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Center Township
CENTER TOWNSHIP
Center Township occupies a central position in the county
and contains about sixty-two square miles. It is a very
irregular shape, having in and out corners almost without
number. The principal stream draining it is Prairie Creek,
flowing from the southeast to the northwest past Lebanon. In
former years this little stream had its own way, especially
when it got on a high. Of late years, however, at a great
expense it has been confined to a channel. Thus improved it
affords an outlet for countless ditches, drains, etc. The
Indianapolis, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad passes
through Center a distance of about ten miles, running in a
northwest direction, entering at section ten at the
southeast and leaving it at section twenty-one at the
northwest. The soil here is on an average with the other
townships and has kept pace in improvements. We speak now of
the township only. Under the head of "Sketch of Lebanon"
will be found a more detailed account. It is difficult to
speak of one without referring to the other, especially in
regard to the early settlement, so closely are their
histories allied. Necessarily this sketch of Center must be
short, and under the head referred to above we will speak
more in full of what might be proper here. It would be
useless to repeat, as we have decided to put it in the
"Sketch of Lebanon," the first settlement having been made
there. The history of Center Township is not unlike the
histories of the other townships. First, a few hardy
pioneers settling in the woods, building their cabins,
clearing their patches here and there, log-rollings,
house-raisings, etc. Improvements came gradually. The little
fields widened out, the cabin gave way to hewed log houses
and then to frame and brick dwellings. Thus it has been here
and in every township in now grand county. First the little
blazed paths, then the cut out roads, then the gravel roads
in their own good time, and thousands of like improvements
and advancements have dawned upon us. A few have lived to
see these changes and many have fallen by the way. It has
cost toil and labor untold to bring about these
improvements. The pioneers underwent privations and
hardships that the present generation know nothing about. No
citizen can view these changes without a feeling of pride
and satisfaction. The contrasts in many respects are
wonderful. Center Township has grown in population from a
few souls in 1829 to now near four thousand. The population
in 1870 was 2, 856; in 1880 it was 3, 826. Number of voters
in 1886 was 1, 573; number of school houses, 17; number of
school children in 1885 was 1, 097, not including Lebanon.
The following have served as trustees: A. Robinson,
A. C. Daily, Millroy Lane, J. A. Gardner,
Thos. H. Martin, R. W. Matthews, and H. L.
Bynum, elected April, 1886.
Transcribed by: T. Stover - August, 2006
Source Citation: Boone County History [database
online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2006. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone>
Original data: Harden & Spahr. "Early Life and Times in
Boone County, Indiana." Indianapolis, Ind. Carlon &
Hollenbeck. 1887.
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