Footnotes: Introduction part 1
(1) Biographical Record of Prominent and Representative Men of
comp., “Genealogy of
the death of her first husband, Thomas
Clark. Following William Harrison’s death in November, 1840, she moved their
children to
Delaware County
Biographical
Record, 150; Duke, “Genealogy of
journal entry for
(2) Charles Harrison, “Family Record” [1871], handwritten manuscript in
possession of William Ripley Harrison,
born on
Oscar married Diane Ida
Gunn who died on
and worked as a gardener in the township in 1880. Jake (Virginius) purchased
farmland in
time that he married Mrs. Lucinda Dunlap. They also
resided in the township at the same time the journal was written. Ultimately,
both
Oscar and Jake moved to
The Peoples Guide: A business, Political and Religious Directory
of Morgan County, Indiana (
1880, Population Schedules for Morgan,
pp 171, 176’ Deed
Book Z, p 155, Deed Book 35, p89, Office of the Recorder, Morgan County
Courthouse,
(3) Biographical Record, 148-50;
Duke, “Genealogy of
A legislative History of Morgan
County, Indiana (n.p., 1970) 105. Deed Books in the Morgan County Courthouse
attest to William Ripley’s
involvement in land deals. He married three times.
His first wife, Elizabeth (Betty) Park, died on
Walter J. – the
“Wat” of the journal. William Ripley then married Mary Wilson by whom he had
Effie and Mary Ellen. Finally, by Mary J.
Crawford – the Auth Mary of the
journal- he had Delia, Martha C., and Agnes Virginia. Duke, Genealogy of the
Tenth Census, 1880, p 141.
Duke, "Genealogy of Harrison Family"; Harrison, "Family Record"; Carl C. and Janet C. Cowen, "Morgan County Cemetery Records"
[n.d.], 3 vols., typescript in possession of Morgan County Public Library, Martinsville, II, 497. Some sources, including his tombstone,
spell Alvin's name Alvan, but the spelling in the journal is accepted as accurate.
(6) U.S., Ninth Census, 1870, Population Schedules for Morgan County, Indiana. National Archives Microfilm Publications,
No. M-593, Roll 346, pp. 443-56; Martinsville Republican, November 17, 1904.
(7) Journal entry, December 5, 1880.
(8) The tenor of a reference to James Gray having attended normal school suggests that William Gregory was a "normalite" at
Martinsville. Ibid., April 17, 1881(9) Fred A. Harrison and his family were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Martinsville Republican, November 17,
1904.
(10) Duke, "Genealogy of Harrison Family:' The dates were confirmed by a visit to the Bethlehem Cemetery, Jefferson Township.
The fact that Charles, William, and Alvin all died at the age of twenty-seven has entered the folklore of Morgan County.
Interviews with Lloyd Hancock, Jefferson Township, August4, 1978. Alma Fraker, Martinsville, August 15, 1978. See also Martinsville
Daily Reporter, September 14, 1967. Attempts to discover the causes of death have proven unsuccessful. Death Records for Morgan
County do not exist prior to 1900, and no mention of the three brothers appears in the extant newspapers.(11) Deed Book 51, p 488: Martinsville Republican, November 17, 1904.
(12) Martinsville Republican, January 24, 1901. The article gives 859 North Jefferson as William Ripley's address, but this is an
error. Elaine Harrison to editor, August 21, 1978.
Footnotes Part 1
(1) The editing of the William Gregory Harrison journal was accomplished using the original manuscript in the possession of William Ripley Harrison,
Indianapolis, brought to the attention of the Indiana Magazine of History by Janet Halliday Ervin, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Spacings and indentions
have been standardized, but spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure are as nearly as found in the handwritten document as possible. Obvious
unintentional repetitions were deleted, raised letters brought down to the line, and double spaces added where sentences lacked periods. In all cases
where the manuscript was unclear, common English usage prevailed.
Identification of people, places, and colloquial terms has been attempted whenever such information was available. The use of nicknames and middle
names, however, complicated the editorial process. Walter J. (Wat) Harrison's wife, Margarett Emma, for example, appears as Emma Harrison in
census records. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, Population Schedules for Morgan, Newton, Noble Counties, Indiana. National Archives, Microfilm
Publications, No. T9, Roll 301, p. 177; Robert M. Duke, comp., "Genealogy of Harrison Family" [1941], typescript in possession of William Ripley
Harrison, Indianapolis. Ages given from the census records are as of June, 1880.
"Upper Burnet" refers to Burnett's Creek, a tributary of the White River, which ran through the Harrison farm. Today the creek is known as Lamb's
Creek, taking its name from Lamb's Bottom, a small, fertile valley in southern Jefferson Township, site of the earliest settlements in Morgan County.
Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana (Chicago, 1876), 126; Charles A. Blanchard, ed., Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown,
Indiana: Historical and Biographical (Chicago, 1884), 329-30.
(2) As noted in the introduction, in 1880 Fred Harrison owned one hundred sixty acres in two eighty-acre units. The "upper 80" refers
to the
unit described as the east half of the southwest quarter of section twenty-three, Jefferson Township. Deed Book 30, p. 411, Office of the
Recorder, Morgan County Courtthouse, Martinsville, Indiana.
