Land Office
Land Office
In my very humble historical opinion, I truly feel the birth and prosperity of our county was purely due to the land office. When Crawfordsville began, it was the only town between Terre Haute and Fort Wayne; as you know, quite a distance even today. Crawfordsville, at the center of the county obviously was made the seat of government for the county and many might not know, judicially covered all the land north of Montgomery to the Southern shores of Lake Michigan.
Much of the reason why Crawfordsville exists is due to Ambrose Whitlock and his desire and constant working at making Montgomery County go. Ambrose was born in Bowling Green, Virginia April 25 in 1769 and joined the Army when he turned 21. It wasn’t long before he was commanding officer, serving as a Major. He was instrumental in building Fort Washington, now the city of Cincinnati, so forming and developing Crawfordsville was possibly a snap to that! With General Anthony Wayne in the process of developing Indiana, he served as a paymaster where he carried funds in keel boats to military stations on the Mississippi, Ohio and Wabash rivers, doing this for a period of 21 years, thus his appointment here as keeper of government funds was perfect for him. Interesting to note here that through those 21 years, he lost nary a penny. Only once was there a problem with the Land Office money, he having a major deficit. He marched to get the head honcho and quickly proved that the government auditors were wrong, thus nary a mistake or loss here, as well. This was also the time that he went into civilian life, he and his wife, Elizabeth Jones moving to the new little city, and thus they stayed until their passing (he at age 94 in June 1863 and she at 91 the day after Christmas in 1873). They were never blessed with children but raised several of her nieces and nephews.
Whitlock was dubbed by a wonderful local historian, Jim Leas, to be “the poor man’s friend.” (Crawfordsville District Public Library’s photo here but there is a great colored one on FindAGrave you might want to peruse, as well) Whitlock had the view that, “If you are honest, you will pay me, if you are dishonest, you will not.” He gave property for the first cemetery in Crawfordsville (Old Town) and designated free school lots; he let all enjoy his medicinal springs on his property where he built a beautiful home (north of town near where the Poor Farm was later). Whitlock Avenue of course was named in his honor, rightfully so.Prior to the sale of the land a surveying company had to plot the acreage. Keep in mind, the area was basically a total wilderness. One surveyor (compass man), one deputy, two ax men, two chain carriers, one hunter and cook with a camp outfit and supplies made up the party of men to go out and tally the land surveys, while camping in the woods. They would be dressed in buckskin suits, in high top boots (and carrying a whisky flask for snake bites). When the survey was complete, documents would be sent to the government land office to await the President to order the land office to sell the lands.
In 1804, two land offices in Indiana were created, Jeffersonville and Vincennes, the land sale at the latter beginning the first day of 1805. These properties were auctioned to the highest bidder. When the land was not sold at this sale, then the rest would be opened up for sale in the land office at a minimum price ($1.25 per acre in Montgomery). In 1815, Terre Haute’s Land office was opened and in 1822, Crawfordsville’s was next, located on what is now West Market by the railroad (where the “Enterprise Building” has been for years).
Land was sold in 160 acre lots but was often bought in 80 acres as well. The south half of the county was surveyed in 1820, the north half in 1821. In the spring of 1822, William Miller settled on the land where Crawfordsville is and others here by the end of 1822 were Samuel and John McClung, Simeon Wilhite, David Vance, John Wilson, IC Elston, Henry Ristine, Judge Stitt, Judge McCullough, Sam Maxwell to name a few.
Williamson Dunn had travelled widely in our area as a Captain of Rangers with Whitlock. Dunn married in Garrard County, Kentucky to Miram Wilson in 1806 who died not many years after coming to Montgomery County bringing their eight children (3 more born here) she dying a month after their youngest Sarah was born. About a year later he married Mary Fleming who was in her mid 40s and although they had no children, she raised his with great care! 150 some years later, in my early years of genealogy/history work, I met a nice, energetic, middle-aged lady who when she discovered I was from Crawfordsville told me she was a great granddaughter of Williamson Dunn. At the time I wasn’t impressed but as the years went by I am more and more so and knowing that at the time, she was researching each and every one of the land sales Williamson registered, I came to know and admire her. She then published the large volume in order to aide anyone checking their own family tree who lived here in our early county times. By the way, government land was sold here until the 1850s.
Sort of wows a person when we ponder how many thousands came through here to view and buy their government land, especially these two men but obviously others. We can thank them not only for a wonderful job well done but their desire and drive to make MoCo the best!
Note: Sources used were: Crawfordsville: Athens of Indiana and an article in the Crawfordsville Review Aug 12, 1899. ---kbz