Sample Chapter - Indiana's Counties - Bartholomew County

Sample Chapter

Indiana's Counties

Bartholomew County 

Bartholomew County Facts

County Seat - Columbus

Area - 409.36 sq mi 

Population - 82,753(2018)

Founded - January 9, 1821

Named for- Joseph Bartholomew

County Government

Bartholomew County Courthouse

234 Washington St # 303, 

Columbus, IN 47201

Tourism Information

Columbus Area Visitors Center

506 Fifth Street

Columbus, IN 47201

(800) 468-6564,

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Thumbnail History

The Indiana Legislature created Bartholomew County on February 12, 1821 and takes its name from Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Bartholomew, wounded at the Battle of Tippecanoe. Local legend says that Colonel Bartholomew and General John Tipton rode horses through the area in May 1820, surveying the possibilities of the area that would become Bartholomew County. Tipton purchased several parcels of land shortly after, which formed the nucleus of future County Seat, Columbus, Indiana.

Bartholomew County Courthouse

Visitors to Columbus Indiana will find this historical marker noting the importance of the Bartholomew County Historical Marker

Title of Marker:

Bartholomew County Courthouse

Location:

SE corner of courthouse, 234 Washington Street, Columbus. (Bartholomew County, Indiana)

Installed by:

2000 Indiana Historical Bureau and Joseph Hart Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution

Marker ID #: 

ID# : 03.2000.1

Marker Text: 

Side one:

County formed by Indiana General Assembly 1821. Thirty acres of land were purchased, and John Tipton donated thirty acres, for county seat. State commissioners named county seat Tiptona--after Tipton; local elected commissioners renamed it Columbus. Tipton served as state representative, Indian agent, and United States senator.

Side two:

Second Empire Style courthouse, designed by Isaac Hodgson, completed 1874, is county's fourth courthouse. Constructed of red brick with white limestone trim. Foundation is rusticated blue limestone. Original slate roof replaced 1953 with standing-seam copper. Extensive remodeling 1968; interior restoration completed 1998. Listed in National Register of Historic Places 1979.

Reviewed: 29 June 2011.  Read the Review.  Learn more about our Accuracy of Marker Texts Policy.

Author Note - the revisions are worked into the following narrative:

Short History by the Author

The Indiana General Assembly created Bartholomew County on February 12, 1821 out of portions of Jackson and Delaware Counties.. The county's name derives from Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Bartholomew. The county seat is on land which consists of two parcels, thirty purchased by the County and thirty acres obtained from John Tipton. The status of the land obtained from John Tipton is not clear. From land transfer records it is not clear if Tipton donated the land or if the County purchased it. The record is not clear either if the State Commissioners suggested the name "Tiptona." Records indicate that early in discussions about the new county seat's name, some did suggest Tiptona. However, on March 19, 1821, the commissioners had settled on the name "Columbus." 

John Tipton (August 14, 1786 – April 5, 1839)

John was born in Sevier County, Tennessee, where his father died in an Amerindian raid. He moved to Harrison County, Indiana in 1803 and married Martha Shields. He farmed and fought natives, leading a unit of the famed Yellow Jackets during the Battle of Tippecanoe. he gained election to the Indiana State House of Representatives from 1819 to 1823. During this time, he was involved in the formation of Bartholomew County and its county seat, Columbus.

Bartholomew County Courthouse

Irish born architect Isaac Hodgson designed the courthouse, one of six he designed in Indiana. Construction began in 1870 and completed in 1874. the courthouse cost $225,000 to build. 

Isaac Hodgson  (1826–1909)

A native of Belfast, Ireland, Hodgson immigrated to the United States in 1848. He started in New York, but came to Louisville, Kentucky in 1849. He became a full architect in 1855 and during his career he worked mostly in Indiana and Minnesota. He designed six Indiana court houses, the Marion County courthouse and several notable buildings in Minnesota after he moved there in 1882.

Joseph Bartholomew (March 15, 1766 – November 3, 1840) 

The son of Daniel Bartholomew, Jr. and Elizabeth Catharine Bartholomew, Joseph was native to Amwell, Hunterdon, New Jersey. The family moved to Pennsylvanian around 1768, where is father died. His mother remarried, however the stepfather treated the Bartholomew children poorly. Joseph had little formal education and schooled himself in the ways of the frontier. He became an expert rifleman and experienced in woodcraft. He also acquired skills in surveying and land titles. Joseph gained a reputation as an "Indian fighter" during this period. 

