History of Marion Township
Jennings County, Indiana
by Mrs. Bertha Robinson Barnes
To write a full and complete history of Marion Township whould
require more time and greater facilities than a person engaged as teacher in the
common schools had, and enumerating some of the happenings in Marion Township,
I beg your indulgence for errors of omission and commission, owing to the lack
of information rather than purpose.
Marion Township became a separate or co-operative
part of Jennings County, under the Acts of the Legislature of 1852, and
at the time of its lay out, it was composed of 30 sections in town 5 range
7 and part of sections 1-4-5 and 6 of town 4 range 7 being part
lying North of the South fork of the Muscatatuk River which constitutes
the line dividing Jennings and Scott Counties, being in all about 39 & 1/2
sections in civil township which subdivided into school districts. The entire
School system being in the keeping of three trustees, who liscensed and
employed the teachers as well. Under this law the school trustee, clerk
of his board, and treasurer were elected on the first Monday in
April annually. This law remained in force for several years and during
this time Woodward Barnes, Francis Simmons, Andrew Wilson and Caleb Robbins
served as trustees, while John S. Shilliday served as clerk and L.W. Hudson
served as treasurer, until the law of 1858 changed the method to one
trustee who should report annually to the Board of County Commissioners in
October, the term being for one year. L.W. Hudson was the first trustee under
the new law for 1859 and 1860. He was followed by
J.S. Shilliday for several terms till 1865, when Woodford Barnes served till
1866. He was followed by Thomas Davis for one year and then he was followed by
J.S. Shilliday who was succeeded by Lewis King for one year, and he was
succeeded by Sylvester Deputy, who resigned in favor of J.S. Shilliday he
being succeeded by Joseph Boles in 1872 who resigned in favor of W.B. Lewis
who served until 1874. Lewis was followed by J.H. Rogers for six
years, up until April of 1880. He was followed by T.J. Staples whose term
ended until January of 1884. Staples was succeeded by J.E. Rogers until
1888 when L.W. Deputy was elected but not being eligible resigned and
T.S. Lett was appointed and served until November of 1890. When O.M. Coryell
was elected. He was followed by Charles E. Boyles who served until
February of 1898 when J.H. Rogers served again until 1900.
J.E. Rogers was followed by W.S.Lett for four years and was succeeded by
John Donnell who served for four years, until 1914, after which O.G. Lewis
held the office until succeeded by A.L. Kayser, our present
incumbent.
Marion Township originally
supported ten schools, namely: Fairview, Slate, Middle Cana, Upper Cana, Lower
Cana, Barnes, Center, Mosley, Hopkins, and Staples. Upper and Lower Cana
probably being among the first built, were constructed of logs, heated by
fireplace, both furnished with flat rails for seats and shelves on the sides
of the room on which they used to work out their lessons.
In the year 1872 Lovett Township was made up from portions of Marion,
Montgomery and Vernon Townships, wherein six sections on the north were taken
from Marion Township and likewise two schools were taken, one to Lovett and
one to Spencer Townships.
Prominent among the educators of
the County were then the following citizens of Marion Township: William E.
McGuire, John Shilliday, E.J. Hughes, James W. Reed, Enoch Layton, Sobiskie
Butler, William D. Rainy, T.J. Hudson, T.J. Staples, J.H. Rogers, U.M.
McGuire, J.S. McGuire, O.M. Coryell, Charles E. Wells, Arthur Rogers, Grant
Stewart and others. Conspicous among those mentioned as prominent in the
interest of Educators are M.B. Wells, graduate of Perdue and now engaged in
the works of the Armour Institute of Chicago, Illinois. Manfred W. Deputy
graduate of Depaw and Post Graduate of Columbia, New York. L.B. Rogers,
graduated from Chicago University and also Columbia, New York, is now a
professor in the University of Southern California, Los Angeles,
California.
Marion Township has contributed to other
professions as well, to the ministry of early days, she furnished "the
marrying parson"in the person of Timothy Lewis, also reverend W.B. Lewis;
later Rev. H.M. McGuire and J.W. Gruber. To the medical professionof the
pioneer days Dr. Henry Cunard, later Dr. Gaddy, Dr. Coryell, Dr. S.D. Adams
and now recently Dr. James Donnell and Dr. J.E. Deputy, now
deceased.
That Marion
Township has kept well up with the procession is evidenced by the fact that
her citizens have been honored with being chosen to fill responsible positions
in the county to-wit; for County Commissioner L.W. Hudson for three
years, Sidney Butler three years; E.J. Hughes three years; Eli Wells six
years; James A. Deputy three years. For County sheriff John Donnell four
years; Clem Bridges four years. For County Superintendent, Manfred Deputy six
years; J.M. McGuire four years. To the legal profession, Seba A. Barnes, and W.S.
