Baber's Early History of Greene County Indiana Chapter XVIII Jefferson Township Township

The first white persons that settled on the west side of the river, in this neighborhood, were old THOMAS SMITH, BENJAMIN SHUMAKER, JAMES and THOMAS STALCUP, Grandfather Winters, ELI DIXON, JOHN CRAIG, JOAB WITCHER, WILLIAM LEMONS, JOHN JESSUP, JOHN STANLEY, BENJAMIN HUEY, HIRAM HICKS and a few others.

BENJAMIN SHUMAKER made the first land entry, after which he built the first house, which was located upon the ground where Uncle JONNY MYRERS' dwelling house now stands, in Worthington. Old THOMAS SMITH settled on the hill-side, about two hundred yards east of where VERLIN JESSUP'S dwelling house now stands; and Mr. Smith set out that old apple orchard, built the first ferry-boat, and kept the old Smith's Ferry, on White River, for nearly forty years. JAMES STALCUP built a log house and set out those apple trees in GEORGE R. TAYLOR'S field, on the hill just east of Worthington. THOMAS STALCUP built his house and lived on the north side of the old State road, opposite where Squire Spainhower now lives. Uncle ELI DIXON entered the most land, made the biggest farm, built the best dwelling house, and set out the old apple orchard on the farm now owned by WILLIS WATSON, just south of Worthington.

Old ELI DIXON was the big "bell sheep" among the DIXON's, and he was twice elected as Representative of Greene County in the State Legislature. Being a great favorite among the people, he was elected to office because he was an honest man. [end of page 54]

Old WILLIAM WINTERS built a house and set out those apple trees near the canal, on what is now known as the furnace place, north of Worthington.

THOMAS J. FIRES' great-grandfather, old JOHN CRAIG, entered the land, built the house, and set out the apple orchard at the old ANDERSON HARVEY place, just northwest of Worthington. WILLIAM LEMONS built his house and settled in the grove, on the south side of the creek, a little north of where ELI STALCUP now lives, and the stream of water was named Lemons' Creek for him.

The Black Swamp was named by the old pioneer hunters, and so called by all the old road wagoners from Louisville to Terre Haute. In early times the names of New Albany, Salem, Wood's Ferry, Smith's Ferry, Black Swamp, Scaffold Prairie, Lone Tree, Splunge Creek and Terre Haute were all very familiar household words. The names of all those old road wagoners will yet be given.

JOHN CRAIG built the first distill-house, in the branch east of where JOHN B. POE'S chair factory now stands; and then BENJAMIN HUEY built another distill-house, at the Fuller Spring, on the Terre Haute road, three miles from Worthington, where he made whiskey.

Old BENJAMIN HUEY then removed the cotton gin from Craig's Mill, and made a tramp-wheel cotton gin and a little horse mill on the hill, at the Fuller place, in this township.

Fifty years ago, the land on which Worthington now stands was a large and beautiful cotton field, of nearly fifty acres of choice cotton, in full bloom about the 1st of August, 1824. This cotton field was cultivated by BENJAMIN SHUMAKER, WILLIAM WINTERS, WILLIAM HUEY, JEHU INMAN, JOHN CRAIG, THOMAS STALCUP and a few others; and that cotton field in bloom was said to be the nicest place and the prettiest crop in the western part of Indiana. A great number of young folks from other localities came to the mouth of Eel River to look for places to work among the owners, and labor in that large and handsome cotton patch. Young men, with home-spun clothes, and young women, with nice check cotton dresses, were in full fashion in those days, and when a help-mate was chosen for life, the working class of young men were "taken in out of the wet," and the best cotton spinners among the girls were always counted among the lucky birds.

In the fall of the year 1819, the Indians set fire to the prairie around the DIXON grove, just south of our new fair ground, and within less than half a day, one old Indian killed sixteen fine, fat deer.

After the Indians had left here and gone west to Arkansas, the old settlers in Jefferson township were called the Pottawatamies, and the white people over in Eel River township were called the Delawares, besides many other nick names - such as North Carolina Shabs, Tuckeyhoes, Buckeyes, Corncrackers, Suckers and Hoosiers.

When the first white families came to Jefferson township, the nearest mills were about forty miles distant, being located on the Shaker Prairie, above Vincennes. Afterwards one known as Ketcham's Mill, went into operation near Bloomington, Monroe county, and another called Rawley's Mill, on Eel River, at the old hill, near the old reservoir.

Before Welton and Colonel Fellows built there mills on Richland Creek, and for a few years before Craig's mill was built on White River, the first settlers raised plenty of corn and garden vegetables, and had to live on sweet and Irish potatoes, lye hominy, beat meal and deer meat. In fact deer skins and venison hams were almost a "legal tender" on all little debts at WILLIAM SMITH'S store, which was located a little south of WILLIS WATSON'S brick house and bears the name of being the first store house in Worthington. Mr. WILLIAM SMITH also established the first tan-yard in [end of pg 55] town, and it was located opposite the "Swamp Tavern," on the Terre Haute Road. Old JOHN PADGETT bought the farm where Uncle JONNY MYERS now lives, of old BENJAMIN SHUMAKER, and Mr. Padgett lived there on the old Terre Haute State road for many years, and established the first drinking saloon, and kept a grocery in a big sycamore gum. At all the corn-shuckings, cotton-pickings, wedding parties and other public gatherings, a "spiritual greeting" was sent out from that big sycamore gum.

The first school house was built on the hill, just east of Worthington, and the first teacher was JAMES CAMPBELL. The pupils were JOHN H. DIXSON and brothers, PRIOR and WILLIAM; MERRIT and HAM JAMISON, JOSEPH AND MARIAH FIELD, Stalcup's boys, FRANK and VERLIN JESSUP, HARRISON, BENJAMIN and A. J. HUEY, LEVI AND MARIAH SHUMAKER, ROBERT and ALEXANDER CRAIG, together with others from the WINTERS, INMAN, SMITH and CRANCE families.

Among the first wedding in this neighborhood were, JOSEPH SMITH and SALLIE JESSUP, DAVID SMITH AND POLLY BRYSON, WILLIAM HUEY and SALLIE STANLEY, JOHN STANLEY and MARY BALL, ABRAM SHUMAKER AND MARIAH MORRIS, OBEDIAH WINTERS and HANNAH DUNCAN, THOMAS HUEY and VESTIE STEWART, WILLIAM SMITH and MARY MCKEE, and a few others.

Worthington is now an incorporated village, in Jefferson Township, is pleasantly located on a prairie, a short distance west of the junction of Eel and White rivers. The town was laid out by Messrs. ANDREWS and BARRACKMAN, in 1849.

The first paper published in Worthington was called the Worthington Advocate , was established in October, 1853, by Deal & Morrison. This paper survived for a short time, but was superceded, in November, 1855, by The White River Valley Times with the same name of L. N. MORRISON as editor and proprietor. Mr. Morrison continued its publication for quit a number of years, but was finally compelled to receive from the business on account of failing health. The paper yet has a very healthy existence, and is the oldest periodical in Greene County, being now in its twentieth volume. It is now known as the Worthington Times , and is published by W. J. WARD, with FRED N. MILLER, proprietor.

We will yet give the family history of several of the oldest citizens and pioneers of this neighborhoood and other locations connected with our early time in Greene county. [part of pg. 5