Shelby  County  Indiana
Historical  Articles

Addison  Township



Addison Township, Shelby County, Indiana:  Township 12, 13 North - Range 6, 7 East
per Plat Directory distributed by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, 1997.

The   Shelby  Democrat
July 18, 1895
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BUGABOO.
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Special Correspondence to the Democrat.
              BUGABOO, Ind., July 15, 1895.
          Wheat threshing in this locality is nearly completed.
          Mr. Webb and wife are the guests of Mr. Tenant and family.
          Lon Brown, who was kicked by a horse is slowly improving.
          A social was given at the home of Tobe Worland on Saturday night.
          The Thompson Sunday school appointed there teachers on last Sunday.
          George Miller  was struck by a scantling falling from the loft of a barn and badly hurt.
          A large number of people attended services at Mt. Pisgah, conducted by Rev. Hughes  Sunday eve.
          Ask Will Shadley  why he drives west every Sunday evening to charm the heart of some sweet --- "Tot?"
          Miss Ethel Harney  is prepared to give music lessons on the organ.  Miss Ethel is a fine musician and all wishing to take music lessons should give her a call.
          A lecture will be given Sunday morning at Mt. Pisgah by Prof. Reed  the subject:   "Destiny of Man" also a lecture Sunday night by Dr. Carney, subject, "Ministry."  Everybody invited.
          A number of friends spent Sunday with Frank and Lida Reed.  A grand time was had.  Among the guests were  Vanarsdal,  of Shelbyville, and  Willie Sleeth,  of Pleasant Hill.
          Edgar Hatfield  has been suffering severely from heart trouble.  He thinks of taking treatment from Dr. Griffin in Greenfield.  Ed's first attack was at a party about three weeks ago.

VAN.    

Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The   Shelby  Democrat
June 4, 1895
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BUGABOO.
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Special Correspondence to the Democrat.
              BUGABOO, Ind., June 4, 1895.
          A social was given at the home of  William Miller  on Wednesday night.
          Miss Harney,  of St. Paul, was visiting friends in "Old Bugaboo" last week.
          Singing is progressing nicely under the management of  Prof. Samuel Miller.
          On Sunday a number of friends of  Misses Birdelle and  Alice Kuhn  spent a pleasant day.
          Miss Kate Brown,  who will play for children's day at Mt. Pisgah will be assested by  Miss Ethel Tennant.
          Boys, be careful how you drive races on Sunday on the public highway, there is a law to prohibit such work.
          Ronnie Collins  has his new house completed.  Ronnie is making preparation for a successful "Coers" in life.
          William Kersey,  who is suffering with tumerous cancer, is now able to be up and there is hopes for his recovery.
          Commencement exercises were held at Cynthiana on Saturday night.  A number of our people attended.
          Rev. James Derrickson,  of Blue river, assisted in the meeting Sunday night, conducted by  Rev. Hughes.
          Ed Hatfield  is suffering from a sty in the left corner of his eye.  Ed looks like hs has had a John L. Sullivan lick.
          Preparations are bing made by a number of our young people to spend a day at the Flat Rock cave.  A grand time is anticipated.
          A number of people assembled at  Mike Wendlings  on Monday evening for the purpose of giving a musical entertainment, all report a grand time.

VAN.          

Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

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The first settlement made in Addison Township, was in the northwest corner long known as the "Wray Settlement." The pioneers of that neighborhood were:

Rev. James Wray Isaac and James Templeton Samuel and John Nail Zeboniah Stubbs James Montgomery Zebedee and Barnabas Wray These were all native North Carolinians.