(3) William Ripley Harrison's third wife was Mary J. Crawford. She was born about 1833 and married W. R. in 1864. U.S., Tenth
Census, 1880, p. 141; Duke, "Genealogy of Harrison Family:'
(4) Walter J. Harrison was the eldest son of William Ripley Harrison. Born on October 5, 1852, he died May 23, 1934. He married
Margarett Emma Bishop on July 18, 1872. In 1880 they lived on a prosperous farm in Jefferson Townnship. U.s., Tenth Census, 1880,
p. 177; Duke, "Genealogy of Harrison Family"; Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 329-30.
(5) Effie J. Harrison, twenty-one, was the daughter of William Ripley and his second wife Mary Wilson. Born on June 2, 1859, she
died on September 13, 1897. Journal entries confirm her presence in Jefferson Township as a schoollteacher, although the 1880 census
does not list her with an occupation. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 141; Duke, "Genealogy of Harrison Family:'
(6) Bedford O'Neal (1856-1929) was a Jefferson Township farmer. No inforrmation on his wife was located. Carl C. and Janet C.
Cowen, "Morgan County Cemetery Records" [n.d.], 3 vols., typescript, Morgan County Public Library, Martinsville, I, 267.
(7) Mary O'Neal, twenty-nine, was the wife of Jefferson Township farmer Jahu O'Neal. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 174.
Bedford, Jahu, and Woodford O'Neal were brothers. U.S. Ninth Census, 1870, Population Schedules for Morgan County, Indiana.
National Archives, Microfilm Publications, No. M-593, Roll 346, p. 453.
(8) As Democrats the Fred Harrisons were obviously pleased by Judge Solomon Claypool's election speech supporting the 1880
Democratic candidates. Local Republicans felt differently: "His speech was flat, stale and unprofitable, and didn't elicit a single cheer .... "
Martinsville Republican, October 7, 1880.
(9) "Jooking;' as used by William Gregory, apparently means "hiking;' although research in available records and interviews with
older residents of Morgan County failed to verify this. "Jook" can also mean to crouch suddenly, or it can describe corn that falls
from the sheaf when thrown from a stack. Neither definition fits the context in which it appears in the journal. Thomas Wright, Dictionary
of Obsolete and Provincial English (2 vols., London, 1880), II, 604.
(10) Charles H. Warthen, twenty-two, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 171.
(11) William Hand, thirty-one, was a Jefferson Township farmer. Ibid., p. 175.
(12) Joseph Ballinger, thirty-six, and his wife Margaret, twenty-six, owned a Jefferson Township farm. He served in Company K,
132nd Indiana Volunteers during the Civil War. Ibid., p. 174; Cowen, "Morgan County Cemetery Records," I, 264.
(13) Nathan T. Whitson, twenty-one, was a farm laborer residing on Wat Harrison's farm. U.s., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 177.
(14) Robert L. Foster, thirty-six, was a Jefferson Township farmer. Ibid., pp. 173-174.
(15) William C. Curtis, thirty-two, was a Jefferson Township farmer and close neighbor of Fred A. Harrison. Ibid., p. 175.
(16) Probably Henry Fowler, forty-eight, who was a Jefferson Township farmer and neighbor of Fred A. Harrison. Ibid., p. 173.
17 The Crone Cemetery was located next to the Crone meetinghouse in section twenty-two, Jefferson Township. Some time
before 1880 the Crone meetinghouse was replaced by the Bethlehem Church and the burial ground is now known as the Bethlehem
Cemetery. Lloyd Hancock and his uncle tore down the Bethlehem Church about 1936 or 1937. Cowen, "Morgan County Cemetery
Records;' II, 497; Interview with Lloyd Hancock, August 4, 1978, Jefferson Township.
18 As noted in the introduction, William Gregory's eldest brother, Charles Ripley, died on December 5, 1879.
19 Effie Harrison was probably teaching at School Number 7 on Buffalo Road in section thirty-four, Jefferson Township.
See footnote 104. Plat Map, Morgan County, Indiana, 1897, in possession of the Morgan County Library, Martinsville.
20 Mary Harrison's mother, Sophronia (Gregory) Van Demark, still resided in Ohio, although, as the journal notes, she was
considering a move to Morgan County. After the death of Mary's father, William Gregory, Sophronia married Daniel Van Demark.
Charles Harrison, "Family Record" [1871], handwritten manuscript in possession of William Ripley Harrison, Indianapolis.
21 Ballingertown, no longer in existence, was a small group of buildings located in section twenty-three, Jefferson Township, off
what is now the Balllinger Road. Inverview with Alma Fraker, August 15, 1978, Martinsville.
22 William and Alvin were caught in the last and largest Morgan County Republican rally of the 1880 campaign. The parade
began at 10:30 A.M. and the local pro-Republican newspaper reported that "the town was not big enough to accommodate the
monster procession." Even allowing for overstatement it was a significant gathering. Martinsville Republican, October 14, 1880.
23 The Reverend Mr. Moore was possibly the Reverend R. H. Moore, a Methodist minister who presided at Fred Harrison's
funeral. Martinsville Reepublican, November 17, 1904.
24 William Gregory uses a code evidently to keep prying eyes from noting caustic comments about the preachers and their
sermons. Attempts to solve the code have been unsuccessful.
