Thanks to Cathy Slater for submitting the following article:

The Terre Haute Star, August 16, 1953

Much Terre Haute History Revived By Old Settlers Day

The day after tomorrow, the eighteenth of August, has been set aside by the Vigo County historical Society as Old Settlers Day. The celebration is based on a record of an Old Settlers Association which first met and organized in Dowling Hall on the North Sixth street in July of 1875.

At this and still later meetings something like 200 members signed the original record of membership. This will be on display in charge of the general chairman, Miss Juliet PEDDLE, and a committee consisting of Loren C. HALBERSTADT, president of the Society, John G. BIEL, co-chairman, and Mrs. Robert I. CLARK, secretary.

The association does not seem to have been very active for there are records of only about a half a dozen meetings.

Membership was limited to those who had lived in this or neighboring counties of the Wabash Valley, but the large majority of the signers were residents of Vigo county. To qualify they must have lived in Vigo county before 1850. It is no wonder that many of the original settlers did not sign the roll because of their earlier death or some other reason.

Apparently no interest was shown by those descendants of our earliest pioneer settlers whose many descendants would have been eligible.

Some First Families.

For instance the REDFORD family who came in 1816 still have a number of descendants some of them living on land that was taken up on June 3, 1816. This was the earliest possible date for any land entry in Vigo county. These entries were made in that portion of Knox county which became Sullivan county the following year and then Vigo county in 1818. Among other early families whose descendants did not sign the original book were the MARKLES and the STRINGHAMS.

Joseph RICHARDSON himself came to Terre Haute in 1816 but later removed to York on the Wabash River in Crawford county, Ill. Sons, grandsons and great-grandsons were and some still are citizens in this county as well as other neighboring counties.

The families of Major BOND and Samuel MERRY were not represented although they are still here.

The J.O. WEDDING who was a signer was a son of Judge Randolph WEDDING who was here before the formation of the county. He married as his second wife Jane STRINGHAM lies in an unmarked grave in Woodlawn cemetery. She was the real daughter of a soldier in the American Revolution but can not bear the title of Real Daughter of the Revolution, it is said, because she died more than a half century before the formation of the society of that name.

It was at the home of Randolph WEDDING at Twenty-fifth and Wabash where now stands the Rose Home that a noted meeting of the old settlers was held on June 12, 1866. This was the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the first party of land owners in Vigo county.

Earliest Land Entries.

On June 3, 1816, Jacob and Peter LANE, Canadian Volunteers, entered through Major MARKLE the southern half of section thirty-five in Harrison township and the north half of section two in Riley township. On this land for more than a century and possibly at the present time after137 years lived some of the REDFORD family. Major MARKLE entered for himself on that same day the half section which was later occupied by his mill and his original frame house and on which still stands the brick house erected in 1848. A year ago the last parcel of this half section passed out of possession of a MARKLE after continuous use and occupancy for 136 years.

Incomplete Listing of Settlers.

Martin ADAMS’ name probably indicates that he was one of the members of the numerous family of that name who made up a large part of southern Parke county where the Adams’ Cemetery is located.

Some of the ANDERSONS were in that colony of free men of color who settled about 125 years ago in Lost Creek township. They are historically important as the first arrivals of those former slaves who had been freed by their owners in the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Kentucky and are buried in the Anderson Cemetery.

Another group of free men of color was near the south border of the county and progenitors lie in the Underwood Cemetery.

The BALDING family were early settlers in Otter Creek township.

Aaron BALL was the father of Dr. E.V. BALL, an ancestor of Juliet PEDDLE.

The BARBOUR family members were prominent in Vigo county as educators, politicians and land owners. The pioneer home was in Fayette township and many members of the family are still in the county.

George W. BEMENT was a prominent merchant here more than a hundred years ago. Later the firm became BEMENT and REA and moved from time to time from the original location at the northeast corner at First and Wabash to the location at the present site of Silversteins to the northwest corner of Eighth and Wabash to the southwest corner of Eighth and Cherry where the firm went out of existence. The BEMENT residence was on the south side of Ohio street in what had been the office of the Wabash and Erie Canal and was finally demolished for the Mace service station. The country home was on the National Road near Glenn which was later taken over and is still owned by the widow of Paul KUHN.

