Copywright USGenNet Inc., 2004, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY 1884 CHAPTER I Washington County is bounded on the north by the Muscatatuck River, east by Scott and Clarke Counties, south by Harrison and Crawford west by Orange and Lawrence, embracing 510 square miles. It is divided into thirteen civil townships, viz: Brown, Jefferson, Polk, Jackson and Posey. For variety if surface and soil and beauty of natural scenery, it is not surpassed by any other county in the state. In the southern part are extensive "Barrens" which embrace nearly one eighth of the entire area of the county. These barrens were originally, and to a limited extent are yet, thickly matted with wild grass, brush and grubs. Some parts are curiously diversified with sink-holes varying in size and shape, showing the cavernous nature of the earth beneath. This part of the county in later years has been brought into cultivation, and now many well improved farms may be seen well adapted to fruits of various kinds. About one-fifth of the county is bottom lands and very productive. The upland is rolling, and in many parts, especially along the water courses is quite broken. It is well adapted to the raising of cereals of all kinds and to the industrious farmer yields a bountiful harvest. It is especially well adapted to "blue grass regions of Kentucky." The counts traversed by a number of streams, many of them fed by never failing springs of pure cold water, rendering the county one of the foremost for stock raising. In the northeast part of the county is Elk Creek, flowing almost due north through Gibson Township, emptying into the Muscatatuck River. Delaney's Creek running through Monroe in a northern direction, discharges its waters into the Muscatatuck Buffalo, Twin Creek and Clifty, small streams in the northwest part of the county, flow in a northwest direction, emptying into White River. In the west part flowing west, are the South and North forks of Lost River. The West, Middle and South Forks of Blue River flow in a southwest direction. following the dip of the strata through Franklin, Polk, Washington, Pierce, Jackson, Howard and Posey Townships, entering Harrison County a short distance southwest of Fredericksburg. Bear Creek, a tributary of the South Fork of Blue River, runs in a northwest direction through Jackson Township. Besides this there are many other small brooks fed by springs that gush from rocky hillsides, rushing and leaping over pebbles, along mossy banks, making music for the lover of nature who chances to seek a retired spot for respose and meditation. The Knobs Running along near the northeast border of the county is a range of hills called the "Knobs" raising to an altitude of 960 feet above the level of the ocean. This range of hills forms the western shore of the "Collett Glacial River." A large portion of Gibson Township lies in this ancient river bed, and is one of the most productive sections of the county. The depth of the drift here has not been ascertained, as there have been nor borings sufficiently deep. In digging a well in this drift a white walnut was found in a good state of preservation twenty- one feet below the surface. The Rocky Outcrops Rocks of the Lower Carboniferous series form the surface strata in a wide belt west of the Davonian and east of the coal measures, and these, for the most part, constitute the rocky exposures of the counties of Harrison, Crawford, Orange, Morgan, Putnam, Hendricks, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, and Benton, with parts of Perry, Floyd and Jackson. The eastern line of this belt is compose of sandstone and shales of the knob stone group, while adjoining on the west are the great cavernous limestones of the State. Washington County is situated near the eastern border of this belt, and a line beginning near the southeast corner of the county and running through Pekin, Farabee's Station, Harristown, and Canton; and from thence in a northwest direction through Mount Carmel to the Muscatatuck River, would be an approximate line dividing the knob stone from the limestone. The knob stone crops out east of this line along the knobs and along the bluffs of the streams, having a dip to the southwest, determining the course of many of the water-courses of the county. This shale forms the watershed in the eastern half of the county, consequently we find all the springs coming out between it and the limestone which lies immediately above it. The pyritous nature of this shale causes it to decompose rapidly when exposed to the atmosphere and the freezing and thawing causes it to crumble and every spring freshet carries away what the previous winter had torn to pieces. It contains many spherical lumps of sulphur of iron, some of which have for a nucleus very finely preserved fossils. In a deep ravine east of the residence of Allen Thompson in Gibson Township, in Section 32 may be found many of these spherical lumps, which have been weathered out, containing fossils which have lain entombed for thousands of years, yet retaining their silvery cuticle as perfect as if buried but yesterday. The outcropping of this shale in some localities, especially along the knobs, presents truly a sublime and grand scenery. A measurement taken in Section 25, in Washington Township, gave a thickness of 285 feet. This does not indicate the entire thickness of the shale, but only what is visible. Fine specimen of Fucoides "Canada Galli" are found in Section 25. Overlying the shale we have the St. Louis, Keokuk and Burlington limestone rich in fossils, making Washington County a paradise for the collector of geological specimens. The Spurgeon Hill Fossils The famous locality of Spurgeon Hill, situated in Section 24, in Wahington Township, has a world-wide reputation for the variety and abundance of its finely preserved specimens. It has for years past been the resort for eminet geologists from all parts of the United States, and will still continue to be, as its treasures are inexhustible. It has furnished thousands of fossils to collectors, and no cabinet, private or public, is now considered complete without a full suit of specimens from Spurgeon Hill. The following fossils have been identified