25 Old Mr. Bain was probably Donald Bain, Sr. Born in Scotland on March 17, 1809, he immigrated first to Maryland, then
moved to Jefferson Township in 1843. In 1880 he was a highly respected citizen and farmer. Blanchard, Counties of Morgan,
Monroe and Brown, 326; U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 181.
26 Hynsdale was a small village in south Jefferson Township founded sometime after the Civil War. In 1880 it contained a
general store, post office, and blacksmith shop. Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 149.
27 Morgan county was, and reamains, a Republican stronghold. In 1880 the G.O.P campaigned on the "bloody shirt" of
the Civil War and the prevailing prosperity of the nation. William Gregory's faith was rewarded and the state and county Republican
ticket was victorious. Martinsville Republican, October 7, 14, 21, 1880; T. Harry Williams, Richard N. Current, and Frank Friedel,
A History of the United States (2nd ed. 2 vols., New York, 1964), II, 183.
28 Probably Nathan Whitson, seventeen, who was a Jefferson Township farmer, and not Nathan T. (Dob) Whitson. See footnote thirteen
US., Tenth Census, 1880, p 175
29 Probably Thomas Newburn, seventeen, who was a Jefferson Township farmer. See footnote sixty-nine. Ibid., 176
30 Dr. Wesley H. Cure, forty-nine, was a prominent Martinsville physician. Ibid., p. 141; The People's Guide: A Business, Political
and Religious Directory of Morgan County, Indiana (Indianapolis, 1874), 356.
31 William S. Shirley was born in Oldham County, Kentucky, on September 6, 1836. He attended Lagrange College, Lagrange,
Kentucky, and studied law in Louisville. In November, 1858, Shirley moved to Martinsville where he became William Ripley Harrison's
law partner from 1862 to 1874. He, his wife, and five children resided in Martinsville in 1880. Logan Esarey, ed., The Pioneers of
Morgan County: Memoirs of Noah J. Major (Indiana Historical Society Publications, Vol. V, No.5; Indianapolis, 1905), 477; U.S.,
Tenth Census, 1880, p. 147.
32 Ebenezer Henderson was another prominent Martinsville citizen asssociated with William Ripley Harrison. Born on June 22,
1833, he received two years of college at Indiana University before taking charge of his father's farm and making his fortune by
trading stock. He served as both the Morgan County deputy county treasurer and county treasurer and was a state senator from 1868
to 1872. In 1873, he, T. H. Parks, and William Ripley Harrison built Martinsville's last pork-packing plant, which failed in 1883.
Blanchard, Counnties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 190-91; Esarey, Pioneers of Morgan County, 471.
33 Reverend Runnion was the Church of Christ minister at the Lamb's Creek Church, Jefferson Township. Record Book of the Lamb's
Creek Church, in possession of Mrs. Lloyd Hancock, Jefferson Township.
34 Ephraim Schuler, born on October 12, 1855, and Green Shuler, born on October 9, 1861, were the sons of Hary [?] A. Shuler,
an Ashland Township farmer. In 1880 they both lived on their father's farm. Ephraim died on February 11, 1928, and Green on
August 25,1894. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 192; Cowen, "Morgan County Cemetery Records;' II, 508, III, 828.
35 She was probably the fifteen-year-old daughter of Mariah Hand, a widow residing on a Jefferson Township farm. US., Tenth
Census, p.174.
36 John S. Crone, was the son of Henry Crone. In 1880 he still lived on his father's farm. See footnote seventy-one, Ibid, p 174
37 Mrs Elmeter Benge was a widow listed as "keeping house" in Jefferson Township. Ibid.
38 The meaning of "squiz" is uncertain. Internal evidence suggests that it may refer to some kind of woodworking. See especially the
journal entry for January19, 1881. Lloyd Hancock has suggested that Alvin might be making apple cider and that the "Squiz-shop"
was a cider press. Interview with Lloyd Hancock, August 4, 1978, Jefferson Township.
39 As noted in the introduction, William Gregory's uncle, Virginius T. (Jake) Harrison, fourty-eight, and his wife Lucinda, fourty-nine,
owned a Jefferson Township farm, us., Tenth Census, 1880, p 171.
40 Peach-blows were large, smooth-skinned potatoes. Interview with Marshall Lutes, Bloomington, Indiana, July 10, 1978.
41 Samuel D. Howell, twenty-nine, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 125.
42 This refers to "Wat' Harrison's wife Margaret Emma and their baby Maude E., born on September 15, 1879. See footnote one.
Duke, "Genealogy of Harrison Family"; U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 177. The Harrison family genealogy was prepared for
Maude E. (Harrison) Wilhite.
43 Probably the Donald Bain, Sr., farm. See footnote twenty-six.
44 Julius C. Keifer, thirty-eight, was a Martinsville blacksmith in 1880.
45 Wilbur was one of two Gregg Township villages of, in 1880, recent origin, consisting of "one or two stores, a blacksmith or
two, a carpenter, a saw mill, a post office, and from a half dozen to fifteen families;' Blanchard, Counnties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 156.
46 Horace Pearce owned land in the southwest quarter of section twelve, Jefferson Township. Plat Map, Morgan County, Indiana, 1875.
47 Millar Howell was a Jefferson Township farmer born in North Car6'iina in 1808. Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 330.