Military Scout

When the Revolutionary War broke out, the ten-year-old Joseph volunteered to join the militia and helped defend the Pennsylvania frontier against Amerindian raids. He later served in the same capacity during some of the military campaigns in the Northwest Indian War. 

Marriage and Family

He married Christiana Peckinpaugh around 1788 - 1790, with whom he had ten children. The young family floated down the Ohio River by flatboat to the area around Louisville, Kentucky around 1795.  

Clark County

Move to Clark County, Indiana

Bartholomew was present at the signing of the 1795 Treaty of Greenville, having taken part in General Anthony Wayne's campaign, which ended with the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Sometime around 1800 the family moved to Clark  County. he settled in the  Clark's Grant near the town of Charlestown., Indiana where he surveyed land and took part in the defense against the natives. On May 10, 1808 his wife died giving birth. On July 30, 1812 he married Elizabeth McNaught, with whom he had five children. Elizabeth died in a horse riding accident in 1824. Bartholomew did not remarry.

Military Experience Indiana

War of 1812

On September 21, 1803 he had received a commission as a major in the Clark County militia. he would rise to Lieutenant Colonel, a rank he held during the Battle of Tippecanoe.  During the battle he was shot in the arm. His service during the battle gained him the rank of brigadier general. He would serve later in the White River Campaign, a short lived march up the White River Valley from Vincennes to an area north of present day Indianapolis that terminated when the soldiers involved found most of the native villages abandoned. 

After the War of 1812 Bartholomew served as a surveyor and farmer as well as serving in both the House of Representatives and Senate in the Indiana General Assembly. In 1821 he joined the expedition that located the site that would become Indianapolis. In May 1820, he purchased land in the area at the area where the White and Driftwood rivers join. He built a cabin on the site.  

Farmer in Indiana and Move to Illinois

A friend of Bartholomew's requested that he sponsor a $30,000 bond so his friend could purchase some property. The friend defaulted on the bond, leaving Bartholomew responsible for half the debt. The situation forced Bartholomew to sell his farm to service the loan. He moved to McLean County, Illinois, where he would later serve in the Black Hawk War in 1832. After his death he was interred in Clarksville cemetery in McLean County.

Sample Chapter - A History of Batesville, Indiana - Batesville Chamber of Commerce

Sample Chapter 

A History of Batesville, Indiana Batesville Chamber of Commerce

United States Chamber of Commerce

President William Howard Taft suggested the need for a nationwide organization to deal with the needs of businesses in the United States during a speech on December 7, 1912. Heeding his call, over 700 delegates representing a plethora of businesses from across the United States met in Washington DC. On April 22, 1912 this body of delegates established the United States Chamber of Commerce. Today the three million Chamber members represent every type of business in the United States.  

Improvement Committee

Among the first references to a group formed to improve the interests of Batesville appeared in March, 1891 with the formation of "Improvement Committee". Chaired by W. T. Greeman, David Macallum served as vice president R. N. Papet as secretary and Joseph Spiegel as treasurer. The group apparently received $9.00 from a group that had previously formed, but disbanded. This group eventually took the name of the Batesville Board of Trade.

Batesville Board of Trade

As per a report issued by the organization on February 4, 1892 the Board of Trade consisted of 33 members. The officers remained the same with the exception of Daniel Jungok, who took the place of R. N. Papet as Secretary. The Board held meetings on Friday evenings at Town Hall. The next year the Board of Trade took an active role in community growth by advocating for the establishment of a number of new industries. These included a foundry, woolen mill and machine shop. The organization created a sub organization they called the Purchasing and Building Committee. The Board of Trade constructed a building for this committee using volunteer labor. The Fisher Brothers lumber mill sawed 3,000 feet of lumber for the building and the Shrader and Krieger company roofed the building, charging only the cost of the material used. Batesville's business economy, as well and that of communities around the country, collapsed with the financial panic of 1893. 

Batesville Commercial Club

The Batesville Board of Trade apparently dissolved sometime after 1895, the last year of record, and 1907.  The Batesville Commercial Club organized on October 31, 1907. The directors of this organization included Donald McCallum Peter Holmer, Joseph Luesse, A. J. Lindenmier, John Meyer and M. F. Bohland. The club underwent a reorganization in July 1910. 

Retail Merchants Association

Various business men's organizations had emerged, and dissolved, during the years 1910 through 1917. The Retail Merchants Association formed in on January 20, 1917 to answer the needs of the local retail merchants. 

