Bloomington (Monroe County, Indiana) Courier, July 16, 1887, p. 4. THE OLDE PIONEER Give the Courier an Interesting Sketch The following is substantially the sketch as related to your correspondent by the old pioneer, John Armstrong of Salt Creek Township. I was born in Nelson County, Kentucky, October 1, 1800. Sometime in September 1816 I left for Indiana. We stopped in Jackson County that winter and I left there in February 1817. When the people asked us where we was moving, my uncle would answer "Section 36, North Range One West," then the territory of Orange County. We started from Jackson County about February 26, 1817, and was about five days reaching our destination, driving our cattle and hogs. We did not bring the family until March following. My mother's family and uncles came out on horseback. My uncle, Thomas Headdy, myself and another man made a couple of pirogues, loaded our household goods in them and came down White River to Salt Creek. There we camped, the creek being very high. The next morning I got breakfast, Headdy and Newton went hunting. I went to take the things in, when I fell in the creek. We came up the creek in our pirogues making slow progress up to the north of Clear Creek to the horseshoe bend. We got moved about April 1st. The county was then very thinly settled but some few raised corn in 1816. Their names to the best of my recollection were: William Jackson, Jonathan and Joseph Gilbert, Elias Swift, Jonathan Rains, Solomon Green, a Mr. Cox, James Bryant, William Patrick, John Saddler, Jonathan Chance, James Mitchell, Mr. White, Mr. Sharp, a family named Barnes, Mr. Bales, Mr. Leebo, Jonathan Rogers, Mr. Brown and his sons James and Bazal and Mr. Morgan. In the fall of 1816, Granville Ward, George Richey, Moses Williams, George Hedrick, Julius Dugger, Jack and Isaac Storms and a few others whose names I do not remember, came here. In the spring of 1817, the following persons emigrated here: William Newton, Thomas Headdy, Michael Buskirk, David Rogers, John Thompson, Sam Scott, John Smart, Bryson Miller, James Thompson, John Easlinger, several others we could mention if we had room, came the same year. Thomas Baker, William Nail (consider Neal and Neill as spelling variants), Christys, Lees and Andersons. If any of the above are living, I don't know it. If any are living, they are not here. When I came here the first Indian I saw was Capt. Wolf who was camped on Clear Creek, that was when we were moving our goods to horseshoe bend in the spring of 1817. I think I saw some more, but that spring they were moving off to their towns so I did not get to see many until fall when they moved back to hunt, then I got acquainted with many of them and was with them a good deal of the time. Among them was Little Duck Schooner, Joe Beaver, Big Boy, Joseph Williams and Blue Eagle, officers among them and big leader named Red Jacket and others. As to our first officers, John W. Lee was our first sheriff, being appointed to collect taxes and so on. Nothing progressed much but farming until 1818 when the first election was held at the residence of Solomon Green near Basin Springs. The officers elected were: clerk, William Lowe; sheriff Jesse Wright; county commissioners, 1st district, James Parks, 2 district, Michael Buskirk, 3rd district, Bartlett Woodward. There were three commissioners appointed by the State Legislature to locate a county seat, Col. Burcham of Jackson County and the other names I cannot recall. Bloomington was located in 1818. There was considerable dispute where the location should be, was finally settled by citizens contributing and buying a tract of land of David and Jonathan Rogers. Benjamin Parks was appointed town agent. To the county commissioners several different names for the new town were suggested. Bartlett Woodward suggested Bloomington and the other commissioners agreed with him and the place was so named. I think the court house was built in 1819. The building was made of logs and consisted of two rooms with a passageway between them. David McDonald was one of the first judges that presided. Among the first assistant judges were Lewis Noel, Michael Buskirk and Joseph Berry. Our way of getting a meal in early days was grinding on hand mills. John Whisnand (consider Whisenand a spelling variant) built the first horse mill in 1819, and it was worn by grinding day and night, Sunday not excepted. I once stayed at that mill one day and two nights before I could get my grinding. The first water mill was built by Col. John Ketcham, I think in 1820. About this time Robert Hamilton built a mill near Hamilton's Springs, the next was built near Mt. Tabor. The great hurricane came June 26 or 29, 1819, came late in the evening, averaged about three-quarters of a mile in width, in places it was a little wider. Its course was a little southeast, the tops of trees blown down lay to the northeast, where the timber was tough it fell as if twisted. No stock was killed except a horse owned by George Anderson. We had a horse injured but not killed. We had the first apples and peaches in the country. I bought seeds and sprouts from Kentucky in 1817. In early days the country abounded with wild animals such as bears, panthers, wolves, wildcats and such. Among the first county surveyors was William McCollough, Mr. Sedwick and a young Mr. Maxwell. The first school teacher in our county was Addison Smith. He taught school in the old courthouse. In 1821 Monroe County elected her first representative to the State Legislature. David H. Maxwell and John M. Jenkins were candidates, Maxwell was elected but don't recollect his majority. In regard to marriages, the first marriage license issued was issued to John Gooddin (consider Goodin and Gooden as spelling variants) and Hannah Bales. The first death in the county to the best of my knowledge was a man named Basket who lived down on Jack's Defeat. Ratliff Boone was the first congressman elected in the district in which Monroe County was located. The first vote I ever cast was for David H. Maxwell for representative. My first vote for governor of Indiana was cast for Jonathan Jennings, my first vote for president was cast for General Andrew Jackson and have never missed voting for president since, voting for every Democratic nominee. I cast my first vote for Ratliff Boone for congressman. My home has been in Monroe County ever since I first came here in 1817. J. B. E.