Contributed by Judith Lucero
History of Shelby County, Indiana, Chicago, Brant and Fuller, 1887, page 303

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          Addison, the largest of the townships, is in the center of Shelby County, and in it Shelbyville, the capital, is situated. It is bounded on the north by Brandywine and Marion Townships, on the east by Union and Liberty, on the south by Noble and Washington, and on the west by Brandywine and Hendricks Townships. In extent it is seven miles from east to west, and eight miles from north to south. The Indianapolis, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad, and the Jefferson, Madison & Indianapolis Railroad, pass through Addison Township, and there are four railroad stations and two postoffices.  There are fine gravel roads in every direction, and no less than fifteen center in Shelbyville. There are thirteen churches in Addison and nineteen schools; eleven of the schoolhouses are of brick, and the graded school of Shelbyville, under the able management of Prof. R.S. Page, has a deservedly high reputation.
          Prescott, the only other town besides Shelbyville, is a station on the Indianapolis, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad, and has several stores and a post office.
          Shelbyville is peculiar for its popularity throughout the county. Its streets often present an appearance of crowding and bustle and thrift equal to a large city. The demand for houses is greater than the supply. In railroad, telegraphic, post office and gas facilities, and in protection against fire, as well as in advantages of access by fine roads, and the pleasures of driving amid pleasant landscape, Shelbyville stands second to no place of its size anywhere. The streets are graded, graveled, smooth as a floor, thoroughly drained, and fringed with shade trees. Among public buildings, the Court House, Blessing's Opera Hall, Ray House, First National and Shelby Banks, Exchange Block, Sylvan B. Morris', Deprez's, Joseph Levinson's, stand foremost. Of private residences the following are the most beautiful:

George C. Thatcher's, Frank C. Sheldon, Dr. William G. McFadden, John Elliott, John Blessing, D.J. Shaw, Judge K.M. Hord, Isom Wray, Mrs. A. Blair.

Among the best farms in the township may be named:  Those of

George Senour, Leonidas Gordon, Isom Wray, Alfred Major, John Shaw, Thomas Francis, Christopher Houston, Milton Barger, Samuel Montgomery, Joseph Kennerly, Matthew Wright, Guy Johnson, Thomas Goodrich, John Robinson, Milton Jeffras, Nathaniel Thompson, Samuel Hamilton, Charles Muchmore, Thomas Duvoll, William Henry, John Wheeler, William A. Moore, James, Robert and Charles Clark.

In the northwestern corner of the township there is an interesting neighborhood, called "the Wray Settlement," and in early days familiarly known as "Carolina".  This was probably the first settlement in the territory of Addison township. The pioneers of that neighborhood were the Rev. James Wray, father of Isom Wray, Isaac and James Templeton,  Samuel and John Nail, Seboniah Stubbs, James Montgomery, Zebedee and Barnabas Wray.
Atlas of Shelby Co., Indiana, Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co, 1880, page 13.

The  Shelby  Union  Banner
April 14, 1864
Page 3,  column 2
Township Elections -- Official.
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ADDISON TOWNSHIP.
Trustee.
          Union                Copperhead       
Thos. H. Fleming...423 Isaac H. Wilson...354
Justice.
William Hacker.....428 James Fix.........349
Constables.
Jas. C. Morrison...430 Wyatt Barnes......332
Wm. Davie..........428 James L. Capp.....331
J. Hollingsworth...421 John Worland......337
Columbia Stafford..418 Mat. Deitzer......343

The  National  Volunteer
SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA
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April 6, 1854

          Democrat delegates from Addison Twp. to attend the State Convention.

James Elliott ~ ~ ~ J. Faivre ~ ~ ~ William Farrell J. W. Ballard ~ ~ ~ J. Bennett ~ ~ ~ James Smith J. W. Sleeth ~ ~ ~ S. Kirk ~ ~ ~ Isaac H. Wilson D. Thacher ~ ~ ~ P. Murphy ~ ~ ~ H. Dobbins B. Coats ~ ~ ~ D. Ulrey ~ ~ ~ G. W. Laingor J. Milleson ~ ~ ~ W. Jackson ~ ~ ~ Thomas Byerley S. McKinnsey ~ ~ ~ E. M. Wilson ~ ~ ~ Jacob Vernon Z. Ray ~ ~ ~ A. Miller ~ ~ ~ A.G. Selman J. Maholm ~ ~ ~ Daniel A. Snyder ~ ~ ~ T. A. McFarland Samuel Montgomery ~ ~ ~ Godfrey D. Sindlinger

Abstracted by Maurice Holmes, in his book Shelbyville, Indiana, Newspaper Excerpts: 1853-1859.  Submitted by Sherry Badgley Ryan, with permission from the author.

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