Mathews.
To most of the inhabitants of Marion Township
today the mention of the names of our early settlers is but a matter of
history but a few remain who can testify concerning citizens of pioneer days,
such as Uncle Harban Rowland, Uncle Marion Wilson, Mr. T.J. Staples, J.H.
Rogers and a few others. Some of the names following those of the pioneers
are: John D. Jones, George Mosley Wilson, Enos Tobias, Gabriel
Scott, Zachariah Deputy, Sr., Henry Cunard, Frank Coryell, John
Reed, Thomas Kysar, Samuel Hall, Daniel Lewis, W.B. Lewis,
Woodford Barnes, Jacob Foster Sr., David Hughes, Sr., Isaac Rowland, James
Deputy, Elias Deputy, Peter Stewart, Eli Wells, Charles Heins, Isaac
Tallman, Fielding Lett, Sr., Caleb Wilson, Thomas H. Adams, Harban
Rowland, Preston Bridges, Preston Stewart, Henry Willliams, Edwin Coryell and
Joseph Polk. The work of the earliest pioneer life was clearing and farming
the land as they cleared it was with poor means of doing either. In those days
they had log rolling, bean hulling, corn husking, quilting parties, apple
peeling or anything that might cause the people to gather together as a sort
of pleasure recreation as well as a means of securing workers. For everybody
was neighborly and willing to help each other. When timber was cut fallen and
ready they got it out of their way with log rolling and burning. Then crops
were put in and tended with the hoe and at gathering times carried
out in sacks. Their grass and wheat was cut with a reap hook and threshed
by tramping out the grain. It was then taken to the old treadmill located
within the township and ground into flour.
The first roads
were made by the following: the Indian trail, and blazing the trees as they
passed through. One of the oldest roads being the Brownstown and Madison road.
The mail was first carried from Old Paris to Brownstown on horseback once
a week. The first Post Offices were first located on Uncle Sydney Butlers
place, just three-quarters of a mile northwest of where Center school now
stands, and Andy Wilsons just north of Cana Church about a mile. Later
there were three postoffices one at Barnes about one half mile from Gum
Lick: Slate Post office about a mile south of Mt. Zion Church, and Cana post
office near where upper Cana stands today. The mail was then carried from
Paris Crossing to these various Post Offices on horseback, Uncle James Bridges
being one of our oldest mail carriers.
The churches were Marion, Mr. Zion
and Cana. Marion was built of logs and was possibly the first one to be
built. Each church still occupies its original location. I
failed to get their membership.
The
business men of our early pioneer life were James N. Rogers farmer and stock
raiser. Uncle Fielding Lett dealer of the Norman Horses (which were brought to
Marion Township by him) also owner of the celebrated Douglass and Wakeful
Jean. He imported not ownly horses but mules and Jersey Cattle. Eli Wells
owned and ran a steam saw mill on the old Wells farm, where T.J. Staples
lives at present. S.B. Robbins dealer in dry goods, potions, shoes, groceries
and hardware, also blacksmith and wagon maker. Evan J. Hughes stock raiser and
farmer, the Barnes post office was located also at his place. Others
might be mentioned but for lack of information they can not be, at
present.
In the year 1912 a High School was organized in
the Mosley school house with Prof. Rust as teacher with an enrollment of about
15 pupils and Shepherd Whitcomb Superintendent. As the school continued the
school seemed to grow and was reorganized the following year at the same place
by Prof. Rust. He having many battles of education to fight to hold the school
together was successful and through cooperation of the citizens a new
building was erected at Marion in 1916 where it stands today as a monument of
education. Professor Combes and Miss Alice Ratcliff were the first teachers in
the new building. They were followed by Prof. Combs and Miss Irene
Beaty in 1917. Professor Holmes and Miss Inez Hulsein 1918. The present
teachers are Prof. Deputy and Miss Maria Gruber in the term of 1918-1920 we
had the honor of graduating the first class of High School on certified basis
at Marion High School. They, by the help of frustee and superintendent have
lifted the school on a level with our corresponding high school and are
looking forward to the time in the near future when Marion High School will be
on roll as one of the highest standing in the county.
We have with us to-day five of the successful graduates of the proceeding
years who are now sowing their seed in the sands of time to reap the harvest
of pioneer days.
Now fellow teachers and fellow
citizens the responsibilities and now rests on the shoulders of others.
Therefore let us strive to prove ourselves worthy of the
undertaking.
"For those who till bravely and
strongest
The humble and poor become
great
And from these brown-haired children
Shall grow mighty rulers of state"
December 13, 1919
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