Pioneers of Jefferson County Reminiscences of James E. Lewis (These were printed in the Madison Courier in December, 1874 - do not have the exact dates as these were copied from a family record.) My grandfather, John Lewis, came to this country from Wales, about 1750, and lost his life when my father was about five years old, in the battle at the fort, opposite New London, Connecticut, at the close of the Revolutionary War. He left two sons, John and Oliver. The latter, my father, moved to Trumbull County, Ohio, in 1804. His family then consisted of my mother, now residing on Walnut St. (Madison), aged 94 years, one daughter and one son, Chauncey B. Lewis, father of Dr. James R. Lewis. In Ohio his family increased to three daughters and three sons. He resided in Ohio, during the War of 1812, and was a soldier under General William Henry Harrison. He was at the battles of Niagara Falls, Black Rock and River Raisin. My father was sent with others as an escort with an officer to supercede General Grogan, at Lower Sandusky fort, and got so near that they heard the gun - a six pounder - that was so well handled by our men: as fast as the British soldiers filled the ditch leading to the fort, the point of the six pounder was run out, and fired with such effect, that it drove them out, leaving the ditch nearly full with their dead. While my father was in the army, mother would weave cloth, etc. for the other soldiers' wives, while they would tend her garden in turn, etc. I remember as young as I was, seeing the old gray-headed men come around to see that all was well, for every able-bodied man had gone to the front, to prevent the Indians coming in to our neighborhood. When my father returned, it was about daylight; he had lost a thumb in the last battle and it was very painful. That fall he lost his second crop of corn by frost, and the next fall, 1815, he lost his third. I remember the latter. The whole country was a stench in our nostrils, and we could taste it in our mouths. My father was a Methodist, and his Circuit Rider advised him to go to "Indiana Territory". on that recommendation he started, in the fall of 1815, in company with Baldwin Clark and Family. They purchased a flat at Beaver, 20 miles below Pittsburgh, on the Ohio, and when all was ready, we were all marched down to the boat. My father and others united in singing and prayer, committing themselves and their families to their kind Heavenly Father's care, while on the river and journeying to their new home. On our way down the river we stopped at several places. At Cincinnati we stopped over the Sabbath. There was no whart there then. Under the high bank was a steam-saw mill, and when running the steam would escape; it looked to me 25 feet high and would whistle like one of the old fashioned hunter's horns. From Cincinnati down we stopped at Fort William, now Carrollton; there George Short took passage with his "kit" of tools. He was a wheelwright and all our farmers will testify to his good spinning wheels. He settled on Walnut St. (Madison) out of town, and ever after it was called "Georgetown". There was no landing then made at Madison. The original sycamore, cottonwood and willow trees were standing under and on the high bank; these grew out into the river, especially the cottonwoods. Col. John Paul had cut the trees from the front of the house, now belonging to the heirs of Mr. Abram Todd. Our first citizens erected houses on the second or high river bank, and when Walnut, Main, Mulberry and West streets were graded, it left the houses high above the street and nearly worthless; instances, Robert Craig's and Alois Bachman's. Navigation on the river at this time was of the most crude kind. There were no steamboats for several years. Broadhorns could float down, but to go up stream the keel boat was used-a craft somewhat similar to the present canal boat, but very rude; the guards were about a foot wide and had cleets nailed on the floor, and two or three men on each side with long poles would push it against the current with their shoulders. When the water was deep or rapid the men looked as though they were all lying dow; six miles was considered a good day's run. Now about Madison. The original plat was laid off from East to West streets. These streets were the Eastern and Western boundaries of the then "town" of Madison. The streets were in their original state, and that Winter was warm, 1815-16, they were wet with plenty of mud and misery. There were three ponds in the old town-one on Walnut street, running south under the market space nearly to the present jail, and to Jonathan Pitch's corner; another were A. J. Fisher's stables now stand on Second street; the other opposite the Madison Hotel, on Mulberry and Second street. On the North end of this pond, on the alley