Chamber of Commerce

In 1920, apparently, the Chamber of Commerce organized from some members of the Commercial Club, Business Men's Club and Batesville Board of Trade organizations. A member of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, B. R. Inman, helped with the initial steps of organizing the Chamber had 119 members and listed Fred Ritter, George Johnanning and Niel Macallum as directors. As one of its first ventures, the Chamber sponsored the establishment of the American Legion. The Batesville Business Men's Club merged with the Batesville Chamber of Commerce in 1928 with the Business Men's Club retaining it identity by becoming a as a sub branch of the Batesville Chamber. 

Batesville Chamber of Commerce

2 W. Pearl Street 

Batesville, IN 47006

812-934-3101

http://www.batesvillein.com

https://www.facebook.com/BatesvilleAreaChamber/

Sample Chapter - 1776 - Revolutionary War Time Line - June 14 1776 - Final British Ships Cleared from Boston Harbor

Sample Chapter 

1776 - Revolutionary War Time Line 

June 14 1776 - Final British Ships Cleared from Boston Harbor

The British had evacuated Boston in mid March, however the remnants of the fleet still lingered in Boston Harbor, keeping ships from leaving or entering the harbor. The British fleet in the harbor consisted of 8 ships, 2 brigs, one schooner and 2 of a type of three-masted ship called a snow.

General Benjamin Lincoln, who had been appointed to the Committee of Safety of Boston and part of the executive committee earlier in the year, resolved to drive the British from the harbor. 

Benjamin Lincoln (January 24, 1733 - May 9, 1810)

The son of Benjamin Lincoln and his second wife Elizabeth Thaxter Lincoln, Benjamin was native to  Hingham, Massachusetts. Lincoln worked on his father's farm and attended the local schools as a child. He entered politics in 1754 with his election to town constable. 

French and Indian War

After the onset of the French and Indian War he enlisted in the 3rd Regiment of the Suffolk County militia, which his father commanded. He and  Mary Cushing married in 1756. The couple would have eleven children. During this time he gained election to the town clerk position of Hingham and in the militia. His regiment saw no action during the war, however he received promotion to major during the war. 

Interim Years

Lincoln held a number of local political posts during the ensuing years and gained election to the Massachusetts General Court in 1772. Two years later British General Thomas Gage dissolved the provincial assembly, however the assembly reformed as the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. Lincoln, a supporter of the Patriot cause, received election to the Congress after it reformed. In the early months of the conflict he was appointed to the committee of safety for the Congress and helped oversee the movement of gunpowder and other supplies to the Continental troops besieging Boston. 

Revolutionary War

Lincoln received appointment to major general in January 1776. 

Placing Cannon

Lincoln made use of some of the cannon brought down to Boston as part of Colonel Henry Knox's "noble train of artillery," in January. He had cannon placed at strategic points in the harbor, beginning on June 11, 1776. By June 13, Lincoln was ready. He ordered his drummers to beat a notification to the citizens that some military action was about to take place. Next he had several hundred Continental troops and militia occupy strategic places in on islands in the harbor and at other important sites. By June 14, Lincoln was ready. 

Driving the British from Boston Harbor

The rebel cannonade began at Long Island, which the captain of one ship answered. However, Colonial cannon fire began inflicting damage on his ship, so he ordered the fleet to take to sea. The colonials captured some of the ships along with several hundred British troops. The blockade of Boston had begun on June 14, 1774. It ended with Lincoln's cannonade on June 14, 1776.

Sample Chapter - Indiana’s Timeless Tales - The Indiana Territory - Book 1 April 24, 1801 - Moravian Missionaries

