Scott County trivia!
Finley Township was cut off from Vienna Township in 1867 and named after John C. Finley, an early pioneer from Kentucky.
Houses in Finley Township numbered 536 as of the 2000 Census.
Nabb had a Canning Factory on the Scott County side of the town.
At one time, a circus family lived in Nabb with many animals, Scott County.
Ulysses Beswick was a photographer living in Nabb, Scott County.
Nabb Post Office was changed from Clark County to Scott County many times.
The Chronicle, established in 1880 and published by B. F. Foster and Son. The paper was edited by 18 year old Will M. Foster in Jennings Township. Will published The Dime, in 1879 and the subscription rate was 10 cents a year.
Dr. Dexter McClure lived in New Frankfort and in 1864 moved to Austin where he practiced until his death in 1879.
A canal was planned for Jennings township on Isaiah Jones’ land.
There are two known Confederate Soldiers buried in Scott County Cemeteries. James Yow is buried at Lexington and Benjamin J. Perry is buried at Austin. Local historian Joe Gibson had tried to mark their graves with Confederate flags, but they were stolen.
Lexington resident, Dr. A. H. Lothrop served as Surgeon at the Battle of Shiloh where the first tent hospitals of the Civil War had been established.
The location of Scott County’s “Camp Everson”, training ground was near Lexington but the site is unknown.
Captain James E. Fouts was killed at Stones River, Tennessee. He was Scott County’s highest ranking officer to die in battle and lived in Lexington.
County Seats proposed: Albion platted 12 Dec 1837 by Harper Cochran (ghost town). Wooster platted 23 Jan 1847 by Stephen Rice and New Frankfort platted 10 Feb 1838 by Gara Davis (ghost town). All three towns were on State Road 256 and are in Johnson Township. Today these areas have a few homes.
Marriage License issued in November 1902, The Chronicle
Conner Berry, 26 & Anna Arnett, 17
Homer C. Young, 21 & Olga A. Williams, 19
Jerred Tobias, 49 & Mattie Miller, 29
(Jerred tobias, was a merchant-huckster from Jennings County.)
Oscar E. Whitlatch, 21 & Etta F. Deal, 22
David Robbins, 45 & Lulu Lizenby, 30
Clarence E. Robbins, 18 & Nora A. Shultz, 17
Col. K. Rogers, 21 & Levina V. Dismore, 18
Lyman H. Dismore, 21 & Hattie B. Yount, 16
Claude Carr, 24 & Lydia Stewart, 21
6 November 1902 The Chronicle
“Dock” Miller died at the poor asylum, aged about 78 years.
William Richey, age 87 years, died in Finley township.
20 November 1902 from The Chronicle
Pat Storen, trustee of Lexington Township, age 42 years died of heart disease. Interred at North Madison.
James W. Craig, age 70 years died, interred at Zoah Cemetery.
A 7-year old child of John Clark & wife, residing east of this place, died Friday interred at Estil Cemetery.
An 18-year old daughter of Jefferson Gladden and wife died, interred Hopewell Cemetery.
George Meranda and family, Missouri, visited his father, Warren Meranda.
Dr. Zollinger, Jewish Rabbi; Prof. Harris, Essa Simon; E. Imon, wife & daughter; Jacob Heitzman & David Simon, all of Louisville, visited Meyer Gladstein, Sunday. Dr. Zollinger performed the usual Jewish surgical operation on Mr. Gladstein’s little son.
Charles Clapp, of near Marysville, visited yesterday.
Miss Florence Wells, Anderson, is visiting the family of S. B. Wells.
Sim Worley & Van harrod, of near New Harmony, were here yesterday on business.
Mrs. John Gray, of near Memphis, is visiting the family of Henry Blume.
27 November 1902
Miss Nellie Coons, Crothersville, visited the family of B. A. Ervin Sunday.
A 10-month old child of James Ringo and wife died at the home of Robert Follick near Zoah.
Wm. Chapeler, 50 years, died near Jeffersonville from injuries received by being run over by a log wagon.
