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PICKAWAY TOWNSHIP
PICKAWAY TOWNSHIP is bounded on the north by Penn township,
on the east by Moultrie county, and Todd's Point township,
on the south by Ridge, on the west by Flat Branch township.
Early Settlers -
Elias Armstrong has the honor of being the first
settler and builder of the first log-cabin. He located
here in the year 1828, on section 7. Soon after he
came he married a young lady residing in Madison county,
Illinois. He resided here for a few years, and sold
out his improvements to his brother John, and removed
to Flat Branch, and settled where he lived until his death.
John Lee moved in the year 1829, from Robinson
creek to this vicinity, and settled on the north-west corner
of section 7, where he built a cabin. He lived there a
few years, then sold his improvements to Elias Armstrong,
and migrated to the state of Missouri.
Samuel Whitehead moved here from Madison county,
Ill., in 1835, and located on section 18. He lived
there a few years, and then emigrated to Kansas.
John Whitehead settled on section 17, near the
little grove where J. M. Davis now resides. All
the early settlements began in the north-west corner of the
township.
Washington Armstrong improved the place now
occupied by Daniel Yantis, called Buck Grove.
Old Settlers say it was no uncommon sight to see a herd of
one hundred deer at a time, in or around the grove.
Daniel Yantis, a native of Maryland, came to
Shelby county, in 1853. After remaining here a short
time, he moved to Ohio, but returned and settled on section
29, in the year 1855, raising a family of nine children, all
married and living in this county.
Collins McKee came from Ohio, and settled on
sec. 35, in the year 1846, and lived there until his death.
The place is now owned by W. H. Jackson, a
native of Ohio, who emigrated to this county in the year
1845. Mr. Jackson enlisted as a soldier in the
Mexican war, and served as a private in Co. B., Third
Regiment, commanded by Colonel Ferris Foreman.
The war over he received an honorable discharge, and
returned to the state of his adoption, and began, as it
were, life anew, opening one among the finest stock farms in
the county, containing about seven or eight hundred acres of
land, where he now resides.
Among the early settlers we find Harrison Hopkins,
D. F. Durkee, John Durkee, John Luffers, John Foster, J.
Atkinson and John Casey, who settled his place in
1834, and A. James, who was the Nimrod of the
settlement, being remembered for killing the black bear, in
1838, that was driven by George Royse some four miles
or more. Mr. Royse was riding through the
prairie form Decatur, and came upon bruin near what is now
called the Davis grove. He drove the bear to
the grove on the farm now owned by Nathan Corley.
It was in the month of August, and as the bear was inclined
to "go West," he became pretty well worried and warmed up,
and when he came to the branch his bearship refused to go
any further eastward, and laid down. Royse then
rode down to the cabin of James, who took his rifle
and hounds, and went to the grove; he soon came upon the
bear, and in a shorter time than it takes to write this
narrative his bearship was "treed," and James with
the pioneer's trusty rifle brought him to the ground.
In 1836 Mr. James had a very severe tussle with
a panther at or near the same grove, and succeeded in
killing him. Upon measurment, he was found to be nine
feet long, from the end of his nose to the tip of his teail.
Edward Reddington, from Indiana, settled on the
south-west quarter of section 34, in 1847, living here but a
short time, then removing to Texas.
Nathaniel Corley was born in Ridge township in
the year 1827; enlisted as a soldier in the Mexican war of
1846, in Company "B," Third Regiment; was promoted to the
rank of third sergeant; after serving with credit to
himself, was honorably discharged. Returning home, he
laid his land warrant on section 34, and at once began
improving the farm and erecting the necessary buildings; and
what was then a wild timber and prairie plot is now a
beautiful farm, surrounded with many of the comforts of
life.
The first school-house was built on section 7, in the
edge of the timber. It was a log structure of no mean
dimensions for those days.
St. Mary's Church, on the north-east corner of section
25, was built by the Methodist denomination.
Grove Church, on section 20, was erected by the United
Brethren in the year 1858, and was the first church erected
in the township. It proving too small to accommodate
the congregation, it was removed, and the present beautiful
edifice was built on its site in 1875.
The Baptist denomination are now building a church on
the north-west corner of section 34, on N. Corley's
place.
This township contains an area of thirty square miles,
or 19,200 acres of fertile and productive land, capable of
producing in large quantities all crops grown in this part
of the state.
Drainage. - The southern part is drained by
Robinson creek and its affluents, and the
north-western portion by the tributaries of Flat Branch, all
of which give a good supply of water for stock purposes.
There are no pools, swamps or stagnant water to generate
miasma, hence this is a healthy portion of the county.
Game. - The early settlers of this township were
surrounded with an abundance of game such as bears, deer,
wild turkey, prairie chickens, quails, rabbits, wolves,
raccoons, opossums, &c. Also numerous flocks of
migratory birds came in the spring and fall, among which
were geese, brants, ducks, cranes, &c.
The first land entry of government lands was made on
the third day of August, 1833. John Armstrong
entered the W. ½ of the S. W.
¼, section 6, town 13, range 3 east, containing 160 acres.
On Nov. 23d, 1833, David Watkins entered the S. W. ¼
of the N. W. ¼, section 6, 39 97-100 acres. On the
25th day of July, 1834, Ebzemond Basye entered the S.
W. ¼ of section 35, 160 acres. Robert Porter
laid his land warrent on section 26, in 1848.
Also Nathan Corley on section 34, in 1849.
Supervisors - The following gentlemen have
represented Pickaway in the board of supervisors; J.
Casey, chairman, elected in 1860, re-elected in 1861;
G. M. Thompson, elected in 1862; John Casey,
chairman, elected in 1863; G. M. Thompson, elected in
1864; John Casey, elected in 1865; William Baird,
elected in 1866, re-elected in 1867, and chairman in 1868
and 1869; W. L. Ward, elected in 1870; N. Corley,
elected in 1871, re-elected in 1872; J. Casey,
chairman, elected in 1873, re-elected in 1874; N. Corley,
elected in 1875, re-elected in 1876-77; C. H. Hilliard,
elected in 1878, re-elected in 1879; J. C. Noon,
elected in 1880, and is the present incumbent.
YANTISVILLE,
A
post-office on section twenty-nine, was established November
15, 1880, with Henry Yantis as post-master.
Longenbaugh and Yantis have a general store here.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
JOHN BARBEE
W. H. JACKSON
GEORGE DURKEE
CAPT. GEORGE WRIGHT
E. S. FRENCH
ISAAC LONGENBACH |
