The following is an abstract of the Dearborn County, Indiana, Commissioners’ Records for the May 1831 Session. For digital copies of the records, visit the Record Requests Page.
Dearborn County Commissioners’ Records – Book 1
May 1831 Session
Page 171
Present:
- Mark McCracken, Esquire, Justice of Peace, Supervisor for Manchester Township, President of board
- William Flake, Esquire, Justice of Peace, Supervisor for Laughery Township
- John Neal, Esquire, Justice of Peace, Supervisor for Randolph Township
- Joseph Woods, Justice of Peace, Supervisor for Union Township
- Laban Bramble, Justice of Peace, Supervisor for Cesars Creek Township
- John Columbia, Esquire, Justice of Peace, Supervisor for Sparta Township
- Isaac Caldwell, Justice of Peace, Supervisor for Kelso Township
- John Godley, Justice of Peace, Supervisor for Logan Township
- James W. Hunter, Justice of Peace for Lawrenceburg Township
James W. Hunter presented a certificate of his election as supervisor of Lawrenceburg Township. Question arose whether Ulysses Cooke had been elected supervisor and had not resigned but was absent that Mr. Hunter would be entitled to his seat. Certificate of election returned to Hunter.
Charles Vattier, owner of ferry crossing Ohio River by Bassett, his attorney, filed petition showing that Elijah Horsley had obtained a license to keep a ferry across the Ohio River and failed in keeping the boats. Praying that ferry be vacated. Elijah Horsley cited and summoned to next session of board.
Page 172
Isaac Caldwell elected President Pro Tempore.
James Roberts, Jr., and Alexander Roberts – license to keep a grocery and retail foreign and domestic groceries at their shop or grocery in Manchester Township
William V. Cheek – license to retail foreign and domestic goods at his store
Joshua Dorman – license to keep a grocery and retail foreign and domestic groceries and liquors
No. 1 – Allowed to Homer Castle as a witness on a Jury of Inquest before the coroner of Dearborn on the body of Christopher Bean
Page 173
No. 2 – Allowed to Robert Whitter for assisting in digging a grave and burying a dead body
No. 3 – Allowed to Lewis Nichols for his services in digging grave and burying a dead body of a person unknown
No. 4 – Allowed to Jesse Heaton for assisting in digging a grave and burying the dead body of a person unknown
No. 5 – Allowed to Milo Longwood for his services for digging grave and assisting in burying a person unknown
No. 6 – Allowed to Eber Ward for services in digging grave and assisting in burying a person unknown
No. 7 – Allowed to Betsey Burroughs for keeping and sustaining Mary Anne McBride, a pauper, and medicine furnished
No. 8 – Allowed to Mahlon Brown for sundries furnished to paupers
No. 9 – Allowed to Richard Orchard for keeping his wife, a pauper
No. 10 – Allowed to Richard Moran for his services in keeping Elizabeth Henry, a pauper
William Ripley – license to keep a grocery and retail spirituous liquors
Page 174
No. 11 – Allowed to James Williamson the balance of boarding and keeping Roxana Loder, a pauper
No. 12 – Allowed to Henry Beeker for keeping, boarding and furnishing William Shepherd, a pauper
Huestis, Coman & Hopkins – license to retail foreign merchandise
Fines collected by John Dawson:
- Thomas J. Darling – disturbing a religious society – fined $1.00
- John Filbrook – disturbing a religious society – fined $1.00
- Wm Vansickle – disturbing a religious society – fined $1.00
- Eddy Vansickle – disturbing a religious society – fined $1.00
- Peter Vansickle – disturbing a religious society – fined $1.00
Fines collected by David Bowers:
- James Dyer and Jacob Miller – assault and battery – fined $1.00 each
- Aaron Ball, Jr. – assault and battery – fined $1.00
Fines collected by Cyrus Mills:
- William Vanbever – complaint of John Botty for assault and battery – fined $1.00
- John Curtis – complaint of Jane Battles for assault and battery – fined $1.00
- Jane Battles – complaint of John Curtis for profane swearing – fined $10.00
- Nathan Powell, Jr. – complaint of James B. Deemer for an assault – fined $1.00
Page 175
No. 13 – Allowed to John Leeper for keeping Christiana Crusenberry, an infant & pauper
No. 14 – Allowed to Washington Jackson for keeping Mrs. Crusenberry, a pauper
No. 15 – Allowed to Horace Bassett for assessing town lots in Aurora
No. 16 – Allowed to Asa Shattuck for appraising town lots in Aurora
No. 17 – Allowed to William Flake for appraising town property in Wilmington
No. 18 – Allowed to Robert Moore for services appraising town property in Wilmington