Nellie, 12-year old daughter of Thomas H. Everitt & wife, died….interred in Everitt family burying ground southwest of Vienna.
Lexington Lights
August 5 — (do not know year or name of newspaper)
Clyde Campbell and Guy Campbell, Jr., left for Shelbyville Monday in search of work.
The Lexington Canning Company unloaded two car loads of cans last week. Canning will begin about the 15th.
Mrs. F. M. Campbell and Miss Agnes Shea left Saturday for Niagara Falls.
Mr. Lewis Overby will move his family to Crothers ville this week.
Mr. Ambrose Lowry, who has been employed by H. S. Hardy at Tipton, Indiana returned home last week.
The Old Settlers Meeting to be held in Johnson’s Grove, Saturday, August 16th now promises a success. (This location is on Charlestown-Lexington Road – on the west side of the road, approximately 1 mile from Lexington – on the farm of Reuben and Mary Lynch Johnson.)
Hardy Happenings
Donated by Janice Hardy Stanley
August 4, no year
Hardy, Indiana
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Blackford and Mabel were the guests of Mr. Dallas Hardy’s Sunday.
Miss Adia Thompson was the guest of Clara Close Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wilson spent Sunday at Mr. Clyde Anderson’s.
The Rev. Harry Jackson will fill his regular appointment Sunday August 10 at Concord.
The Sunday School at Frog Pond is progressing nicely.
There was quite a large crowd at Bethel Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. O. N. boles were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. O. A. Phillips Sunday.
Miss Bessie Shepherd went to Nabb Monday.
Mr. Matthew Abbott is on the sick list.
Mr. James Mills, of Louisville is spending a week at home.
Mr. Fred Anderson was the guest of Elmer Shepherd Sunday.
Mr. Howard Baker and cleveland A. Noell spent Sunday at Mr. Wess Blackford’s.
Mr. and Mrs. John Bear and son Melvin, visited their daughter, Mrs. Clarence Lowry Sunday.
The family of Mr. Clark Benham is ill. Mr. Benham is suffering from cancer of the face.
The Latest From Lexington in The Courier (believe to be New Washington Courier).
Unknown Date
Rev. Alford will begin a protracted meeting at the Christian church on ___day night, Dec. 1.
Mr. P. F. Smith has been appointed Trustee of Lexington township by Auditor C. C. James to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Pat Storen.
Rev. Whimster held Thanksgiving services at the Presbyterian church Thursday night.
A new B. & O. S W time card went into effect Sunday, November 23. Many of the trains have changed time. No. 7 due at 4:53 p.m. will stop at Lexington on flag. This will be a great convenience. Heretofore there has been but one west-bound train each day that would stop.
Mr. T. H. Campbell has secured employment with the L. & N. Railroad at Louisville.
Mrs. Ada Loftus, Misses Jesse James and Grace Paswater were at Louisville Friday and Saturday.
Mr. Royal Hough of Jeffersonville, visited his parents here last week.
Tom Shea, Jim and Ed. Monroe have returned from Illinois where they have been shucking corn.
Capt. James Fortune and Auditor Badger, of Jeffersonville spent several days here on a hunting expedition.
Mr. L. N. Mace spent Thanksgiving at home.
Miss Ella Gladden, duaghter of Mr. Jeff Gladden, died Saturday, November 15, aged 19 years.
Frog Pond Paddlings
Little Edith Noell is on the sick list.
David K. Mount was buried at New Bethel Sunday
Martin Hardy and wife have moved back to their farm.
Mrs. Hallie Boles is entertaining her mother from Kent.
T. B. Morris and family Sundayed at Mrs. Elizabeth Blackford.
Miss Alice Kahn of Madison, is visiting her aunt, Ella Arbuckle.
Mrs. Clyde Paswater and son, of Indianapolis is visiting at George Baker’s.
The G. A. R. Jubilee will be held at the usual place on the first day of September.