48 Sally was probably Sarah Echler, nine, a servant girl in the Virginius T. Harrison household in 1880. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 171.
49 Edwin W. Callis was born in Flemington, Hunterdon County, New Jerrsey, on January 17, 1827, and came to Martinsville in
1855 where he bought the Morgan County Gazette. He edited the paper as a Republican instrument - until 1870 when he shifted
to the Democratic party. Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 34, 176.
50 Squire W. Faulkner, fifty, ran a Martinsville hotel and restaurant, the Faulkner House. Wounded in the abdomen during the
Civil War, he was receiving a $6.00 pension. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 147; Blanchard, Counnties of Morgan, Monroe
and Brown, 78, 88-89; People's Guide, 360.
51 Probably James H. Holmes, thirty-one, a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 182.
52 Here William Gregory refers to the Bethlehem Methodist Church. See footnote seventeen.
53 Delilah Harrison, fourteen, was William Ripley's fourth daughter. U.s., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 141.
54 Probably William A. Benge, twenty-three, a young Jefferson Township farm laborer. Ibid., p. 174.
55 Probably either John Bain, thirty-six, or John E. Bain, twenty-eight, both of whom were Jefferson Township farmers.
Ibid., pp. 178, 181.
56 Martha Hitchcock Harrison died on November 1, 1879, as noted in the introduction.
57 General Winfield Scott Hancock was the 1880 Democratic presidential candidate defeated by James A. Garfield.
Williams, Current, and Friedel, Hisstory of the United States, II, 183.
58 William Ballinger, twenty-one, was a farm laborer residing in 1880 on a Jefferson Township farm with his brother-in-law,
William A. Benge. See footnote fifty-four. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 174.
59 By November 3, 1880, the Republican victory had been forecast. By that time James A. Garfield was reported to have 231
electoral votes. Only 185 were required for victory. Ultimately, the Republican candidate received 214 elecctoral votes; although
his popular vote was only slightly larger than Hancock's. Martinsville Republican, October 28, 1880; Williams, Current, and
Friedel, History of the United States, II, 183.
60 This is another name for a cabbage cutting knife.
61 Probably Stokely Stiles, born October 12, 1831, and died December 12, 1912, who was a Jefferson Township farmer.
He served in Company F, 148th Indiana Volunteers and in 1880 owned 420 acres of land. Cowen, "Morgan County Cemetery
Records;' II, 498; Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 333.
63 Daniel Kirk, fifty-one, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S., Census, 1880, p. 171.
64 Probably Jaspar Bunton, twelve, son of William Bunton, forty-two, a Jefferson township farmer who served in
Company F, 148th Indiana Volunnteers. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 179; Cowen, "Morgan County
Cemetery Records; I, 271.
65 "Dutch" Dan Bain was probably Daniel M. Bain twenty-three, a cousin 'living on William Bain's Jefferson Township
farm. "Os" was probably William Gregory's uncle, Oscar Hamilton, listed as a gardner on the same farm. U.S.,
Tenth Census, 1880, p. 176.
66 James Bishop, the fifteen-year-old brother of Margarett Emma Harrison, lived at Wat's in 1880, working
on the farm. Ibid., p.177.
67 Probably William Riley NosIer, forty-three, who ran a sawmill in Jefferrson Township. He was born in
Owen County, Indiana, on November 9, 1835, and came to Morgan County in 1876. Ibid., p. 176; Blanchard,
Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 332-33.
68 See footnote sixty-four
69 Probably Peter Newburn, seventeen, a servant on the Stokley Stiles farm. His brother owned a Jefferson
Township farm. See footnote twenty-nine. U.S. Tenth Census, 1880, p. 176.
70 James Singleton, nineteen, was working the Jefferson Township farm of his mother-in-law, Polly A. Moore.
Ibid., p. 175.
71 Probably Henry Crone, fifty-seven, a Jefferson Township famer. Ibid., p.175
72 This comment referring to school teacher William D. Bain, provides a good example of the author's sense
of humor. See footnote eighty-four for identification.
73 James G. Bain, thirty-six, was editor and publisher of the Martinsville Republican, now the Reporter, and
the postmaster at Martinsville. US Tenth Census, 1880, p140; Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe
and Brown, 171-72
74 Campbellism was a Protestant doctrine taught by Dr. Alexander Campbell who rejected complexity and
denominational development. "Man, he believed, must find Christ by restoring first-generation biblical
Christianity." Martin E. Marty, Righteous Empire: The Protestant Experience in America (New York, 1970), 86-87.
75 Loper's schoolhouse could not be identified with certainty. A journal entry for December 17, 1880, indicates
Effie Harrison was teaching there. An entry for January 19, 1881, shows her teaching at School Number 7.
If these two schools were the same, then Loper's is better known as the Buffalo schoolhouse.
76 John Kivett, forty-two, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 175.
77 Probably Christina Allen, seventy, who kept a Jefferson Township house for her son-in-law, Christopher
Cornwall, and his family. Ibid., 176.
78 Rebecca Foxworthy, fifty, was a Jefferson Township widow. Ibid.
79 Stoga boots refer to heavy, rough shoes or boots and may also connotate a cheap, hand-me-down boot.
Ormand Johnson to editor, August 9, 1978.
