June 23, 1949
Section 3, Township 17, Range 7, East
The east boundary of Section 4, which is the west boundary of Section 3, is a road known as the Lick Creek Pike, according to notes I have taken from County Histories.
This was built as a turnpike in 1876. There was a road here before this date, but I doubt if it dated back to the early settler period.
I traced what I believe to be an old trail on the north side of Lick Creek through Section 4. I think there was a ford across the creek near the cabin and blacksmith shop in No. 8, and that sort of a neighborhood trail or road led south and east into Section 3.
The first cabin this trail passed in Section 3 was located in the northwest corner of No. 9. In 1852 John Loy moved from Ohio and settled in this cabin.
In some of the family papers it speaks of Mr. Loy going to the post office at Medon.
On this same farm in No. 11 is another cabin site. It was located about 15 rods south of the midsection line and 30 rods east of the west line of No. 11. Robert Humfleet owns this farm at the present time.
On the line between 7 and 8 and about 40 rods north of the mid-section line is another cabin site. A number of years ago this was known as the Joseph Swain home. Mrs. William Jarrett is now the owner. While we are up in this part of the section, I want to mention a house that stands in the northeast corner of No. 3; the frame timbers of this house are mortised and pinned just like the early barn frames were put together. It is undoubtedly one of the oldest houses in the neghborhood. Ira Weatherfield owns this farm now.
Older folks may remember it as the Jimmy Cockayne home. I have one other cabin site in this section, but before we locate it I want you to look at your county map and notice the road that angles down through this section.
The lower half-mile of this road is now closed. You also notice that the map shows Lick Creek running close to the north end of this road, while in reality the stream is some 80 rods north.
I believe that the upper part of this road was part of an old trail that angled down from the north and ran on down into Hancock County.
We will pick up this road in the northern sections.
The story goes that at one time there were four log houses on this road in this section. I have given two locations.
Now another site was down about midway of No. 14, and evidence points to another just south of this, near the community near the county line.
From what I have found in Section 2 and the community below the county line, I believe that the road forked in No. 7 or No. 11 and that one trail angled southwest and passed the cabin in No. 14 and that another ran toward the east a short distance and then angled southeastward.
Judging from the way the land was divided in 1843, there possibly were two other cabin sites in this section, one in the 80 acres in Nos. 15 and 16, and one in the 80 acres in Nos. 2 and 6.
I have mentioned some of the present landowners in this section; others in this list are William Beaver, LeRoy Parker, Randle Maroska, Lee Wene and Pearl Boston.
Fifty years ago the list read like this: Robert Kirkman, Charles Darlington, C.F. Mittank, Jos. Swain, David Loy, Silas Williams, George Franks and William Jones.
In 1843 it was William Lukins, John Cloon, Hesekal Morgan, John Nusby, Arron Fisher and John Fisher.
Since writing the above article, I have some added information for which I am indebted to Arthur Rogers.
The Jackson families were prominent in this community, and some of them lived and owned land in this section.
Mr. Rogers states that some of the early Jacksons were buried in two family plots in No. 3. One plot is near the Weatherford home, and the other is on a knoll just south of the little branch that angles through No. 3.
He also states that two log houses stood at the location in No. 11, and that log houses stood on the two locations in No. 14.
I will repeat a story told by an old-timer on one of the occupants who lived in one of the houses in No. 14.
It seems that the gentleman in question enjoyed hunting and fishing and that he spent more than his leisure time in pursuit of the sport.
Some of the “boys” in the neighborhood decided they would have a little fun. The gourd handle was polished up, and a panther began prowling around the wilds of the community. Naturally it fell the lot of this hunter and his pack of coon dogs to run this animal down to earth. One night the chase got so hot that the panther turned on the dogs and our friend, in making a hasty retreat, fell in a ditch and seriously injured a leg. Of course, this was not in the program, but the boys eased their consciences to some extent by a relief fund and setting up with the patient.
Mr. Rogers told me that this panther story spread as far as Indianapolis and that a party of noted hunters came up from the city to help capture the wild animal. Some of the local men went along to guide them, but unfortunately the one that was to act as the panther fell over a rail fence and broke the gourd handle, and that was the end of that particular panther.
There was a brand of medicine that was made down in the neighborhood, and judging from the name, “Hancock Purity,” it was made below the county line.
Maybe some of you older folks have heard of it.
Another place of interest to the people in this locality was the Jackson Chapel Church. It stood just south of the county line road about 100 rods east of the west line of Section 3. It was built around 1895 and in 1920 was moved to Ingalls.
I will close the story of Section 3 for the present.
Next time I will try No. 2. So far have not heard about the length of fence rail, and while you are thinking about it, I would like to know how to make a worm stick.
A series of local history columns written by Clarence O. Loy ran in the The Pendleton Times beginning May 4, 1949. The Times-Post is revisiting this series, republishing the columns as space permits.