INDIAN PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP---DESCRIPTION---TOPOGRAPHY, ETC.---EARLY SETTLEMENTS---PIONEER IMPROVEMENTS AND INDUSTRIES---EARLY PREACHERS AND CHURCHES---FIRST SCHOOL TEACHERS---FIRST DEATH IN THE TOWNSHIP---CHURCHES, PREACHERS AND OFFICERS---JOHNSONVILLE---WHEN AND BY WHOM LAID OUT---ITS GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENTS AND ITS FUTURE OUTLOOK---RAILROAD PROSPECTS---BLUE POINT---WHEN LAID OUT AND BY WHOM---A LIST OF TOWNSHIP OFFICERS, ETC., ETC., ETC.
"Where nothing dwelt but beasts of prey,
Or men as fierce and wild as they,
He bids the oppressed and poor repair
And build them towns and cities there."
------Old Hymn.
INDIAN PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP, to which this chapter is devoted, was organized as such in 1859. It is bounded on the north by Clay County, on the east by Bedford, on the south by Arrington and on the west by Brush Creek Townships, and comprises one and one-half Congressional townships, making fifty-four sections, and is known as Town 1 and 2 north, and Range 3 east. The name was given in honor of a tribe of Indians who inhabited this beautiful land many years ago. The township is about equally divided between woodland and prairie. The former, when cleared of its massive growth of white, jack, black, pin and post oak, hickory, walnut, sassafras, elm and various shrubs, is well adapted to the cultivation of corn, wheat, rye, oats and vegetables, while the prairie is especially adapted to the grasses. Many acres of the "red-top" are grown with abundant success. The portion known as Johnson's Prairie, was so named after a man by the name of Johnson, who was an early hunter here, but whose history went out into the dim and shadowy past and cannot now be secured. Dry Fork is the most important stream in the township, and has its source in Section 15, from a small stone quarry, and runs southward through Arrington Township, and when entering Big Mound Township it spreads out into a swamp, but is again formed into a channel which empties into Skillet Fork near the boundary line between Wayne and Hamilton Counties. Rock Branch and Elk Fork having their sources, the former in Section 16, and the latter in Section 28, constitute the only important affluents of Dry Fork. Along the northern boundary of the township courses Bear Creek in an easterly direction. This stream received its name from the number of bears seen and killed along its banks, and was christened such by a Mr. Meisenheimer, who was a very early settler. The principal early roads were the Maysville & Mount Vernon, and the Fairfield & Salem, each of which crossed this township.
Who the first settlers of Indian Prairie Township were is not known. Isaac Elliott, Thomas Elliott and Mathias Meisenheimer were among the first, if not the first, white men who settled permanently in what was then Indian Prairie. The exact time of their settlement is not fixed, but it was while the Indians held almost unbounded sway of all the eye could see. It is probable that these men came from Pennsylvania, and they settled in territory that is now Clay County. Meisenheimer was a brother-in-law to the Elliotts, and he and Isaac were strong supporters of the Methodist Episcopal faith, and were among the leading characters in organizing a church of this denomination near where they settled. Meisenheimer died after having done considerable to improve the wild country. He was the projector and operator of a saw mill on Raccoon Creek, and was the father of Isaac, Levi, Jackson, John, Isaiah, David, Ellen and Betsey. Isaac Elliott resides in Xenia, and maintains the same good health that it has been his fortune to experience through life. Thomas Elliott was a Universalist, and exerted his energy to establish his religious belief in the community where he lived. He has long since been summoned from earth's labors. John M. Griffith was a local Methodist minister who came very early to the northern part of the township. He preached and taught school in any cabins he could obtain, and later he erected a double log cabin, and in one department had his dwelling and in the other he taught all the children for three or four miles circuit. He died the father of Martha, Elijah, Olive, John, Thomas, William, Jesse, Jane, Mary, Elizabeth and Rebecca. A number of "squatters" were in the north part of the township in 1839, but soon after that year they moved away.
Alf. Hargraves settled pretty early in the southwest part of the township; was a farmer and reared quite a large family. Clint, one of his sons, occupies the old homestead.