80 Albert V. Bishop, Margarett Emma Harrison's brother, was born on July 8, 1863, and died on October
22, 1907. Cowen "morgan County Cemetery Records," II, 537: Duke, "Genealogy of Harrison Family."
81 Probably Sophronia Van Demark, who was a cousin of William Gregory and daughter of F. J. Van Demark. See footnote eighty-seven. Charles Harriison, "Family Record."
82 Probably N. T. Cunningham of the Martinsville general merchandising firm of Cunningham, Bollinger & Phelps founded in 1880. Blanchard, Counties, of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 181.
83 Probably Alexander Stiles, twenty-nine, who was a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, p. 181.
84 William D. Bain, twenty-three, son of Donald Bain, Sr., was a Jefferson Township school teacher and close friend of William Gregory. He acted as enumerator of the 1880 census for· the township. Ibid.
85 Possibly George Pearce, twenty-one, son of Isabelle Pearce, a Jefferson Township widow. U.S., Ninth Census, 1870, p. 455.
86 This is probably a local term for a Dagon plow which has a triangular share. Ormand Johnson to editor, August 9, 1978.
87 Flavius Josephus Van Demark, born February 18, 1844, was William Gregory's mother's half-brother. See footnote 20. Charles Harrison, "Family Record."
88 Probably the home of AmosS Hart of Washington Township. Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 188.
89 Dwight Calhoun was a distant' cousin of William Gregory. Dwight's mother, Lucy Hitchcock, was one of William Gregory's mother's aunts. Charles Harrison, "Family Record."
Introduction Part 2
1.Journal entry, January 1, 188l.
2 For complete biographical information on William Gregory Harrison's
family in Morgan County and an analysis of the journal see Roger G. Miller,
ed., " 'Chronicles of Upper Burnet': William Gregory Harrison's Morgan County
Journal, October 2, 1880-May 23, 1881, Part I," Indiana Magazine of History,
LXXIV (December, 1978), 316-2l.
3 Florence Mote to editor, January 18, 1979. The mortality schedules, part
of the United States censuses from 1850 to 1880, were supposed to list all
deaths from June of the year prior to the census to June of the census year.
4 Ibid.; Miller, ed., "Chronicles of Upper Burnet," 318-19.
5 Miller, ed., "Chronicles of Upper Burnet," 319.
6. Ibid., 329, 332, 335. Those who provided solutions to the code were Glen
A. Miles, Mooresville, Indiana; Judy Murdock Pirtle, Sullivan, Indiana; Donald
Easton, Renton, Washington; Sylvia Henricks, Indianapolis, Indiana; and Mary
Shields Shore, Longview, Washington. To read the code add one or two letters
to the ones that appear. An "i" thus becomes either "j" or "k". William G. made
some encoding errors.
7. Miller, ed., "Chronicles of Upper Burnet," 347; Alma Fraker to editor,
August 27, November 21, 1978.
8. The journal ends on the last page of the ledger book William Gregory
wrote in. If he continued the "Chronicles" in other ledgers, they have not
survived.
Footnotes Part 2
1 For procedures used in editing the document see Roger G. Miller, ed.,
"'Chronicles of Upper Burnet'; William Gregory Harrison's Morgan County
Journal, October, 1880-May 23, 1881, Part I," Indiana Magazine of History,
LXXIV (December, 1978), 323. "Upper Burnet" refers to Burnett's Creek, a
tributary of the White River, which ran through the Harrison's farm. Today the
creek is known as Lamb's Creek, taking its name from Lamb's Bottom, a small,
fertile valley in southern Jefferson Township, site of the earliest settlements in
Morgan County. Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana (Chicago,
1876, 126; Charles A. Blanchard, ed., Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown,
Indiana: Historical and Biographical (Chicago, 1884), 329-30.
2 William Ripley Harrison's third wife was Mary J. Crawford. She was born
about 1833 and married W. R. in 1864. U. S. Tenth Census, 1880, Population
Schedules for Morgan, Newton, Noble Counties, Indiana. National Archives,
Microfilm Publications No. T9, Roll 301, p. 141; Robert M. Duke, comp., "Gen
ealogy of Harrison Family" (1941), typescript in possession of William Ripley
Harrison, Indianapolis.
3 A wammus was a type of over-shirt worn as a work garment, usually
made of flannel or linsey-woolsey.
4 The meaning of "squiz" is uncertain. Internal evidence suggests that it
may refer to some kind of wood working. See especially the journal entry for
January 19, 1881. Lloyd Hancock, however, has suggested that Alvin might be
making apple cider and that the "squiz-shop" was a cider press. Interview with
Lloyd Hancock, August 4, 1978, Jefferson Township.
5 Apparently this statement refers to the Lamb's Creek Church located on
Burnett's Creek off the Ballinger Road. The Church of Christ still has a church
on the site, although the current building does not date from the period of the
journal.
6 Probably Daniel Kirk, fifty-one, a Jefferson Township farmer. U. S. Tenth
Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 171.
7 Probably Jasper Foster, twelve, in which case it was Bob Foster who cut
his knee with the cross-cut saw. See footnote eight. Ibid., pp. 173-74.
8 Robert L. Foster, thirty-six, was a Jefferson Township farmer and close
friend of the Harrisons. Ibid.
