Baber's Early History of Greene County Indiana Chapter XXII Fairplay Township Township

Probably the oldest village in Greene County, is the little log cabin town of Fairplay, located on the bluff just west of White river, about four miles south of Worthington, on the old Vincennes State road. When the first white people settled in that village it was an Indian camping ground, and the boys would often find curious old Indian relics there. JOHN H. DIXON has several of those old relics in his possession now.

Among the first pioneer settlers in that locality were old Uncle SOLOMON DIXON, JOHN and SAMUEL FIELDS, Dr. [end of pg. 63] Patton, DANIEL INGERSOLL, SAMUEL DIXON, SETH FIELDS, DR. JOHN A. PEGG, ELIAS CRANCE; LEONARD MARTIN and WICKLIFF WINES, MR. DILLEY, PHILLIP SHINTAFFER and a few others.

Uncle SOLOMON DIXON built the first ferry boat, and between Dixon and Mr. BRADFORD, a ferry was established at that place on the river and is kept up to this day.

WICKLIFF WINES and Mr. DILLEY established the tan yard, just a little south of the village, on the spring branch.

ELI DIXON built the first tramp-wheel corn mill, and also the first distill house near the mill, half mile east of the village.

Dr. JOHN A. PEGG built the first cotton gin, and picked seeds for many of the farmers in that settlement. Cotton was a staple crop. Rice was also cultivated, but the rice crop could not be cleaned out, consequently the farmers' rice crop failed to be planted, and a few years of afterwards the short summer seasons and cut-worms cut off all the cotton fields.

Mr. HOWARD built the first blacksmith shop, near Dixon's mill. Several years after the old Dixon mill was built at Fairplay. The DIXON boys would go over on the Black Swamp Prairie and drive home a herd of several cattle at a time, and the boys would put those cattle in the lot around the tread-mill, and every day the boys would drive about a dozen head, big and little, old and young, wild and gentle, as they came, on to the tread-wheel, and the boys would put up the poles and bars to keep them on the wheel, and the weight of beef made the mill run, while the boys had plenty of fun. Afterwards ELIAS CRANCE bought the mill and for many years it was called "Crance's Horse Mill."

ELIAS CRANCE kept a public house on the road half mile north of Fairplay, for many years, and was a very clever old pioneer and a good citizen in the neighborhood.

When Greene County was organized, Judge MARTIN WINES was our Representative in the Legislature at Corydon, with a good prospect for the County Seat to be located at Fairplay. But he influence of the old man VAN SLYKE, and his Big Spring, as CARY O'NEAL and ELIAS DAYHOFF says, took the County Seat to Bloomfield.

At that time Fairplay had the largest population of any place in the county. Since that the Dixon neighborhood had the best farms, the fastest horses, the biggest crowd at all their horse races, biggest corn-fields, most corn in their cribs and the biggest Fourth of July barbecues.

While speaking of the Dixon Fourth of July celebrations, we will say that at one time the provisions for the dinner was supplied by donations from the neighbors; each one giving something he could spare the best. Mr. ELI F. STALCUP subscribed a wild deer in the woods, and agreed to have it there on the third day of July and on the day set he killed, dressed and furnished the deer.

Old Mrs. REBECCA DIXON sold a milch cow to old Mrs. SHINAFFER, for sixty-five head of geese, and then our friend, JOHN H. DIXON, went over to take a young lady, Miss PERMELIA RICKABAW, to a dance, at Mr. BENEFIELD's, at Fairplay, and, of course, JOHNNY DIXON wanted to say something smart, and explain away all mysterious embarrassment. So he told old Mrs. RICKABAW that he would not have come after Miss Permelia, if there had been any other chance.

We are told that five of the men in the DIXON family, were bachelors, and lived and died in that neighborhood.

Old JOHN LATTA was a very noted old pioneer, among the hunters and trappers, at an early day, in Greene County. Mr. LATTA has the credit and honor of being the first white man that built a log cabin in Greene County, in the year 1817. His house was built on the bluff, just south of where the old canal crosses Latta's [end of pg. 64] creek one mile west of the iron bridge, on White River.

Mr. SMITH built a little corn mill, on Latta's Creek, just south of Dixon Station, and ground corn there for a few years, for the first settlers.

WILLIAM LEMONS built the first house, and set out the old orchard, on the side of the road, just east of where JACOB EVANS now lives. We do not know who set out the DANIEL G. DIXON old orchard. <

PHILIP SHINTAFFER settled in the edge of the prairie, a little to the south of where DANIEL F. SHRYER now lives. Mr. SHINTAFFER had sixteen yoke of work oxen, and his wife had sixteen boys and five girls, to help her do work on the farm, and about the house, on washing days.

Dr. JOHN A. PEGG build a brick house, on the west side of Dead Creek, where he planted many evergreen trees, and also that noted old apple nursery, one mile west of Fairplay .

The first school teacher in this part of Greene County, was Judge MARTIN WINES, and among the pupils, we have the names of GEORGE B. STALCUP, DANIEL and PETER INGERSOLL, JOHN PADGETT, WILLIAM SOLSBERRY, SANFORD and NATHAN DIXON, JAMES CRAIG, STEPHEN DIXON, RACHAEL INGERSOLL, LUCENE PEGG, MARGARET DIXON, LOUISA PATTON, and many others. >

The first old pioneer Methodist camp-meeting, was held in the oak woods, just north of Fairplay, near where Mr. Crance afterwards build his house. Rev. ELI P. FARMER was a preacher at that noted old camp-meeting, and old uncle RICHARD WALL was there with his family, and by some mistake, on the part of the managers, in dividing the ladies and gentlemen in separate groups and tents, some of them would-be leaders, and a manager, succeeded in a rude manner, to insult Mr. WALL, and he left the church because a few men seemed to not mind their own business, on that occasion. We understand that Mr. Wall never went back on his religion, and has always maintained a good name and character, in his neighborhood.

Our first candidates for Congress, were Hon. RATLIFF BOONE, of Sullivan county, and Judge THOMAS H. BLAKE, of Terre Haute. When they made a little speech, at Fairplay, Mr. BlLAKE said he would beat Mr. BOONE, that year, and gave about this reason for it; Judge BLAKE told the people, that all along the river, as he came down, he heard a few big bull-frogs, in the river, saying, "Ratliff Boone! Ratliff Boone!! Ratliff Boone!!!" while over among the small farmers, and the little frogs, on the prairies and, among the creeks, all the frogs were saying, " Blake! Blake!! Blake!!!" And sure enough Judge BLAKE was elected to Congress. /p>

Here is the pedigree of one of JOHN H. DIXON'S horses, printed thirty-two years ago. We give it verbatim: