The following list of early settlers of Helt Township, although apparently systematic, can not be supposed to be complete or free from error, but it is as accurate, we trust, as such data can generally be made. The years indicated at the head of the respective paragraphs are the years in which those mentioned came here as settlers, except where otherwise specified.
1817-'18. -- In the winter of 1817-'18 came Obadiah Swayze, who occupied as a "squatter" one of the three cabins just built by the Helts, spoken of in the next paragraph. He, however, remained as a permanent citizen. His remains now lie buried in Helt's Prairie Cemetery, with his wife, two sons and a daughter. He has a grandson, Wesley Wright, living in Kansas City.
1818. -- Daniel Helt, after whom the prairie and the township were named. He was born in Pennsylvania, in 1791, was a soldier in the war of 1812 under General Harrison, and died March 25, 1879, a good man and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. George, John and Michael Helt -- all now deceased. C. B., Thomas, Hiram, E. B. and F. M. Helt were all born here in pioneer times. Augustus Ford, from Ohio, long since deceased. His son John, born in Ohio in 1809, came with him, and died May 6, 1882, an exemplary member of the Methodist Episcopal church, after having lived upon the farm first occupied for half a century. Mr. Rodney, from Maine. John Skidmore, who died at the age of eighty years. Hon. William Skidmore, who was born February 19, 1819, died several years ago. George Skidmore was born in 1824, and Josiah Skidmore in 1831. Samuel Rush, father of James, who was born in Ohio in 1817. This year, or soon afterward, C. C. Hiddle (or John Hiddle, according to one authority), and John Martin came and built the first cabins on Hiddle's Prairie.
1819 -- Samuel Ryerson, who died January 31, 1862, at Clinton. His wife, Phebe, died in the fall of 1874, at the age of seventy-nine years. She was a remarkable woman. At
the age of twelve years she had never heard one pray. At that time she attended a Methodist meeting, where the expected preacher did not arrive, and the class-leader sang and prayed, which was the means of her conviction and conversion, and she remained a zealous member of the church all her life. She and her husband formed the first Methodist class on Helt's Prairie, consisting of eight persons, soon after their settlement here. A short time before her death she willed $1,500 to the Missionary Society, $500 to Asbury University, $200 to the educational fund of this county, and $200 to the Biblical Institute at Evanston, Illinois, besides other sums, to various individuals.
Matthew Harbison came this year. Joseph Harbison was born in this township in 1834.
1820. -- Mr. Hood, father of Charles D. and S. S., both of whom were born in Tennessee, in 1814 and 1815, and are still living here. According to one authority, Joel Hollingsworth arrived in Helt Township this year.
1821. -- Abraham and Enoch White. The latter was born in Kentucky, in 1814. James Harper. Stephen Harrington, who was born in Ohio in 1814, was a resident here during most of the county's existence. Warham (or "Wirum") Mack, born in Ohio in 1801, died here. The other Macks came later: see under 1832 and 1836.
1822. -- William Andrews, Sr., tanner and farmer, born in Ohio in 1807, (see under 1832), and died of heart decease [sic] in December, 1879, two miles southwest of St. Bernice, a member of the United Brethren church. (For others by the name of Andrews, see under 1832.) John Conley. M. A. Conley, long a resident, was born in this township this year. James Conley, born in Ohio in 1817, is still living here. William Conley was another pioneer.
1823. -- Alanson Church. His son Josiah was born here, September 29, 1823, and died January 7, 1884, two and a half miles west of Summit Grove. Eleven of his twelve children are still living. John Peer, Sr., born in Virginia in 1803, and deceased. John Peer, Jr., a resident, was born here in 1834. The Pearman family; of the younger members, John is living, Benjamin is dead, and besides these there were S. D. and William.
1824. -- John Van Camp, whose house this year was where the first township election was held, moved to Missouri. John Langston, father of Oliver, of Dana. William L. Malone, born in Ohio in 1805, deceased. Richard, his son, was born in the same State, in 1826, and lives in Dana.
