History of Lawrence County, Indiana

Transcribed passages are from the following book:
History of Lawrence and Monroe Counties Indiana
1914 B. F. Bowen & Co. Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana

GUTHRIE TOWNSHIP

Guthrie township was the last to be formed in the county, and was named for one of the most prominent families of the early days. The township was formed in the early sixties... When the county was organized in 1818 all of the present Guthrie township was included in Shawswick township, but on the formation of the new township land was taken from Shawswick, Flinn and Bono.

Although some portions of Guthrie township were settled very early, the record of land entries until 1820 is surprisingly small... Land entries until 1820 included: Isreal Hind 1819; Ambrose Carlton 1817; Edward Johnston 1820; William Barnhill 1819; John Kerns 1820; Solomon Bowers 1817; Robert Millsap 1820; Conrad Hoopingarner 1818; Thomas Butler 1820; Daniel Guthrie 1816; J Edwards 1820; Preston Beck 1820; Elisha Simpson 1820; George W Mullis 1817; Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt 1820 Others included in this early list were Thomas Dixon, William Shadrach, William Holland Sr, John Allen, Robert Millsap and his sons, William and James, Abner Walters, Samuel and William Foster, Benjamin and Isaac Newkirk, Jacob Mullis and John Dowland.

Probably the first settler of Guthrie township was James Connelly, a squatter, and a native of North Carolina, from whence he came to Orange County, Indiana shortly afterward settling here. The year was about 1815, Connelly brought his family with him and for their home he built a double log cabin. Ambrose Carlton with his large family came after Connelly, and in 1816 also Pleasant and Ambrose Parks came from North Carolina to this township after a short sojourn in Bono Township.

DIXONVILLE

William and Thomas Dixon platted this village in the northeast corner of the township on April 8, 1853.

TUNNELTON

... on the 28th of April 1859 the town of Tunnelton was platted. An addition was added in 1863.

FORT RITNER

The town of Fort Ritner was named in honor of Michael Ritner a foreman in the construction of a tunnel on the old Ohio & Mississippi railroad nearby. Gabriel Brock was the first postmaster, the office having been established in 1858.