Gardner, from North Carolina, who settled Walnut Grove: Mr. Worth selected lands which have been held by his family to the fourth generation. Alexander Richardson and wife Mahala at Eugene, he died in Indianapolis in 1864 (or '74), and she March 3, 1880, at the age of seventy years. She was born in Knox County, Kentucky, and was but eight years of age when her parents moved to this State settling at Bloomington. Lewis Hollingsworth was born in this county in 1835. On Coleman's Prairie settled families by the name of Wilson, Dicken, Hopkins, etc.
John R. Porter, A. M., circuit judge for many years, and an advanced farmer between Eugene and Newport, was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, February 22, 1796, of an "old English" family; graduated at Union College, Schenectady, New York, in 1815, taking the first honors of his class; studied law, and in 1818 became a partner of his preceptor; about 1820 he came to Paoli, Orange County, Indiana, where he was county clerk, postmaster and circuit judge. While there he married Mary Worth. Receiving from the Legislature the appointment as President Judge of Western Indiana, he moved to this county, settling in Eugene township. His circuit extended from the Ohio River to Lake Michigan. His term expired in 1837. Here he was elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the counties of Parke and Vermillion, which office he held until his death, about 1850. He was a prominent statesman in early day, in laying the foundation of Indiana jurisprudence. Was a close reader of Eastern agricultural papers, and also of the ancient classics, and foreign quarterly reviews and magazines. His conversational powers were accordingly very great, and his letters and contributions to the press were gems of eloquence. He was in correspondence, more or less, with such men as General Harrison, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, etc., besides many Georgia "colonels." Prominent men of Indiana were often his guests. He was the leading spirit in all public mass meetings in his neighborhood assembled for deliberation on measures of public welfare. Was president of the Logansport convention, which gave initial direction to the construction of the Wabash Valley Railroad.
As an agriculturist he was scientific and in advance of all his neighbors, -- so far indeed as often to excite their ridicule. He led in the rearing of fine-wooled sheep, and in the cultivation of Switzer lucerne, ruta-bagas, sugar beets, moris multicaulis, Baden corn and hemp. Although these rare things never were remunerative in cash, they paid well in pleasure.
Judge Porter's children were John W., deceased, Isaac, Dewey and Abba. John W. married Henrietta, daughter of Andrew Tipton, a neighbor, and their family consisted of two sons and four daughters. The widow is still living, on the old homestead. Isaac is a successful business man of Danville, Illinois. Dewey is a farmer on the old homestead. Abba married Dr. Davidson, of California, who afterward returned to this county and died on his farm near the old homestead.
Eugene Township, as will be seen from several pages of this work, is noted for antiquities. Besides those related in the introductory chapters of this history, we specify two or three more in this connection, for want of a better classification.
In 1869 Prof. John Collett discovered in a mound near Eugene a small coin upon which was an untranslatable inscription, in char-
Early settlers near Eugene found an ax growing in the heart of an oak with 125 rings of growth outside of it, thus indicating that the implement was left there as early as 1712, probably by a French missionary. While it is generally understood, and is generally true, that a ring of wood growth indicates a year's time, the question has recently been mooted by botanists whether it is always exactly true, as some of them seem to have evidence that there is variation both ways, -- that is, that some unfavorable seasons produce no distinct ring, while other and more favorable years sometimes produce two rings. Different kinds of trees, different stages of development and different situations also produce variations.
In zoology, the following incident illustrates a rare trait of animal nature: One evening about sundown, in April, 1868, as "Eel" Vickers, who lived about four miles northwest of Eugene, was returning home from a house-raising, he was suddenly alarmed by the scream of a lynx, which he soon discovered was in pursuit of him. Being unarmed, he dared not give battle, and began to run homeward with all his might. Of course the beast could easily enough have overtaken Vickers at a bound or two, whenever it desired, but such is feline nature that it occasionally rested a moment and screamed most terrifically. When Vickers approached his house the animal jumped around in front of him, to intercept his passage to the house; but at this critical moment the dogs arrived and chased it away. Its previous yelling had alarmed them and brought them out just in time, but with not a second to lose!