9 Sometime before 1880 the Crone meetinghouse, located in section 22,
Jefferson Township, was replaced by the Methodist Episcopal Bethleham
Church. The adjacent Crone burial ground is now known as the Bethleham
Cemetery. Lloyd Hancock and his uncle tore down the Bethlehem Church about
1936 or 1937. Carl C. and Janet C. Cowen, "Morgan County Cemetery Re
cords," typescript (3 vols., Morgan County Public Library, Martinsville, n.d.), I,
267; Interview with Lloyd Hancock, August 4, 1978, Jefferson Township.
10 Mr. Moore was possibly the Reverend R. H. Moore, a Methodist minister
who later presided at Fred Harrison's funeral. Martinsville Republican, No
vember 17, 1904.
11 John Kivett, forty-two, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U. S., Tenth
Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 175.
12 William Hand, thirty-one, was a Jefferson Township farmer. Ibid.
13 Probably John Fowler, twenty-one, son of Henry Fowler, who was still
living on his father's farm. See footnote seventy-six. Ibid., p. 173.
14 Donald Bain's property bordered the east and north sides of Fred Harri
son's lower eighty acres. The entry here apparently refers to the north edge of
the property. Plat Map, Morgan County, Indiana, 1875 (Library of Congress,
Washington, D. C.)
15 William Ripley Harrison was William Gregory's lawyer uncle.
16 Virginius T. (Jake) Harrison, forty-eight, and his wife, Lucinda, forty
nine, owned a Jefferson Township farm located to the northeast of Fred Harri
son's land. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County,
p. 171; Plat Map, Morgan County, 1875.
17 Jack Hinson could not be identified with certainty.
18 Thomas Devore, twenty-three, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U. S.,
Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 172.
19 Howard Bray, twenty-four, was a Jefferson Township farmer. Ibid.
20 Probably John Rodgers, twenty, son of William Rodgers, fifty-one, who
worked and resided on his father's Jefferson Township farm. Ibid., 175.
21 Stella Foster was probably Estella Arthabel Foster, a daughter of Wil
liam and Nancy Ellen (Stiles) Foster. Alma Fraker to editor, August 27, 1978.
22 Flora E. Lewis, eighteen, was the daughter of Leander B. Lewis. See
footnote forty-seven. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Mor
gan County, p. 173.
23 The Poplar Grove Methodist Church was located just north of Wilbur in
Gregg Township. Interview with Alma Fraker, August 15, 1978, Martinsville.
24 The Mt. Olive Methodist Church was located at Mt. Olive in section 13,
Jefferson Township. Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 149.
25 Possibly Lily B. Green, seventeen, daughter of Alvin Green, forty-four, a
Jefferson Township farmer. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for
Morgan County, p. 172.
26 Walter J. Harrison was the eldest son of William Ripley Harrison. Born
on October 5, 1852, he died May 23, 1934. He married Margarett Emma Bishop
on July 18, 1872. In 1880 they lived on a prosperous farm in Jefferson Town
ship. Ibid., 177; Duke, "Genealogy of Harrison Family"; Blanchard, Counties of
Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 329-30.
27 William Bunton, forty-two, was a Jefferson Township farmer who served
in Company F, 148th Indiana Volunteers. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, popula
tion schedules for Morgan County, p. 179; Cowan, "Morgan County Cemetery
Records," I, 271.
28 Mrs. Henry Fowler was Sarilda A. Fowler, forty-six. See footnote
seventy-six. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan
County, p. 173.
29 After the death of Mary Harrison's father, William Gregory, her mother
Sophronia married Daniel Van Demark. In 1880 she still resided in Ohio.
Charles Harrison, "Family Record" (1871), handwritten manuscript in the
possession of William Ripley Harrison, Indianapolis. .
30 Sophronia Van Demark was a young cousin of William Gregory Harrison
and daughter of Flavius Josephus Van Demark, William Gregory's mother's
half-brother. Ibid.
31 Jahu, twenty-nine, and Woodford O'Neal, twenty-five, were Jefferson
Township farmers and brothers. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population
schedules for Morgan County, p. 174; U.S., Ninth Census, 1870, Population
Schedules for Morgan County, Indiana. National Archives, Microfilm Publica
tions No. M-593, Roll 346, p. 453.
32 Margaret, twenty-six, was the wife of Jefferson Township farmer Joseph
Ballinger. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County,
p. 174.
33 William Gregory calls her Pamela, but on January 13, Nathan T. (Dob)
Whitson, twenty-one, a Jefferson Township farm laborer, married Permelia A.
Crone, thirty-four, a township widow. The difference in "circumstances" pre
sumably refers to her five children. Ibid., 175; Marriage Record Book No.2, p.
220, Office of the Clerk, Morgan County Courthouse, Martinsville; Interviews
with Lloyd Hancock and Ruth Parker, August 4, 1978, Jefferson Township,
both of whom remember "Dob" and "Melia."
34 William Ballinger, twenty-one, was a farm laborer residing in 1880 on a
Jefferson Township farm with his brother-in-law, William A. Benge. See foot
note sixty. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County,
p. 174.
35 Daniel M. Bain, twenty-three, was living on his cousin William Bain's
Jefferson Township farm. Ibid., 176.
36 Reverend Runnion was the Church of Christ minister at the Lamb's
Creek Church, Jefferson Township. Record Book of the Lamb's Creek Church,
in possession of Mrs. Lloyd Hancock, Jefferson Township.
