"Old" Paris, Montgomery Township
Jennings Co. Indiana
"A place for
idle eyes and ears;
A cobwebbed nook of dreams;
Left by the
streams whose waves are years
The Stranded village seems"
-
The following are transcriptions of a number of
papers copied while visiting with Marie "Billie" McGannon in January of
2007. She has collected them over the years while keeping track of the
history of Paris. Marti Blazick
took pictures of
the documents and was kind enough to send me a copy of the CD she made. It
is from this I am doing the transcriptions.
The
Jennings County Historical Society met in the M.E. Church in Paris last
Saturday afternoon, Honerable Lincoln Dixon was present and acted as
chairman. A local program had been arranged. Interesting papers on the
Coffee Creek Baptist, Christian and Methodist Churches were read, also one
on the town of "Old" Paris.
In the early days Paris was one of the
leading towns in Southern Indiana, at one time in legislative councils
looking for the state capitol site it received two
votes.
Four of the mansions of the days of yore remain
standing, around which the night wind sings the requiem of the town's
departed glory. Mention was made of the stupendous work and short life of
the plank road connecting Paris with Madison over which the packed pork and
manufactured products of the thriving berg found an exit to the
public.
In the early days the citizens from Paris were pointed out on
the streets of Madison, and strange as it may seem today gentlemen from
Madison went there (to Paris) to order their new suits of clothes and ladies
also to obtain their wearing aparel.
Near the close of the program,
Honerable Lincoln Dixon walked to where the venerable Harman Dixon was
sitting, calling his name, saying, "We want a speech from you now." The aged
gentleman had a paper in his pocket on which were written the names of 49
young men who went as Union Soldiers during the Civil War from the town of
"Old" Paris, not counting ones from the County. (The ones from Paris Post
Office addresses)
Mr. Harman Dixon, the fiftieth, alone remains of
the great number who used to assemble there at the G.A.R.
post.
These County Historical Societies are potent factors in
keeping alive and preserving to the younger generation incidents of former
days and are to be commended.
Elmer Wilson, Deputy, Indiana
from a
printed column of an old paper
Courtesy of Helen Ashton
Wilkerson
Copied September 1970
Early
days at "Old" Paris
DOCTORS
The first was Buel Eastman who came here from Kentucky, left here for Texas about 1850.
Then came Dr. Goodhue, Dr. Benjamin Russell, Dr. J.M. Tobias, Dr. Berish
(Gerish) and son James, Dr. Kyle, Dr. Boyd Hudson,
Dr. James LeFeber, Dr. Russell lived here until his death in December 1891.
He and his last wife dying within a few hours of each other and buried the
same day. Since then there has been no doctor here. At one time there were
three drug stores here owned by Dr. Goodhue, Dr. Kyle and Dr. Russell. Dr.
James Gerrish (Gerish) was a regimental
surgeon in the Civil War.
CHURCHES
In early
times there was a Cristian Church near the private cement schoolhouse. Also
a Presbyterian Church near the private cemeteries but it quit having
services and went to Graham Church and later the building was used for
school purposes. The present Methodist Church was built in 1833 when the
brick was burned for this building , brick was also burned for the home of
David Zenor about a mile and a half east of Paris.
SCHOOL
BUILDINGS
When Paris was at its best it was divided into two
school districts upper and lower. Mary Fay, Martha Robertson, Lana Zener
were some of the teachers. There was a school in each district, the present
building was built in the late 1850's or early 1860's. It had two rooms and
two teachers for a number of years, as the pupils came from as far west as
McGannons and Grahams. This continued until 1875 or 76 when Paris
Crossing took its share of the pupils. Just before the war Warren
Malcomb and John Davis were the teachers and later some of them were:
Freeman Bovard, Andy Jones, Riley Shepherd, James Lewis, Chas. Burdsall,
Lana Zener, J.H. McGuire, Abba Deputy, Mary Dixon, Cynthia LeFeber, Ida E.
McClanahan, Prof. Blime, Gail Deputy, Grace McGannon, Myra Carlock, Chester
Ashton, Chas. Graham, Iva Wilkerson and Lawrence
Calloway.