November 7, 1874, George Barbour, a cooper from Browntown, went to Eugene, with five or six other hands, and he, with two or three others, became very drunk. On their way home Barbour was murdered, in this township, and his body so concealed that it was not found until January 18 following, when a man named Smith was passing along the road and chanced to notice a dog at some distance, devouring a suspicious-looking mass! The victim was a man about twenty-four years of age. In his pockets were found several photographs, two or three letters, and a receipt from the Coopers' Union, of Terre Haute, for quarterly dues as a member of that organization.
This village was laid out by S. S. Collett, in 1827, about the "Big Vermillion" mill of James Groenendyke, on a most eligible site. Samuel W. Malone, the present hotel-keeper, who located here in 1827, is the oldest living resident, and is still an active man. James P. Naylor, father of William L., came the next year.
As previously remarked, Eugene is another example of those numerous towns that were killed by the railroad passing just at killing distance; but it is a beautiful place for a quiet residence. The present population is estimated at about 500. Two or three conspicuous features strike the stranger who visits the place. One is, a most magnificent row of sugar-maple shade trees for a distance of two squares on the west side of the main business street. Each tree, with a perfectly symmetrical head, covers an area of forty feet in diameter. In the western part of the village is the most beautiful, perfect, large white elm the writer ever saw.
The ground upon which Eugene is situated is just sandy enough to be good for gardening, and at the same time prevent being muddy in rainy seasons. Wells are sunk only eighteen or twenty feet to find the purest
water, in a bed of gravel. Several large springs are in the vicinity. The river here, especially below the mill-dam, affords the best fishing of all points probably within a radius of fifty miles or more. fish weighing sixty pounds or more are sometimes caught, and German carp, one of the planted fish, weighing eight pounds, are occasionally captured.
The country here is all underlaid with coal. There is one vein of nine feet, with only a seam of ten or twelve inches dividing it.
Among the modern enterprises of Eugene is the organization of the Joint Stock Fair Association, who held their first fair last fall, beginning September 28, 1886. James Malone, President; H. D. Sprague, Vice-President; John S. Grondyke, Secretary; M. G. Hosford, Assistant Secretary; H. O. Peters, Treasurer; J. E. Whipple, Assistant Treasurer; J. E. Bennett, Superintendent; G. L. Watson, Assistant Superintendent, Directors -- J. H. Hes, Samuel Grondyke, N. M. Tutt, Eli McDaniel, Dr. E. A. Flaugher, Fred Hiberly, William Collett, Henry Dickason, Milton Wright, John Lane and James Arrasmith, -- a formidable list of the best names in the northern part of the county. Their exhibition last fall was greatly curtailed by rainy weather.
On the bank of the river here was erected by James Groenendyke, some time previous to 1824, a water, saw and grist-mill, which, with its successors, has enjoyed the greatest notoriety of all in the county. While Mr. Coleman owned it many years ago, the dam was washed away and the present mill, erected in 1885, is the third building on the site, two others having been burned down. It is a large roller mill, owned and managed by Samuel Bowers, recently from Danville, Illinois.
There is no newspaper at Eugene. The Eugene News Letter was started by Dr. R. M. Waterman at Eugene in 1837, the first newspaper in Vermillion County. It lived but six months. Robert B. Dickason, now of Perrysville, was a compositor in the office. Thus Eugene Township has been the seat of the first and of the last newspapers of the county.
or Eugene Station, is the name of the depot at the railroad crossing a mile and a quarter southeast of Eugene. An ambitious little village is springing up about the station. A fine grist-mill, several stores, a newspaper, etc., are in full blast. The place was at first called Osonimon, after an Indian chief of that name.