Mrs. Cordie Snyder and daughter Golda visited Clara Noell, of Madison Wednesday.
Mrs. Cleveland Noell, of Madison is visiting her parents, Mr. and mrs. Albert Close.
All roads lead to teh big store of Shilling, Blackford & Co., New Washington. They give Blue Rebate Stamps.
Will Renschler, of Swanville, and cousin Miss Maude Renschler, of Madison, visited A. H. Close and family Sunday.
The annual Old Settlers Meeting of Scott and adjoining counties, will be held in Capt. English’s grove, 1/2 mile west of Lexington, on Saturday, August 11th. The speakers are Lieut. gov. Hugh T. Miller, Capt. Wm. E. English, and Col. Chas. L. Jewett. Train No. 17, due at Lexington at 4:50 p.m., will accommodate passengers for all points south.
Taken from The Early History of Scott County, Indiana 1820-1870 by Carl Bogardus, Sr., M.D.
To purchase the book contact The Scott County Public Library, 108 South Main Street, Scottsburg, IN 47170 or telephone 812.752.2751. Email: darlene@scott.lib.in.us
Another feature that made Lexington an important center was the salt spring on the New London Road, operated by Colonel McFarland, one mile east of the town on the bank of Town Creek (a branch of Stucker Creek). The brine from this spring was boiled down in hugh iron kettles and the resultant salt was sold for two dollars a bushel. Later a deep well was dug in order to acquire a larger supply of brine. The site of this old spring and well can still be seen today on the Howard Bridgewater farm (1970).
Taken from The National Democrat, Jeffersonville, IN, Thursday 14 September 1876
Contributed by Jeff Harmon
MIss Emma Swope, one of the Scott county’s fair daughters, was married on the evening of the 6th, to Captain Jack Mitchell, of Montgomery,Alabama, formerly of Bloomington, Indiana, and started on the midnight train for their Southern home. No cards.
Springfield (MASS) Republican, December 16, 1894, p. 12.
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Rickey of Finley’s Knob near Scottsburg, Indiana, have a
pair of pet rattlesnakes that they keep in a cage. Neither they nor their
children have any fear of the reptiles that they have owned for a year. The
other night one of the snakes got out of its cage and crawled into the
baby’s cradle. It alarmed the child but did it no harm.
Jackson (MICH) Citizen Patriot, December 26, 1898, p. 1. NOTE: The article
below was abbreviated from the original as noted by the ellipsis. The first
part of the article was essentially like that noted in the Indiana State
Journal on December 28, 1898.
MOB FINDS A VICTIM
Masked Men Take Marion Tyler from Jail; They Hang Him to a Tree Close By
Scottsburg, Indiana, Dec. 26-A lynching took place here late Friday night
and the procedure was so quiet that few of the residents knew of the
occurrence until morning. Marion Tyler was the victim.
This is the first hanging in the history of Scott County either by law or by
lynching.
Tyler’s parents, residing at McLanesboro, Ill., were notified.
Tyler was married to Mrs. Laura Terrell of this place in the spring of 1897,
and after with his wife removed to Indianapolis where they spent several
months but did not live happily together. Mrs. Tyler left her husband and
returned to her mother at this place. After her return here, Tyler made
several trips to this city and attempted to get her to return with him which she refused to do. September 3, Tyler came here to see his wife, and
after she again refused to live with him, he shot her twice in the head and
then shot himself. The wounds of each were at the time thought to be fatal,
but up to the time of the lynching, both were recovering.
Indianapolis (IN) State Journal, December 28, 1898, p. 8.
TYLER IN INDIANAPOLIS
He Was an Extra on the Streetcar Lines
Marion Tyler lived in Indianapolis about ten months. At the time of the
shooting, he was employed by the street car company as “first extra.” When
he first came here he and his wife lived with her mother at Oliver and
Marion avenues. Some months ago they separated, and Mrs. Tyler’s brother
came on from Scottsburg and assisted the wife in moving back there. One
night Tyler went to his home and found the place deserted. It is said by
those who knew him here that after that night he was a changed man.
