this route some teaming was done even to Chicago.
Helt Township has contributed an interesting share to the science of archaeology. In the summer of 1884, a number of workmen, while digging gravel in the mound just east of William Bales' place, brought to light the skeletons of more than half a dozen of the aborigines. Various relics were found, consisting of bone and stone. There was no metallic tool of any sort in the grave. Under the skull of the first skeleton found, -- undoubtedly the chief or sachem of the tribe, -- was perhaps half a bushel of arrow-heads. A pipe was found, the bowl of which was perfectly hollowed. It was made of a hard species of soapstone. Was it his calumet of peace? Two pieces of what one would suppose to be a fish-spear, made from the antler of a deer, was procured from the heap of arrow-heads, together with the jaw-bones of a dog and several beaver teeth. One spear-head, six inches long, the middle portion of which was gone, had barbs, about an inch apart, on one side only. The absence of fire-arms indicates that these remains have been lying here since a period prior to the advent of the white man.
March 31, 1883, occurred the first "fox drive" ever held in Vermillion County. The citizens placed themselves, according to advertised programme, in a kind of circle around a large section of territory, mostly in Helt Township. They started forward at 9:30 A.M. All the marshals exercised due diligence to keep the men in proper shape, none of whom were allowed to be intoxicated or to have a dog or gun. The east and north divisions, having to travel over a very broken section of the country, and some of the men also disobeying orders, permitted eight foxes to escape. At half past 11 o'clock men and boys could be seen in every direction, about 800 strong, approaching the center; and it was also observed at this moment, that three red foxes were surrounded. Forming into a ring about forty yards in diameter on the meadow near the Conley school-house, three of the most active young men entered the ring to capture the game by their unassisted hands. One fox, which was crippled in trying to pass out, was soon caught; but the other two were chased for some time, when finally one of them broke the line where some women were standing and got away. The remaining one, after being chased for some time by different ones, was finally caught by Fred Ford.
William Darnell was called for, who at auction sold the two foxes to the highest bidder, Richard Wimsett, of Opeedee. Every one present enjoyed the sport.
It could plainly be seen that many important improvements could be made in the plan and execution of the "drive," and accordingly the next spring, March 15, 1884, they tried it again, on a larger scale, without catching a single fox. The conclusion was that there were no foxes on the ground to be caught; but some say the territory was too large. It comprised a portion of Helt and Vermillion Townships.
In looking through the files of the Hoosier State five to twenty years back, one finds many crimes and misdemeanors reported from every part of the county, -- appropriate enough for a newspaper but inappropriate in a general history like this. The execution of Walter Watson, for the murder of Ezra Compton at Highland, has already been related in this work. We hope every reader will pardon us for introducing one more item from that newspaper, as an example of the amusing style in which many of the squabbles in this county were related.
"Hair Pulling: a Church Scene in Helt
Township: Two Belligerent Females Get on Their Muscle and Make the Hair Fly. It becomes our sad duty this week to record a big hair pulling by a couple of young women of Helt Township. Both bear a respectable character, and also a first-class temper. The time was Sunday, December 20 1874, and the Brick Church, three miles west of Highland, was the place. The young ladies met in the aisle after services were over, and, after a few hot words, the hair pulling commenced, and was continued with fury for several minutes, hair, curls and chignons flying in every direction, to the dismay of the assembled multitude. Both will now have to wear wigs for a spell, to conceal their prairie heads from public gaze. It is through fear that we withhold their names from the public; for we don't want to be put to the necessity of buying a wig these hard times."
