Clay township was formed in the year 1832, from several of the
townships adjoining, and included three sections which have since been
annexed to Jefferson. Lying wholly within the bounds of the Twelve
Mile Purchase, few families settled in it before the war of 1812.
James Martindale, from North Carolina, is said to have been the first
settler on Greens's Fork bottom, within the limits of
this township. He settled on the farm on which his grandson, James W.
Martindale, a son of John Martindale, now resides,
half a mile from the town of Washington. His purchase included lands
now owned by Branson L. Harris and John Brooks. Jonas
Hatfield, Sen., from Kentucky, in 1812, settled, with his sons, where
the town of Washington now is, and where his
descendants still reside. Thomas, one of his sons, laid out the town,
and died many years ago. Jonas, another son, with
several of his children, still resides there. Abel Jenny, about 1812,
settled where Branson L. Harris now resides, east of
and near the town. Jesse Albertson, from North Carolina, after
stopping a year or two in Kentucky, settled two miles east
of Richmond, and in 1815 removed to the farm on which he now resides,
half a mile east of town. His brother Joshua, who came
to Richmond a few years later than Jesse, after some years residence
there, settled south of his brother, on land bought of
Richard Ratcliff, now owned by John Bond, Jun., and Elwood Albertson.
In 1813, Wm. Fox setled about one mile north of town;
land lately owned by John Brooks, now by George W. Davis. Fox removed
in 1844 to Jefferson township, where he died in 1860.
Joshua Benny settled one and a half miles north-west of town; land
now owned by Richard and George Faucett, and James T.
Nicholson. James Spray, on land now owned by Jacob Wood, afterward
half a mile south on the farm since owned by John Brooks.
In the east part of the township, James Odell, about 1813 or 1814,
settled on the farm where Wm. Coffin resides. Samuel and Joseph
Evans
on land now owned by John Bean, of Green township, son-in-law of
Joseph
Evans, and Ransom Cheeseman. In 1814, Miles Murphy settled one
mile
south east of town. John Baldwin, from North Carolina, in 1825,
bought
the farm of Murphy, it being that on which his son Jonathan
Baldwin
resides. He had four sons, Jonathan, Isaac, David, and Caleb.
Jonathan married Mary Ann, Daughter of Jesse Albertson. James
Porter
settled early near the friends meeting-house. Moses Martindale,
brother of James where Alfred Underhill resides. Wm. Young, land
owned
by Josiah Clawson. Benj. Angell, on land on on the township line,
now
owned by Alfred Underhill. In 1814, John Pierson settled where
Henry
Atkinson resides. About 1815, Martin Martindale, son-in-law of
Pierson, on land lately owned by E. Harvey, now by David Fowler.
Wm.
Beall, adjoining the township line, where he still lives. Joseph
Thornburg where Daniel Williams lives. Benj. Albertson, on land
now
owned by John Bond, Jun., one mile south-east of town. Owen
Branson,
on part of the land now owned by I. McDonald and Thomas Adams's
heirs.
In the south-east part of the township, Jonathan Cloud settled where
now his son Joseph Cloud resides. Wm. Pike, on land now owned by
the
heirs of his son Stephen Pike. Isaiah Frazier, first and
afterward
Jonathan Mendenhall, on land now owned by Lewis Bailey and Henry
Franklin. John Hunt, after him Israel Gause, on land now owned by
Isaac Gause and Mrs. E. Brashure.
In the vicinity of Washington, south and west, were Jesse Bond, who,
after a residence of six years near Richmond, settled a mile south
of
town in 1813; lands now owned by his sons Nathan, Wm. C., and the
heirs
of his son Robert. Benj. Hall, lessee of Henry Stidham, on land
now
owned by Larkin Bond, who bought of John Bailey. John Foland, on a
part of the land now owned by Matthias Wise.
In the south and south-west part of the township, were stephen Horney,
who still resides where he settled; Moses Coffin, where Andrew
Horney
resides; Absalom Williams, on lands now owned by his sons, Henry
and
John Williams; Isaac Mendenhall, on lands lately owned by David
Cook,
deceased. Henry Hoover settled early on the east side of Green's
Fork;
lands now owned by the widow of his son Andrew, their son John,
and
Perry Wilson. Peter Hoover, brother of Henry, bought west and
adjoining; land now owned by the widow of his son Emsley, and their
son
Owen P. Hoover and Henry T. Bond. John Fincher settled near where
O. P. Hoover now resides. Valentine Foland, in the south-west corner
of the township, where he now resides. James Ridge, on lands now
owned
by Theodore Cook. John Wise, in 1832, on lands now owned by his
sons
George and Matthias Wise. He now resides in Jay county. Ephraim
Gentry, land purchased of David Hoover, now owned by Wm. H. Gentry,
son
of Ephraim.
In the west part of the township, David Peacock settled on land now
owned by his son David; Wm. Widows, on land lately sold to John
Allen,
who owns other lands adjoining. Mason Fithen, about 1817, settled
on
land now owned by Jacob Wright and others; Enos Veal, Sen., and
Peter
Woolfert, in 1817, on lands now owned and occupied by James T.
