"The Swiss Settlement of Switzerland County, Indiana," by Perret Dufour
p. 51
"The attorneys admitted to practice in the court of the county from
the organization of the county until the organization of the State
Government are as follows
Amos Lane, William Hendricks John Test, James Noble John Lawrence,
Pinkney James, Stephen C. Stevens Alexander Holton, Joseph F. Farley,
Reuben Kidder, Hezekiah B. Hull, Edward Nichols, D.T. Maddox and
Jeremiah Sullivan. Two of these James Noble and William Hendricks were
senators from the state in the United States Senate. Three Amos Lane
William Hendricks and John Test were Representatives in Congress from
the district of which Switzerland county formed part, and Two Jeremiah
Sullivan and Stephen C. Stevens were Judges of the supreme court in
Indiana.
All of these have ceased from their earthly labors.
Judge Sparks was on the bench only at the October term 1814 and March
term 1815. Judge Noble held but one term of the Court-June term 1815.
The October term 1815 of the court was held by William Cotton and
James McClure the associate Judges. At the March Term 1816 Jessee L.
Holman presided and was the Judge of the Circuit until the organization
of the State Government, when we find him on the Supreme Court bench."
p. 52
"James Noble, John Test and William Hendricks were the prosecuting
attorney[s] from the organization of the County, until the organization
of the State; and received for their Services $16. and 25$ the former
being the lowest and the latter the highest allowance made to be paid
out of the county Treasury.
Among the first indictments found by the Grand Jury was one against
David Beebee for selling unwholesome flesh, tried at the second term of
the Court by a Jury composed of Robert McKay Robert Bakes, Ralph Cotton
Jr. Robert Cotton John M. Johnson, William Campbell, Rawleigh Day,
Thomas Paxton, Adam Cline, Walter Clark John T. Demming and Luke
Oboussier, and acquitted*.
The first business in relation to Decedents affairs was an application
of Job Trusdell to have a deed made to him for 257 acres of land he had
purchased of Charles Campbell, for which he held said Campbells bond,
who had departed this life after the execution of said Bond. The court
ordered that the bond be filed with the clerk. The administrators of
Campbells estate moved the court to appoint three commissioners to make
said deed to said Trusdell according to the tenor of the bond and the
act of assembly approved Sept 17, 1807. This order was made by the
Court May 3rd 1815.
* 'The first Indictment found by the grand Jury for Larceny was at the
Second term of the Court, and was against a female her name was
Isabel English, an Indictment for Assault and battery was also sound
against her.
She was tried on the Indictment for Larceny by a Jury and
acquitted,-on the Indictment for assault and battery she was fined by
the court One Dollar, and the costs, and she was required to enter into
recongnizance in the sum of Twenty five Dollars for keeping the peace
for six months, she came into court and her own recognizance was taken
for keeping the peace 'toward all the good citizens of the United States
and more especially towards the person and property of Viletta Richie
for the space of six months.'"
p. 53
"Amos Brown was appointed by the court at a special session on the
28th Octr 1815, a trustee to lease the School Sections within the
Township of Posey and John Francis Dufour a trustee to lease the School
Sections within the Townships of Jefferson.
According to the Territorial law a person who was unable to pay his
depts might be imprisoned in the County Jail and confined to the prison
bounds which then extended to the limits of the Town.
Among the early settlers in the lower end of the county were George
Craig, Sturman Craig, Joshua Cain Robert McKay, James McKay Abisha
McKay and George Ash.
In 1805 or 1806 the residents in that part of the county built a block
house in which to shelter the women and children, on an alarm being
given of the approach of Indians. George Craig himself being resided on
the opposite side of the river but had occasion to come to this side,
and had frequently sheltered in this block house -he finally purchased a
large tract of land on which he located cleared the land and planted a
large orchard. He was asked why he planted such a large orchard, his
reply was 'That my grand children may have plenty of apple to eat.*'
*The names of James Hastie, who was the father of, William, George,
Charles, and John Hastie all four of whom reside in York Township, and
Charles Muret, who was the father of Julius Muret, Mrs. Mary McCormick
widow of John McCormick, and John Louis Muret, appear as early as 1814,
their names are given as they were Europeans; Mr Hastie first settled on
Plumb Creek, and in the early days of the settling of this county, he
shipped his surplus produce down the river to find a market; for
sometime he had a very large 'perouge', made by digging out a very large
poplar tree (which might be termed 'big dugout') in which he shipped his
surplus Corn, and potatoes to Louisville."
(Note from Ruth Hoggatt: My ancestor's sister, Rebecca Heady -d/o
Stillwell Heady, married Dr. Charles Muret (Swiss immigrant). I have
more info. on the Murets and the families that their children married
into (orginal records and also from the Heady Family Newsletters). Some
of the names being Singer, Eads, Torrance, Hastings, Stoop, Huston,
Meddock, Markland, McCormick, Wiley.
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p. 54
"Charles Muret the father of Julius Muret, Mrs. Mary McCormick widow
of John McCormick, John L. Muret (Decd) Benjamin Muret, was the only
physician in the colony for many years before 1813*. Although he was
the only physician he had not much practice, for there was little
sickness, and the citizens did not send for a physician for every little
illness, cholic or such disease as those of the present day are in the
habit of doing. (There is an amusing story about Dr. Charles Muret
here).
*'The only one in the Colony from about 1809 or 10 to 1813.'"
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