This is the name of the postoffice at the village called Bono, in the southwestern part of the township. The village was started in 1848, by Tilly Jenks and others, when the site was covered with a thick growth of timber and under-brush. The first store was established by James Bacon, between 1850 and 1860. In the spring of 1863, Edward English established a grocery, selling out in August of the same year to Francis M. Austin who now keeps a "general store" at the place. John F. Hays is another merchant here. The village, although never laid out and platted, has all the elements of a little town. The population now is over eighty. There is one physician here, three church organizations, -- Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist, -- one church building, a school-house, blacksmith shop and a post of the Grand Army of the Republic. In early day a soceity of Sons of Temperance existed here, and later, in the '60s, a lodge of the Good Templars. The postoffice was established here in 1871, with Francis M. Austin as post-master, who still holds the office. There being another Bono in Indiana, the postoffice was named Toronto, the office by this name a mile and a half north having been previously discontinued.
John C. Jenks Post, No. 263, G. A. R., was chartered with the following officers and members: Francis M. Austin, Post Commander; William L. Kerns, Senior Vice-Commander; Henry Barnhart, Junior Vice-Commander; George W. Campbell, Quarter-master; Edwin Tiffany, Chaplain; Lewis H. Beckman, Adjustant; Henry H. Aye, Officer of the Day; A. J. Pitts, Surgeon; Solomon Carpenter, John Beard, William F. Morrison, Francis C. Combs, William A. Goodwin and John Myers. The post is in good working order, enjoying peace and harmony. Membership, twenty-six, meeting the first Saturday of each month. present officers -- Henry H. Aye, Post-Commander; W. F. Kerns, Senior Vice-Commander; Henry Barnhart, Junior Vice-Commander; Stephen Jenks, Quartermaster; William A. Goodwin, Chaplain; L. L. Goodwin, Adjustant; F. M. Austin, Officer of the Day; Edwin Tiffany, Officer of the Guard.
This is the most appropriate place we can find for the list of deceased soldiers of the last war, from Helt Township, compiled under the auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic.
| Aikman, Elijah Aikman, James Aikman, William Amerman, Henry Bride, James Brady, James Burnett, William Castle, Dirah Curry, John Ford, Henry Foncannon, Joseph Foncannon, John Gamell, Charles Gerrish, Lucien Hendrixon, Elliott Harper, Daniel Homiday, David Hunter, Solomon James, Solomon R. Luck, Edward Malone, William Mitchell, Benson Mack, Reuben McNamer, John Martin, Levi Nebeker, Jasper Pearman, Sebert Potteroff, Marion Paulley, James Skidmore, Asa Smith, William Southard, John P. Straight, Elmor Tullis, Samuel Wellman, Louis Whitehead, Thomas |
Andrews, Edward Andrews, John Andrews, James Anderson, John P. Blakesley, Albert Burnett, Samuel Clark, John Crane, Benjamin Dorsham, Christopher Ford, Josephus, Leander and Perry
Fisher, JamesGerrish, Charles Gosnold, Oscar Harbison, James Harris, John Hamilton, Benjamin James, Joseph L. Jackson, Ross Longfellow, William Malone, William C. Millikin, Lintott Miller, H. B. Martin, William Morgan, Marion Osborn, William Pollard, Absalom Price, David Staats, George Smith, John Strain, George Spriggs, Enoch Taylor, Leroy Thompson, James White, Frank Winesburg, Henry |
Asbury Lodge, No. 320, F. & A. M., was organized at Bono in 1861, but the membership is now transferred to Dana, which see.
Toronto Presbyterian Church was organized as early as 1850 or '51, by Rev. Gerrish, the house of worship was built during the latter year. It is a frame, 36 x 40 feet in dimensions, and is still in a good state of preservation. Among the early members of the church were James A. Elder and wife, Samuel Elder and wife, etc. Rev. John A. Tiffany was pastor from 1858 to 1866. There are now about twenty communicants; a large proportion are changing their membership to Dana. Rev. Thomas Griffith is the present pastor. A union Sunday-school is kept up throughout the year: Edwin Tiffany, superintendent. A union prayer-meeting is sustained in the church by the Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists.
