The township of Dalton was formed from Perry in 1847, and lies in the
north-west corner of the county. It is four miles square, containing
an area of sixteen square miles. Of the lands comprised in this
township, only a narrow gore, about three-fourths of a mile wide on
the south line, and coming to a point about three miles north, on the
Perry line, lies within the Twelve Mile Purchase; consequently none
but this was ready for sale to settlers until 1822. Several families,
however, settled west of that Purchase several years prior to the sale
by the Government.
Aquila West settled on the farm now owned by Lyndsey Dennis, near the
town, as early, probably, as 1818 or 1819. He removed some years after
from the county. James Lindley settled, soon after West, south-east
from town, on West River, where Jesse Fouts now resides. He removed
from the township, and died. Seth Mills, from Tennessee, settled on
the farm now owned by Isaac W. Beeson. These, and some in other parts
of the township, settled before the lands were offered for sale.
Joseph Davis, from North Carolina to Ohio, in 1808, removed, in 1823,
to the farm on which he now resides, near town. Charles Burroughs,
from Virginia, purchased a mile and a half north of town, in 1822, and
settled permanently half a mile north of town, in 1826, where he now
resides. Isaac W. Beeson, from North Carolina, settled early near
Franklin, and in 1835 where he now resides, near and west of Dalton.
Isaac Reynolds, from North Carolina, settled near Franklin, on land
bought by his father of Sampson Smith, now owned by Wilson Reynolds.
Nathan Baldwin, from North Carolina, near town, in 1830 or 1831, where
he still resides. Thomas E. Beeson, from North Carolina, son of Isaac
Beeson, about 1831, one mile east of town. Pleasant Harris, from North
Carolina, near Franklin; land now owned by Thomas and Wilson Dennis;
had settled early in New Garden; came to Dalton before the land sales;
removed to Iowa, and died there. Benj. F. Beeson, from North Carolina,
near Franklin; land now owned by John Dering, Thomas Nicholson, and
others. Thomas Antrim, from Tennessee, about 1820, three-quarters of a
mile north of town; land now owned by Charles Burroughs and Isaac
Covalt. Samuel Beeson, half a mile east of Dalton, about 1826; died
there, aged about 94 years. Land first settled by Wm. Main.
In the north-western part of the township, Andrew Starbuck settled
where widow Tinkle lives. Thomas Burroughs, from Virginia, father of
Charles, on land sold to Joseph Routh, now owned by Col. Thompson. In
the north-east quarter of the township, Wm. Maudlin and Wright Spradlin
settled on the county line, and still reside there. Dempsey Thornburg,
where he now resides. George M. Lee, where George M. Jordan lives.
Isaac Routh from Tennessee, where a widow Routh now lives. Routh
removed to Wells county, and died there. Henry mills, on the farm
lately owned by James Lumpkins, who died there in 1870. Henry
Thornburg, from Tennessee, about 1820, died on his farm, now owned by
Richard C. Cheeseman. Sophia Williams, before land sales; land
descended to her sons, Henry and Joseph; now occupied by Henry, and by
Nathan Dennis. Enoch Gardner; land now owned by Wesley S. Leadbetter.
Joseph Brewer, a native of North Carolina, from Tennessee, on land now
owned by John W. Jordan.
In the south-east part of the township, were the following: Wm.