After his wife left him, Tyler boarded with the family of Joseph Cochran at
2115 North Illinois Street. The Cochrans say he talked a great deal about
his wife. He appeared to lay his troubles at the door of his mother-in-law
and once brought a libel suit against her, afterward dismissing the case.
On the day of the Scottsburg shooting, Tyler left the Cochran home about
seven o’clock in the morning. On the Saturday night before he had
complained that he had been feeling badly but remarked that “it would all be
over and settled one way or the other by another week’s end.” He said to
Mrs. Cochran on the morning he left that in case he did not come back, she
could burn his clothes, sell them or throw them away just as she pleased.
He appeared in a very serious mood when he bid the family goodbye.
Those who knew Mrs. Tyler say she was a good looking young woman of about
27, or more than ordinary intelligence. She was a widow at the time she was
married to Tyler in Scottsburg. Her first husband was Benjamin Garriott who
died several years ago. She and Tyler were married in the spring of 1897.
Shortly after their marriage, they came to this city. Tyler, it is said,
was about 30 years of age. He was a large, good-looking man. Some of his
acquaintances in West Indianapolis say that trouble between him and his wife
arose over money matters. It is claimed that Tyler made a strong effort to
get hold of his wife’s money and this caused an estrangement. They
separated in West Indianapolis on July 18.
Marion Tyler was married to Laura Terrell. Prior to her marriage to Marion,
Laura was married to a Garriott. One newspaper article identified him as
Benjamin Garriott. According to the research of Doug Garriott, the marriage
was to Francis M. Garriott.
Oswego Daily Palladium, May 19, 1899, p. 8.
Heirs of a Victim Granted Right of Action for Damages Against SheriffIndianapolis, Indiana, May 19-Judge John H. Baker of the United States
District Court, has rendered a decision in which he holds that the heirs of
Marion Tyler, who was lynched at Scottsburg several months ago, had a right
for action for damages against the sheriff of the county and his bondsmen.The decision was rendered on a motion to overrule a demurrer to the
complainant, James F. Gobin, the sheriff, and his bondsmen were required to
answer the complaint within ten days. The case, which is for $25,000
damages, is expected to come to trial in about a month. In holding that a
sheriff is responsible for the prisoners in his care, the court said:
If the law imposes a duty of care in respect to animals and goods which he
has taken into his possession, by virtue of his office, why should not the
law impose the duty of care on him in respect to human beings who are in his
custody by virtue of his office? Is a helpless prisoner in the custody of a
sheriff less entitled to his care than a bale of goods or a dumb beast? The
law is not subject o any such reproach.
Vol 1), p. 19.
Scottsburg Citizens String up Marion Tyler to a TreeScottsburg, Indiana, Dec. 24-Marion Tyler was taken from the county jail
here this morning between one and two o’clock by a masked mob and hanged to
a tree in the courthouse yard. Tyler was in jail awaiting trial for
shooting his wife Nov. 3. He shot her twice and shot himself twice, but
both had recovered sufficiently to be up. The sentiment of the people is
divided with a majority condemning the mob’s action. There is, of course,
no clue to the identity of any member of the mob. Tyler’s trial was set for
Jan. 13.
A few minutes after one o’clock, Sheriff James F. Gobin heard a knock at the
door of his residence and, being used to calls at all hours, went to the
door in his night clothes. Three masked men with drawn revolvers thrust the
door open and grabbed him, and four others with double-barrel shotguns
rushed in. A member of the mob said they wanted Tyler and demanded the keys
to the jail, but the sheriff refused. By this time, the bedroom was crowded
with masked men and the mob’s leader leveled a revolver at the sheriff and
demanded the keys in a hurry. The sheriff said he would die first, but his
frightened wife told the mob where to find them.
