Dunn, Jacob Piatt. Indiana and Indianans : a history of aboriginal and territorial Indiana
and the century of statehood. Chicago: American Historical Society, 1919, p 1326.
Thomas J. GRIFFITH, M. D. An old and honored physician and surgeon of Crawfordsville, Dr.
Griffith since 1910 has been secretary of the Montgomery County Historical Society and in
many ways outside of his profession has used his influence and means to preserve that fine
community spirit which has been one of the best assets of Crawfordsville. He belongs to
an honored family and has had a praiseworthy interset in preserving the facts and records
concerning his relatives and ancestors. Much of the information concerning the Griffith
family was obtained by Dr. Griffith from his father. The Griffith family has a legendary
history dating back to Edward, King of England, 1239, when they were governors of
provinces in Wales. The nameewas honored in Shakespeare's play of King Henry VIII
(1528) when Griffith was gentleman usher to Queen Catherine and when he says: "Noble
Madam - Men's evil manners live in brass; their vitures we write in water. May it
please your highness to hear me speak his good name?" Katherine: "Yes, good
Griffith." Giffith is a Welsh name and was originally spelled Gryfyth. Three
brothers came to America some time in the 1600s landing at Philadelphia and settled on the
Brandywine River. They became opulent, but through selling much of their property and
exchanging it for continental money during the Revolutionary War became impoverished. The
great grandfather of Dr. Griffith was Joseph. He served in the Revolution and was the 1st
revolutionary soldier buried at Indianapolis - 1823. A statement to Dr. Griffith from the
Ware Dept shows that there is 11 # of English money due to the heirs of this Revolutionary
patriot. Joseph Griffith married Mary Thornton, an Englishwoman. To them were born:
Abraham 1774; Sarah 1777; John 1778; Joseph 1780; Elizbeth 1783 and Amos in 1786. Dr.
Griffith's great grandmother was lost in making a visit across the Allegheny Mountains
and no trace of her could be found. Abraham Griffith grandfather of Dr. Griffith was born
in Chester Co PA Nov 30, 1774. He married Joanna JOHN a grandaunt of D. P. John of Depauw
University Oct 12, 1798. Joanna died Aug 12, 1815 in Frederick Co MD. To Abraham and
Joanna Griffith were born: Lydia T.; Hannah; Thornton; Townsend; Barton and Clifford.
Abraham Griffith, with his brother Amos and sons Townsend and Barton came west after the
death of his wife, accompanied by two grown daughters, Lydia and Hannah, about 1822 or
1823 settled in Covington Indiana. In 1824 Abraham Griffith took the contract to build the
first jail in Crawfordsville for $243. He died at Crawfordsville June 19, 1829. His son
Barton died 1834. Thorntown Griffith, father of Dr. Griffith came west later than his
father and brothers. He was born in Chester Co PA July 8, 1799. He was on the Island of
Porto Rico in the summer of 1825, superintending the building of a wharf for a
Philadelphia sugar company. While there a three-masted schooner came into San Juan with a
double decked cargo of 500 negros from Africa, all in Mother Nature's costume. The
negroes were unlaoded on the beach to clean up and the third day they departed for some
American port. This exhibition of man's inhumanity to a man made an abolitionist of
Thornton Griffith. In the campaign of Gen William Harrison in Indiana in 1836, Thorntown
was honored by a committee of Crawfordsville citizens to deliver the address of welcome.
Feb 4, 1836, he married Mary A. HALL, daughter of Thomas and Margaret (HERRON) Hall. She
was born in Nebury Co SC June 18, 1807. Her mother died in SC Dec 10, 1821 leaving several
children. James F. Hall, brothe rof Mary was one of the county commissioners that built
the courthouse at Crawfordsville. Her father and mother were born in Co. Moaghan,
Ireland, and landed at Charleston SC in 1765. Two brothers of Thomas Hall were soldiers in
the Revolutionary war in Gen. Francis Marion's army, one being an officer.
Thornton Griffith and wife were married at "Fruits Corner" in Ripley Twp,
Montgomery County and moved in the Spring of 1836 to the wilds of Clinton County on Wild
Cat Creek, four miles NE of Frankfort on a 160-acres tract that had been entered from the
government. Here in a log cabin they began the battle of life, with wolves and wild cats
for nocturnal serenaders. Thornton Griffith taught school one year in a log schoolhouse
with greased paper for window lights and slabs with wooden legs for seats and slabs for
flooring. Aobut that time he was a candidate for the Legislature on the Whig ticket from
the counties of Clinton & Montgomery which counties were largely democratic. It was
becoming apparent that he would be elected when the democrats started a faslehood and
defeated him. THis so disgusted him that he would never again consent to be a candidate
for office. He was a man of pleasing address, an easy and fluent speaker, invincible in
argument, a great reader and possessed of a splendid memory. He was a member of the
Friends Church but had a broad catholicity characteristic of his benevolent spirit. In
his later years when "moved" he frequently preached to the Friends. He died at
his home in Darlington June 23, 1869. The three children born into the Clinton County
home were: Thomas J, born April 2, 1837; Joanna M, born Nov 25, 1839; Nancy E born Aug 1,
1842. Joanna died Feb 13, 1865 from cerebrospinal meningitis. Nancy E. was married Dec 10,
1861 to Joseph BINFORD and now resides at Crawfordsville. The mother of these children has
been described as a noble, thoughtful woman, devoted to her home and family and was a
devout Presbyterian. She died NOv 3, 1886. Her father deserved mention. Being convinced
that slavery was wrong and being unable to free his slave sin SC as there was a statute
against such action, he told his negroes to look around and choose their masters without
breaking families. This they did. He then removed to Butler co OHio and remained there
about two yers, when with his children: Thomas, JOhn A, Mary A, Elizabeth, Nancy and Henry
L, he came to Ripley Twp, Montgomery County locating at what is now Fruits Corner in 1829.
