Montgomery Co Bicentennial articles by kbz
Title: English, German, Irish and Many More Immigrants and Emigrants Came Our Way -
by Karen Bazzani Zach
Read the 1850 Montgomery County census. Or, stroll through Calvary, the Catholic cemetery while perusing names on the headstones. You’ll soon discover what country the most of our immigrants called home. Definitely, we walk and talk with descendants of these Irish men and women almost daily.
Between 1843-47 during the Potato Famine over 150 Irish families arrived here. Of the foreign-born families all were Irish but a few (two from France, five from England, seven = Scotland, fourteen German-oriented provinces and one from Africa) in the 1850 census not long after their arrival.
The railroad work called many here, including Henry Tammany, a railroad contractor, who in the 1850 census would be called quite rich tallying $70,000 in assets. He must have had a large home, as well with 13 families dwelling at his place, 12 of those Irish, of course. Some of these would follow along to another city as the railroad was built, while others remained here, knowing the schools were good and the community was an excellent place to raise their children. In the naturalization records, the majority here are Mc indicating Irish and some Scottish plus O’Connor, O’Donough, and other O’ folks, besides Nolans and other Irish names.
The English were prominent in other parts of the county as well as in the city. Richard Breaks born in 1791 in Yorkshire, England was one of the earliest naturalizations in our county (Sept 1831). With just 50 cents in his pocket upon arrival here, he built him a cabin and worked for Andrew Beard. Purchasing a small farm he became quite a prominent farmer in northern Union Township. William DeCraux Tilney, one of our earliest county doctors was quite a hoot and came from England as well.
Along this line, we have had a few Canadians come down, including the Peacock family, Samuel born in 1867 in Oakville, Canada graduating from the University of Buffalo in 1892 and then to Ladoga in early 1894. His brother Norman Francis born at Oakville in 1873 came to Darlington where he raised a family of four including the Peacock doctor twins, William Franklin and Norman Fredrick. Other Canadians were Crull, Davidson, Dale, Doherty, Fuller, Fulwider, Hutton, Kehoe, Kennedy, Kirkpatrick, Lyon, McJimsey, Neff, O’Brien, Oliver, Pool, Rafferty, Roach, Rowe, Scott, Shelby, Shephard, Sweeten, Trask and Trout.
The German immigrants would rank next in number. Several of these immigrants were major influences in Crawfordsville and Montgomery County. For instance, Fred Conred Bandel was born in 1851 in Strausberg, Germany. His father passed when Fred was just a boy, so Fred sold newspapers to help feed them all. He was said to have a kindly heart and soul, be a man of great conviction and “considerate of rights of all men.” He has a nifty story, too.
As many immigrants and emigrants who came here, Fred Bandel fell in love with the area and people and remained for the rest of his life versus his plan that with his masonry skills finished up here, he’d go forth elsewhere and prosper. Hmmmm, mayoring would be prospering, I’d say, as Fred served six years the head of the city.
Common knowledge regarding Germans is their love of ale and Henry Lorenz capitalized big-time on that, purchasing in 1853 a tiny brewery in the triangle encased property by Lafayette Avenue at Market and Grant. Born in Germany (1827) he came here as a young man and made quite an impression as well as a fortune. Several articles indicate that yet today the beer cellars dug in 1864 under Market Street still exist.
Some Scottish folks came early, and one of the more popular families was the Speeds. John Speed was born in Perthshire, Scotland in 1801, and came to America in a codfish schooner. According to Crawfordsville: Athens of Indiana, his career was stone cutting and when living in Philadelphia he heard that Indiana was building a large, impressive capitol building, thus he came here to put his trade to work, and then on to Crawfordsville thereafter. William Robertson of Cooper Angus, Scotland came here at age nine with his family to Cincinnati and made a great business here in the cabinet trade.
Currently, our large Spanish-speaking community members are becoming tradesmen, teachers, machinists, gardeners, servicemen and women, doctors, and much more!
Other countries blessed us (Greece for one with the Siamis, Kaitson, Giankis families) with some wonderful workers, business owners, doctors, lawyers, and nurses.
Sometimes the names trick ya’ so a good search is often pertinent, such as for Fred Bailey. Irish? English? I’d choose one of them but he was naturalized here 6 Sept 1870 after being here for three years and was born in Perlsberg, Prussia. Likewise, I’d have thought Bastable would be German but Bartholomew Bastable was born and raised in County Kerry in Ireland. Then there are those that just couldn’t be anything but what ya’ think …for instance Charles Conrad Kryzpinsky, yep, born in Prussia (Poland area likely).
