Baber's Early History of Greene County Indiana Chapter XXXII - Towns and Villages

In this chapter we will give a brief notice of the different towns and villages throughout the county:

Linton

Was named for Hon. William C. Linton of Terre Haute, the candidate for Congress that made the first speech there. It has three dry goods stores, one drug store, one wagon shop, one cooper shop, one barber shop, one flouring mill, one church, one school house and a post office.

Jasonville

The population of Jasonville is one hundred. Business houses: one dry goods store, one drug store, one post office and notion store. It has also three harness shops, two blacksmith shops, three doctors, one school house and one church, Wright Township.

Johnstown ,

Jefferson township, is on the south bank of Eel river, at the old Hubbell mill place, containing one substantial school house, one grist and saw mill, particularly noted for it's trade and contains a population of about forty or fifty.

Newberry

Has four dry goods stores, two drug stores, two saddler’s shops, one flouring and saw mill, one blacksmith shop, one wagon shop, two hotels, three churches, two school houses, one tan yard, one shoe shop, one millinery shop, one planing mill and one cabinet shop - Cass Township.

Solsberry

Two dry good stores, one drug store, one saddlery shop, one shoe shop, one boarding house, two milliner shops, one church house, one school house, one blacksmith shop, one flouring mill, one carding and spinning factory, one cabinet shop, one picture gallery and one nursery. The population at present is one hundred and thirty-six. - Center Township.

In August 1842, LILBERN OWENS built a log house and a log blacksmith shop where Owensburg now stands.

Wm. Hert "set in" to learn the blacksmith trade with Owens on the day he was seventeen years old, September 24th, 1842 (one month after Owens' settlement).

The town was laid off in March 1848, by L. OWENS and EMANUEL HATFIELD, is near the center of Section twenty-seven, Town 6, Range 3, being one and a half miles from Martin county line and two and a half miles from Lawrence county line, is a very healthy location and is surrounded by numerous never-falling [end of pg. 82] springs of excellent water.

JOHN P. GAINEY kept the first dry goods store and WILLIAM HERT was the first postmaster.

The Baptist Church was built 1850.

SIDNEY OWEN built and kept the first hotel.

JOHN GEORGE may also be classed as one of the pioneers. He has made two additions to the town since it was originally laid off, and EMANUEL HATFIELD has made one.

Owensburg

Owensburg has at present (September 1st, 1875), there hundred and twenty-five inhabitants, actual count, is doing as good a business as any in the county, according to population, has a large territory for trade, has four dry goods, one hardware, one drug and one furniture store, two coffin shops, two blacksmith shops, one good steam flouring mill, two shoe shops, one harness shop, one wagon shop, two first - class hotels, two churches (Baptist and Christian) one graded school, one Masonic lodge, five physicians, seven carpenters and the usual number of loafers and dead beats.

Newark ,

In Beech Creek Township, is a good place, for a small inland town, with a good trade and business prospects. It has one church, one school house, one flouring mill, one blacksmith shop, one shingle factory, three dry good stores, one drug store and two doctors. Population not given.

Marco ,

was named by the official managers at Washington City, at the time the post office was established. The village is located on the west bank of Beech Creek, and was laid out by Dr. Benefield, on the land of Franklin & Fletcher, in the year 1863. Marco has three dry stores, two drug stores, one blacksmith shop, one saw-mill, employing twenty hands, one church, one school house and three doctors, with a population of three hundred inhabitants.

Switz City

is situated on the Indianapolis and Vincennes railroad, seven and a half miles southwest of Worthington and thirty-eight miles northeast of Vincennes. It has a population between fifty and seventy-five and contains, at this time, one-dry goods store, one drug and grocery store, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, one saddler shop and one saw - mill, and within a few weeks will have two or three other business house. The town is rapidly increasing and will soon be one of the most important business points in the county. It is one of the largest shipping points on the I. & V. R. R., and within one month from this date, a new railroad will be in operation to Bloomfield. The town has a good brick school house, and it is considered a healthy location. It is destined to be a place of some note.

Lyons Station ,

on the Indianapolis and Vincennes Railroad, is a small village with a busy and bustling population of about one hundred, with two dry goods stores, one drug store, one school house, one church, one blacksmith shop, one boarding-house, depot and post office.

Worthington ,

Jefferson township, is situated near the junction of Eel and White rivers, on a beautiful high prairie and bottom lands. It is a fine, large town, with wide streets beautifully lined with large shade trees. The following is the number of business houses: Two hotels, eight dry goods and grocery stores, four exclusive dealers in groceries, two hardware stores, two printing offices, from which are issued, the Journal and Worthington Times; two saddlery shops, two boot and shoe manufactories, several shoe shops, one stationary store, one bakery and confectionery, three undertaking establishments, one bank, two livery stables, one pottery, two meat markets, two watchmakers and jew- [end of pg. 83] elers, one marble shop, four millinery stores, two carriage shops, four blacksmith shops, two saw-mills, one planing mill, several real estate, claim, pension and insurance agents, seven physicians, two drug stores, three dentists, two warehouses, two photographers, one packing house, one woolen mill, two flouring mills, and one gun repair shop. The town is nearly one mile square, and the population is about one thousand five hundred. There are six churches and one railroad.

Jonesboro ,

as given by Mr. LAWSON OLIPHANT, one of the very early settlers: The name of the post office at Jonesboro is Hobbieville, and is situated on section thirty-five, Center township range three west, one and a half miles from the corner of Monroe and Lawrence counties, on a high, healthy and pleasant place, with plenty of water, surrounded with fine, large bluffs and abundance of spring water. Population of the town, one hundred. There are two stores, two doctors, three carpenters, two wagon shops, one steam fruit distillery, one blacksmith shop, one lawyer, two notary publics, one schoolhouse and one church.

Point Commerce

was laid out at the mouth of Eel River, in Eel River township, about thirty-five years ago, by the Messrs. ALLISONs. At one time it was quite a business point on the river, but on account of the great amount of sickness by cholera and the destruction of the west part of the village by fire many years ago, the most of the businessmen there have cast their lots and fortunes in many other localities. A few old pioneers yet reside there, and we will hereafter give their personal family history. The post office and old time business houses were all removed to Worthington; there is, however, one schoolhouse and one church.

Scotland

the voting precinct and main trading point in Taylor Township, is quite a flourishing little village, and contains several good business houses, schools, churches, etc. The population is about three hundred inhabitants.

Dresden ,

the old log cabin town on the Owensburg and Bloomfield road, was laid out by old ISAAC JOHNSON, a very noted colored citizen of Center Township. The proprietor has long since passed away, and the town is also now going down the same natural course. No public building except a schoolhouse.

Fairplay ,

the oldest village in Greene County, was at one time the best place in the county for the location of the County Seat, was for many years the voting precinct for all townships in the southwest part of Greene County, and it was the best place for sport and fun of any neighborhood in western Indiana. When a stranger chanced to pass that way and enjoyed the hospitality of the DIXON family, he has always had Fairplay.

Bloomfield,

the capital of the county, has more good substantial dwelling houses in it than any other town of its size in the State. The Bloomfield court house door still is about four hundred and seventy feet above the level of the sea, and the town has a good outlet and home trade. Being an inland town, it has the usual number of dry goods stores, grocery stores, millinery shops, carpenter shops, blacksmith shops, flouring and saw mills, good church houses, school houses, saloons and dead-heads, besides two well established home newspapers - weeklies - with a population of about one thousand inhabitants. [end of pg. 84]