between Main Cross and Second streets, was the only barber shop in the place. The sign over the door was hard for boys to read; it ran thus SAMDUNNBARBER. At the intersection of Main Cross and Main Streets, and for some space around, there was a marsh, and the old corduroy is still buried about four feet under the present streets. There was a large number of Indians about. They had a camp at the north end of Walnut street, opposite Johnson's and Clements' old starch factory. John Ritchie's store was opposite Rolla Doolittle's residence. The Indians used to trade with him. The Indians seldom used saddles or bridles on their ponies. If they got drunk and they would always do so if they could get the firewater, one or two would always remain sober to take care of them. Robert Craig had a grocery on Second street, shortly after, near where Mr. Dickson now has his newspaper depot. Jacob G. Doyle near by and Linas R. Leonard where the Mayor's office now stands. The John Paul laid off the Addition West, below West street, where the angle is made; there was considerable indignation about "that bend". It was originally intended for Main Cross to run to the river, so then on the street you could see the point below town on the Kentucky shore. There were written and published in the papers, four chapters of Chronicles in which Col. Paul was called "John and Nabob" and John Paul, Jr., "Jack Hoecake", etc. for altering the original design. The old Methodist Church was built this year on John McIntire's land on the east of East street, on the back end of the lot, where St. John's church now stands. The seats were of the rudest short, split logs, with a block under each end. Dr. Oglesby, Dr. Bigelow, and a Mr. Brown, (Jas E. Bacon's father-in-law) were the local preachers, and shortly after, Allen Wiley was put on the circuit. Rev. William Robinson was the Presbyterian Minister. He lived in a frame hosue on the ground where Isaac Wagner now has a livery stable. My father first lived in a log house opposite. Mr. Robinson was in the habit of drinking, and at times to excess. He was an enterprising g man, however, and erected a carding machine on the lot on Walnut street, where my mother now lives. After him, Mr. Searles was pastor, after his death, Rev. Joseph Trimble. Both are buried in the old Cemetery on Third street. In 1825, Rev. Jas. H. Johnston, now of Crawfordsville, became pastor. After Mr. Robinson was sold out, John M. Watson carded wool for the farmers and he used to advertise in the old "Indiana Republican". The heading was "The tariff need not distress us If we have wood enough to dress us." In 1817 John Paul gave the ground on Third street for a buying ground. The first person buried there was Miss Old. Up to that time the burying ground was up in Fulton, above Greiner's Brewery. In 1817 my father farmed all the land in Scott's garden and lived in the old log house back of John Ross' Tan yard. A man by the name of William Cole had a tan yard where Ross now occupies. There was a large spring at the foot of the hill. Mr. Ross moved this spring into his yard. There was another spring at the foot of the hills on East street, that when I was a boy used to make quite a creek across Walnut street. There was a public well in front of the court house. Old Fathers Thomas and Kirk used to draw water by the day, and children were sent to them and they would fill their buckets & send them home. There was another well at Stapp and Branham's Hotel, near Dr. Cornett's back store door on Mulberry street. Another well was dug in 1834 or 35 near the alley by the Post Office. It did not last long. There was another well in the rear of Mr. Albert Scheik's grocery; it was called "Oldfield's Well"' another under the present wall on Poplar Lane, at Judge J. Y. Allison's residence. This was called "Talbott's Well', as Richard C. Talbott, in 1820 was Clerk of the County and lived in that house and kept his office in the corner room. There is another well near the middle of the J. F. D. Lanier's ground, where Alex Lanier now lives. This was called "Lanier's Well". There were all open to the public. Up to 1828 there was no such thing known as a cast stove. John Sheets brought a seven plate stove from the East to town for his stove, but there were no cook stoves until 1835 or 36. It was stipulated when I got my wife, that I was to furnish a "cooking stove" for our kitchen. In 1825 there was no such thing as a wood-saw; we boys had to chop our wood with an axe. And another great trouble was, such things as matches were unknown, until 1835, and then they were of the rudest kind. First, you had to have a vial with some kind of preparation in it, and a stick with sulphur on the end, and when poked into this vial it would ignite. At last, some man invented our present match; at