Just one or a few from some of the countries were here, such as Swedish born Swan Larson who lived in Ripley Township where he farmed and Charley Youngberry who was born the first half of the year in 1850 and was here in America by the 26th of June. He was naturalized in MoCo on 19 Oct 1872 but does not show up in any of our census records. Sure love to know where he went. There was the Mitkus family from Russia. Few but some Italians (example: Fred Bazzani was always thought of as a whop as his parents were from Italy but he was a true blue American, born, raised and fought for this country), such as Fatta Paola who seemed to be here but a few years after the railroad era so not sure what happened to him.
Certainly, it is a lot of fun to play with the names of the area, guessing where they are from, confirming or knocking away your suspicions, finding relationships to those here now, discovering what they did for a living, where they are buried. Besides fun, it most definitely is a valuable - kbz
REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS – article for the Bicentennial Committee I wrote - Karen Bazzani Zach
Montgomery County has quite a large amount of Revolutionary Soldiers compared to other similar counties around. We have almost 40 and those are the ones we know – could be more! Some are quite interesting. I’ll not but briefly discuss everyone’s favorite, George Fruits nor will I tell of all of them, but each and every one of our total had friends, relatives, church members and perhaps enemies here and are such an intricate part of our county’s history.
Well, let’s just begin with George. Often, I look at George’s picture from the Crawfordsville District Public Library’s image database (found on the Montgomery County INGenWeb page) and think there is no way that man lived to be 114 and there is much to indicate he did not, yet there is just as much saying that he indeed did. Certainly, he was one tough cookie. His parents, (George and Margaret) were equally tough, his father George most definitely a Revolutionary War soldier is buried in Franklin County, Indiana. They were German-speaking and young George was said to have not spoken a word of English until he was close to grown and grew-up in PA, Kentucky and then on to Indiana. Young George is buried in the Stonebraker Cemetery at Alamo and his tombstone indicates he was born in Baltimore, Maryland 2 Jan 1762 (most census records do not jive with this) and passed away 6 August 1876 (no doubt on this). George is said to be the last survivor of the American Revolution and was even in the 1977 edition of the Guinness Book of Records, but the 1979 edition retracted such, saying with new research he was found to be 17 years younger. This doesn’t seem to jive either he would have been born about the close of the war. There is also NO doubt that he was in the War of 1812 as his widow (Catherine Stonebraker) received a widow’s pension for the four years she was with us after his death, living to be a few months shy of 90 although in an article about their son she was said to be over 100. George didn’t claim to be in any battles, but said he just helped kind of clean things up the last two years of the Revolution. Whether yeah or nay, he was a cute fellow, hard working, patriotic, and we were blessed to have him come to Montgomery County, Indiana and raise his several children here.
Also buried in the same cemetery is his father-in-law, Sebastian Stonebraker who was a private from Lancaster County, PA fighting in Col. Elder’s Regiment. He and his wife Susan Yeagley had at least eight children and many of their descendants as with the Fruits’ remain in our county today. Bunker Hill is a tiny cemetery and it’s amazing that two Revolutionary Soldiers would be buried there.
Joseph Alexander was born in Ireland and arrived here at age nine. He first enlisted on Christmas Day in 1777 Northumberland County, PA and tallied ten skirmishes, reenlisting in the Fall of 1778, discharged in the Spring of 1779 and may have served one other time. His last paid pension was in MoCo (Coal Creek Twp) on March 6, 1838, after living here for almost ten years, because he wanted to spend his last days with those children who moved here. However, he is said to have died Nov 19, the next year after receiving that last pension so seems something isn’t jiving. At any rate, he is buried at Sugar Grove Cemetery.
Frederick Armantrout was likely the son of a foreign-born immigrant from Germany (other sources indicate he was born overseas) and he was known as a patriot more for furnishing supplies vs. fighting although he was at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. On May 22, 1829 he received an Original Land Grant in Union Twp and he and wife, Barbara, and some of their nine children are buried right here. One source indicates he was born in December 1764 (tombstone says 1758) in Rockingham County, Virginia and is buried in the Lutheran Cemetery near Crawfordsville, passing June 1855 and is thought to have been 96.
Buried in the Beedle Cemetery at Wingate (died 9 July 1826) is Joseph Beedle born in Morgantown PA 1749, married Mary Meek and was in the Washington Co PA Militia. He and Mary produced almost a dozen children, many who were in this area.