Wright, on Perry line; land now owned by Jesse Weaver. Charles Howell,
from North Carolina, before land sales; land now owned by his sons,
Larkin and Joseph, and John H. Thornburg. He lives with Joseph. He
and Henry Williams are the only men living who settled in the township
before land sales. Isaac Macy, from Tennessee; land now occupied by
his widow and heirs. John Aaron Locke, from Perry, settled where he
now resides. Jacob Bales, from Tennessee, on West River before land
sales, on land now owned by Richard C. Cheeseman. George Petro, a
blacksmith, probably the first in the township, on land owned by
Richard C. Cheeseman. John Strode, on land now occupied by George
Pierce. James Strode, from Kentucky, adjoining his son John; died on
the farm, now occupied by his widow and Thomas beeson. Wm. Thornburg,
Sen., from Tennessee, an early settler on West River; land now occupied
by Thomas E. Thornburg. Lewis, Henry, and Larkin Thornburg, sons of
Henry, Sen., removed to Iowa, where Larkin died. The farm of Henry is
now owned by Richard C. Cheeseman; that of Lewis, by Nathan W. Strode;
and that of Larkin, by J. A. Locke. John Evans, a Baptist minister,
settled on land now owned by Samuel Brown. Abraham Tout, from
Tennessee, who died of a cancer, on land owned by Cornelius Thornburg
and Jesse W. Locke. John Barr, a native of Scotland, on land now
occupied by his widow and son John. Joseph Keever, from Ohio, on land
owned by Jackson Keever and David Fleming's heirs. Martin Keever,
adjoining his brother Joseph; was killed by lightning seven or eight
years ago. His heirs still reside there. Jesse Osborn, from
Tennessee, on land lately owned by Seneca Keever, now by Samuel Brown.
In the south-west quarter of the township, Jonathan Evans, settled on
land now owned by Joseph Weaver. Joseph Johnson, from North Carolina,
about 1820, a mile south of Franklin; died there; present owner,
Branson Dennis, J. G. Allen, Wm. Baldwin. Peter Smith, from Tennessee,
about 1822; died on his farm about three years ago; his wife a year
before. His son-in-law, James Conaway, resides on the farm. Aaron
Lesh, from Ohio, about the same time as Smith; present owner, Martha
Newcomb. Thomas Richardson, on land now owned by Abraham Smith.
Thomas Marshall, from Tennessee, before land sales; died on the farm,
now or lately owned by John and Alexander Ditch, and occupied by John.
Stephen Lear, from Ohio, where Levi Harter now lives. Daniel Ulrich,
from Ohio, son of John Ulrich, of Jefferson township, about 1824, in
the south-west corner of the township, adjoining the White Branch
Woolen Mills. Benj. Beeson, from North Carolina, bought of -------
Lear one mile south of Franklin, where Levi Harter resides. Sons of B.
Beeson are Isaac W., Benjamin F., Silas H., Ithamar, Charles O., who
resides at New Buffalo, Michigan, and has a son Jehu, at Anderson,
Madison county.
Besides those already mentioned, who settled near Dalton and Franklin,
the following may be added: Zachariah Beeson, one mile north of
Dalton, in 1824; was a gunsmith, and had a corn-cracker and a saw-mill;
land now owned by John Payne. Hezekiah Beeson, from North Carolina, an
early settler near Franklin; sold to Wm. Beeson; land now owned by
George Nicholson and others. Isaac Beeson, from North Carolina, one
mile east of Dalton, about 1831; name of present owner not learned.
The first Tannery in the township was built by Benj. F. Beeson, who
settled near Franklin. It was afterward carried on by Jesse Evans, who
resides in Iowa.
The first Grist-mill was built in 1824 or 1825, by Charles Stout, from
North Carolina, near Lindley's farm. Seth Mills built the next at
Dalton, about the year 1826. Pleasant Harris and Tense Massey, about
the same time, built the first saw-mill near Franklin. Benj. F.
Beeson, soon after, built a grist-mill on Mill Branch, half a mile
south of Franklin; and near the same place an oil-mill near Dalton,
about the year 1832 or 1833. In 1837, the Dalton Steam Mill Company
built on Nettle Creek a steam saw-mill and a grist-mill. Both were
burned about the year 1848. The saw-mill only was rebuilt. In 1840,
Beeson Brothers built a grist-mill in the place of their old saw-mill.
About 1850, James Maulsby built a grist-mill a little below the site of
the old grist-mill on Mill Branch. The old grist-mill and oil-mill are
both gone.
Henry Thornburg built on West River, some thirty years ago, a saw-mill;
also at the same place a Carding Machine, which run about twenty years.
