Recollections of Solomon Sering

THEN AND NOW

BY SOL. SERING, OF WARD, P. O.

The writer of this sketch was born in Liberty, Union County, Ind., on March 29, 1837. While thinking of the past our mind runs back into the forties, and we remember of hearing grandfather and grandmother Dunbar tell of their trip to Boone County to see the country. They came on horseback to Jackson Township, which was at that time an almost unbroken wilderness. There were no roads and they rode through the woods the best they could and camped at night, using their saddles for pillows. They had to keep a fire burning to keep the wolves away. There were only two houses (both log) between Jamestown and Lebanon, one at the farm then owned by Strodder Wall, now owned by M. M. Henry, the other at the farm of Meiken Hurt, now owned by J. M. Martin. In February, 1837, grandfather entered the land we now live on with several other pieces. He gave my father this and the land now owned by Wash Emmert. Father made regular trips to Boone to pay his taxes. It required two weeks, and we children were always anxious for his return to hear him tell about the West. As we grew up we had an anxiety to see some of the world. In August, 1860, we packed our carpet bag, walked sixteen miles to the nearest station, and for the first time we boarded the cars for a ride. In due time we arrived at Crawfordsville, and for a week took in the sights of the mighty West in that vicinity. Again taking our carpet bag in hand, we started on foot for the long heard of land of ponds and frogs, with a few chills mixed in. We followed the state road to Fredericksburg, thence to Beekville, and just one-half mile east of the latter place we struck the “promised land” O, Lord! we thought if this is Boone, we don’t want any more of it. The farther we got into the county the harder it looked. From Shiloh church west it was almost a wilderness, or at least we thought so, but here and there we saw a cabin with a small clearing around it. As we passed along the children would perch upon the rude fence to get a good look at us, while the mother looked from the inside of the door. The hazel brush came up to the road on either side. As we were passing up the road west of Shiloh we were startled by some one saying: “Good morning, stranger, come out and get some blackberries to eat.” He was a tall, raw boned man, with an ax on his shoulder. We sized him and thought it was no use to run. We soon found he was from old Union. His name was Shelley, and he did his part in building up the country in which he lived. After resting we trudged on and for the first time saw Jackson Township. We staid a week with uncle Geo. Sering on the farm that Shiloh church stands on, now owned by Bud Jones. Our uncle came out from Union County in 1849, and has lived in Boone nearly all the time since. We believe he has done as much hard work to build up the country as any other man. He and his wife are still living in Lebanon at the ripe age of seventy-five years.

One day we went south to where Advance now stands. There was not even a house – nothing but a rail pen inhabited by a man and woman. We thought the place ought to have a name, so we put up a board with the name Osceola on it, and it was known by that name until the postoffice was established. We passed on to Raccoon, then east to the farm of John M. Shelley, who came from Union in 1859. His farm was like the rest and he lived in a little cabin. On east to the town ship line it was the same, the only signs of civilization we saw was an old church. It stood a little to the northeast of the farm owned by Geo. Bush. After spending a few days there I went home; and, as a trip to Boone was then equal to a trip to California now, I had to answer a good many questions. That winter my father gave me forty acres of this half quarter if I would buy the other at five hundred dollars. The trade was made; that was easy enough, but I had no money. But where there is a will there is a way. In the winter I cut wood at forty cents a cord, and in the summer worked for thirteen dollars a month, and kept it up till the land was paid for. Then I began to look around for a wife, for I always said I would not marry until I had a home for her, let it be ever so humble. To make a long story short, I found a wife. Her name was Mary J. Demoret, of Butler County, Ohio. We were married October 3, 1867; afterwards came to the farm we now live on. We will pass over eighteen years. Every man that has cleared a farm in Boone knows that it takes courage and hard work. To-day as I look over the same country I did twenty-seven years ago, a finer country and better improved would be hard to find. The log churches have been replaced by good frame ones; we see brick school houses every little way; but we must hasten on. Here we are at J. M. Shelley’s, our old friend and pioneer, but we look in vain for the cabin. In place of it we see three nice frame dwellings occupied by himself and sons. With the cabin has disappeared the logs, brush and ponds, and a finer farm you will not see on the Ladoga gravel road. Just above us you will see the farm of Wm. Mangers, an old Virginian. He came to Boone in 1857. As you pass along take a look at his farm; call in and see the old folks – you will always find the latch string out. On we go; and what’s this? Why, that is Ward, a new town only three years old. It has one store, postoffice, school house, church and saw mill. The church was built by the Disciples in 1882, through the perseverance of Elders Smith and Heckathorn, who never gave up the good work till they got the house finished, and now they number some sixty members. The store was put up by Elder Bennington, who also worked for and got the postoffice established. I believe it was bout the winter 1884. He staid one year and then sold out to G. W. Dodd. In a few months he sold out to T. J. Burress, who now keeps the store and postoffice. Geo. Jackson, who is a native Boone County boy, runs the saw mill. Jas. H. Fink is principal of the school, which numbers about sixty-five scholars. Ward is on the Lebanon and Ladoga gravel road, seven miles southwest of Lebanon. The road was built in the year 1884. It is thirteen miles long and cost twenty-one thousand Dollars. Land can not be bought for less than fifty or sixty dollars per acre.

Source Citation: Boone County History [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2007. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: Harden & Spahr. "Early life and times in Boone County, Indiana." Lebanon, Indiana. May, 1887, pp. 77-80.

Transcribed by: Julie S. Townsend - July 8, 2007