William Sessions came to the township in 1838, from Kentucky, and settled on Section 9. After awhile he sold out and went to Texas; was an honest man and made considerable money while here. His children, Richard and Mary J., the wife of N. King, are living in the county. Robert Galbraith came from Jefferson County, this State, in 1839, and settled on Section 17. In 1859, he removed to Johnsonville, where he had for some time been operating a blacksmith shop. He died November 9, 1870 in Johnsonville, and his consort died in 1872. Their union resulted in several children, five of whom are living, namely, Wiley, A. T., Martha (the wife of W. Ellis), Elizabeth J. and step-son, T. P. Alvis. Robert Galbraith was Postmaster at Johnsonville one term; was a man of good standing; a Democrat until the war, at which time he united with the Republicans, and was aggressive in espousing that cause. James McGrew settled in what is now Clay County before 1832; was a Methodist preacher, and died in that county. John McGrew, his son, sold a farm to Daniel McDaniels, who settled on the same in 1839, and died there about five years subsequent. He was a native of North Carolina, and married and settled in East Tennessee, and from there came to the place spoken of above. Richard Burg settled on Section 12, in the spring of 1839, and put up a log cabin. He remained here but a short time, selling to Thomas Howe, who lived there until his death. Howe was from Marion County, Ill., and held some township offices here; he and son, Clark, were distinguished as expert hunters, and played havoc with the wild animals that then inhabited the prairies.
Richard Clark came from Marion County, this State, in 1839, and settled on Section 4, where he remained until 1847, when he traded farms with William Irvin, of Hickory Hill Township, and each became permanent residents of the respective townships.
Wiley and W. W. Galbraith came to the township in 1841, and settled on Section 21. The former is now a resident of Alexander County, and the latter died in Jonsonville.
W. B. Goodpaster came from Tennessee about the year 1843-44, and located on Section 10. He was a trader and dealt mostly in stock, but after a short period he located in Menard County, this State.
A. S. Hargraves came in 1839 from Kentucky, and was soon guilty of matrimony with Milley A. Cliff, of Hickory Hill Township. He was an active man and held some of the township offices. He died near Rinard in 1875. Samuel Halliday bought William Sessions out in 1859, and after the late war he sold and returned to Ohio. Some of his sons are influential and wealthy citizens of Cairo, Ill. A. Maxey settled on Section 16, now the home of Col. Weems in 1842. In a few years he returned to Jefferson County. Col. T. L. B. Weems was reared by Robert Galbraith, and has always been an honest, upright citizen, and was Colonel of the Forty-eighth Regiment.
A melancholy event, the first death to occur in the township, was a daughter of Henry Burrough, and filled the first grave in the Johnsonville Cemetery.
William Irvin had a small distillery in the township at an early period and distilled peaches.
L. D. Bullard who settled on Section 5, at an early period, had a horse mill on his farm, and ground corn.
Robert Metcalf, a profesional hunter, is remembered as having located for awhile in the township, and a small stream running along where he settled is called Bob's Branch in honor of him.
Among the early rectors of the township came Rev. James Keal, who, with Rev. Griffith, preached in dwellings in various parts of the country.
Village of Johnsonville.---Johnsonville was laid off in 1855, by James Ading, from the land of Wiley Galbraith, in sixteen lots. S. R. Caudle put up the first house to mark the place. It was a hewed-log structure, and is now used as a kitchen by A. Tenney; Caudle used it for a dwelling. He was a house carpenter, and, being unable to obtain as much work as he was able to perform, owing to the slow growth of the village, he moved away. The next building erected in the place was by Wiley Galbraith for a store room. It was a frame, and is the present business room of N. W. Galbraith. In the spring of 1856, G. B. Galbraith put in a stock of goods in this building. He was the second merchant in the place, the first being T. P. Alvis, who had moved a log cabin from his farm, about one mile north of the present site of the village, in which he had been selling goods since 1850. He located in the town early in the spring of 1856. Later, Mr. Alvis put up the store building now occupied by Leander Galbraith, and, transferring his merchandise to it, he made a stable of the original log store room. Here Mr. Alvis sold goods until 1863, in the meantime being in partnership with Nathan Bullard and A. T. Galbraith. About the same time of putting up the store room, Mr. Alvis erected a dwelling-house, just south of the store. W. W. Galbraith put up a building in the town which is now owned by Mrs. Bowden. W. W. Hoskinson began merchandising in the village in 1857, and continued the same until 1860, when he went to Xenia, and subsequently to Benton, where he is now engaged in the same business.