One of the favorites and less well known is Joseph Betts who was a drummer boy at age 13 and spent six months in the service. He applied for pension at age 66 in 1839 but it is unknown just what happened to him after that. Andrew Bower was a fifer, John Boyd was a Ranger Scout and passed away 15 October 1824 buried Old Town Cemetery in Crawfordsville. Nicholas Worthington Dorsey was born the 1st day of November in 1759 and married on Valentine’s Day to Rachel Warfield (member of Capt. Goodman’s Co in the 4th Md. And passed October 16, 1821, one of our first settlers. Some of their eleven children were here, as well. Sam Field(s) was an officer in the Continental Army at both Brandywine and Trenton – it is known he was in C’ville in 1825 but not sure where he is buried. Born in Donegal County, Ireland he fought in nine battles during the Revolution, came to MoCo and died near New Market June 26, 1843 (buried at Indian Creek Cemetery). Lot French is buried in Crawfordsville on his home place which adjoined the Odd Fellows Cemetery on South Grant.
Buried in the Wasson Cemetery (literally in a clump of trees in the middle of a huge field) Robert Gott enlisted toward the end of the war (Orange Co NC) and was discharged at Yorktown Oct 25, 1781. Died Aug 1, 1840. Married twice, he fathered at least nine children.
The Turkey Run Cemetery near Wingate houses Sam Gregory who was a Minuteman from Yorktown. He came to live with his son James and passed here however there are three or four years indicating his death, none with complete dates. Researching someone that long ago is not always an easy task! Yet, in that same area rests Matthias Hanlon buried Pleasant Hill born 26 August 1751 moved here in 1832 and passed away in early November 1840. Fought from NJ.
This fellow I so wish could be moved to one of the larger cemeteries yet rather adverse to doing that but a Revolutionary War soldier buried on the roadside near Offield Creek is kind of sad. Dying June 1, 1839 John Michael Joseph Hardee (Hardy) was born in Dinwiddie County, Virginia and his daughter, Lucinda McMullen is one of the two Real Daughters (an actual daughter of a Revolutionary Soldier) who was in the Dorothy Q Chapter, DAR and she had eight brothers and sisters.
Appropriately Samuel Harshbarger was buried in the (Old) Harshbarger cemetery – Richard and Pat Wills did a great deal of work on the Revolutionary Soldiers here and I loved that they added this Samuel’s father Jacob was Swiss and his mother Maria was Italian and the original name was Hirschberger. He and wife Elizabeth Gish had eight children.
Sadly, I’m running out of room, so Gillis Hitch, Peter Kinder, Nelson Largent (interesting story), Jacob Lough, John McNulty, Thomas Mason, Jacob Miller, Hugh and/or Samuel Montgomery (questionable whether buried here); Sam Newell, Robert Pottenger, Presley Simms, John Stilwell, John Trundle, George Washburn, Jacob Westfall, and Benjamin Willis, you can read about on the this page: Soldier Information - Montgomery InGenWeb Project (or go to the Montgomery County INGenWeb page – Get Around Links – Military – Revolutionary War – do give credit to the site if you use any information – thank you … and … 😊 Enjoy!
COUNTY FIRSTS – article for the Bicentennial Committee that used very few articles I wrote and they were good, too – oh, well - Karen Bazzani Zach
“The first” – oh, so many in our county, and here are a few for you to peruse. The first settler in Montgomery is well known, William Offield settling at the mouth of what we know now as Offield Creek a tributary of Sugar Creek with property on the East half of the Northeast ¼ of Section 4, Township 18 North, Range 5 West. This was on a memorable day, the 4th of July in 1822. Oddly, he didn’t keep that a lengthy time, selling it to Jonas Mann and his wife the next December. Definitely a wanderlust, not enjoying neighbors.
Another item is not often realized as our first because technically, Offield did not buy the first piece of land, John Lopp did the very day before on July 3. This land is in Scott Township (E ½ of SE ¼ Sec 14, Twp 17N Rg 4). However, Offield planted himself and family down on his land immediately and made a big splash helping formulate the county, yet when it began getting populated he was off again!
Another William Offield first was along with James Blevins and John McCullough when they were elected the first Board of County Commissioners (March 1, 1823).