first they had to have a piece of black sand paper, and when rubbed on this paper, it would ignite. These were called Locofoco matches, and they gave the name to the old Democratic party in this wife; The tammany party was divided on some questions in New York City, and when one party found they were in the minority, blew out the lights; the other party was not to be outgeneraled in this way, and fearing this, had provided themselves with these matches, and immediately struck a light and proceeded with their meetings, and Prent of the Louisville Journal, ever afterward called it the Locofoco party. Before these matches were invented, while living in the country, I was careful not to let the fire go out, if I did, the next morning, wet or cold, I would have to post off to the nearest neighbor, to "borrow" a little fire. Father Logan is mistaken about Daniel Lyle's store being the oldest house. It was built in 1838 or 1840. But the brick house across the alley was built in 1818: Andrew Collins' store was in the front and he lived in the frame part. The house Mr. Schooley pulled down this summer was built in 1823 and was a sample of all the houses then in town. The house on the corner of Third and Poplar was a porch on the East side, was built by Josiah Meade, in 1818; also the house on the alley adjoining David Wilson's old residence on Second street. The house where Mrs. J. G. Marshall now lives was built by Felix Brandt in 1818; in the east room he had a watch-maker's shop. William Robinson; father of Mrs. Crane, had a store in the front room of Mrs. Verry's residence. The oldest house now standing in the city is on the alley-east side on the south side of High street between Main and Walnut. Peter Hemphill resided there and was ferryman from this side of the river, and Abram King from th Kentucky side. The other house is the little red front on the river bank, just above Wm. Phibbs. The front frame is the house where John Marsh now lives and is sixty years old. End of First Article December 13, 1874 The old market house was West of the big pond between Mrs. Sering's residence and the court house. It was built by settling four posts with a fork in the upper end and poles laid in them, and then covered with clapboards and logs to hold them on. The house used as a court house stood where V. Firth's house now stands. The court was held in the upper room. The stairs were on the outside and West end. The jail "Old Buckeye" was hard to beat. It was a house with a house built on the outside so close that nothing could be moved, as the outside held everything in its place. David Kent was the jailer. It was hard to make change in those times, as money was scarce. the old Spanish dollar was universally used. Half dollars and twenty-five cent pieces, bits and fips, 12-1/2 and 6 1/4; ten cent pieces passed for 12 1/2 cents, and 8 for a dollar. In 1831 or 32, when Mr. Jesse Whitehead opened store, he used to bring out a keg full of 10 and 5 cent pieces and make change for anyone wanting it, and gave 8 dimes and 16 five cents for a dollar. So they were soon called Jesses and half Jesses. Before this they used to cut money and so get change. For instance, if I owed a man 6 1/4 cents, I would cut a twenty five cent piece into 4 parts, and a half dollar into eight, or a half for a quarter dollar, and cut the other half into four parts; so with the dollar etc. This cut money was called Sharpskins. The first Sabbath school was in the old Presbyterian church on West street, in front o what is now called Presbyterian Ave. I preferred this school to the private schools, because they gave us books to read, besides the red and blue tickets. Mrs. McIntire had a private school in 1816. In 1817 a Catholic priest came to town, and he said Mass, preached, administered the Sacrements and baptized several children, some of them were large boys and girls; but to me the most singular part of the service was, he married four or five old couples who had children grown. This service was held in the house where Joel Dickey now resides. John Paul built this house and offered the whole square to the County if they would make it the Court house. Beaumont Parks for many years taught the higher branches of education there. Many of our older citizens can neither read or write. Deal charitable with them, and remember that many had to go 2 or 3 miles to school and nearly all the way through the woods, with blazes on the trees to prevent them from wandering out of the way and getting lost. And such school houses; one log left out to light the house, and this in the cold winter, for all had to work on the farm during the summer. Another thing will amuse our young people; whenever there was a night meeting, it was held at "early candle-light". At the appointed time the heads of each