37 Em was Margarett Emma Harrison, wife of Wat Harrison. Duke, "Gen
ealogy of Harrison Family"; U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for
Morgan County, p. 177; Miller, ed., "Chronicles of Upper Burnet," 323.
38 Rhoda Hand, fifteen, was the daughter of Jefferson Township widow
Mariah Hand. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan
County, p. 176.
39 "Jook" as used by William Gregory, apparently means "hike," although
research in available records and interviews with older residents of Morgan
County failed to verify this. "Jook" can also mean to crouch suddenly, or it can
describe corn that falls from the sheaf when thrown from a stack. Neither
definition fits the context in which it appears in the journal. See, for example,
its use in the entries for March 28 and April 10, 1881. Thomas Wright,
Dictionary of Obsolete and Provincial English (2 vols., London, 1880), II, 604.
40 School Number 7, the Loper's schoolhouse, was located on Buffalo Road
in section 34, Jefferson Township. It was later known as the Buffalo
schoolhouse. Plat Map, Morgan County, 1875; Alma Fraker to editor,
November 21, 1978, January 30, 1979.
41 Effie J. Harrison, twenty-one, was the daughter of William Ripley Harri
son and his second wife, Mary Wilson. Born on June 2, 1859, she died on
September 13, 1897. The 1880 census does not list her with an occupation,
although journal entries confirm her presence in Jefferson Township as a
schoolteacher. U.S., Tenth Census, population schedules for Morgan County,
1880, p. 141; Duke, "Genealogy of Harrison Family."
42 Edwin W. Callis was born in Flemington, Hunterdon County, New Jer
sey, on January 17, 1827, and came to Martinsville in 1855 where he bought
the Morgan County Gazette. He edited the paper as a Republican instrument
until 1870 when he shifted to the Democratic party. Blanchard, Counties of
Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 34, 176.
43 School Number 4, the Ballingertown School, was located on the Ballinger
Road in the northeast quadrant, section 22, Jefferson Township. Plat Map,
Morgan County, Indiana, 1897; Alma Fraker to editor, January 30, 1979.
44 William D. Bain, twenty-three, son of Donald Bain, Sr., was a Jefferson
Township schoolteacher and close friend of William Gregory. He acted as
enumerator of the 1880 census for the township. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880,
population schedules for Morgan County, p. 181.
45 William Elmore, thirty-seven, was a Jefferson Township farmer. Ibid.,
172.
46 Hynsdale was a small village in south Jefferson Township founded
sometime after the Civil War. In 1880 it contained a general store, post office,
and blacksmith shop. Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 149.
47 Leander B. Lewis, fifty-three, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S.,
Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 172.
48 William Harris, thirty-seven, was a Jefferson Township farmer. Ibid.
49 Arthur M. Dilley, sixty-five, was a Jefferson Township farmer. Ibid., 171.
50 William Dzearn, twenty-eight, and his wife Tena, thirty-one, were a
Jefferson Township farm couple. Ibid., 18l.
51 Hempstead Lewis, forty-five, was a Jefferson Township farmer. Ibid.,
175.
52 William C. Curtis, thirty-two, was a Jefferson Township farmer. Ibid.
53 Probably Stokely Stiles, born October 12, 1831, and died December 12,
1912, who was a Jefferson Township farmer, He served in Company F, 148th
Indiana Volunteers. Cowen, "Morgan County Cemetery Records," II, 498; Blan
chard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 333.
54 Thomas Newburn, seventeen, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S.,
Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 176.
55 As noted in the introduction, William Gregory's older brother, Charles
Ripley, died on December 5, 1879, and is buried in the Bethlehem Cemetery,
Jefferson Township
56 Henry Crone, fifty-seven, was a Jefferson Township farmer and father of
John S. Crone. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan
County, p. 175. See Miller, ed., "Chronicles of Upper Burnet," 333.
57 Reverend John Poucher, minister of the Mooresville Methodist Church,
had earlier been minister of the Martinsville Methodist Church. Later he
served on the teaching staff at DePauw University. Patsy Harker Freed, "Mor
gan County: Articles of Historic Interest as Published in the Martinsville Daily
Reporter" (n.d.), typescript in posession of Morgan County Public Library, Mar
tinsville. See also "The Birthday Book of Hattie Carter Johnson, Mooresville,
Indiana, 1864-1883," Indiana Historical Bulletin, LV (August, 1978), 112.
58 Identification of Doc.Curtis is uncertain. Kingsberry York, forty-eight,
however, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S., Tenth Census, population
schedules for Morgan County, p. 172.
59 William Fowler, forty-six, a Jefferson Township farmer, had four
daughters in 1880: Emma, seventeen; Alice, fourteen; Dolly, nine; and Daisy,
five. Ibid., 173.
60 Probably William A. Benge, twenty-three, a Jefferson Township farm
laborer. Ibid. 174
61 Mrs. Allen's farm was the farm of Christina Allen, seventy, worked by her
son-in-law, Christopher Cornwall, thirty-three. Ibid, 175
62 Mrs. Garrison was not identified with certainty. Ira Moore was probably
George I. Moore, twenty-five, a Jefferson Township farm laborer. Ibid., 175.