Robert Galbraith started the first blacksmith shop in Johnsonville. It stood on the east side of the public square, and was constructed by setting posts in the ground and planks nailed to them. In a short time, Nathan Bullard erected a shop, and worked at his trade until 1859, when he went to Texas. The first school in the town was either taught by J. O. Fether or Thomas Garrod, soon after the village was laid off. The building used for the school was the log house now the residence of C. C. Bunch. In 1872, the district bought from the Methodist Episcopal organization, a small frame building, which stood where A. Tenney's store room now stands. In a short time this building was consumed by fire, and in 1874 the present commodious two-story frame building was erected at a cost of about $1,800, and since then good schools have prevailed. R. E. Seichrest is Principal for the present term, and has forty-eight pupils in his department; and Miss Frankie Galbraith is the primary teacher, with forty-three pupils.
The first post office was established in 1857, and W. W. Hoskinson was the first Postmaster.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was the first and only one ever organized in the village. It was so effected in 1855 by Rev. W. H. Maxey. G. B. Galbraith, Wiley Galbraith, and wives, Joseph Black, Mrs. E. Buck and Yarby Galbraith and wife were among the early members. It was organized in a small frame building erected for the purpose, where A. Tenney’s store room stands, and was afterward sold to the district for school purposes. In 1865, the present well arranged building was erected, mostly by the members, at a cost of $3,500. The Rev. Harper is the present pastor. The present Trustees are John D. McLucus, A. Armstrong, F. M. Galbraith, W. M. Johnson, A. T. C. Johnson and T. L. B. Weems. F. M. Galbraith is Superintendent, and A. T. C. Johnson Assistant Superintendent of the Sunday school of seventy-five pupils, and W. M. Alvis, N. J. Galbraith, R. E. Seichrest, Eugene Tenney, Theo A. Johnson, Mary A. Johnson and Frank Galbraith are teachers.
The following is a showing of the business of the village: A. Tenney, general merchant, Postmaster, Notary Public, etc.; Galbraith & Haney, general merchants; Forth & Weaver, general merchants; C. C. Bunch, blacksmith; Alvis & Stephens, cabinet-makers; Johnsonville Milling Company; J. H. Nehf, harness shop; S. B. Mason, carpenter; W. M. Johnson and W. H. Kelson, physicians; W. L. Tenney, stoves and tinware; Brooks Brothers, shoe-makers; D. Dunlap, barber; Mrs. A. T. C. Johnson, millinery; A. Armstrong, hotel. Coming down to the present time, there are but few persons remaining who lived about Johnsonville twenty-five years ago. While the little village will compare favorably with any locality in the county for health, many have died; but make the same review of the changes wrought in twenty-five years, and the numbers who have died are below an average mortality. Since the town is somewhat isolated, being situated several miles from railroad, it necessarily possesses comparatively less notoriety than some of its neighboring villages, through which the iron horse passes. The early settlers, many of whom have gone to their reward, have been succeeded by a class of unpretending citizens, that for industry, intelligence and prosperity will compare favorably with any part of the county. The social inhabits of the place have of course changed in the last quarter of a century. While some of the present inhabitants are eager for the daily papers that are brought once a day by hack from Cisne, lest their interest may be affected by the "spring" or "decline" in "the market," the pioneers were content with mail once a week, or less frequently. There is certainly a brighter future for Johnsonville just beyond. Two railroads are now in progress, each of which is to pass adjacent to the place. Blue Point was laid out by Thomas Howe in 1855.
Felix Mills was for awhile a dealer in general merchandise at the place, and was Postmaster. Mills pursued the business here, for some time, and then sold out. The building and stock of goods were moved to Cisne. The dwelling where Mills lived yet marks the village. It is thought that C. C. Bunch conducted a blacksmith shop there for some time; anyway, a shop of that kind was in existence, whether Bunch owned and run it or not. A schoolhouse was erected there soon after the place was laid out, and it still to be seen. Drs. Hall and Sprigg were stationed there for awhile. The town is a thing of the past, there being no business whatever done there.
The following is a list of township officers since its organization:
Supervisors.---A. S. Hargraves, 1860, 1861; Robert Gray, 1862; A. S. Hargraves, 1863, 1864, 1865; A. T. Galbraith, 1866, 1867; T. P. Alvis, 1868, 1869 (county ruled by five Supervisors). W. H. Mix, 1872; I. J. Turner, 1873; G. M. Karr, 1874, 1875; J. Milner, 1876; G. M. Karr, 1877; J. Milner, 1878; L. P. Cook, 1879; Lewis Miller, 1880; T. L. B. Weems, 1881; Jesse Pennington, 1882, 1883.