Many have never heard of the first tragic murder which was to have taken place ½ mile north of the mouth of Black Creek some 3 ½ miles or so northwest of Crawfordsville. Out in the woods a young man named Noggle was walking and another named Mayfield who thought Noggle was interfering in his domestic affairs was hidden and shot Noggle. Wasn’t a great shot as he just hit him in the knee. Now, you’d think he would go on expecting Noggle to back off, if indeed there was ever anything to it, but Mayfield was irate and since Noggle couldn’t walk, he neared and shot Noggle again, while he pleaded for his life. This time through the heart. Mayfield then fled the county, never to be seen again. Noggle was buried where he was murdered and it was for many years thereafter quite the conversation place, referred to as “Noggle Hill.”
John Wilson and Jacob J. Ford, along with the new Sheriff elect, Samuel D. Maxwell were the first court officers in the new Montgomery County court organized in the home of local man, William Miller, one if not the first Crawfordsville settler. The first jury was Samuel Brown; Wilson Claypool; Robert Craig; James Dungan; John Farlow; Joseph Hahn; Richard McCafferty; William Miller; Elias Moore; George Miller; William B. Mitchell; James Scott; James Stitt and Samuel McClung who served as foreman (note the number). John Toliver followed Mayfield’s idea (or vice-versa) and fled from the county after he was indicted for assault and battery by this group.
Our first court house is hard to imagine after we have all seen the current one all of our lives. It was made of poplar logs, two stories high, 26’ long by 20’ wide and there was a “partition in each floor making four rooms in all.” Eliakam Ashton (who lived in the Potato Creek area) built it for slightly less than $300 and it was on Main Street. This was completed August 9, 1824 and Jesse Keyton was the first on trial, found guilty, then sentenced to the penitentiary for two years because he had stolen a cow (later found that he had not acted alone, but the only one punished). Honorable John Law was prosecutor and Joseph Cox and Nathan Huntington defended Keyton. The very first man I ever was hired to research (William Burbridge) and James Stitt were associate judges for the trial appointed by presiding officer, Jacob Call who came up from Vincennes. The courthouse didn’t last long, and the next cost $3,420, built by John Hughes, two stories and this time made of brick. Its 40’ square cupola was the talk of the state.
It was in 1824 when the first “jail house” was built at a cost of $200 but just three years later Peter Smith, an inmate (charge of larceny) tried to burn a lock from his cell and burned the building down instead.
Love this – the first sermon in Montgomery County was a year before settlement actually in 1821 and the afternoon of the very same day, Rev. Charles Beatty also married the first couple, the highly esteemed Col. Samuel D. Maxwell (yep, the sheriff) and his bride, Sarah Cowan.
Josiah Holbrook had the first school and the first church built was the Baptist Church on Lot No. 100 in Crawfordsville which was donated to them. By the way, in most cases, the small town’s had a Baptist Church first (Waynetown for instance) with a Presbyterian one right behind ‘em (and sometimes vice-versa).
So, there you have just a few of the early “firsts” of the county gathered from the following source: Beckwith 1881 Montgomery County History; Waynetown Despatch 13 June 1913; Montgomery County GenWeb page. Who knows, you may see some others pop-up during the upcoming articles! Enjoy!
Towns, Towns & Way More Towns by Karen Bazzani Zach
534. An unbelievable number! Well, it is when it relates to the number of towns (communities, whistle stops) found in Montgomery County! This was a project started for the Montgomery County INGenWeb page back in about 2000 and with a wonderful group of people helping (Suzie Zach Baldwin, Jerry Turner, Bill Boone, Ron Keedy, Dellie Craig, the Rushes, Chris Hayes and many more, along with the Crawfordsville Library’s databases and workers) and reading hundreds of old newspapers catching town names, the number now totals 534.
Just when we think there is no way we could find anymore, here comes one, or two, or three in the most recent case of Onion Town, Poverty’s Knoll and Vinegar Hill (suburbs added to Darlington in 1890). So many funny names, names indicating an area, those named for people, religious aspects and much more.
Colors are big with Blue Eyes in Franklin Township, Black Swamp near Parkersburg, Brownsville (Browns Valley) and Whitesville and White Church. Speaking of Church there were several Chapels (Kingsley; Liberty; Salem; Union; Walnut; Youngs) along with Faithville and Heaven’s Garden in that line.
Not sure how many corners would be in MoCo, but there were several towns and – just put Corner behind these names – Cowan; Council; Fruits; Hickory; Hyten; Ingersoll; Kimler; McBee; McCabe; McCrea; McDowell; Oswalt; Pickett, Uncle Sam’s and Utterback. There is also a feel of the Irish flair there as well, as you can tell.