He bought a large farm and died there in 1848. For 50 years he was a ruling elder in
the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.
Townsend GRIFFITH, one of the brothers of Thornton Griffith was born in Chester Co PA
April 4, 1801 and came to Crawfordsville in 1822. Nov 1, 1837 he married Mahala CATTERLIN.
She was the daughter of Ephraim Catterlin, a pioneer settler near Crawfordsville.
Townsend Griffith was prominent in the early development of the county, both in politics
and civic affairs. In the summer of 1852 he made a business trip to Minnesota and died of
cholera June 2, 1852 at Galena, ill. After a time his remains were brought home and laid
to rest int he Masonic Cemetery. Of the children of Townsend Griffith and wife a brief
record is as follows: Matilda, one of the first children born in Crawfordsville, married
Benjamin GALEY who died many yeaers ago and she passed away in her 85th year. Sarah A.
was married to George WORBINGTON (Warbitton) of a prominent family of Montgomery County
and died many years ago. Ephraim C. and Amanda were twins, born Jan 5, 1833; Amanda
became the wife of Morgan SNOOK, a son of Dr. Henry Snook, a prominent pioneer physician
of Montgomery County; Ephraim married Feb 14, 1855 Mary J. Brasfield, who was born August
5, 1837; Ephraim died Feb 11, 1901, and was noted for his hustling businessability. His
widow is now living with her son, Howard. Ephraim and his wife had the following children:
George well known as an architect; Frank E died young; William Douglas who married Dec 14,
1910 Agnes A. WALSH; Howard E and Birdie all of whom live in Crawfordsville. Mary
Griffith, the next child of Townsend Griffith and wife, married Charles Bowen and both are
now deceased, their two surviving children being Arthur and Clara, the latter married and
living in KS. Rebecca Griffith died in infancy. Abraham Griffith lived to manhood and was
thrown from a horse and killed. John Warner Griffith was an express messenger from
Indianapolis to St. Louis and was killed in a railroad wreck.
George, a son of Ephraim and Mary Griffith, married March 10, 1880, Ida M. Coster. He was
born in Crawfordsville March 13, 1856. William Douglas another son of Ephraim was born
June 22, 1861; Frank E, was born June 2, 1858; and Howard E Dec 30, 1876. George and Ida
Griffith have two sons, Claude and Karl. Claude married Helen Nolan and has one son and
Karl is married and lives at Urbana, Illinois and has 4 daughters.
Rev. Thomas Griffith, a cousin of Thornton Griffith was teh 1st minister in
Crawfordsville. He preached in a small frame church where the present MEthodist Church now
stands. He married Lucy DANIELS and was a brother-in-law of John Crawford, a pioneer
merchant. Their sons were John and Thomas B. John was a druggist and died many years ago,
Thomas a soldier in the famous 86th Indiana Infantry in the CIvil War and after the war
married Oct 15, 1864 Amanda WiIlhite by whom he had a son, William Griffith. Thomas
Griffith died 35 years ago and his remains lie in the Masonic Cemetery. Rev. Thomas
Griffith is buried int he Old Town Cemtery.
Amos Griffith, a brother of Abraham Griffith, the grandfather of Dr. Griffith went to
Warren County , Indiana in 1830 and married an indian woman with a large land inheritance.
Dr. Griffith's father visited them in 1832 and their home was a model of cleanliness.
No children were born to them.
Dr. Thomas J. Griffith is a member of the Montgomery County Medical Society organized 46
years ago and is the last living charter member. He is not only the oldest physician in
the county in active practice but the oldest in years of practice , his services voering
51 years. He is an ardent arechologist and has a valuable collection of Indian relics
which he has been 50 years in collecting. One rare relic is a mound builders copper axe
found 40 years ago in the eastern part of Mdison Twp in digging the state ditch. He has
been offered $50 for it. The Dr. is a member of McPherson Post, Grand Army of the
Republic,and is a past post commander. Of this he is quite proud. He is secretary of the
Montgomery County Historical Society and is enthusiastic in its promotion. He is a
charter member of the prohibition party in Montgomery County and cast the first
prohibition vote in Darlington for his favorite, John P. St. John in 1884. For 12 years he
was the party's county chairman. In religion he is a Unitarian.