From Goodspeed's "History of Knox and Daviess Counties",
published in
1885:
HARRISON TOWNSHIP
This is by far the largest township in the county and was laid out in
1801, and was named in honor of Gen. Harrison. This township was embraced
in what was called Clarksville Township. It occupies the southeastern
part of this county, being bounded on the north by Palmyra and Steen, on
the east and south by White River, and on the west by Johnson. There are
several large ponds or sloughs in this township; Montour's, named from a
Piankeshaw chief, on the northeast; Long Pond, on the east; Half Moon and
Hitt's Ponds on the south. Though not the richest land it is nearly all
suited for cultivation.
SETTLEMENT
Leonard R. Snyder came to the township in 1804 from Pennsylvania. He
settled on a donation owned by Charles Thorn. The name was originally
Riefschneider (hoop cutter), but the family spelled the name Snyder, and
represent the first by the initial "R". Snyder sometimes worked at the
blacksmith's trade; he also built a horse-mill about 1817-1818, which he
ran a long time. This was one of the first in the township. John Snyder,
the father of Leonard, was quite old when he came to the county. The sons
of Leonard Snyder were John, who lived on the old farm of his father;
Samuel, who was a cooper, carpenter and miller; David, James, Martin,
Solomon and Andrew.
Dr. John Stork was also from Pennsylvania; a part of the goods were taken
by keel-boat, or flat-boat to Shawneetown, thence to Vincennes, and the
family came by team from Louisville, to the same place by way of the old
"trace". Stork was a kind of doctor who doctored mainly by salves and
boneset tea. John Hoffman was also from Pennsylvania; he settled between
1792 and 1800 on Donation 246, in the western part of the township.Lewis
Reel was from North Carolina about 1802. He settled on a donation. He was
killed at Tippecanoe. James Johnson was another pioneer. He ran a
water-mill on Mill Creek for a time; Elias Beadle lived on the donation
where Dr. Harrison now lives; he is said to have been a Turk. From his
long prominent front teeth he was nicknamed "charger tooth." Phillip
Near, Jacob and Solomon Teverbaugh were in the township previous to 1800.
Solomon Teverbaugh was a man of prodigious strength, a great hunter and
prominent member of the Methodist Church. He killed some elk, bear, and
numerous deer, turkey and other game. Adam Like came from Lincoln County,
N. C. in 1817, and settled in Harrison Township, three and one half miles
southwest of Monroe City. Since that time he with his sons David, John,
Elias, Jacob and Moses, have borne an honorable part of the burdens of
pioneer life. Others who have been identified alike with the affairs of
the township were Fred Myers, Elias Myers, Henry Summit, Henry Courtney,
Martin Goldman and George Shaner. John McCoy came from Virginia between
1790 and 1800. He settled Donation 11. He was a farmer and hunter. He was
killed at Tippecanoe. Robert McCoy was also a Virginian; moved all the
way in a wagon. He served during the Revolutionary War. He owned Donation
12. Joseph Williams, William Williams, William Collins, John Collins and
Anthony Junkins, were Virginians and old settlers. James Junkins, son of
the last named, was at the Battle of Tippecanoe, as was also William
Williams. Samuel Adams settled on Donation 12, a short distance from the
line of Palmyra. John Helderman came from North Carolina at the time the
Like family came. He was the father of Adam Helderman, of Monroe City.
He bought his lands of William Simpson. He built a horse-mill on his
farm. John Harbin was another owner of a horse-mill, in the western part
of the township. John Brock, Isaac and Thomas White were former residents
of the township; the former was at the battle of New Orleans. Isaac White
was killed at Tippecanoe, and Thomas was wounded. Prominent among those
living in the township is John Downey, who came from North Carolina, and
soon afterward settled on Donation 14; he came by wagon and camped on the
way. George Goldman, father of Martin Goldman, before mentioned, was
from North Carolina. He is said to have died at the age of one hundred
and eight.
David Vankirk came from Maryland to Knox County in 1795, and soon settled
in Harrison Township. He was the father of a large family of children. He
claimed to have been present when Indians attacked Pierre Anderson's
house, and to have killed two of them with an ax; also to have been
present at the interview between Gen. Harrison and Tecumseh, which came
so near ending in tragedy; was engaged during the Indian war in many
encounters with Indians. He frequently took flat boats to New Orleans and
walked home. He was a great hunter and killed from seventy-five to 120
deer in one winter. He claimed to have killed his last bear near West
Salem Church, in Johnson Township. He lived to be nearly one hundred
years old. James D. Williams (Gov. Williams), was a resident of Harrison
Township for nearly half a century. With few school advantages, he rose
from the humblest walks of life to the gubernatorial chair of the State,
passing from the legislative halls of the State to Congress, and then to
the governorship. His death occurred in 1880 while in the gubernatorial
chair. The county commissioners appropriated $500 for suitable memorials
in honor of his memory.
MILLS
Ewing and Badolet, land commissioners, distinctly speak of a grist and
saw-mill in their report to Congress in 1790. They are among the first in
the county. Besides the horse-mills of Leonard Snyder and John Harlin,
Patterson built a water-mill on Wilson Creek; later one was built on the
same stream by Isaac Thorn. In 1836 Gov. James D. Williams and a man
named Coon built a water-mill on Pond Creek. This was known as Williams'
Mill, and was considered a good mill at the time. It was in operation
many years.
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