Nicholson and Daniel Strickler. Woolfert sold out and removed to
seciton 15. Joseph Davis, on land adjoining the township line,
where
George G. Hindman resides. James Owen, Sen., on land now owned by
Eulas Bunnell. In 1815, John Brockus and Miles Dimet settled on
land
now owned by Cyrus Osborn and JOhn Bradbury. In 1824, Job Smith,
on
lands lately owned by Olinda B. Bunnell and William Faucett.
Ezekiel
Bradbury, about 1825, where Jonas Hatfield, Jun., resides. Jonas
Hatfield, Sen., father of the present Jonas Hatfield, Sen., bought
the
lands now owned principally by George Faucett, Cyrus Osborn, and
Daniel
Bradbury.
In the north-west part of the township, Jonathan Shaw settled, in 1815,
on land now owned by Daniel Strickler on the township west line.
On
school section, (16) first residents were Robert Watkins and Wm.
Elliott. Land sold in 1832 to Daniel Bradbury, John Brown, Matthew
Holcomb, Enos Veal, Samuel Adamson. Ithamar Lamb, Milo Bailey, and
Lewis Strickler live on it. John Bradbury, from Ohio, in 1815, and
his
brother Josiah settled on Morgan's creek. John, a few years after,
removed to the Wabash, and in 1829 to his present residence a mile
west
of town. Daniel Bradbury early bought of his brother Josiah, and
settled where Milton R. Harris now resides; and in 1866 at his
present
residence near town. The land first settled by John Bradbury is
now
owned by Eulas Bunnell. David Sears, in 1820, settled on land now
owned by Edwin F. Ogborn. Enos Veal, Jun., and Elias Venniman, on
land
now owned by Jane Ogborn and John Fowler. About 1828 or 1830,
Peter
Woolfert, who settled about 1817 in section 27, and Wm. Ball,
settled
on lands now owned by E. Merritt Lamb and Jesse W. Brooks. In
1821,
Eve, widow of evan Shoemaker, (since removed to Wabash,) settled on
land now owned by Joseph Lamb. James Starling, on the land now
owned
by Joseph Long. Henry Riggs, on the land Merritt Lamb owns. Wm.
Ball
and Frederic Dean, on land now owned by John Gilmore and Eli
Wiseman.
In the north part of the township, section 14, Wm. Underhill settled on
land now owned by John Ball and Oliver Wilson. Jesse and Isaac
Baldwin, on land now owned by Enos Veal and John Wilson's heirs.
Philip and Henry Renberger, about 1819, on land now owned by John
Gilmore and John Wilson's heirs. Henry Garrett and Abraham
Elliott, as
early as 1813 or 1814, on part of section 23; lands now owned by
Samuel
Cook and Wm. F. Dean. David Young, where Wm. F. Dean resides.
Jonathan Ross and John Richter settled where M. Funk now lives.
Absalom Williams, born in North Carolina in 1775, after a residence of
seven years near Richmond, entered in Clay township the land where
his
son Henry resides. He died in 1868, at the age of 93. Wm.
Osborn,
about 1820, settled near Washington, and died in 1831, aged 29.
Cyrus,
his son, resides half a mile below town. Daniel Williams, born in
North Carolina in 1792, from Pennsylvania in 1833, settled in the
north-east part of the township, where Allen M. Harris lives; now
resides one and a half miles east of Washington.
John Brooks, from North Carolina, in 1831, to this county, settled, in
1844, on the land entered by Wm. Fox, one mile from Washington, and
is
now living half a mile east of town.
Thomas Cook settled, at an early day, where his son Samuel Cook lives,
two miles north from Washington, and where he died in 1824, aged
56.
He is supposed to have been the first saddler in Washington.
Samuel
Ball, born in Virginia, from Tennessee in 1820, settled where
Benjamin
Thorn lives, and died in 1849, near where his son John Ball
resides.
John Wilson, from South Carolina, about 1820, settled two miles
north-west from Washington, where he died in 1852, aged 36. Joseph
Lamb, from North Carolina, settled, in 1829, on land adjoining
Perry,
where he died in 1855, at the age of 73. His children were,
Ezekiel,
deceased; Esther, Smith, deceased; Elias, Mournen, Joseph, Ithamar.
John Bailey, a native of Virginia, from Kentucky about 1810 to
Richmond, thence, a few years after, to Perry, and next to Clay, in
1859, where his son Milo resides; died in 1863, aged 72. Wm.
Hindman,
from Ohio, in 1839, settled two and a half miles west of
Washington,
and died in 1843, aged 42. George, his son, lives on the west
line.
Wm. Wright, from Maryland, in 1825, settled two miles south-east
from
town, where he died in 1854, aged 74. Jacob, his son, lives one
and a
half miles west from town.
Hugh Allen, from Ohio in 1820, settled three miles south-east from
Hagerstown, near where he died, aged 66. His son John lives about
two
miles west of Washington; Jacob, another son, in Jefferson. David
Cook, from Virginia, about 1831, settled one mile south of
Washington,
where he died in 1870, aged 59. Theodore, his son, lives two
miles
south-west from town. Emsley Hoover, from Ohio, about 1811,
settled on
Green's Fork, south-west from Washington, where his son Owen P.
lives;
died in 1865, aged 69. Valentine Foland, born in Virginia in 1789;
served in the war of 1812. In 1815 he bought, and in 1821 settled
on
the land where he now resides, south-west corner of the township.
