HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
CHAPTER 3

EARLY SAW AND GRIST-MILLS

This township has had its full share of early mills. According to the best information the first mill was built about the year 1818, near the present site of what is known as Williamsburg, in the southern part of the township, by Lewis Allen. He owned this for some time and then sold to James Pitman, about the year 1827. Mr. Pitman repaired and operated this mill for several years. It was a log mill on the banks of Patoka Creek, whose waters furnished the necessary power for the grinding. When first built this mill was the principal one for several miles around and was consequently well patronized. Not many years passed, however, before several others were built. One was farther up this same stream by John Davis, near the "hogs defeat," but this is long since gone, and the former was abandoned about the year 1848, at that time owned by William McDonald. In the northwest part of the township Nelson Spalding had a mill run by an overshot water-wheel about the year 1834, although prior to this John Seybold owned a smaller one at the same place. Both of these were upon the present location of the Seybold Steam Grist-mill. This last was moved from Paoli some ten or twelve years ago and has been in operation ever since. About the year 1348 two brothers, Samuel and Thomas Parks, built what is known as the "Government" Mill in the western part of the township, and operated it for some time. It is yet doing a good business under the management of William McDonald. By far the best in this township is the large steam grist and saw-mill at Unionville built about 1855 by Jacob P. and H. H. Teaford and John H. Gilliatt. These men continued it until about the year 1868, when Gilliatt sold to the others. Since then Jacob P. has sold to J. W. Teaford. who with H. H. Teaford is now doing a large business in grinding both wheat and corn. They have two sets of buhrs, and do in connection with this quite an amount of sawing of all kinds done with a circular saw. In the early times there were several horse-mills, one of the most important of which was one owned by Jacob Cook about the year 1830, and did a large business in custom grinding. All of the earliest mills were built of logs and would appear oddly enough beside the immense modern steam mills that do the grinding of the present day. They were simple in the extreme, most of them having but a water-wheel and a set of buhrs suited only for corn grinding. Indeed, the people had but little else to grind in those days when corn "pone" and bacon made the bulk of their bill of fare.

In the spring of 1878 a large number of men in this section of the county prepared for a grand circular fox-hunt. About three hundred persons are said to have engaged in this affair and formed a circle of over three miles. They gradually closed in toward the center with high hope of killing in cold blood an untold number of wily foxes. But alas, no foxes were there. This hunt was under the command of T. N. Robison, with Dr. Gilliatt, E. R. Wright, Ira Cook and J. W. Apple as Captains. The unsatisfactory result of this general hunt was undoubtedly the reason why more of these interesting pastimes have not been indulged.

SETTLEMENT OF SOUTHEAST TOWNSHIP

Southeast Township, so named from its situation in the county, very justly claims the honor of being the scene of the first white settlement, within the bounds of what now constitutes Orange County. This was made by John Hollowell, a native of North Carolina. who came from that State and located near the present site of Valeene, in the year 1807. The exact spot where he built his cabin is yet pointed out by the citizens of that place, and is a few rods west of the Christian Church, on what is commonly known as the "point." A cave in the rocks close by is said to have been his abode while the log dwelling was being shaped from the surrounding forests. Here upon the banks of Patoka Creek, seventy even years ago, stood the first home of white man in the county. John Hollowell was not long destined to be the lone inhabitant of his western wilderness. John Hobson and Robert Breeze soon bore him company, and but little later came Thomas Self, John Tarr, Thomas Ferguson, David Brown, Samuel Stalcup, George Moon, William Harned, Adam Beard, Abraham Cook, the families of Spalding, Pearson, Spivy, Crittendon and Saunders. Still later came William Holaday, Jesse Wells, William Wellman, Thomas Maxedon, Col. John Lyon, Jesse Pirtle, Drury White, Charles Manslip, Samuel McIntosh, James Agan, Isom Stroud and Peter Stalcup.

LAND ENTRIES

Up to and including the year 1812 the following entries of land were made in Southeast Township: Township 1 south, Range 1 east - Robert Hollowell, November 30, 1809, 160 acres, Section 1; John Hollowell, November 30, 1809, 320 acres, Section 11; John Hollowell, June 30, 1807, 160 acres, Section 15. Township 1 south. Range 2 east - Henry H. Jones, March 20, 1812, 160 acres in Section 29. All other persons who entered land in this township prior to the year 1820, were: David Colclasure in 1814; Thomas Wilson and Thomas Hollowell in 1815; Jacob Smith and Richard Weathers in 1816; John and Henry Holland and Arthur Whitehead in 1817; John Dougherty, William Harned, William White, Daniel Hadley, James French and Abraham Colclasure in 1818; John Coffee, Thomas Maxedon, Thomas Sulling, Samuel Stalcup, Samuel McGee and Joseph Weathers in 1819.

It is difficult for the present generation, in the midst of modern advancement and with the rapid, transportation of the day, to comprehend the situation of early settlers. Modern appliances lightened not their task nor shortened their toil. To clear away the giant trees as they were found in the undisturbed forests was the first hard labor that engaged the hands of the pioneer. Soon the echoing ax and smoking log-heaps told where the van of civilization was advancing. Corn was then the "staff of life" and was the first crop of the soil. The difficulties to be surmounted in getting corn ground were indeed great to the first settlers. They went for this purpose to Jeffersonville, Ind., for some time after their settlement here, and their trip would usually consume two or three days. About the year 1818 John Hollowell built a "horse-mill" near his home, and although it did but a poor job at grinding, it was immediately resorted to by nearly every one in that section of the country. Thomas Self built a mill on Patoka Creek about three years later, which soon superseded the "horse-mill," and after several years of usefulness was finally abandoned, and is now entirely gone. The first and only steam grist-mill in the township was built in 1852 by William Pearson & Sons. This was for a long time one of the leading mills of the county, and in addition to grinding both wheat and corn it did an extensive business in wool carding, having two sets of cards in operation. The mill was discontinued about the year 1875 on account of being worn out, and since then the township has had no grist-mill. The first saw-mill was built by Samuel Harned on his farm near Valeene, and was run by the waters of Patoka Creek. For several years it was in full operation. but has for some time been destroyed. There are at present two steam portable saw-mills in the township. Besides these there is a chair factory about two miles northwest of Valeene, operated by George Daily, who does a good business in manufacturing split-bottom chairs.

Many of the older men of to-day retain recollections that are both pleasant and interesting to hear narrated concerning the customs and habits of frontier life as it existed in Orange County years ago. It speaks much for their industry when in hearing them tell of the log-rollings they used to attend, you learn that it was the rule for the men to make a "heap around agin breakfast." The people there were generous and hospitable to a degree scarcely known in the present day, and if a neighbor was in distress, he at once received the undivided attentions of all in his vicinity. Nor did they look on and pity, but they took hold and helped. When a new settler came to their community, they all turned out to welcome him in a hearty way, often by gathering at his chosen spot, and in one day would chop and build his cabin home. House-raisings were of frequent occurrence, and at these it was the custom for the owner to have a pail of "grog" near by to stimulate his benefactors into greater efforts. The people of Southeast Township have this to their credit, however, that in matters of temperance their record has always been fully up with any in the county. Like every other new country, this section was blessed with the shooting-match. At these a beef was usually the prize to be won, and was divided into five choices as follows: The first and second were to have the two hind quarters, the third and fourth the fore quarters, and the fifth was to have the hide and tallow.

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