The lay of the land was found in some of the abandoned towns and present as well. Bunker Hill, Clore’s Grove, Flowing Springs, High Bluff, High Point, Leiter’s Ford, Boulder Valley and Prairie Edge are examples.
Believe it or not, we had some named for states and such here as well – Oklahoma, Kentuck, California, Idaho, Texas and even an Ireland.
There were many with a fun flair such as “Merry Widow” which was an Interurban cross-road stop. The town was also called Akers so perhaps Mrs. Akers was the Merry Widow? Milligan was not the Milligan south of Waveland (our family’s hometown for five generations – see mom, Kate Smith Bazzani by the sign) just into Parke County nor where Milligan Park is but in Section 5, Union Township probably in the Highland area. Muddy Lane could have been about anywhere in the county up until the roads were improved in the 1920s-30s or so, but in truth it was in Ripley Township. Another corner, was Musical Corner which is thought to have been (names Goble, Lollis, Davidson, Howard) in lower Clark Township at the turn into the 1900s. Not sure if the people were extremely musical but you’d think so, at least. Needmore – what did they need more of anyway – but this was north of where Beckville is today and families in the area were Bruce, Payne, Perry, Mount, Spohr.
Lots of numbers – Nine Mile Prairie in Coal Creek Township literally ran across the top of the county for nine miles (County Road 1200 North). Number 13 was west and north of New Richmond until the late 1800s. Number 35 in Union Township was right near the Ripley Township line – names being Keller, Lewellen, and Vancleave. Speaking of numbers, all the county schools had numbers, some names too but #4 in Ripley Township may have simply been that whereas there was also a #4 in each township. Talk about confusing!
We all love food and there were quite a few towns reflecting such. Buttermilk Town, near New Market; Cherry Grove where most of you will know the area although the original Cherry Grove would be a couple miles north of the current elevator. Coffeeville, sadly, is one of the few we just found a name for and no location. PawPaw Bend isn’t much better but it is thought it may refer to a bend in Sugar Creek in the upper Union - Sugar Creek area. Two Pumpkins blessed our midst. Pumpkin Butter X Roads – note it is not spelled out but had the X for Cross. This dated back to the 1880s and although we’re not sure where it is we need to check out the families mentioned in the old newspapers- Hurd, Ammerman, Templer, Burson, Huff and Wisehart. Pumpkin Ridge was also in the 1880s and not completely sure where it was but by the names, it was likely near New Richmond. Potato Creek Station was in Sugar Creek Township and in the 1870s had a daily mail delivery clear up to the late 1890s. You may have heard of the Potato Creek Church – it was there! Trout or Troutman or Troutman Mills was also called Metropolis Mills, found in the 1878 atlas and was located near where the Country Club is today.
Trees reflected a number of towns – Ash Grove, Beech Grove, Cypress, Hickory Corner, Lone Tree, Magnolia Mills, Maple Grove (and Maple Hill); Oak Grove; Pine Bluff; Sycamore Ford.
Then there were a lot of odd ones such as Gallagher’s Gas Well; Loverhill; Ghostville; Scatterville; Tattler’s Corner; and Tramp City to name a few.
Duplicates were a few such as Paddack Corner in both Sugar Creek and Madison. Fairview in Brown and Union; Martin’s Crossroads, Coal Creek and Walnut; Turnipseed Corner (Madison and Sugar Creek).
Now, it seems that animals was likely the big topic for naming towns in MoCo. Blue Heron Rookery; Buffalo Ridge; Deer Ford; Dogtown; Duck Pond Corner; Fish Pond Corner; Frog Pond; Hog Heaven; Opposum Ridge and Tiger Valley to name some.
For sure, several places did not sound at all appealing to live such as Ash Pile; Bald Hill; Bed Bug Corner (and yep, it was named because the homes in that corner had so many Bed Bugs); Boot Hill; Hard Scrabble; Mossy Dell and Wringneck.
Whitlock, Offield, Manson Hill, Lane, Elmore Corner, Wingate were named for famous Montgomery Countians, of course.
Could talk about the towns for five articles, likely, but suffice to say if you’re interested, you can visit the lengthy list at ingenweb.org/inmontgomery and go to Towns using the “Get-Around Links”– if you use it in any way, just ask that you give the site credit as many wonderful volunteers did the great work on it. Thanks !