Shelby  County,  Indiana
History  of

Hendricks  Township

Township 12 North - Range 5, 6 East


The Shelbyville, Indiana, Daily  Democrat
Tuesday, July 18, 1899
----------

          Parties in the city to-day from the vicinity of the School Section ford in Hendricks township, state that they did not secure enough of the recent rains in that section to lay the dust.
Copied by Phyllis Miller Fleming

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

HENDRICKS--Township is bounded on the north by Sugar Creek and Brandywine Township, on the south by Jackson [twp], on the east by Addison [twp] and on the west by Johnson County. In extent it is six miles square. From 1828 to 1833, that part of Hendricks Township lying east of Blue River was a separate Township, called Fleming.
          Among the earliest settlers of this region, were the following:

Hugh and Jeremiah Campbell James Woods Peter Andrews Nathan Simpson John Andrews Elijah Kirkpatrick Willis and William Law Peter Heck Noble Grimes Robert Kennedy Thomas Vaughan Hudson Ray Edward Toner John Salla John Snyder James Young Lewis Hendricks Rev. Henry Logan Sevier Lewis John I. Lewis Philip Robins Benjamin Reece Jesse Beard Ephraim Webb James Hill Archibald Gordon Benjamin and John Wallace Richard Doughty William Fleming Fleming Kennedy Edward Miller Reuben Davison William and Martin Updegraff Joseph and Enoch Tucker John Goodwin Zachariah Collins

          There are two hills of some height in this township that add much to the beauty of the landscape; one is called McCrea's Mountain and the other McFerrin's. Blue River flows through in a south-westerly direction. There are two post offices, one at Smithland and the other at Marietta. Smithland is a thriving town, laid out by Hezekiah Smith, October 28, 1857. It has a store, a Baptist Church, and a flourishing lodge of Odd Fellow. Marietta was laid out by John Heistand, David Engles, John French, S. Robertson and Redding Money, August 31, 1835. It possesses the advantage of a high, commanding location on the Edinburg pike, near Blue River. It contains several business houses, a large flouring-mill, a Grange Lodge, a Methodist Episcopal and a Methodist Protestant Church.
          There are eleven schools in Hendricks, all but one have brick buildings and they are all
in good condition. There are four churches, two mills and four gravel roads.
          There are many very fine farms in this township, with handsome residences and elegant
barns. Among them the following may be mentioned:

Fleming Kennedy John Toner Ithamar Davison Mrs. Matilda Hill James Doddes Samuel and John T. Murphy James Cooper George Hill G. Parker Allen Porter Dr. Hiram Comstock J. Roe Eliza McDonald Michael and Jacob Snyder

          Willis Law was the first Justice of the Peace and his son William served in the same office a number of years. The late Sevier Lewis was the first Sheriff of Shelby County and he held the same position before the organization of the county, by appointment of Gov. Jennings. Philip Robins, and James Hill were for a long time Justices of the Peace. Alexander Miller became Clerk of the county; Dr. Milton Robins was the second Recorder; Ithamar Davison is County Commissioner at present and  E. L. Davison, Recorder.
From the Atlas of Shelby Co., Indiana, Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co, 1880.
Contributed by Jean Hehn.

The  Shelby  Union  Banner
June 16, 1864
Page 3, col 1
----------oOo----------

          SANITARY. --- The following receipt from the Treasurer of the Sanitary Commission for Shelby county, shows the amount of money contributed by the loyal people of Hendricks township under the recent efforts of Chaplain Lozier. Much credit is due the gentlemen whose names appear, for their energy in the collection of the money.

SHELBYVILLE, June 13, 1864. Received at the hands of Dr. Daniel Davis, the following sums of money, to-wit: Collected by R. Hezekiah Smith....$85 90 "        "        Joseph Fisher.........88 50 "        "       Wm. Reese.............43 60 "        "      Dr. Daniel Davis......12 00 Total .....................................$130 00 S. A. GORGAS. Tr. San. Com. for Shelby Co.

The  Shelby  Union  Banner
April 14, 1864
Page 3, col 2
Township Elections -- Official.
____
HENDRICKS.
Trustee.

Union.                            Copperhead.
N. S. Conover.......30  D. J. Atwood......129
Justice.
Sylv. Robinson......93 James Ross.........97
Constable.
......................  D. C. Tucker......125
......................  R. R. Blackford...112
......................  Jos. Butler........49
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

Township History Index       Township Map       Main Page

To contact contributers listed above, use the Surname Index.