Baber's Early History of Greene County Indiana Chapter XV, Beech Creek Township

The Different Townships Of Greene County

Among the old pioneer settlers in this locality, were HUGH GASTON, JOHN TODD, THOMAS and ANDY RAPER, JAMES TURPIN, EDWARD and CHARLES BEASLEY, EDWARD BRYAN, SOLOMON WILKERSON, old man Whaley, FREDERICK HENDRICKS, NATHAN HOGAN, JOEL BURKS, WILLIAM SANDERPHER, JIMMY JAMES, ROBERT and FRANK CHANEY, WILLIAM and NOAH REEVES, JAMES GASTON, and afterwards came in others, and among them we have the names of JOHN ARTHUR, JAMES CROCKETT, JOHN and DAVID BULLOCK, JESSE SULLIVAN, WILLIAM WATKINS and many others.

HUGH GASTON was born in North Carolina, and came to Greene County in the year 1822, and settled on the place, and made a farm, and set out the old apple orchard where Mr. KEYS now lives. Mr. GASTON and wife raised eight children, the two youngest being twins. All of them lived to be men and women.

Old Uncle JAMES GASTON came to Greene County more than fifty years ago, and shortly afterwards he was married to Miss MARY P. BRYAN, and settled on his excellent farm, and has lived there until he has seen all his neighbors settle in around him, and yet he can see to read without glasses. Mr. GASTON is seventy years old, and his wife had eleven children - four boys and seven girls.

The old JOE LYONS' Farm has had a greater number of different families on it than any other place in Greene County, where JOHN KINNEY now resides.

Old Uncle JOHN ARTHUR, SEN., is seventy-five years old, and was born in Lincoln County, North Carolina; and his father and mother raised twelve children - six boys and six girls. Old Uncle JOHN ARTHUR entered the land, built the house, made the farm and set out the old orchard at a place where GEORGE AXTELL now lives.

JESSE SULLIVAN wears a graybeard. He is sixty-seven years old, and was born in Wayne County, North Carolina, near Goldsboro'. Old Uncle Jesse has had two wives and fifteen children. He first settled in Greene County on the old farm where JAMES SMITH now lives.

Mr. JOHN BRYAN was married about forty-five years ago, to Miss MARY A. TURLEY, and afterwards made a good farm and now lives on it, one and a half miles northwest of Newark - Mr. BRYAN and wife have had nine children - one boy and eight girls.

JAMES CROCKETT was born in Anderson County, Tennessee, and came to Greene County over fifty years ago, and married Mrs. LOUISA OOLEY. They raised ten children - six boys and four girls. Mr. CROCKETT is now sixty-seven years old.

EDWARD BRYAN built a house, made the farm and set out the old orchard at the place where JOHN MCDANIEL now lives. Mr. BRYAN and wife had [end of pg. 46] seven children - three boys and four girls.

Old JOHN TODD built the house, made the farm, and set out the nice old apple orchard at the place where JAMES MC DANIEL now lives.

JAMES TURPIN built the first house on Lick Creek, in the north end of the township, and is now living on a good farm just northeast of PETER LIVINGSTON'S.

Old JOHNNY BULLOCK built a house and made the farm at his old place, about one mile northwest of Solsberry.

'Squire SOLOMON WILKERSON has been a very noted old pioneer settler, and a good citizen in the township.

WILLIAM REEVES and his boys first settled at the place where EDWARD WALKER now lives.

WILLIAM SANDERPHER built the house, entered the land, made the farm, and set out the apple orchard at the Cross Roads, on the old Spencer State Road, three miles north of Solsberry.

MOSES MC CULLEY built the first log cabin on the old JOE LYONS' Farm.

Mrs. ELIZABETH CROCKETT, widow of ALEXANDER CROCKETT, an old Revolutionary soldier, came from Tennessee and settled her family in Greene County at an early day. She had twelve children - eight boys and four girls.

DAVID BULLOCK came to that neighborhood, and has made a good farmer, and is a number one old pioneer citizen. Mr. BULLOCK is sixty-six years old, and his wife has had eight children.

Our old bachelor friend, JAMES BULLOCK, is another old pioneer.

Among the first weddings were JOHN KELLUM and ELIZABETH BRYAN; WYATT MILLER and POLLY BLAND; JAS. GASTON and MARY P. BRYAN; GREEN MARTIN and CYNTHIA HOGAN; JOSEPH MCINTOSH and ELIZABETH TODD; WILLIAM WATKINS and JANE MARTIN.

The pioneer preachers were Revs. GEORGE BURCH, SAMMY DOTY, JOSEPH WILSON, and Elder JOHN WILSON.

Among the early schoolteachers was JAMES GASTON.

MOSES OOLEY was one among the old pioneer hunters, and a good marksmen at all of our olden time shooting matches. Mr. Ooley was born in Greene County, Kentucky, and came to Greene County, Indiana, over fifty years ago, and built the old Ooley Water Mill on Richland Creek.

Shortly after MOSES OOLEY came to Beech Creek, he, in company with his son-in-law, JAMES CROCKETT, went out hunting. About six miles from home, in the woods, they found an old she bear and her three young cubs. The young ones ran up a tree and Mr. OOLEY, leaving Mr. CROCKETT at the base of the tree, returned home to get an axe. The old bear remained all night with Mr. CROCKETT, and when Mr. OOLEY came back the next morning, they captured one cub and killed the other two and the old bear. [part of pg. 47]