at Spurgeon Hill. (This section has been omitted by the transcriber) Building Stone Good building stone can be found in unlimited quantities in almost any locality. In the eastern part of the county is found, in many places, a sandstone which is easily worked when first taken from the quarry, but becomes quite hard after losing its quarry water. It is used mainly for walling cellars and for foundations, and has proved to be quite durable on exposure to weather. Fine Quarries of Oolitic limestone are found in other parts of the county. The quarry formerly owned by Emuel Link, but now owned by Mr. Belknap, has been worked form many years, furnishing thousands of tons of sawed and undressed stone for private and public buildings in Louisville, Chicago and other cities. Mr. Belknap has recently adapted channelers, which greatly enlarge the facilities for quarrying, and the labor is so much modified, that the blocks of any size can be obtained and shipped at cheap rates. Orders have been received recently by the proprietors of this quarry to furnish the stone for the new State House in Florida. This stone is almost a pure carbonate of lime, and shows a wonderful resistance to weathering, retaining the marks of the hammer and chisel after many years of exposure. The average weight of a cubic foot of this stone is 144.28. Lime of an excellent quality is burned at the quarry, supplying a laarge local demand, besides shipping thousands of bushels to New Albany, Louisville and various other points along the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad. Cement Rock On the land owned by Francis Elliott, in Franklin Township, Section 7, is seen, cropping out along the branch, a strata of inferior cement rock, containing many geodes. At the bottom of the railroad cut at the Harristown is exposed a thickness of from two to five feet of cement rock, but not workable owing the geodes found n it. Many of the geodes, although rough and uncouth externally, are filled with nature's purest, brightest gems, and when freshly broken, sparkle with the imprisoned light of past ages. Sand and Gravel Unlimited quantities of gravel for the improvement of roads are found along many of the streams, and can be had for the hauling. All that is needed in order to have good roads is the hauling and spreading the gravel on a properly graded dirt bed. Every Spring freshet washes out a new supply to be used during the following summer an fall , which in the last few years has been utilized to the great improvement in our public highways. Sand of a good quality for building purposes us found along the branches and creeks in sufficient quantities to meet the demands for improvements going on throughout the county. The Clays Good Clay for the manufacture of bricks and tiling is found in abundance throughout the county. Brick-kilns have been burned in various localities, fully testing the value of the clay, both for brick ad tiling. The steady demand for good bricks has justified a liberal investment in their manufacture. The kilns at Salem, under the management of Mr. Alfred Schuun have turned out in the last ten years millions of the best brick, which find a ready sale at home at good prices. He has recently added to this branch of industry the manufacture if tiling in sizes varying from three to eight inches, giving employment to quite a number of hands. The tile factory near Pugh's Mill on Delaney's Creek, in Monroe Township, turns out a superior quality of tiling, and has proved remunerative both to the manufacturer and to the farmer owning bottom lands in this vicinity. No money will give a better per cent than that invested in under draining the overflowed lands, not only by the increased crops, but as a hygienic measure, thus preventing the development of material diseases, so common on bottom lands along the water- courses. This branch of industry in this county is in its infancy, and it will not be many years before the frog ponds and swamps will be converted into furtile fields, adding greatly to the agricultural wealth of the county. Coal Deposits It is always important to know what district of country contains, and it is sometimes of great importance to know what it does not contain. It is frequently asked, "Will coal ever be found in Washington County ?" Anyone with only a limited knowledge of the rock formations, will unhesitatingly answer no. As has been said, the rocks of Washington County belong to the subcarboniferous age, and consequently we are to low for coal. It is true that seams of coal occur in the subearboniferous at many places in Pennsylvania and Virginia, but in Indiana the subcarboniferous is known to contain no coal, and it is a useless waste of time and money to search for it. The railroad track at Harristown on the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad 210 feet higher than the track at Mitchell, and 264 feet higher than the surface of the ground at the court house at Paoli. The strata dips to the southwest, throwing our strata under the congolomerate sand rock found in the west part of Orange and the east part of Martin Counties, which is still below the coal. So it will be seen that it is not until we reach the west part of Martin County that we find the true coal measures. The top of Spurgeon Hill is 135 feet higher than the railroad track at Harristown, one of the highest points in the county, but is still to low for coal. A single fossil coal plant has been found near the top of the hill, showing that the higher points would more likely reveal evidences of coal than by digging down in less elevated localities. The Precious Metals None of the precious metals will ever be found in Washington County, unless in minute quantities, because primitive formations in which mines of gold and silver are found do not exist. It is true we may find small particles of gold in the drift, but to search for it in paying quantities is time misspent. Fine specimens zinc-blende are found in geodes in some localities, making nice cabinet specimens, but valuable for no other purpose. The fabulous stories said to have been handed down through a long line of Indian chiefs in regard to rich silver mines in this county, is credited by some of the