Indiana Territory Seal

Sample Chapter 
Indiana’s Timeless Tales  - The Indiana Territory - Book 1
April 24, 1801 - Moravian Missionaries Reach Future Site of Brookville
The current of the Whitewater was even more powerful than that of the Miami. This slowed the progress of the missionaries and their companions considerably, as they made only six miles the first day. This would have been at a point somewhere south of current West Harrison, Indiana.
Dining on Bear
They spent a full day at this site. A nearby resident shot a bear, which he gave to the missionaries and their party. Sister Kluge fried the meat over a campfire. They found the meat of the fat animal quite good. A party of the White River Lenape visited them at this spot.
Purchasing a Cow
During their short stay at this site they purchased a cow and a heifer and her calf to take with them. Residents told them that they should buy the cow before they reached Indian country, as there a cow in poor condition would cost them $40 or more. They purchased their cow for $13. On the morning of the 17th of April, the party departed, this time traveling in separate companies.
Pressing On
They had sold two of their canoes, so part of the party traveled upstream in the remaining 3. The remainder of the expedition traveled along the bank of the Whitewater driving the cattle along as they went. Over the next couple of days they managed to make contact with a Lenape family camping near the river that lived at Woapicamikunk. The Indians told the missionaries that they were about a 3 day ride by horseback from Woapicamikunk. They agreed to take a message back to the chiefs of that village that the missionaries were in the area and would arrive in several days. They also told them to remind the chiefs that they had promised to provide horses for the Moravian party, as they would be unable to proceed much more than 20 miles by water and that they would need horses. The Lenape departed, bearing the message and the Moravian party proceeded on.
Arrival at the Forks
They arrived at the forks of the East and West Branches of the Whitewater River, the future site of Brookville, Indiana, on April 24, 1801. The Moravian party set up camp near the trail that led west towards Woapicamikunk, and still about 100 miles to go to reach their goal.

Sample Chapter -Turkey Run State Park - Covered Bridges at the Park

Sample Chapter
Turkey Run State Park
Covered Bridges at the Park

Narrows Covered Bridge
Constructed by Parke County bridge builder Joseph A. Britton, this 121 foot long covered bridge spans Sugar Creek. Many consider this bridge the first one constructed by Britton, whose first wife died while he was building it. He met his second wife, who lived on a nearby farm, while working on it. Two other bridges had spanned the creek at this site previously. Both called the Salmon Lusk Bridge, they first one lasted from 1840 until 1847. The second one from 1847 until 1875. The 1882 Narrows Bridge replaced the second one. The current concrete bridge that carries Narrows Road over Sugar Creek bypassed the Narrows Bridge in 1966.
Most Visited Bridge
The Narrows Covered Bridge is the most visited bridge in Indiana. It carries Narrows Road over Sugar Creek, however it is not open to motorized traffic. Hikers may cross the bridge and enjoy the view of Sugar Creek and watch canoeists float by.  Three of the trails at popular Turkey Run State Park cross it and hundreds of canoeists each year pass under it each summer on their way down Sugar Creek. The bridge is open to pedestrian traffic only. The National Register of Historic Places listed it on December 22, 1978.
Bridgehunter.com ID BH 44674
Joseph Albert Britton (June 9, 1838 – Jan. 18, 1929)
The son of   Charlton and Julia Britton, Joseph was native to Rockville, Indiana. He spent his boyhood in a log cabin while his father taught him the carpenter trade. Known locally as J.A. Britton, Joseph constructed over 40 covered bridges in Parke, Putnam, and Vermillion counties during a 33 year period.
Civil War
After the outbreak of the Civil War, Brittan enlisted in the Eighty-fifth Indiana Infantry, Company A. The Confederates surrounded his company during their first engagement on March 5, 1863 and captured them. The Confederates held them until March 31 at Libbey Prison. On that day they took part in a prisoner exchange and returned to combat. The Company returned to action and mustered out June 12, 1865 .
Law Practice
After leaving the army, Britton read law and gained admittance to the Indiana and Kansas bars. He practiced in Kansas, but decided he did not like law practice.
Return to Rockville
Thus, he returned to Rockville and took up carpentry, building houses until around 1879. He started building covered bridges in that year, and would continue building for another 33 years. His first contract for a bridge came in 1882. This was the Narrow's Bridge that is now in Turkey Run State park. He preferred the short, Burr Arch Trussone span bridges. Many of his bridges are listed on the  National Register of Historic Places.
Britton would marry twice, the first time to Mary E. Jones on Sep 25, 1862. Mary died in 1884 and he married Bertha Hirshbruner on September 13, 1888. he would have eight  sons and four daughters. Several of his sons entered the bridge building business.
Joseph Albert Britton died in 1929 and is interred in Rockville Cemetery.

Cox Ford Covered Bridge
Constructed in 1913 by renowned bridge builder J. A. Britton, the Cox Ford Bridge carries Cox Ford Road over Sugar Creek on the southern border of Turkey Run State Park. The burr arch-truss is 191 feet long, 15 feet wide and is 13 feet above the creek level. The National Register of Historic Places listed the bridge on December 22, 1978. The park incorporated it into its care in 1965. The Cox Ford Canoe Ramp is a short distance downstream from the bridge and allows public boat access to Sugar Creek.