INDUSTRIES
Jack Clemmons had a turning lathe run
by horsepower. Two men made hats Evan Thomas and Philip Jones. Williamson
Dixon and Samuel Davis were merchants and tailors. The first steam mill was
just above the bridge on the land now owned by Milo Ashton did away with
this mill about 1850. The slaughter house was run by John Cobb and Dennis
Willey killed a great number of hogs and hauled them to Madison. Orlando
Chapin was a wagonmaker, also made plows, that is the wood part and put them
together.
George Harlan made reels spinning wheels and chairs.
Thomas Rowland was a cabinet maker, made tables and coffins.
George
Hunt made furniture, George Banta had a saddle and harness shop. James
Statton had a cooper shop made different kinds of barrels. The first woolen
mill was run by horse power. Just made rools of wool and the people
wove their own goods.
The second mill was a steam power, and they
wove blankets, jeans yarn and carded rools. It was first run by Ephriam
Sampson later by Elijah Sampson, his nephew. It was situated
near Neil's Creek and quite business in the 70's. A man by the name of
Tannerhill had a tanyard east of town on the farm now owned by Wm. Bogie.
Later was run by Henry Rowlings. Benjamin Sampson made shoes. Ephriam
Shilliday had a Powder Mill just north of town burned box elder to make
the charcoal to make the powder. Joseph Ayers made coffins. Miss Tilda
Rowland, Mrs Harriet Ayers and Mrs. Beil Sampson were the milliners. Lewis
Autle was the last wagonmaker in the eighties. Blacksmiths: John
Tobias, Hendricks, Davis, Thomas Wykoff, Addison Ray, Daniel Ray and Wm.
Dixon. Those who had different Tin shops: Burns, Varble, Martin, Hess,
Milbern Tibbetts. Will mention this industry (but not that we are
proud) of the fact that Mr. Tannerhill had a distillery southeast of town,
sold whiskey for twenty five cents a gallon and it retailed at ten
cents a quart. At one time there were two hacks that went daily
from here to Madison. One was driven by Milo Higgins and brother
Walter Higgins. The other by Andrew Hayes and Milton Dixon. The first
tavern was run by Mr. Keith father of the late Mrs. Silas Stribbling, then
later by Mr. Philip Jones in the house now owned by Fred Dixon, except the
north half has been torn down. One of the most exciting times our town
had was when George W. Sage attemped to murder the three Todd
children. The baby died the two others were badly hurt but lived.
This happened in March of 1866. He was convicted of murder and hung in May
of 1866 by Sheriff Samuel Dixon at Vernon. Dixon was a resident of our town
when elected Sheriff.
STORES
First store
was owned by John Cobb and Dennis Willey. D.M. Hill, Ellison Dixon, Branock
Phillips, Freeman Thomas, Wm. Jones, James A. Hill, Clark Deputy, Mr. Smith,
Thos Dixon, Mr. Laird, Samuel Gore, Harman Dixon, J. Brewer, Robert Dixon,
A.S. Crandall, Ed Davis, Leslie Marshall last one.
SPECIAL
BUILDINGS
The brick house now owned by Harman Dixon was built
by John Cobb. The brick house owned by Wm Bogie was built by Dennis Willey.
The frame building owned by the late Geo B. Dixon, Dr. Goodhue had
built and was all from seasoned material. The large cement house that
Thomas Rowland owns Dr. Russell had built. Joseph Ayers, Whitfield
Lett, Milo Higgins, David Sampson were some of the workman. Thomas Dixon was
the stone mason, was built about 1852. The town pump has a never failing
supply of water. When Morgan's men went through here on their raid, when
giving the horses water the waste water ran away down the street but
did not run the well dry.
SOME PEOPLE
A man by the
name of Bussey who clerked in Mr. Hills store was a general in the
war, afterwards was assistant secretary of the Interior.
Joshua Deputy was the first white child born in Jennings County, lived
here a number of years. Was not born here but near
Deputy.
Joshua Tibbetts lived here several years. He
wrote the book on the Coffee Creek Baptist Association.
PARIS
and the CIVIL WAR
There were one hundred and forty eight
men that had Paris for their post-office that went to the war, forty eight
that went from this town. Harman Dixon is the only one living that went from
here.
There are now 23 houses that can be lived in, 22 of them
have someone living in them, number of persons have now is 67.
since I
can remember as many as 30 buildings have been torn down or moved away. 2
were burned.