family would take one or two candles in hand, some with a lantern, and as they arrived would light up the house, and if but few came they would, of course, have poor lights. Ephraim Kennedy, Old John Brown, and C. B. Lewis went down to the mouth of Crooked Creek to fish about this time. Soon they heard a noise like the firing of a gun below the point on the Kentucky shore. About this time a strange looking craft rounded the point; one mentioned it was the Indians. They immediately dropped all and made haste for the town. They ran until out of breath and then hid under the logs for a time, but becoming more alarmed ran through the woods, greatly excited, and reported the Indians coming, etc. The citizens went to the river to see the first steamboat that came and landed at Madison. Scape pipes in those days were made very small and great force was necessary to drive the steam through them. For that reason a noise was made of a very peculiar kin; it would shriek and then bank away like the report of a gun or horn. In 1824, Abram Wilson's smith shop, on the ground, where Wesley Chapel now stands, was burned down. His brother mechanics turned out to rebuild his shop. They went up the river bank where the Mammoth Cave Pork House now stands, and were cutting down and hewing the cottonwood trees into longs, for the purpose of rebuilding said shop. This was trespassing on John McIntire's land; it was under the high bank. McIntire went around asking them their names. One of them was Jacob Harbaugh, but passed under the name of Jake Hoboy. McIntire went around asking the men, "What's Jake Hoboy's first name?" The first Monday of August in each year was election day for State officers. On the present Court House corner and near the public well would be two or three barrels on end, heads out, full of whiskey, with tin cups hung on them. Each party would chalk their names on the outside of the barrel. By evening they would be nearly empty and the men full - yes, "too full for utterance". At one of these elections John Paul, Jr. and Brook Bennett were candidates. Paul's friends were voting and shouting "Hurrah for Paul". Young John Bennett became indignant and jumped on a stump and hurrahed for Daddy. General Tipton of Logansport, about 1826, made a treaty with the Indians, and induced them to five lands enough to make a road 100 feet wide, from Michigan City to some point on the Ohio River. congress left it to the Indiana Legislature to locate said road. All the river towns in the state wanted it, and for two years our Legislature was in continual excitement. A few years before this the Wabash Canal was asking for an appropriation, and they wanted on in the Senate and two in the house to pass it through. Jefferson County could do just what it wanted, and our Representatives were promised if they would do so when Jefferson County would come to the Legislature and say, "Wabash Canal" every man would go for them. They did so, and it was their political death. But this road was to come before the Legislature the next winter. Cincinnati money was freely spent to take it to Lawrenceburg, and had so far succeeded as to get it to Napoleon. Now James M. Wallace stepped forth from Jefferson County, and reminded the Wabash Valley of their promises. In a moment a member of the Valley moved to strike out Lawrenceburg and insert Madison. On this he moved the previous question and Madison got the Michigan Road. This is what is called "Log Rolling" in our Legislature. The country round Madison was settled before Madison. The name of Madison was at first "Wakefield". This county and Scott were taken from Clark county and were the same or a time. Jefferson county was named for Jefferson, then President, and Madison was named for President Madison in 1809 or1810, for he next held that office at this time. The above in from memory of what my father used to tell men who came into the country to settle. The first newspaper published in Madison was the "Western Eagle", by Seth M. Leavenworth and William Hendricks. Col. John Vawter told me in Morgantown that it was printed in his kitchen when he lived I Madison. After the "Western Eagle", John Lodge started the "Indiana Republican". Under the caption was this sentiment, "Where Liberty dwelleth there is my country." Franklin. About 1831 the Banner at Salem was merged into it, and it was called the "Republican Banner". I do not think Dawson Blackmore was born in the town of Madison, for Blackmore moved from Madison up into Eagle Hollow in 1810 or 1811. and Dawson was not born until 1812 or 13. He is of age now, so let him answer. Judge Blackmore lived there at the time and made and sold wool hats. David G. Bright, father of Jesse Bright, made hats at the same time, in Dutton's corner, Main Cross and Mulberry streets. Eagle Hollow