Wiley BLACK was one of the founders of the Black settlement in southwest Vigo county where many of the same name still hold the land.

The BLACKBURN family lived in Edgar county, Illinois, where a large cemetery bears their name. At a meeting of the Old Settlers Col. BLACKBURN stated that he married a woman who was the first white child born in the Wabash valley. As Vincennes was in the valley and there were births there in 1723 he must have married a very old woman.

Joseph BLAKE was the son of Dr. Richard BLAKE. His home was far out in the country on Butternut Hill whose eastern boundary is the present Highland Lawn Cemetery.

The BLOCKSOM home was south of the city near Honey Creek.

George G. BOORD was an early merchant here.

The BOOTH family home was at the site of the present Star Building. A letter from Linton USHER once said: “We boys looked in the window to see Lizzy BOOTH married.” Lizzy BOOTH’s son was the famous Booth TARKINGTON.

Brokaw’s Carpet and Furniture House on Wabash between Third and Fourth streets was famous for the quality of its merchandise.

The BROTHERTON family lived north of the city.

The BUDD family lived in the neighborhood of the Hull Cemetery. One of its members was for many years manager for the firm of Owen and Pixley, one of the first chain stores to locate in Terre Haute.

T.G. BUNTIN was the manager of the reopened Prarie House in 1821. Later he took over the City Hotel on Third street which because known as the Buntin House.

Eleazar CARTER was a Canadian Volunteer and an early settler. This could hardly have been the man listed in the book in 1875 unless he lived for more than 80 years. Many of his descendants still carry on the family name.

Jabez B. CASTO was an early settler in Sugar Creek township.

E.W. CHADWICK came to Sugar Creek township before 1870 and helped in opening the cut west of West Terre Haute. From stone that was quarried there he built a house on the old Paris Road in Sugar Creek township. Much of the stone work on many of the buildings in early Terre Haute came from his stone yard which later became the Terre Haute Stone Company. This went out of business at his death.

The CHURCH family were early residents of West Terre Haute and Sugar Creek township.

W.S. CLIFT was a member of the firm, Clift and Williams, builders, and building contractors. Their mill was at the southeast corner of Ninth and Mulberry streets. This was later the Mewhinney Candy Factory. It is now a storage warehouse.

Elizabeth COLTRIN was a member of the early family of that name whose homestead was at the southeast corner at the intersection of the Fort Harrison Road and the Lost Creek Mine. One member of the family was with the firm of Edmunds and Coltrin, early newspapers publishers in Terre Haute.

Donald D. CONDIT was the father of Blackford CONDIT who married the daughter of Caleb MILLS of Wabash College fame and whose daughter, Helen, still resides at the old home on the Indiana State College campus.

G.B. COOKERLY was a newspaper editor with offices and printing house on the upper floors of the old post office on south Fourth street.

Col. Frank C. CRAWFORD was for many years the paymaster for the Vandalia Railroad. His home is the present office of the Deep Vein Coal Company on north Seventh street.

The CRUFT farm was east of Seventh and south of College and now is a well built residential section.

The DEMING house, built in 1847 by Judge DEMING, was demolished for the erection of the present Y.M.C.A. Building.

The DENNY, DICKERSON, DURHAM, EVANS, FAGIN and FERGUSON families have numerous descendants here.

The FAIRBANKS family included Henry, who was elected mayor. He married Emeline CRAWFORD, and their sons, Crawford, and Edward P. were prominent in the early industry and financial history of Terre Haute. The former was the donor of the Fairbanks Library Building.

The GILBERT, GRIMES, HEBB, and JACKSON families are well represented here.

Tilghman HIGH, whose signature appears in the book, was living on his own property near Fontanet in 1843. His wife was Rebecca WOOD. Their son, Martin Thomas HIGH, was born May 29, 1842, and married Hester TANNER on December 17, 1865. Their son, Frederic Tilghman HIGH, was born July 2, 1876, and married Goldie A. KELLER on Jan. 21, 1903.

George VERMILLION also signed the book.

William H.H. YEAGER who signed the book still has descendants here. He himself was a descendant of Nicholas YEAGER.

All the facts have been verified through research in deed, birth, death, and marriage records of Vigo County, and Bible records of the families represented. All of those still living are entitled to sign their names to the book on Old Settlers’ Day.