I should not wonder if there had been 26 more
before that time that were done away with in some manner.
Very few
persons living here now that were born here are over 40 years of age. Mrs.
Emma Riggs, Mrs. Lee Ayers, Thomas Rowland, Fred Dixon, Harman Dixon the
oldest one is past 82 years.
When I typed this from the paper I typed it
word for word-comma for comma which accounts for all the mistakes.
(Provided by courtesy of Marie McGannon, Paris, IN) (Transcribed in the
same manner, August 2002).
UNDERTAKERS
Joseph Ayers who bought
Thomas Rowlands residential and business property in 1870 had never lived in
the town but had been around and was aquainted with the citizens. In
1857, he bought three well known plots just north of town on the Vernon
road: the Cutbird Hudson plot, the John Clemmons plot and the four acres
where Ephriam Harlan had lived. He sold these to Ansel Garrish in
1859.
The issue of March 17, 1870 of the North Vernon
Plain Dealer carried this advertisement : "G.W. Harlan and Joseph Ayers have
formed a partnership in the furniture business and have a complete
stock...they have coffins..." G.W. Harlan was himself a chairmaker by trade;
Ayers was primarily a carpenter.
Joseph Ayers was 42 years old in
1870. His mother Sarah A. Ayers bought lots #140, #141 and part of #142,
just west of their funeral service business in 1872. Within a few years
she could not live alone and her unmarried daughter, Mary Jane of Boone
County came to Paris and took care of her until her death in 1883/4. She had
died before December 23 of 1884. She also had a son Benjamin S. who lived in
Boone County.
The Ayers are buried in the new section of the Paris
Graveyard. Harriet died in 1900 and Joseph later but his death date was not
inscribed on their stone. (Death date for Joseph is
April 16, 1920)
The Children of
Joesph and Harriet were Leonidas, Maggie who was 8 years old at the time
of the 1880 census and MDL said Jennie and Katie. (Katie
was Sarah Catherine Ayers Lawrence,
Jennie was Geneva Ayers Stewart. Maggie is Magdaline Ayers and another son Mathias is also
missing from this list but he moved to Washington state prior to 1900)
).
Leonidas (Lee)
Ayers, son of Joseph and Harriet, spent all of his very active life
(1860 to 1940) in Paris. He was well known and well liked. He engaged in
carpentry and his most noteworthy achievement was the restoration of the
Methodist parsonage which he made into such an attractie and modern home,
yet retaining its original charm.
GRAVEYARD
The graveyard Samuel Graham
bequeathed to the town of Paris was "an acre of land laid out in a square
form" perched on the high south bank of Graham Creek as it flows in a
southwestwardly course north of town. The northwest side of the
graveyard slopes rather sharply down to the river--a lovely spot in
October.
The graveyard lies about a quarter of a mile north of the
former meeting house lots #35 and #36. Before 1837 while the church was
still standing on these lots there would have been a lane connecting the
church and the graveyard to be used for funerals.
Dr. Russell and
his son, Solon in 1864 purchased a 40 foot wide strip, extending 30 ft south
from the northern boundary of lot #36, with the specification "for the
purpose of a private burying ground for all time to come." Perhaps it
was the death of Dr. Russell's four year old grandson that year that
reminded them of the inevitability of death; or it could have been the death
of Dr. Russell's son David C. in the Civil War conflict in 1862. The son
must have been buried immediately in Tennessee, and brought to Paris and
buried in the family plot in 1864.
Dr. Russell's wife died
in 1877, and is buried on this plot, but neither Dr. Russell or Solon has a
stone still standing. Dr. Russell died a few years after 1885; the newspaper
of July 1, 1885, carried the account of an accident that befell him " While
Dr. Russell was driving to Deputy last week in a spring wagon he was thrown
out at the Campground, and was so seriously hurt that
there is doubt of his recovery." However he did not succumb
at that time and lived two or three more years.
The newspaper of
August 4, 1881, reported Solon's death: "the sad news flashed over the wires
last Saturday that Solon Russell of Charlestown and the son of Dr. B.F.
Russell of Paris, had been run over by the cars and instantly killed. Mr.
Russell's remains were brought to Paris for interment on Friday."
