B. Berymer, )
I.S. Wagner, } Committee
J. L. Doll, )
With no cause of death given, William's sudden death at a young age makes one wonder if he had a heart attack like his mother before him. Pure speculation of course.
William Read had two children who outlived him. Penelope married Abram Wagner, but never had any children. Samuel Thomas Read married Sarah B. Walker and they had eleven children.
You may use this material for your own personal research, however it may not be used for commercial publications without express written consent of the contributor, INGenWeb, and