Town Clerks.---Samuel Halliday, 1860, 1861, 1862; John Rudesell, 1863; Felix Mills, 1864; G. M. Karr, 1865, 1866; H. H. Brown, 1867; James Roy, 1868; G. Karr, 1869; A. Tenney, 1870, 1871; S. B. Mason, 1872; T. L. B. Weems, 1873; A. J. Hale, 1874, 1875; J. R. Alvis, 1876; Samuel Stotter, 1877; H. H. Brown, 1878; W. H. Durham, 1879; Israel Stephens, 1880, 1881; E. M. Turner, 1882; H. H. Brown, 1883.
Assessors.---W. B. Harrison, 1860; W. B. Harrison, 1861; W. E. Ellis, 1862, 1863; Robert Gray, 1864; F. M. Ellis, 1865; H. Mix, 1866, 1867, 1868; James Irwin, 1869; W. H. Mix, 1870; J. Gleeson, 1871; B. H. Cornwell, 1872; A. T. Galbraith, 1873; E. J. Ream, 1874; W. M. Gilliland, 1875; W. Church, 1876; S. Bunnell, 1877; T. L. B. Weems, 1878, 1879; B. H. Cornwell, 1880; J. W. Evans, 1881; A. T. C. Johnson, 1882; E. M. Turner, 1883.
Collectors.---A. T. Galbraith, 1860; J. C. Maxey, 1861; H. H. Brown, 1862; C. C. Irvin, 1863; H. H. Brown, 1864, 1865; W. B. Hammond, 1866, 1867; H. H. Brown, 1868; J. W. Chaney, 1869; A. S. Hargraves, 1870; B. H. Cornwell, 1871, _____; W. H. Mix, 1873; James McGrew, 1874; D. Spicer, 1875; H. P. Mix, 1876; A. J. Hale, 1877; F. M. Ellis, 1878; H. P. Mix, 1879; I. J. Hale, 1880; H. P. Mix, 1881, 1882; N. T. Hale, 1883.
Commissioners of Highways.---J. W. Bradley, Thomas Howe and Jesse Pennington, 1860; Thomas Howe, 1861; Jesse Pennington, 1862; David Mills, 1863; J. W. Chaney, 1864; N. E. Roberts, 1865; E. Milner, 1866; Moses Jones, 1867; George Flick, 1868; D. Spicer, 1869; J. C. Woodworth, 1870; Thomas Senters, 1871; D. Spicer, 1873; W. L. Harrison, 1874; J. A. Wagner and A. J. Heath, 1876; Joseph Kurtz, 1877; J. A. Wagner, 1878; A. J. Heath, 1879; N. Border, 1880, 1881; I. N. Cunningham, 1882; G. A. Gaumer, 1883.
Constables.---T. W. Hill and W. W. Vaughn, 1860; P. Crissip, 1865; H. G. Wheeler and W. S. Griffith, 1868; J. L. Curry and T. N. Connard, 1872; J. A. Weems and J. B. Holmes, 1873; John Miller and A. S. Hargraves, 1875; G. W. Pennington and H. M. Nehf, 1877; J. L. Currey, 1879; William Holmes, 1883.
Overseers of the Poor.---George Weaver, 1860; J. L. Day, 1866; A. S. Hargraves, 1867.
Justices of the Peace.---John Cunningham and L. J. Turner, 1860; T. P. Alvis and Samuel George, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871; J. Cunningham and T. P. Alvis, 1872; J. Wilson and T. P. Alvis, 1873; C. C. Bunch and W. A. Vernon, 1877 (Bunch resigned, and a special election was held, resulting in the election of T. P. Alvis). The record does not show who was elected from 1861 to 1868, from 1872 to 1877, and from 1878 to 1883. Politically the township is about equally divided, as the following will show, taken from the township poll books of the spring election of 1883: For Supervisor, Republican votes, 124, Democrat, 119; for Assessor, Republican, 135, Democrat, 114; Collector, Republican, 135, Democrat, 116; Clerk, Republican, 141, Democrat, 107; Commissioners of Highways, Republican, 131, Democrat, 117; Constable, Republican, 135, Democrat, 113.
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