got its name from this circumstance; no steam boats were running, and the large travel to Jeffersonville Land Office was by land; and very few miles a tavern. John Troxell put a neat sign with a large spread eagle on it, and after that it was called Eagle Hollow. All the hollows above that were Bee Camp Hollows, for every tree that was hollow hear the top was sure to have bees; and I have seen a barrel of honey taken out of one tree, while I was living there from 1818 to 1821. More about the Indian camp up Walnut street on Crooked Creek. The Indian squaw in camp did not look like the pictures we have seen of them in books, but quite the reverse. They were to appearance, larger than the men, but short and slovenly. The young squaw has bright black eyes, otherwise not prepossessing. They examined my coat and how it was made, very closely. I saw an old squaw hold up the chin and pinch her little papoose's lips together. I, boy-like, asked her why she did so. She answered in substance, it would not take cold, if it breathed through it's nose while sleeping. All the papooses were strapped to boards or bark and set up against trees. About 100 yards above the point of the hill nearest Walnut street there was a dam of logs, filling the bed of the creek from bank to bank. Jack Hunt told me it was a beaver's dam. And for ten years afterward there was occasionally seen beavers playing in the water. John Paul took advantage of this Beaver Dam and built a saw-mill there. Parts of the millwere there as late as 1830. He also built a grist mill on the north side of the creek, a short distance above the old buryin ground, on 3d street., and grinding was done as late as 1828 and 1830, until Alexander Washer built a mill where the present Star Mills stand. End of second article. Pioneers of Jefferson County Reminiscences of James E. Lewis December 20, 1874 The second year after I came to Madison was the great Locust year. They exceeded in numbers anything that has been seen since. They were what we called seventeen year locusts. One remarkable thing in the early times was that the whole bottom was literally covered with "dog fennel"; in places it was hard to travel around, but it has gradually disappeared, and now a bunch is rarely seen. In 1825 or 26 David McClure, Sr. lived in what was then called Dorsey's tavern, just west of the First National Bank. He had just got two or more cords of wood; the wood was about five feet long. This was the length in those days; and when cut in two was the proper length for the then fireplace. On Christmas eve the stars were bright at 10 o'clock, when Samuel David, Marsh McClure, Jim and Napoleon Collins (now Captain in the U.S. Navy), Dick Canby, (General Canby killed by the Modocs) and Jim Lewis-to play a Christmas trick on Father McClure-took this wood and made a fence across Main Cross street. The next morning the snow was about a foot deep, and David McClure and his two brothers had to take down the fence and pile up the wood for a Christmas morning frolic. I don't believe David has ever forgiven me to this day for that morning's work. One word for your Carrier Boys; January 1, 1823, they went their rounds with their "Address" and, like the present carriers expected a "quarter", and as a reason why I give you one verse: "Through wind and rain and frost and snow, For 12 months past I've had to go, While you were snuggling and cutting capers, And give you all your weekly papers." In 1828 my father was keeping tavern on the Lawrenceburg road, four miles up the river, near where Mr. Wolf's stone house now stands. The steamboats were not running and travel was on horseback, men going to Jeffersonville to enter their lands, etc. About this time Mr. M. A. Gavitt professed his belief in the Universalist doctrine and preached at different places. On one bright Sabbath morning he was to preach at the schoolhouse near my father's tavern. Five or six were at the schoolhouse at the appointed time, and knowing the Gavitt was at my father's came there and by my father's permission, Mr. G. preached a short discourse. Shortly after Mr. Jacob G. Doyle brought charges before the Methodist church in Madison, and my father was suspended for permitting a Univeralist to preach in his house. A week or so after it came to the notice of Mr. Gavitt and he called to see my father and express sorrow for being the mans of injuring my father's standing in the church. In a week or so Mr. Gavitt called on Mr. Doyle and told him of a remarkable dream he had had, and how he (Gavitt) was very much concerned about it, and it had been repeated three nights. Mr. Doyle was anxious to hear what it was. Mr. Gavitt related the whole matter; "For three nights", said he, "I dreamed that if I would go to that beech tree in the street in front of the Methodist church, I