Henry Garret built the first Grist-mill, a mile and a half above town,
about the year 1814. Jonas Hatfield soon after commenced building
a
saw-mill that year at Washington, but not living to finish it, it
was
completed the next year by his son Thomas, who four or five years
after
also built a grist-mill at the same place. Henry Hoover, (not of
Richmond,) about the year 1840, built a saw-mill two miles below
Washington and afterward sold it to Samuel Boyd, who, about the
year
1855, also built a grist-mill at the same place.
About the year 1825----- perhaps later----- Thomas Hatfield built a
Carding Machine and a Fulling Mill near his other mills, and after
running them about a year, he procured of Jesse Bond a site a
fourth of
a mile below, to which he removed them, and soon after sold them
to the
Bonds, who removed them further down to where Nathan Bond resides.
Wm. Underhill and Joshua Benny are said to have been the first
Blacksmiths in the township.
Lisbon Basey and John Russell, in partnership, are supposed to have
been the first Merchants, in the year 1818; next, Allen Osborn and
Wm.
Bunnell; and next, John Martindale, son of James, who, in 1830,
sold
out to Mark E. Reeves, who, with an additional stock, established a
store which he continued until 1840, when he removed to Hagerstown,
continuing an interest in the store at Washington in partnership
with
James W. Scott for about five years. Jonathan & Stephen Coffin
commenced trade in 1843; and the business was continued by Stephen.
Present merchants: Dry Goods ----- Dr. Lorenzo D. Personett and
John
M. McCown.
Grocers ---- Allen Daugherty, Wm. S. Hatfield.
The first Physician is said to have been a Dr. Howard, who was soon
followed by Dr. Johnson. Dr. William Bunnell, who came about the
year
1823, is said by some to have been the first "regular," licensed
physician. He died, in 1853, of cholera. He was succeeded by his
son,
Rhodes W. Bunnell. Lorenzo D. Personett came in 1844. The two
last-mentioned are present practicing physicians.
Abraham Elliott is supposed to have been the first Justice of the Peace
within what is now Clay township; the next, perhaps, was John
Martindale, brother of James.
The Friends formed the first Religious Society; and a log meeting-house
was built as early as 1814 or 1815, by Jesse Bond, below the town,
near
the grave-yard. A frame house was afterward built at or near the
same
place. After the schism of 1828, those calling themselves
"Orthodox"
built a house about a mile north-east of town, on land given for
that
purpose by John Baldwin. The only society in the vicinity now
holds
its meetings in this house.
A Methodist Church was organized at an early day; but in what year has
not been ascertained. Their meetings were early held at the house
of
James Porter, in the vicinity of the Friends' meeting-house, north
of
town. In 1815, Rev. Wm. Hunt was on Whitewater circuit, and is
known
to have preached in this place. Among the early members were James
Porter, James Odell, Wm. Fox, and their wives, and Polly Morgan,
whose
husband had been killed by Indians at Morgan's Creek. The names
of
preachers who succeeded Mr. Hunt on Whitewater circuit are given
elsewhere.
The church of the United Brethren is said to have existed upward of
thirty years. The precise date of its formation is not remembered.
The society built a frame meeting-house near the creek, which they
occupied until 1870, when their new brick house in town was completed.
The Town of Washington was laid out by Thomas Hatfield, and the
description of the original plat, certified by him as proprietor, and
Abraham Elliott, surveyor, September 28, 1818, was acknowledged for
record November 19, 1818.
A Block-house without a fort was built in war-time on or near Joshua
Benny's farm, a mile north of Washington. On John Martindale's land,
four miles west of this town, a fort and block-house were built by
Martindale and his sons, Elijah and William, Charles Morgan, Reynolds
Feilder, Jacob Galion, and Jonathan Shaw.
A Lodge of Free Masons, Acacia, No. 242, was organized under
dispensation January 29, 1859, and held its first meeting February 15,
1859. Its charter is dated May 25, 1859. Its officers were Rhodes W.
Bunnell, W. m.; Wm. McCafferty, S. W.; Hugh H. Keys, J. W.; Charles
Evans, Treasurer; Daniel D. Rogers, Secretary. Walter Rogers, Sen.
Deacon; Samuel Cook, Deacon.
Green's Fork Lodge, No. 184, I. O. O. F., was instituted February 25,
1857, with the following named persons as the first officers: James
W. Scott, N. G.; Calvin conner, V. G.; Thomas M. Kerr, Secretary;
Joseph F. Reynolds, Treasurer.
Bellis Encampment, No. 71, I. O. O. F. was instituted August 31, 1865.
First officers: George W. Ebersol, C. P.; John Bean, H. P.; Joseph
Ludlum, S. W.; George W. Davis, J. W.; Lorenzo D. Personett, Scribe;
Adam Reinheimer, Treasurer.
History of Wayne County, Indiana
Andrew W. young
Pages 195-201