In 1868 George W. Harlan and his son in law William H. Dixon, bought a plot
extending the Russell 40 wide strip south by 25 ft. with the stipulation "in
consideration of a promise to be buried on the following lands."
This 40 ft. strip was extended in 1877 by 25 by Pheobe Zener and in the
same year by Alonzo Gaddy "of Louisville" by 20 ft.
In
1882 Bill (W.A.) Jones of Bedford bought a 14 X 27 plot along the west side
of the Harlan and Dixon plot. When Bill had moved from Paris in 1880 his
wife the former Nan Sampson had become very obese and was addicted to
morphine due to medical perscription. When he sold property in Paris in
1881 she was deceased or unable to sign her name, and in November of 1885
his wife was named Lucinda. Nan may have died at the time he bought the
graveyard plot, or he may have been thinking too of his aging and ailing
parents Phillip and Harriet Atwood Jones, although they did not actually use
the space until 1899 and 1903 respectively.
In 1882 William H.
Dixon of Cincinnati, evidently decided to go into the graveyard business and
bought the remaining unused space in lots #35 and #36 as well as all of
lots #37 and #38. The plots which he sold are not recorded on the deed book
but the names on the stones reveal who bought the plots.
In 1889 after William H.
Dixon's death, the assignee of his estate Lincoln Dixon, sold all the
remaining plots to James E. Wykoff and that explains all the Wykoff stones
across the west end of the graveyard.
Some Names Listed in the Paris
Index
Gasaway, Margaret
(Willey)
Goodhue, Walter, Doctor
Garrish, Ansel, Doctor
Garrish,
Charles F.
Garrish, James, Doctor
Garrish, Milintha
Belle
Graham, Ester
Graham, James & wife Sally
(Shilliday)
Graham, Family
Graham, Polly
Graham, Jane
Graham,
Thomas
Graham, Samuel
Graham, Samuel S.
Graham, William
J.
Hagins, Eli H.
Hagins, Horace S.
Hagins, Walter
Hammond,
Rebecca Laird (Lard)
Hammond, Family
Hall, Isaac
Harlan E.
(Ephraim)
Harlan, George & Mary
Harris, Grace
Harris,
Lovell
Harrington, Joseph & Wife
Hendricks, William Ray
Hewes,
Benjamin, Doctor
Hewes, Mary
Higgins, Earl Mrs.
Higgins,
Earl
Higgins, Milo
Hill, Alan Jr.
Hill, Alan Sr.
Hill, Daniel
M.
Hill, James A.
Hill, James M.
Hill, James W.
Hollinghead,
Benoni
Hollenbeck, Lawrence
Innes, Ed
Iness, Thomas E.
Hill,
Jane
Hill, Milton
Holden, Reverend
Hill, Thomas Sr.
Hill,
Will
Hudson, Absalom
Hudson, Boyd, Doctor
Hudson, Mary
(Fowler)
Hudson, James B.
Hudson, James C.
Hudson, John
C.
Hudson, Morse
Hudson, L.W.
Hurlburt, Caleb
Hurlburt, Lewis,
Reverend
Johnson, J.
Jones, Andrew
Jones, William
Jones,
Phillip
Jacobs, John
Jordon, Reverend
Keith, Mr.
Klye,
Doctor
Knowlton, Stephen Jr. & Sr.
Lard (Laird), Charles
K.
Lard (Laird), Samuel
Lard (Laird), Rebecca
Landon,
Francis
Landon,
Melinda
Lathrop, Reverend
Lattimores,
Lakenel, Maria, Barbe
Francisco
Lefeber, Anna
Lefeber, James Doctor
Lefeber,
Rebecca
Lefeber, Cynthia
Legrand, Marjorie McGannon
Lett,
Newton
Lett, Polly
Lett, John
Lett, Whitfield
Lett,
James
Lett, Family
Lewis, James E.
Lowry, Family
Lowry,
Alexander
Lowry, James Madison
Lowry, Samuel Edward
Lowry, Stephen
Hamilton
Malcomb, Warren
Malcomb, Wesley
Marlott,
Reverend
Maupin, School House (Bethel)
Maupin, Reverend
William
Maupin, Parsley
Manuel, Reverend
Mahan,
Reverend
Mellender, Reverend
Mendel, Reverend
Milhous,
William
Miller, Reverend Holmes
Muse, Reverend
McGannon,
Darby
McGannon, Grace
McGannon, Thomas
McGinnis Jones,
Reverend
McGuire, John
McGuire, Ulyssess
McMillian,
Reverend
Nellis, E.P.