1825. -- Caleb Bales, Sr., from Virginia, died in 1836. Caleb Bales, Jr. is living. George Bales, early settler, father of Robert, is dead. William Bales, born in Virginia in 1827, settled in this county in 1831. William F. Bales was born here in 1829. Chandler Tillotson, who came to the county about this period, is dead. Daniel G. and G. B. Tillotson were born here in 1825.
1826. -- Edwin (or Edmund), William and Elijah james. S. R., Joseph, W. A. and S. S. James are all natives of this county. Mr. Keyes, father of Dr. C. F. Keyes. The doctor was born in Indiana, in 1822, brought up in Helt Township, became a competent physician, although somewhat eccentric in style, and died at Dana, February 8, 1884, leaving a wife and five children. John Vanduyn born in New Jersey in 1803, still resides in this township. M. Thompson. Mr. Rhoades, father of Stephen, was born in Kentucky in 1822. William Kearns, born in Kentucky in 1806, is dead. John, his son, was born in 1832, and is still living here. Samuel Pyle, was two years old at this time, when he was brought here; he is still a resident of this township.
1827. -- Washington Engram, born in Kentucky in 1812. John O. Rogers, born this year in Helt Township, resides in Dana. Asa Mack came this year or previously. His son, Dr. Erastus Mack, was born this year, and another son, N. B., born in 1832, went to California.
1828. -- Joel Hollingsworth, who was born in South Carolina in 1801, died May 30, 1875, in this township. (See sketch of Simon Hollingsworth, in the biographical department of this work.) George Hollingsworth, a carpenter, was born in 1827, Indiana, and was brought here in 1839.
1829. -- The French family. Felix French, born here this year, went to Michigan. Samuel French, long a resident. Joseph and John Staats, brothers, are still living here. Joseph, born in Virginia in 1801, came in 1830, and John, who was born in Ohio in 1806, came in 1829. Israel and Abraham Leatherman were lads when they arrived this year. Samuel Hoagland (deceased), was born in this county in 1829, and was a citizen here for a life time. Wesley Southard (deceased), was born in Virginia in 1811. William Russell, Sr., born in Virginia in 1797, is still living here. David and Mahlon Russell were born here, in 1830 and 1833.
1830. -- James L. Wishard, born in Kentucky in 1794, was a soldier of the war of 1812, and died two or three years ago. John O. Wishard, born in the same State, in 1805, came in 1834, and is now deceased. J. H. Wishard, a life-long resident, born this year. James L. Payton, born in Kentucky in 1800, is dead. James Payton, born in 1835, also deceased. A. M. Payton, born in Kentucky in 1823, was seven years of age when brought here. James A. Edmanston, born in Indiana in 1828, was brought here in 1830 and lived here many years, but is now living in Illinois. Robert Norris, born in South Carolina in 1796, died here in 1873. His sons, John and Lewis, are living. John T. Boren, Sr., born in Tennessee in 1800, is not living. J. T. Boren, Jr., was born in this county in 1831. Jacob Miller, born in Kentucky in 1818, is still a resident here. Mary E. Miller, born in North Carolina in 1816, came in 1831. John and O. R. Blakesley, born here in 1830 and 1833, remained as residents until their death.
1831. -- Joseph Jones, born in Kentucky in 1810; Matthew Jones, born in North Carolina in 1818; Thomas Jones, shoemaker, born in the same State in 1820; and Wiley Jones, born also in the same State in 1824, all came this year. Wiley soon moved on to Illinois. William Jones, an old resident, was born in Indiana in 1829.
1832. -- James Andrews came previously to 1834. John Andrews, still living here. Sara Eliza Andrews, born in 1820, married Mr. Dethrick and moved West. Hannah Andrews born in Massachusetts in 1823, came to this county in 1839. John W. Reed, born in North Carolina in 1822, resided here from 1832 until his death September 14, 1885, at Dana. David Reed, born in North Carolina in 1825, is still living. P. M. Stokesberry, born in Ohio in 1808, is not now living. James H. White, who was born in Tennessee in 1805; and O. J. White was born this year in Helt Township. William Higbie, born in Ohio in 1814, lived here until recently.
