HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
CHAPTER 4
THE COUNTY LIBRARY
It was provided by legislative enactment that ten percentum of the proceeds of the sale of town lots should be used in the purchase and maintenance of a county library. This furnished an excellent fund for that purpose, and at an early day a comparatively large library was collected. This was much more valuable then than now. There were then but few newspapers; now the American world needs no other instructor of current or perhaps past events. There was then a great demand for books, and the county library in a measure supplied the demand. By 1829 there had been expended for miscellaneous books the sum of $422.61. During the decade of the thirties about as much more was thus expended. Rules and regulations governing the loaning and perusal of the books were adopted. Trustees, a Treasurer and a Librarian were the officers. The names of the early officers cannot be given. The Trustees in 1842 were J. G. Clendenin, A. J. Simpson, Cornelius White, Josiah Hazlewood. William Craig. Thomas J. Throop and John Baker. As the old books were worn out they were replaced by new ones to the extent of the library fund, which after 1840 was practically nothing. The library began to run down, though in the fifties it was revived somewhat. The absence of a continuous and permanent fund to maintain it, and the growing value and popularity of newspapers soon retired the old library to the dark and musty shelves.
THE TOWNSHIP AND McCLURE LIBARIES
Another system for the diffusion of general information was that of the township libraries furnished by the State early in the fifties. The number of libraries to each county was determined by the population. Each library comprised about 300 volumes of the best works of that day in all departments of literature. In 1854 - 55 the distribution of these libraries occurred in this county - eight in all, as follows: one to Paoli Township, one to Orleans Township, one to Orangeville and Northwest Townships, one to Greenfield and Jackson Townships, and one to each of the townships, French Lick, Southeast, Northeast and Stampers Creek. The libraries were in charge of the Township Trustees. They supplied an eager want for many years. Quite early in the fifties a benevolent gentleman of southern Indiana named McClure, dying, bequeathed an enormous fortune to the founding of "Workingmen’s Institutes," in sums of $500 each, to be expended in books for the use only of "men Who earned their bread by the sweat of their brows." One of these institutes was founded at Paoli, and it is said two or three others were founded in other parts of the county. The $500 was received at Paoli in November, 1855, and by the following May had all been expended for books. The first officers of the institute were: W. H. Jackson, President; H. C. Wible, Vice-President; Henry Comingore, Treasurer and Librarian; A. M. Black, Secretary. The membership fee was fixed at 50 cents. This library continued popular for a period of years, but is now seldom thought of or used.
RAILROADS
The first railroad agitation was in the fall of 1848 over the Ohio & Mississippi project. Public meetings were held to get offers of assistance and to petition the authorities for the road. Later it was learned that the road would go to the north. This at the time was felt to be a severe blow to Orleans, though she still had the extreme probability of the newly-talked of New Albany & Salem Railroad. Paoli struggled hard to have the Ohio & Mississippi Road pass, as it was first projected, westward through Salem, Livonia, Paoli, and thence on westward toward St. Louis. John Baker, A. J. Simpson, Dr. W. F. Sherrod and others delivered addresses in the county to thoroughly arouse the people. But all this effort was wasted. The New Albany & Salem Railroad (as it was at first called) became a certainty, however, and great efforts were made by the residents of Paoli and those of the southwestern half of the county to secure the location through the county seat. The prospect was not favorable, though Orleans seemed sure of the prize. At last the route was definitely fixed through Orleans, and a large number of citizens of that town and vicinity assembled and celebrated the occasion. The work was soon completed, and about October 30, 1851, the first locomotive reached the town. As soon as it became certain that Paoli was to lose the road, she endeavored to get a branch road to Orleans, and in a public meeting held in December, 1851, subscribed $15,000 for that purpose and sent a petition to the officers of the road, who seemed favorable to the project. This plan soon failed, and the next was to get a different road built from Cannelton via Paoli to Orleans, but this scheme also proved chimerical.
No other railroad enterprises were undertaken in Orange County until 1870, when the Sandusky, Seymour & Evansvil1e Company signified their willingness to reach Paoli if the proper assistance was given. On the 2nd of July, 1870, at a large public meeting at Paoli, it was resolved to assist the enterprise to the utmost, and a sum of money was subscribed to defray the expense. The question of raising a tax for the road was submitted to the county, and resulted as follows: For the tax, 265; against the tax, 1,261. Paoli and French Lick Townships were the only ones favoring the tax. In 1871 the question was submitted again to those townships through which the road would pass. Paoli voted 284 for, and 64 against; Stampers Creek and Northeast also voted "yes." Orleans voted "yes" should the road touch that town. Great efforts were made to get the road, but without avail. Orangeville and French Lick voted a tax for the Rockport & Northern Railroad in 1871-72, but through some irregularity another election was held and both townships voted against the tax. On the question of a tax for the Lake Erie, Evansville & Southwestern Railway, Greenfield voted 74 for and 102 against. Late in 1872 French Lick voted 131 for and 15 against, and Orangeville 58 for and 50 against, a tax for the Cincinnati & Southwestern Railway. Jackson voted 26 for and 82 against a tax for the Lake Erie Road. In 1877 French Lick voted 117 for and 93 against aid for the Indianapolis & Evansville Railroad. In 1879 the following townships voted on the question of aiding the Evansville & Seymour Railway: Paoli 225 for and 147 against; Stampers Creek 31 for and 100 against; French Lick 116 for and 67 against: Jackson 81 for and 85 against. The next year several of the townships on the north voted on the question of aiding the Mitchell, French Lick & Dubois Railway. The county has shown her willingness to assist worthy railway projects, but has so far failed to secure the coveted boon save in one case. The citizens of Paoli went so far in 1871 as to organize the Orange Railroad Society, the object being to construct and operate a railway from Paoli to Orleans. T. N. Braxtan became President; James M. Andrew, Vice-President; John R. Simpson, Secretary: John C. Albert, Corresponding Secretary; Dr. L. S. Bowles, Treasurer. The plan was soon found impracticable and was abandoned.