would find all the members of said church up among the branches of said tree, and that when I put my hand on the body of the tree all the hypocrites would fall. So when I went up and found all the members in the top and on the branches, male and female; and when I put my hand on the tree, Jacob G. Doyle, who was near the top, immediately fell to the ground, and in his fall he endangered nearly half the members. Two or three fell from one ranch to another, but caught again, and none came to the ground but Jacob G. Doyle, and he fell so heavy on one of the roots, that like Judas, his ______and he died." When the next circuit rider came around my father was reinstated. The warmly contested Presidential election of 1824 between Henry Clay, John Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson was over, and Adams was elected by the House of congress. The fourth of July following we Madisonians agreed to celebrate its anniversary, and that no political matter should be admitted. We dined at Thomas Bishops, on the Springdale Cemetery ground. After a good dinner, and all the regular toasts were drunk, and many volunteer, just as the close, Alexander Davison, Lieut. Col., 6th Ind Regiment, offered the following toast: Behold the great of Kentucky State Has run his race and got no grace A joyful thing indeed. (He was a Jackson man). This of course was hissed down by all. That fall by rule he would have been elected Colonel; but this so maddened the Adams men that they brought out Capt. Wm. Powell, of the 1st Artillery, 6th Regiment, Indiana Militia. On Saturday (the election was on the next Monday) some of Davison's friends got out to writ to put Powell in jail for debt, and had him arrested. By ten o'clock p.m. Saturday night he had completed his schedule, made his all over to his creditors, and took what was then called "the benefit of the act". On Monday following he was elected Colonel. This so elated Powell, a few days after he was going round Craig's corner and met Malachi Dodge, and asked him before a dozen men how he got out of the gutter the Monday before. Dodge answered "swore out like you did out of jail." Not more than a month after Colonel Powell reviewed the 6th Indiana Regiment, and this was its last muster. In this 6th Indiana Regiment was the Madison Light infantry, Captain Dan Comstock, and another uniformed company and eight (what was called "flat-foot") companies, not uniformed, with cornstalks for guns. Many of the captains and other officers resigned and we elected men who would not serve. When at last the colonel resigned we first elected Alois Bachman (Not eligible)( and then victor King, who would not accept. After several years the Legislature repealed all the military laws, and the oldest citizens were not required to muster ever after. Mrs. Joseph G. Marshall must have been the first child born in Madison, daughter of John Sering. At her birth, Capt. Powell of the Madison Artillery, ordered out one of his guns and fired three rounds in honor of her, the first child born in Madison. It was either her or Mrs. Wm. Driggs, both now living. In closing, let me say I have spend 58 of 63 years in Madison on the 20th of this month, December. I have seen this city grow from a few log houses to a city of 12 or 15 thousand. In place of the old horse racks before every store door, with no sidewalks but a "puncheon" laid on to walk on, now the best streets and sidewalks of any city in the State. The harder it rains the cleaner the streets. our boys are amongst the best merchants in all our Western cities. Forty or Fifty of our young men are now preaching the gospel to their fellow men. One church "Second Presbyterian) has sent out fifteen. Some of our men have given character to the whole State. Hon. Jeremiah Sullivan successfully contended with Samuel Judah of Vincennes that the slaves in Indiana under Gen. Clark's treaty with the French could not be transferred to other parties and so make Indiana a slave state. Samuel Judah had brought Amos Phillips as a servant with him to the Legislature. Sullivan brought said Phillips to Madison and Judah brought suit, and it ended in the freedom of Amos. All our old citizens remember Amos. Contrast this with Judge Taney's decision in relation to Dred Scott-"that a Negro had no rights a white man was bound to respect." One man, Hon. Williamson Dunn, has done more to promote sound learning in Indiana than any other in it. He first founded Hanover College, (Indianapolis offered half a million for it last fall.) and while Land Agent at Crawfordsville gave his land and his money to found Wabash College. The State owed him a debt of gratitude it never can pay. Such men as Sullivan and Dunn die poor, but their memory how precious. Other worthies ought to be mentioned, but these will suffice.