I do not have Goodspeed's "History of Knox and Daviess Counties",
published in 1885, but I copied the following from that book:
VINCENNES TOWNSHIP
Vincennes Township was one of the two townships laid off by the court in
1790. It then comprised all embraced in the township now and much more.
Portions of the land at first were unfit for cultivation, particularly
the lower part along the river. Large sums of money have been spent in
reclaiming the lands. By an act of the General Assemby the 5,400 acres of
land, the old "Vincennnes commons," were sold, and the greater portion of
the money spent in draining the big marsh. The last report on agriculture
shows an acreage in cultivation of over 10,000 acres. Large portions of
the land above and below the town were embraced in the old French claims,
in the upper and lower surveys and Cathilinette Prairie.
THE EARLY SETTLERS
One of the first settlers at the beginning of the present century was
Samuel McKee, who was a surgeon in the United States Army. He came from
Kentucky to Vincennes about 1800. He was stationed at Fort Knox. His
death occurred May 6, 1809. John Badollet was born in Geneva,
Switzerland, and was a friend of Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the
Treasury under Jefferson. He was register of the land office a number of
years, and as a commissioner with Nathaniel Ewing, passed on the donation
and militia claims of the county. He bought the present Badollet farm of
Col. Vigo. He was one of the most prominent characters in the early
history of the county. Col. Francis Vigo, whose name should be reverenced
more than his fame is, came to Vincennes at the time of its capture by
Col. Clark; after living in Vincennes for a time, moved out to the farm
now owned by A.B. McKee, where he resided till his death. Quite a number
of heirlooms of Col Vigo are now owned by Mr. McKee. Col. Vigo was born
in Mendovia, Sardinia, 1747. He enlisted in a Spanish regiment as a
private soldier. The part of the regiment to which he belonged was sent
to New Orleans. After leaving the army he was known as a Spanish trader
among the Indians on the Arkansas, its tributaries, and the Mississippi
at St. Louis, then a Spanish post. On the capture of Kaskaskia by Col.
Clark he hastened to that place to offer the Americans assistance. The
army was in great destitution and without credit. Vigo's private means
were given to their aid; he, further, undertook a journey to Vincennes,
then in the hands of the British. This had shortly before been captured
by Gov. Hamilton, the British commander. When near Vincennes he was
captured by some Indians and taken as a prisoner to Gov. Hamilton.
Knowing he was a Spanish subject, although with some misgivings, he was
released on parole, through the influence of Father Gibbault. He was not
long in informing Col. Clark of the weakness of the garrison. Col. Clark
soon availed himself of the opportunity that resulted so gloriously to
the American Army. Gen. St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory,
paid this compliment to Col. Vigo in his report to the Secretary of War,
September 19, 1790: "Mr. Vigo, a gentleman of Vincennes, the United
States are much indebted to, and he is, in truth, the most disinterested
person I have almost ever seen." He at one time owned large estates in
the county, but disdaining to contend over technicalities he lost the
greater part before his death. His girl-wife had the most implicit
confidence in him, as did the Indians. On being asked by an old citizen,
now living, whence his great influence over the Indians, his answer was
"Because I never deceive an Indian." It is an historic fact that any
promise made by him to them, or by them to him, was faithfully carried
out. He was one of the trustees of St. Francis Xavier from 1818 to 1821;
he, however, did not die in the faith of that church. His death occurred
in 1838. Nathaniel Ewing was one of the commissioners of the land office;
he was a resident of the county before the year 1800. He became quite
wealthy, and was the owner of some large tracts of land, and was a large
stockholder in the Vincennes Bank. He resided on his farm, near Mr. A. B.
McKee's, for many years, where he died. His body was buried at Vincennes.
Patrick Simpson was another early settler in the same vicinity. He became
the owner at a very early day of the corner of Donation of 115 and 300
acres of No. 4. In 1815 he made a donation of 100 acres of land to
Indiana Church. John Johnson, great-grandfather of the present generation
of Johnsons, settled in the same neighborhood. He was a highly educated
man and a prominent citizen. It was with Mrs. Johnson that Judge isaac
Blackford made his home in later years. A.B. McKee, one of the oldest
men in the county, resides on the farm and in the house formerly owned by
Col. Vigo. It was on this farm that bricks for the Harrison mansion were
made in 1804. Jeremiah Donovan resides on the donation drawn by Antoine
Drouet, called Richardville. On this lived Christopher Wyant, an early
sheriff of the county. In the family are many old relics of Gen.
Harrison, Gov. Hamilton and Richardville. Maj. B. V. Becker, who lived
for many years about two and one-half miles east of Vincennes, was a man
of great force of character. He was sheriff continuously for many years;
commanded a company at Tippecanoe; was commissioned major, October 6,
1812, of the first battalion of the First Regiment of Militia of Indiana
Territory. He also commanded Company B of United States Rangers in the
Black Hawk War. He was a man of very strong likes and dislikes. The
following reports of a battalion drill held at Vincennes, October
13,1813, are found among his papers, in the handwriting of the officers:
Capt. Rodarmer's company, 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 ensign, 4 sergeants,
4 corporals, 30 privates, 44 rifles, 44 pouches and 2 muskets; Lieut.
Conrad Crum's company, no captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 ensign, 2 sergeants,
35 privates, 17 rifles, 2 fuses, 1 bayonet, 1 cartridge box, 18 powder
horns and 15 pouches; Lieut. Pierre Brouyette's company, no captain, 1
lieutenant, 1 ensign, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 34 muskets, 34 privates,
42 "totalle"; Capt John Scott's company, 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 1
ensign, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 82 privates; Capt. James Junkins' s
company showed 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 ensign, 4 sergeants, 4
corporals and 41 privates; Capt. Ambrose Malett's company had 50 men and
Captain Gen. W. Johnson had 83. In his report was given the number of
officers, privates, bombadiers, fifers, drummers, pairs of pistols, steel
rods, and in addition were 43 pounds of powder and 8,500 balls.
___________________________________________________________________
Get the Internet just the way you want it.
Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month!
Try Juno Web:
http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.