After obtaining the keys, several members of the mob went to the room of
Deputy Sheriff Cal Gobin and with drawn revolvers compelled him to dress and
come downstairs. Both the sheriff and his deputy were ordered to lead the
way and unlock the jail and cell occupied by Tyler. Both refused, and the
members of the family were placed in one room and guarded while the mob
proceeded to the jail.
The lynchers seemed to understand just where to go. They entered the upper
room of the jail, lighted a lamp in the corridor and placed guards on the
outside of the cell in which Tyler and an old man were confined. The cell
door was unlocked, and two members of the mob entered going direct to
Tyler’s bed.
They bound his feet and tied his hands behind him. Then another stood by
the lighted lamp and tied a hangman’s noose at the end of a half-inch manila
rope. This was placed over Tyler’s neck, and a man took hold of him on each
side, and he was dragged from the jail to the street below. On reaching the
street, Tyler was heard to say, “Oh, my God, kill me here.” He was told to
keep quiet, and if he said anything else during the whole performance, the
the inmates of the jail or members of the sheriff’s family failed to hear it.
The mob took Tyler to the courthouse yard two hundred yards away. The men
were drilled and answered to numbers instead of by name. On reaching the
courtyard, the mob selected a convenient limb on a shade tree, and over this
the end of the rope was thrown. Tyler was placed on an old door and held up
while the end of the rope was tightly fastened. Then the door was allowed
to fall, and Tyler dropped to death by strangulation with his feet about
eighteen inches from the ground. Their work being completed, the mob
marched out the courtyard to the street and disappeared.
All this was done so quickly and so quietly that the town was not aroused.
As soon as the guards were out of sight, Sheriff Gobin came from his
residence, but he could find no trace of the lynchers. From whence they
came or where they went is a mystery. Besides the sheriff’s family and the
old man who occupied the cell with Tyler, only one man has been found who
saw them. This was a young man who returned from the country with a horse
that he put in a livery stable. On coming from the stable to go to his
hotel, he was halted by three men with drawn revolvers. He was ordered to
sit down in front of the livery stable and keep quiet. He remained across
the street from the jail. He says those who went into the jail wore long,
dark masks, but the men who guarded him wore no masks that he could discern.
After the mob left the courtyard, this young man was ordered to go into the
stable and remain there half an hour under penalty of being shot. He went
into the stable but came out as Sheriff Gobin was passing. The coroner was
at once notified, and shortly before three o’clock the lifeless body was cut
down and taken to an undertaker’s establishment. His parents at
McLeansboro, Ill., were notified, and the body will be sent there.
All thoughts of mob violence had apparently passed from the minds of the
people of this locality soon after the shooting last November, and the
lynching was a surprise. The people of this county greatly deplore and feel
deeply the disgrace that has been brought on the community by this act of an
unknown mob that is generally supposed to have been organized outside of
this county.
This is the first hanging that ever took place within the borders of this
county.
At Scottsburg, Marion Tyler was lynched on the 24th day of December, 1898.
At Rockport Jim Henderson and Bud Rowland were lynched on the 16th day of
December, 1900, and the next
day at Boonville Joe Holla was lynched.
Marion Tyler was lynched because he shot his wife, not fatally.
Henderson and Rowland were lynched for the reason that they were charged
with the murder of H. S. Simons on the morning of the 16th of December,
1900.
Tyler was taken out of the jail in the presence of the sheriff and his
family, taken to the public square and hung to a tree, the lynchers leaving
for their homes shortly afterwards. I spent a great deal of time in Scott
county attempting to ascertain those who did the lynching, and while the
names of those who committed
the crime were reasonably well known, it has so far been impossible to
obtain an indictment in that county for lack of evidence to warrant same.
The state has no right to take a change of venue. Suit was brought in the
United States circuit court at Indianapolis by the father of Marion Tyler,
as administrator of his estate, said parent being a resident of the state of
Illinois. The widow testified that she did not claim any damage ; that she
was quite willing to be rid of her husband, and, as there were no children
to be
benefited, the jury returned a verdict of five dollars.
The above Tyler information submitted by
South Central District Director
Indiana Genealogical Society