The "Cayuga Mills" were built in 1885 by the Cayuga Milling Company, consisting of Samuel K. Todd, Monroe G. Hosford and Eli H. McDaniel. It is a frame building, 36 x 42 feet, four stories high, and has the full roller process, with a capacity of 100 barrels a day. The engine is the Ide automatic, sixty-four-horse power. All the modern improved processes for purifying the wheat and manufacturing first-class flour are placed in the mill, including the recently invented Case's automatic wheat weigher. Mr. Todd is the experienced miller who runs the works. The mill was built in a wheat-field, and was the first at the station.
May 14, 1887, is the date of the first issue of the Cauga Journal, by James E. Whipple. It is a six column folio, "independent in all things and neutral in nothing." The proprietor and editor was born at Vinton, Iowa, September 3, 1857, the son of Lucien R. Whipple, who has been a resident of Eugene from 1840 to the present, except a few years in Iowa. Mr. Whipple was brought up in
Eugene, where he was bookkeeper for Mr. Peters a few years, and was also insurance agent. he has been justice of the peace, and is now deputy prosecuting attorney, and secretary of the Cayuga Building Loan Association. He married Ellen Thompson, daughter of John Thompson, deceased. They have one child named Blaine.
Among the physicians of Eugene we may mention Dr. R. M. Waterman, who came here previous to 1837 and lived here until his death, about 1867 or '68, except a short time at Lodi, Indiana, whence he entered the army. He was a "regular"physician, from Rhode Island, and started the first newspaper in Vermillion County, as elsewhere noticed. Dr. James McMeen practiced here many years, and in 1886 removed to Danville, Illinois. Dr. William C. Eichelberger is another physician of Eugene.
Previous to 1871 the village of Eugene had but three and a half months' school per annum, the only fund for maintaining it being that which was drawn from the State, and the school-house was an incompetent frame. In 1872-'73, Anthony Fable, the trustee, levied the first tax for the support of schools, and also for the erection of a brick school-house worthy of the place. He met with some opposition, a few individuals thinking he transcended his authority. They obtained an injunction restraining the collection of the tax, but through the intervention of Messrs. Jump & Eggleston, attorneys at Newport, the injunction was dissolved, and the work went on. The people also were generally convinced that if a new school-house were not built then it would be many years before one would be built. Accordingly the structure was completed in 1873, at a cost of $6,000. It has four rooms; the school is graded, and kept six months in the year; and everything now seems to be proceeding smoothly. James Malone is the present trustee. Mr. Fable was trustee 1869-'81, and for a time sustained school nine months to the year.
A Masonic lodge was organized at Eugene in 1847, with forty-six or forty-seven members. Among the first officers were C. M. Comages, Worshipful Master; Harvey Skelton, Senior Warden; Dr. R. M. Waterman, Junior Deacon; George Sears, Secretary; Anthony Fable, Treasurer; Mr. Elsley, Tyler. Mr. Fable is the only one of the original official board who is now living. The membership in the course of time reached sixty in number, comprising men from almost all part of the county. The lodge, however, ran down about thirty years ago, as other lodges were organized at neighboring points and drew away the membership. Newport, Lodi and Perrysville obtained their nuclei from the Eugene lodge. Harvey Skelton was the last master.
Setting Sun Lodge, No. 583, I. O. O. F., was organized April 27, 1881, with seventeen members, and the following officers; William H. Hood,, Noble Grand; E. B. Johnson, Vice Grand; H. O. Peters, Treasurer; D. W. Bell, Secretary. The present membership is twenty-seven, and the officers are: D. L. Peters, Noble Grand; James Thomas, Vice-Grand; J. T. Higgins, Secretary; D. W. Bell, Treasurer.
Eugene Post, No. 22, G. A. R., was organized in 1876, with about twenty-two members, afterward increased to thirty-five, but now there are only ten. The first officers were: William C. Eichelberger, Post Commander; E. B. Johnson, Senior Vice Commander; Thomas Thompson, Junior Vice-Commander; William Johnson, Adjutant; L. R. Whipple, Officer of the Day; John C.