pale-faces even now, and nothing but a fruitless search will dispel this delusion from their minds. Caves There is quite a number of caves in Washington County, varying in size from those of small dimensions to quite extensive caves. These did not always exist. The rock is of marine origin and was deposited at the bottom of the subcarboniferous ocean, having a probable depth of from 1,000 to 2,500 feet. Under the pressure of such a depth of water,the material, consisting of comminuted shells of animals and crinoids, was perfectly compressed before hardening. In the process of upheaval, checks and cracks were formed, through which the surface water found its way. Water charged with carbonic acid gas, coming in contact with the limestone in passing through these openings, would enlarge them by uniting with the lime, forming a soluble bicarbonate of lime. This process continuing through the ceaseless round of untiring time would continue to enlarge these openings, forming rivulets, which would finally become large subterranean rivers. When these openings became too large for the water to entirely fill them the carbonic acid still carried on the work of dissolving the limestone. Such was the process by which caves were formed. One of the caves in Monroe Township in section 19 known as "House's Cave" has been explored to a considerable distance, its fine stalactites exciting the wonder and admiration of the explorer, but vandal hands have shorn it of much of its former beauty and grandeur. From some of these caves streams of water run. "Cave Spring" situated in Madison Township, Section 34, on the land of J.A. Cravens, takes its name from the beautiful cave from which it issues. From a cave in Howard Township, Section 11, a stream of water runs sufficiently large to propel extensive machinery. In the waters of this spring swim eyeless fish. Organ Spring took its name from the sound, resembling that of an organ, made by the water as it flowed from a beautiful cave, situated in Howard Township. In later years this sound has ceased owing to the damming up the water to run machinery. Clifty Creek has its origin from a cave in Brown Township, Section 14. The scenery in this locality is highly romantic, and could be made a pleasant rural summer resort. A cave on the land of Emanuel Link, near Salem, has been visited and explored by many persons, and it has always paid the visitor for the time and trouble. There are caves in other localities of which mention might be made, all showing the cavernous nature of the St. Louis limestone. Future explorations may develop caves in Washington County that will rioval the famous Wyandotte Cave of Harrison County. Mineral Springs The mineral springs of the county have not as yet been sufficiently tested, to give them more than a local reputation. A spring on the land of Mary Fultz, in Franklin Township, Section 30, yielded on analysis made by Prof. E.T. Cox: Chloride sodium, bicarbonate lime, sulphate of lime, bicarbonate imagnesia, sulphate magnesia, sulphate soda, sulphate of iron. Its virtues as a medicinal agent have not been fully tested, but will no doubt be found to act beneficially as an aperient, alterative and tonic. The mineral well of J.W. Underwood, situated in Jefferson Township, Section 26 affords an ample supply of medicated water which had been analyzed by Pro. H. A. Clark, of the Ohio Medical College, and found to contain sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, sulphuric acid, hydro-chloric acid, carbolic acid, phosphoric acid. The water has been tested and found to be highly beneficial in diseases of the digestive and urinary organs. Many other springs throughout the county, although their waters have not been analyzed give ample evidence of possessing medical qualities, and it is only a matter of time when these springs will become known and be the resort of invalids, than saving expensive trips to the seashore and elsewhere. The salt well between Canton and Salem on the land of Mary Ann Trueblood, in Section 15, over half a century ago furnished a local supply of salt, but now there remain only faint traces of the locality where the haardy pioneer "earned his salt." Timber The variety and quality of timber in Washington County will compare favorably with that of any other county in the State. At the time of the early settlement of the county it was magnificently wooded with white, black and chestnut oak, white and black walnut, beech, hickory, ash, elm, sugar tree, Chestnut, sycamore, poplar, gum, dogwood, sassafras,wild cherry, and some other varieties of less note. Much of the valuable timber was recklessly destroyed in the original clearings. As the population increased the demand for timber for different purposes continued to make sad havoc with much of the best timber, an active demand at home and abroad has been so steady for black walnut, wild cherry, and poplar, that now it is seldom we see those grand old monarchs that once were the pride of our primeval forest. The boy who lives fifty years from now will be slow in believing that we had such large forest trees. One of those giant Poplars was cut on the land of William Brewer, Section 22, south of Salem, in the year 1878, that measured eight feet across the stump. The tree made six logs twelve feet long. It took fourteen horses to haul the first cut to Salem. It made 3,000 feet of lumber many of the planks measuring forty-two inches wide. The entire tree made 12,000 feet of lumber. The enormous amount of wild cherry, black walnut and yellow poplar sawed into lumber in the county, and shipped to eastern cities may be roughly estimated when we learn that one single saw-mill that of Col. Sayles has annually for the past thirteen years averaged 750,000 feet of lumber, while the county is dotted all over with mills running constantly. The tempting prices offered for good timber have in many instances induced land-holders to part with all their merchantable timber, and in some cases it has led to the neglect of the more legitimate business of the farm, and to a depreciation in the value of real estate. The timber once recklessly destroyed on many tracts of land, would now, if standing, be worth more than the land on which it grew.