Hiddle's Prairie Baptist Church. -- In 1852 a branch or "mission" of the Bloomfield Baptist Church was established at Toronto, and July 23, 1853, it was organized as a separate body in the Toronto Presbyterian Chapel, by Rev. G. W. Riley. The constituent members were Chandler Tillotson, John Depuy, James Drinen, Reuben Puffer, Daniel G. Tillotson, John Newton, A. H. Depuy, Hannah Martin, Mary Newton, Eliza J. Depuy, Harriet Puffer, Elizabeth Tillotson, Rebecca Tillotson, Rametha Scott, O. A. Derthic, Harriet Derthic, Adaline Derthic and Mary Derthic.
Revs. John and G. W. Riley were preachers in 1852, the latter being the first pastor. Up to August, 1861, the following were either pastors or supplies: Revs. Joseph Shirk, William McMasters and A. J. Riley; thence to the present, Revs. William McMasters 1861-'62; Melvin McKee, 1862-'63; William McMasters 1863-'65; Melvin McKee, 1865-'66; D. S. French, 1866,-'68; William McMasters, 1868-'77; A. J. Riley, 1877-'79; G. T. Willis, 1879-'82; J. M. Kendall, 1883; no pastor, 1882-'86, except a few months in 1883; W. T. Cuppy, 1886-'87.
Services every fourth Sunday.
Toronto Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in February, 1853, by Rev. John Lach, who had just conducted a successful series of revival meetings here. He died twenty years ago. Among the first members were John Jenks and family, William Jordan and wife, Mrs. Tiller Jenks, John R. Wishard and wife, Almeda Jenks (now Eaton), and others. In 1875 a great revival was held by Rev. Jacob Musser. There are now about
sixty members, with Stephen Jenks as class-leader. Services every two weeks, by Rev. William Smith, in the Presbyterian church, Sunday-school, union: Peter Aikman, superintendent.
This point is at the southwest corner of Helt Township. It was named for Philip Jones, who owned a part of the ground upon which it was founded. It was laid out in 1862, by Jones & Wellman, the surveying being done by James Osburn, now of Dana, assisted by Joseph C. Lane and DeWitt Watson. A log cabin was upon the site, and also a better dwelling, erected by Dr. Grimes the previous year. John Ammerman established the first store. There are now two general stores, one drug and grocery store, a flouring-mill, built in 1879, a blacksmith shop, a carpenter and a cabinet-maker, a post of the Grand Army of the Republic, a brick school-house, a United Brethren church, one physician, a justice of the peace, a constable, and a postoffice, named St. Bernice, there being another Jonestown in the State. The office was establisheed here in 1863, with Dr. William Grimes as postmaster. It was first named "Jones," but it was soon found that there was already a Jones postoffice in Indiana.
The population is about 100. There are four brick buildings in the place, -- the school-house, a store and two dwellings. The store, a fine business block, was built in 1880, by William D. McFall, who occupies it with his large stock of goods and the postoffice, he being the present postmaster.
Dr. Thomas M. Lownsdale, practicing physician at Jonestown, was born in Petersburg, Indiana, August 12, 1841, graduated at the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery in February, 1875, and came to this place in October, 1885.
Pleasant Chapel United Brethren Church was organized first at Sugar Grove,, Edgar County, Illinois, in pioneer times, and removed to Pleasant Hill School-house, No. 13, about 1867. Their present commodious church edifice, 30 x 42 feet in size, and costing $1,350, was erected in 1875. There are now eighty or ninety members. Services every two weeks, conducted by Rev. S. S. Sims. Prayer-meeting, Wednesday evening. Sunday-school all the year at 9:30 A. M. Class-meeting when there is no preaching.
A Christian Church was organized here in April, 1883, with nineteen members, now increased to fifty-two. Elders -- Walter Paulley and James Holston. Pastor -- Elder Williams, of Parke County. Sunday-school during the summer.
Just across the Little Raccoon Creek south is the hamlet of Alta, where there are a blacksmith and a machinist. The two villages are regarded as one, and taken together they contain a population of 200.
The mineral resources are good, coal,, building stone and fire-clay being mined in abundance. The fire-clay is of the very best quality, and there is an excellent opening