No. 19 – Allowed to John D. Moore for monies paid Mr. Winship for a pauper
No. 20 – Allowed to Jacob Larimore for keeping Thomas Moore, a pauper
Page 176
No. 21 – Allowed to Elhanan Wiley for keeping Martin Clashil, a pauper
John D. Moore – license to retail foreign merchandise
No. 22 – Allowed to James W. Hunter for listing town lots in Lawrenceburg
No. 23 – Allowed to Arthur St. Clair Vance for listing town lots in Lawrenceburg
No. 24 – Allowed to Enoch D. John for sundries furnished Wm Shepherd, a pauper
No. 25 – Allowed to John Porter as commissioner for perpetuating testimony
Thomas Guion – license to keep a grocery and retail spirituous liquors
Bailey & Moore – license to retail foreign merchandise at their store in Hartford
No. 26 – Allowed to Thomas Lambertson for extra services as road master
No. 27 – Allowed to Arthur St. Clair Vance for his services as clerk to the commissioners for perpetuating testimony
Page 177
Martin L. Winship – license to keep a grocery and retail spirituous liquors
Bowman & Rush – license to keep a grocery and retail spirituous liquors
No. 28 – Allowed to Benanuel Hoag for boarding and taking care of Jonathan Robinson, a pauper
No. 29 – Allowed to Edward Williams for keeping Maria Matthews, a pauper
No. 30 – Allowed to John S. Percival for holding a Jury of Inquest on the body of a drowned person unknown
No. 31 – Allowed to Asa Shattuck, Juror on the above inquest
No. 32 – Allowed to Richard D. Lang, Juror on the above inquest
No. 33 – Allowed to Richard Field, Juror on the above inquest
No. 34 – Allowed to John Hood, Juror on the above inquest
No. 35 – Allowed to Eben Ward, Juror on the above inquest
No. 36 – Allowed to Robert Whitten, Juror on the above inquest
No. 37 – Allowed to John Fenton, Juror on the above inquest
No. 38 – Allowed to George Ward, Juror on the above inquest
Page 178
No. 39 – Allowed to Bartholomew Ferrin, Juror on the above inquest
No. 40 – Allowed to Edwin G Pratt, Juror on the above inquest
No. 41 – Allowed to Virgil Pratt, Juror on the above inquest
No. 42 – Allowed to Jesse Heaton, Juror on the above inquest
No. 43 – Allowed to Abijah Bennet for holding a Jury of Inquest in the absence of the coroner on the body of a drowned person unknown
No. 44 – Allowed to Jeremiah F. Harrison, Juror on the above inquest
No. 45 – Allowed to David Shaw, Juror on the above inquest
No. 46 – Allowed to Levi Hall, Juror on the above inquest
No. 47 – Allowed to William Crouch, Juror on the above inquest
No. 48 – Allowed to Daniel Smith, Juror on the above inquest
No. 49 – Allowed to John S. Scribner, Juror on the above inquest
No. 50 – Allowed to John Harris, Sr., Juror on the above inquest
No. 51 – Allowed to Thomas Bradley, Juror on the above inquest
No. 52 – Allowed to John Hamilton, Juror on the above inquest
No. 53 – Allowed to George Hewitt, Juror on the above inquest
No. 54 – Allowed to Prince Atherns, Juror on the above inquest
No. 55 – Allowed to Shederick Hathaway, Juror on the above inquest
Page 179
No. 56 – Allowed to Thomas C. Hall, constable, for summoning Jury and attending above inquest
Haines & Lanius – license to retail foreign merchandise at their store in Rising Sun
S. Bush – license to retail foreign merchandise at his store in Rising Sun
Craft & Son – license to vend foreign merchandise at their store in Rising Sun
J. & W. O’Neal – license to retail foreign merchandise at their store in Rising Sun
Scott and Howard – license to vend foreign merchandise at their store in Rising Sun
Abijah North & Co. – license to retail foreign merchandise at their store in Randolph Township
Decoursy, Richeson & Larew – license to vend foreign merchandise at their store in Rising Sun
Page 180
Fines collected by William Flake:
- Charles Vattier – upon oath of Peter J. Brown for committing assault & battery – fined $1.00
Fines collected by John Columbia:
- John Pollrick – assault on the body of Charles Kellogg – fined $1.00
Fines collected by Labam Bramble:
- Henry Parker – swearing one oath – fined $1.00
- Thomas Wilson – assault on the body of Eli Spangler – fined $1.00
Page 181
John P. Dunn – license to retail foreign merchandise at his store in Lawrenceburg
George P. Buell – license to retail foreign merchandise at his store in Lawrenceburg
Omar Toussey – license to retail foreign merchandise at his store in Lawrenceburg
Richard P. Smith – license to retail foreign merchandise
Joseph Woods, Daniel Scranton and William B. Phelps appointed trustees of School Section No. 16, Township 3, Range 2 West.