The first Merchant in the township is said to have been Benj F. Beeson,
at Franklin; others say Hezekiah Beeson. Aaron Mills is named as an
early merchant at Dalton. Charles Beeson is known to have traded at
Franklin in 1839. Also, Silas, Lewis, and Aaron Lesh, Oliver and
Joseph Williams, Silas B. Maulsby, Benj. B. Beeson, Wm. Thornburg, and
Wm. and Enos Canaday, are said to have traded at Franklin. At Dalton,
between 1838 and 1845, John W. Williamson, Jehu T. Elliott, and Henry
D. Root; and at different times, Joseph Ruth, J. D. Canaday, David and
William Chamness, Robert Lumpkin, and Thomas McCracken. Present
merchants at Franklin: John Macy, dry goods; Millikin Hockett,
groceries. At Dalton: Wm S. Chamness, Riley Chamness, both dry goods.
Dr. Silas Beeson, the first resident Physician in the township, settled
at Franklin about 1830, and died there. Later, were Henry Carver,
Erhart, and Patterson. John W. Smith (botanic) was the first at
Dalton, in 1836. Later, were Wm. Dickey (1840), Drs. Simmons, J. R.
Brown, Guinther, Windle, Showalter, and the present physician, John
Stonebraker.
The White Branch Woolen Mills are on the White Branch stream, two miles
south of Franklin. A Building was erected by Daniel Ulrich for a grist
mill, but he put into it machinery for a woolen factory. In the year
1854, it was bought by Wm. and Josiah Test. The establishment has
since been much enlarged by the erection of buildings and the increase
of machinery. The present proprietors are Wm. and Rufus Test, and
Josiah V. Jones, (Test Brothers & Jones.) It has two sets of machines,
and two roll-cards, and nine looms. The goods manufactured are jeans,
satinets, cassimeres, flannels, blankets, and yarn. Custom work, as
carding, spinning, and cloth-dressing, is also done at this
establishment.
The first School-house in the township is said to have stood where
Dalton now is, and Luke Wiles to have been the first teacher. Although
the common schools in this township are probably not inferior to those
of other townships of the county, there is no high or graded school in
it, owing, probably, to the fact that it has no town of sufficient
population to require or sustain one.
The earliest Religious Society in the township was that of the Friends,
who organized a meeting about the year 1827 or 1828, at West River, and
held their meetings at first in a log house. Another was formed a few
years later at Franklin, where they built a frame house. Both meetings
still exist. Here, as at some other places, the antislavery agitation
caused a temporary disunion. No other division has existed here.
Absalom Dennis, Miles Mendenhall, Mahlon Chamness, and Mahlon Dennis
are among the names of residents who have been preachers.
The Methodists, at a later date, formed a class at Dalton, and had
preaching for a short time. None has existed here for many years. A
church, a portion of whose members reside in this township, was formed
about forty years ago, and built a meeting-house a mile and a half
north of Dalton, on the north side of Randolph county line. This
society still exists.
The Baptists also had in Dalton a society and a meeting-house, and had
preaching a part of the time. James Austin was their first preacher.
A church, formed by a union of two or more smaller ones, many years ago
built a meeting-house a little north of the line of Randolph county.
Into this church the society at Dalton was merged.
The United Brethren have had a society and a meeting-house, about two
miles east of Dalton, about twenty years. Ab. Tout gave the land for
the grave-yard, Lewis Weaver the ground for the church. Early members
of this church were Jeannetta Barr, afterward wife of Wm. Marshall, and
her sister Mary, wife of Abraham Smith; Henry Bailes, John Bailes,
Lewis Bailes, Wm. Linley, (now a Dunker preacher.) They have had as
preachers, Dr. Richardson, Daniel Stober, John Brown, Alexander
Carroll, and perhaps others. Their present preacher (1871) is James M.
Cook.
The Town of Dalton was laid out by Tense Massey and Joseph Davis,
proprietors, and Joseph Davis, surveyor. The plat bears date January
25, 1828. An addition was afterward made by Joseph Davis, and, in
1836, another by Nathan Baldwin.
The Town of Franklin was laid out by Benj. F. Beeson and Silas H.
Beeson. The plat, signed by them as proprietors, and Thomas Stanford
as surveyor, was recorded January 7, 1832.
Isaac Macy and Wm. Davis were the first Justices of the Peace of the
township after its organization. The present justices are Wm. Chamness
and John W. Macy.
History of Wayne County, Indiana
Andrew W. young
Pages pg 204-209
