Message text written by INTERNET:INGREENE-L@rootsweb.com
It is said that "Uncle" Jack drew partly on a still earlier
History of
Greene County that was serialized in the White River Valley Times (the
first one) Is any of this work extant? If so, where? Weren't there any
scrapbook keepers in Greene County? Is this history available in the
Indiana Newspaper archives in Indianapolis, or perhaps, at Vincennes
University?<
Carl -
Copies of early Greene Co. newspapers are available on microfilm at The Ind
State Library, Indianapolis, at the Public Libraries at Worthington and (I
think) Bloomfield, and perhaps elsewhere. But there are very large gaps in
the dates covered. There apparently was a series covering "Early Times in
Greene Co" by Martin Wines published in the White River Gazette in 1860
which you may be referring to. I have only been able to find two articles
in the series. Following are my rough notes (some day I hope to get back to
get a photocopy):
"4 July 1860, p.4. (Article) No. 2.
To buy necessities required a 3-4 day trip to Vincennes.
First boat out of White River from Greene Co. loaded with corn and
taken to New Orleans by Jackson boys who lived near line dividing Greene
and Owen Cos. It was small flatboat 50-60 feet long and about 16 feet wide
carrying 15-1600 bushels of corn. This was in the Spring of 1822. In a few
years after this, running of boats filled with corn to New Orleans was a
common occurrence. Sometimes loads made up of various articles, such as
wheat, poultry, live hogs, cattle, beef, hoop poles, staves, etc but
generally part of every load was corn. Bottom land bordering White River
was very productive of corn, some fields yielding 70, 75, or 80 bushels per
acre. But for wheat, land was too rich for several years, until several
crops of corn were first grown, wheat could hardly be raised at all.
Some things were available in abundance. Woods and prairies full of
turkeys, deer, and bear. Fish of excellent quality in White and Eel Rivers.
Bee trees on both sides of White River and strained honey so plentiful that
it was taken to Vincennes or Louisville in market wagons. Load commonly
made up of deerskins, coonskins, honey and venison hams. Return load was a
barrel or two of salt, a like quantity of coffee, and a few yards of
calico.
1 August 1860. (Article) No. 3.
Miami Indians moving peacefully from homes on White River to the west
in summer and fall of 1820. Small village once occupied point of "upland"
below Fairplay where Wm Dixon now lives. Had 6-8 acres of fine rich prairie
under cultivation. Remains of their wigwams still in place when Solomon
Dixon moved on it in 1815."
Perhaps someone will be able to follow up on this to see if any other
articles in this series have survived.
Bill Stanley
bstanley(a)compuserve.com