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From:
Subject: [inrush] Re: Rushville IN Bios/ Reply Early Settlements Biography
Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2001 19:07:59 EST

Hi Sally,

Here is a little something on your Oliver surname:

Surname: Sidorus, White, Smith, Smelser, Thornberry, Williams, Guffin,
Gruell, Arnold's, Cassady, Hinchman, Parson, Oliver, Hale, Laughlin,
Cullen's, Burton
History of Rush County Indiana


1888
Brant & Fuller
Chicago


Early Settlements


The very first settlers were squatters. Some of these after the land office
in Brookville was opened purchased their homes and went to work to open up a
farm, but the majority were hunters and trappers, whom a restless spirit of
adventure ever kept on the frontiers; they were the avant conreurs of the
white race; always in advance of emigration; as soon as the men who sought a
permanent home settled near them, they pushed farther into the wilderness,
where the ringing blows of the axe had not driven away the game. This type of
squatters were a peculiar people, brave, skilled in all the mysteries of
woodcraft, wonderfully self reliant and cool, hospitable and generous, they
were utterly uncultivated and rude; they despised the learning of the
schools, and polished and refinement of society, deeming them frivolous and
effeminate, unworthy the attention of the free rovers of the forest.First
SettlersThe Indians having ceded their title to the land, in the early part
of 1819, and the most of them having left this part of the country, the
squatters soon found their way into the abandoned hunting grounds, some for
the sake of the abundant game, others with an eye to a future home, to be
secured when the land was thrown into the market. Of the latter class were
several afterward well known in the early history of our county. Henry
SIDORUS was a squatter on land now owned by T.P. WHITE, on the south side of
Flat Rock; it was where the Indiana trail leading from Connersville to the
White River towns crossed that stream. He settled there in 1819, he was a
keen hunter and skillful trapper. He built a house and stable, cleared some
land, and had a wagon and horses. After the sale of the land he entertained
land viewers and movers, assisting them with his team when needed. In 1821,
he sold his claim to Joseph SMITH for $100, with which he purchased eighty
acres on the north side of Flat Rock, now a part of the farm of Mr. Jesse W.
SMELSER. After Indianapolis was laid out, he hauled the first dry goods from
Cincinnati to that place, and also assisted in moving families and their
household goods there. In 1823, he sold his land to John SMELSER, for $300
and pushed out into what is now Champaign County, Illinois, and located in a
beautiful grove, which bears his name, as does the Post Office and Railroad
station now there. His son William has his home there still. Richard
THORNBERRY settled on Flat Rock, some four miles below Rushville, at the
mouth of Hurricane Creek in 1819. He entered his land on the 2nd of October
1820. He remained an honored citizen of Rush, leaving many descendants. Isaac
WILLIAMS squatted on the farm now owned by Andrew GUFFIN, a mile and a half
north of New Salem, also in 1819; he entered his land in 1820. Samuel GRUELL
squatted on what is now Arnold’s Home farm, and his brother in law, Weir
CASSADY, on the Joseph HINCHMAN farm. This was in 1819. GRUELL sold his claim
to John ARNOLD for $50, in 1820, and then bought eighty acres where Matthias
PARSON now lives; this he traded to John PARSON for a farm on Noland’s Fork
of Whitewater. Weir CASSADY also bought land in Rush, and was a citizen until
his death. He left numerous descendants. His widow died at the house of her
son in law, John OLIVER, in Rushville, within the last year. John HALE was a
squatter on the land belonging to Thomas CASSADY. He entered 160 acres of
land and afterward sold it to Wilson LAUGHLIN, which is now Judge
W.A.CULLEN’S home farm. He was a famous hunter, and as a slayer of deer there
was but one in the county that could compete with him, and that was Ben
BURTON, another squatter and afterward a permanent settler. Those early days
were not without exciting episodes, independent of the adventure and dangers
of the forest. John HALE had made considerable improvements on the land he
designed entering, and was making every effort to get together a sufficient
sum to make the purchase. At this time, 1822, he ascertained that some
parties from Kentucky had taken the numbers of the land, and had started to
Brookville to make the entry. In this emergency he mounted his horse and
galloped to Judge W.B. LAUGHLIN to ask for aid in his distress. He started
the case to the judge and he immediately furnished him with the necessary
cash. He then besought Harmony LAUGHLIN to take his money and his horse and
endeavor to overtake and pass the other party, who had some hours the start,
and get to the land office first and secure the land. Fortunately, for the
party so deeply interested in the race, his horse had both speed and
endurance and HALE had charges HARMONY to beat them there if it killed his
horse. Inspired by this order and his natural energy, he dashed away through
the dim pathway, at furious speed. Night had overtaken the Kentuckians at
Judge MOUNT’S at the point afterward known as Metomora. Here they put up for
the night, but HARMONY made no halt but pushed on toward Brookville, where he
arrived near morning and as soon as it was light, hunted up the land office
officials and made entry, that secured to his friend HALE, the desired home.
Shortly after the business was completed the Kentuckians arrived and to their
intense chagrin, found that they were too late, that the other party had
traveled while they slept.

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