1833. -- J. S. Fisher (deceased), born in Kentucky in 1808. Benjamin, James and Joseph Fisher, pioneers, and life-long citizens, are all deceased. Benjamin Miles, born in Kentucky in 1813, is still living here. Mr. Foncannon, from Virginia. H. W. and John R. Roshstan, living in Dana. James A. Elder and James R. Finnell, the former from Ohio, and the latter from Kentucky, were
both eleven years of age when brought here in 1833, and are still living in Helt Township. O. Chambers and Charles Craig were born here this year.
1834. -- Samuel Aikman, born in Indiana in 1814, is living in Dana. Robert McDowell, born in Kentucky in 1820, is deceased. J. D. McDowell, born in this county in 1836, is a life-long resident. Mr. Johnson, some time this year or previously. John R. Johnson, born in Ohio in 1833, was brought here in 1834; and S. Johnson was born here in 1835.
1835. -- Samuel Tullis, born in Virginia in 1794, resided here until his death, at Bono, October 14, 1877, a member of the Christian church. His wife died two months previously. John Jenks, born in Vermont in 1803, is not living. S. Ponton, born in Virginia in 1787, is deceased. John S. Ponton, born in Ohio in 1831, died here about a year ago. John Jackson, who had several sons, and is deceased. Andrew Jackson, born in Ohio in 1823, is still living here. Joseph Jackson, James C. Burson. Isaac N. Bullington, born in Kentucky in 1807.
1836. -- Cephas Mack, born in Massachusetts in 1815, died April 29, 1885, in Helt Township. His brother, Spencer, born in the same State, in 1818, settled here in 1838, and is not living.
1837. -- Benjamin Harper, born in Virginia in 1796, died August 2, 1877. His wife, Charlotte, died March 2, 1884, aged narly eighty-two years. John R. Porter, born in Massachusetts in 1824, died in 1878. James F. Barnett, Sr., born in Kentucky in 1815, after settling here became a merchant in Eugene.
1838. -- Henry Mitchell, blacksmith, born in New York in 1809, died here, June 20, 1881. William M. Price, born in Maryland in 1811, is still a resident of this township. W. C. and Abel Randall, from Ohio.
1839. -- William Thompson, born in Kentucky in 1818, died here in the spring of 1887. David D. Thompson, born in the same State, in 1827, died February 1, 1880. Erastus Crane, born in Vermont in 1804, resided in Helt Township from 1839 to the time of his death. Elijah and N. E. Taylor, Reuben Puffer, F. S. Aye and many others.
1840. -- Stephen Milliken, born in Pennsylvania in 1803, deceased. J. L. Powers, born in Virginia in 1803; also deceased.
Other early settlers were -- Samuel Rice, William Hays, Peter Higbie, Henry Bogart, Richard, Isaac and John Short, Carmack, etc., etc., nearly all of whom are dead.
The first white child born in Helt Township was Honorable William Skidmore, in 1819; and it is not a settled point whether he or John Vannest, Jr., of Clinton Township, was the first born in the county.
The first church building in the township was the Salem Church, on Helt's Prairie, erected in 1848.
The first school was taught on this prairie, prior to 1830.
The first mill in the township was built upon the bank of Coal Branch, a little stream which takes its rise in the central part of the township and flows southwest. This mill was built by William Anderson in 1836, but it has long since fallen into disuse, and Coal Branch looks as if it could never have run a mill.
The Davis Ferry, at Opeedee, about three and a half miles below Newport, was a famous place in early day, as it was the favorite place of crossing the Wabash for those who were traveling north, the second bottoms on the west side of the river affording much better wagon roads than the east side. By