Osburn, Family
Paris, Schoolhouse
Pell,
Reverend
Phillips, Branock
Phillips, Place
Pierce,
Reverend
Pond, Lena & Grif Pond
Brother and Sister
story
Presbyterian Church in Indiana
Rawlins, Henry
Ray,
Benjamin
Ray, Addison
Ray, George
Ray, Samuel
Reynolds,
John
Rogers, John Family
Rogers, Mary
(Buckles)
Rogers, Rebecca
Robertson, Martha
Rowland, Isabella
(Wilson)
Rowland, Jesse
Rowland, Thomas Mrs.
Rowland, Thomas
Jr.
Rowland, Thomas Sr.
Rowlalnd, Tia
Richie, Loraine
Riggs,
George W.
Russell, Benjamin Doctor
Russell, Family
Russell, Robert
S. & William Sr.
Russell, Stephen, John & Samuel
Sage, George
Washington
Sampson, Belle
Sampson, Benjamin
Sampson,
David
Sampson, Ellen (Walley)
Sampson, Ephraim
Sampson,
Elijah
Sampson, Martha
Schwein, Marlin
Selman, Thomas
Doctor
Selman, John
Selman, Andrew
Shepherd, Amos R.
Shepherd,
James
Shepherd, Riley
Shilliday, Caleb
Shilliday,
Edward
Shilliday, Ephraim
Shilliday, Elizabeth Ann
(Watson)
Shilliday, Margaret
Shilliday, Ester (Graham)
Shilliday,
James
Shilliday, George
Shilliday, Malinda
Shilliday,
Isabella
Shilliday, Patsy
Shilliday, Polly
Shilliday, Sally
(Sarah)
Spencer, Calvin
Spencer, Reverend
Schwin, Martin
Reverend
Scott, Reverend
Smyth, James
Smith, Reverend
Staples,
Thomas
Stevenson Farm
Stuart, Reverend
Stratton,
James
Summerfield, John
Suddarth, Reverend
Turner,
Edward
Turner, Reverend
Tannerhill, Zachariah
Tannerhill,
Ursula
Tare, Schoolhouse
Tate, Ruth
Taylor, John
Taylor
Reverend
Tate, Schoolhouse
Tate, Ruth
Taylor, John
Taylor,
Reverend
Terrel, Family
Terrel, Edmund & Mary
Terrel, Jerry and
wife
Todd, Bird (Buckles)
Todd, William
Thomas, Evan Sr.
Thomas,
Evan Jr.
Thomas, Freeman
Thomas, Joseph
Thomas, Mehal
Thomas,
George and wife
Tobias, John
Tobias, Josiah
Tobias, Jane
(Dixon)
Tobias, William
Tinker, Reverend
Turner,
Reverend
Vawter, John
Walley, James
Walley, Thomas
Walton,
Schoolhouse
Ward, Reverend
Watson, Elizabeth Ann
Watson, Jane
(Graham)
Watson, James
Watson, Robert Sr.
Watson,
Henry
Weber, Charles Mrs.
Wells, Lemuel
Wells, Martin
Wells,
Samuel
Wood, Isaac
Wolley, James
Whittsett, G.F.
Whitesides,
William
Wilkerson, John
Wilkerson, Katherine
Williams,
Reverend
Willey, Barrillia
Willey, Dennis Reverend
Willey,
Elizabeth Jane
Willey, Margaret (Gassway)
Wilson,
George
Wilson, James
Wilson, John
Wilson, Isabel
Wilson,
Patrick
Wilson, William
Wykoff, John
Wykoff, Sarah
(Buckles)
Wykoff, Peter
Wykoff, Thomas
Wykoff, Reverend
Zenor,
David Sr.
Zenor, David Jr.
Zenor, Pheobe (Baker)
Zenor,
Sarah
Zenor, Lana
Zenor, Lydia (Dixon)
Zenor, Harriet
(Ayers)
Zenor, Malinda
Zenor, Magdalene
Zenor,
Henry
Youngs
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