63 William Riley NosIer, forty-three, ran a saw mill in Jefferson Township.
He was born in Owen County, Indiana, on November 9, 1835, and moved to
Morgan County in 1876. Ibid., 176; Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and
Brown, 332-33.
64 Dwight Calhoun was a distant cousin of William Gregory. Dwight's
mother, Lucy Hitchcock, was one of William Gregory's mother's aunts. Charles
Harrison, "Family Record."
65 Probably the home of William Rodgers, fifty-nine, who was a Jefferson
Township farmer and father of John Rodgers. See footnote twenty. U.S., Tenth
Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 175.
66 This is a variant spelling of "spikenard," an American herb. Its root is
used in folk medicine. Ormond Loomis to editor, August 9, 1978.
67 Saroy Kivett, eighteen, was the eldest son of John Kivett. See footnote
eleven. U. S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p.
175.
68 Herbamont was a small town in southwest Gregg Township, Morgan
County. Illustrated Historical Atlas, 126.
69 Rings were customarily placed in the noses of pigs to prevent them from
rooting. Interview with Boyd Ball, August 4, 1978, Jefferson Township.
70 Sam Woods, thirty-six, was a farm laborer in Jefferson Township. U. S.,
Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 172.
71 Oliver R. Hinson, thirteen, was a laborer working on the farm of his
father, Joseph G. Hinson. Ibid., 172.
72 Sallie was probably Sarah Rodgers, twenty-three. See footnote sixty-five.
Ibid., 174.
73 Mrs. Elmeter Benge was a widow listed as "keeping house" in Jefferson
Township. Ibid.
74 "I got sacked by Rachel Brown."
75 The constitutional amendments voted on by the Morgan County elector
ate dealt with white-black relations, residency requirements, the date of the
general election, judicial powers, and stipulations on local governments incur
ring debts. This special election was held in March, 1881, in order that a
majority of voters would support the measures. During the previous fall, the
amendments had failed to achieve a majority of all votes, although more votes
were cast for them than against. See Charles Kettleborough, Constitution Mak
ing in Indiana: A Source Book of Constitutional Documents with Historical
Introduction and Critical Notes (3 vols., Indianapolis, 1916), II, 3-4.
76 Henry Fowler, forty-eight, was a Jefferson Township farmer, U.S., Tenth
Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 173.
77 Jasper, twelve, and Matilda, ten, were two of William Bunton's four
children. See footnote twenty-seven. Ibid., p. 179.
78 Albert V. Bishop, Margarett Emma Harrison's brother, was born on July
8, 1863, and died on October 22, 1907. Cowen, "Morgan County Records," II,
537; Duke, Genealogy of Harrison Family."
79 Isaac Kent, forty-four, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S., Tenth
Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 176.
80 Probably Dr. D.P. Kennedy, who was a Martinsville physician. Blan
chard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, 193.
81 The quotation is a slightly changed line from Spring by Bill Nye. Bruce
Bohle, The Home Book Of American Quotations (New York, 1967), 443.
82 Donald Bain, Sr., was born in Scotland on March 17, 1809. He immig
rated first to Maryland, then moved to Jefferson Township in 1843. By 1880 he
was a highly respected farmer. He died in 1896. Blanchard, Counties of Mor
gan, Monroe and Brown, 326; U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules
for Morgan County, p. 181; Cowen, "Morgan County Cemetery Records," I, 261.
83 In 1880 Fred Harrison owned 160 acres in two eighty-acre units. The
"upper 80" refers to the unit described as the "East half of the South West
quarter of Section Twenty-three, Jefferson Township." Deed Book 30, p. 411,
Office of the Recorder, Morgan County Courthouse, Martinsville.
84 Probably Rachel H. Brown, twenty-three, who kept house for her widowed
father, William Brown, a Jefferson Township farmer. U. S., Tenth
Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 172.
85 Mary Nosler, nineteen, was the housekeeper for her widowed father,
William Riley Nosler. See footnote sixty-three. Ibid., 176.
86 Probably David Isenhower, forty-four, a Jefferson Township farmer.
Ibid., 179
87 The quotation is a slightly changed line from John Milton's Paradise
Lost. Bergen Evans, Dictionary of Quotations (New York, 1968), 519.
88 Obadiah Ratts, fifty-eight, was an Ashland Township farmer. U.S., Tenth
Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 182.
89 Daniel Kirk, fifty-one, was a Jefferson Township farmer. Ibid., 171.
90 The progress of the survey for the Terre Haute to Martinsville railroad
route may be found in the Martinsville Republican, May 5, 1881.
91 Bedford O'Neal (1856-1929) was a Jefferson Township farmer and
brother of Woodford and Jahu O'Neal. See footnote thirty-one. Cowen, Morgan
County Cemetery Records, I, 267; U.S., Ninth Census, 1870, population
schedules for Morgan County, p. 453.
92 David Bothwell, fifty-four, was a Jefferson Township farmer. U.S., Tenth
Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan County, p. 172.
93 Cunningham, Bollinger & Phelps was a Martinsville general merchan
dizing firm founded in 1880. Blanchard, Counties of Morgan, Monroe and
Brown, 18l.
94 Dianah, eleven, was Henry Fowler's youngest daughter. See footnote
seventy-six. U.S., Tenth Census, 1880, population schedules for Morgan
County, p. 173.