Bedford and Saltmarsh – license to keep a grocery and retail foreign and domestic merchandise at their grocery store in Lawrenceburg
Enoch D. John – license to retail foreign merchandise at his store in Lawrenceburg
Page 182
Julius James – license to keep a grocery and retail foreign and domestic groceries and liquors at his shop in Rising Sun
Robert Haddock, John Luper & Jonathan Blasdel appointed trustees of School Section 16, Township 6, Range 1 west.
No. 57 – Allowed to Edward Fairchild, constable, for his services summoning a Jury of inquest and attending examination of a dead body
Fines assessed by Squire Bennet:
- David Close – assault & battery on Phoebe Winters – fined $2.50
James M. Darragh – license to keep a grocery and retail foreign and domestic groceries and liquors at his shop or grocery in Lawrenceburg
No. 58 – Allowed to John Godley for assessing taxable property in Logan Township
No. 59 – Allowed to Isaac Vanhouten for assessing taxable property in Kelso Township
Page 183
No. 60 – Allowed to Oliver Hustis for assessing taxable property in Manchester Township
No. 61 – Allowed to Alexander H. Dill for assessing taxable property in Lawrenceburg Township
No. 62 – Allowed to William Conaway for assessing taxable property in Laughery Township
No. 63 – Allowed to Thomas Wilson for assessing taxable property in Cesars Creek Township
No. 64 – Allowed to Benjamin Johnson for assessing taxable property in Sparta Township
No. 65 – Allowed to Joseph Wood for assessing taxable property in Union Township
No. 66 – Allowed to Caleb Campbell for assessing taxable property in Randolph Township
No. 67 – Allowed to Jeremiah F. Harrison for valuing town property in Rising Sun
No. 68 – Allowed to Gilbert Hall for valuing town property in Rising Sun
No. 69 – Allowed to Enoch Squible for extra services as road master
Page 184
No. 70 – Allowed Isaac Jones for keeping Roxana Loder, a pauper
Daniel Kersey – license to keep a grocery and retail foreign and domestic groceries and liquors at his house in Logan Township
William Tucker – License to keep a tavern or public house of entertainment and to retail spirituous liquors at his house in Kelso Township
Fines assessed by Robert Rowe:
- David G. Layton – assault & battery on the body of William K. Walker – fined $1.00
Fines assessed by Isaac Colwell, Justice of Peace in Kelso Township:
- James Southard – assault & battery on William Davis – fined $1.00
- John Stow – assault & battery on Nicholas Stow – fined $1.00
Petition of sundry citizens of Manchester Township for alteration in township boundaries.
Page 185
Luke Evill – license to keep a tavern or public house of entertainment and retail spirituous liquors at his house in Aurora
John Shook – license to keep a grocery and retail foreign and domestic groceries and liquors at his grocery in New Lawrenceburg
Charles W. Wright – license to keep a grocery and retail foreign and domestic groceries & liquors at his grocery in Manchester Township
No. 71 – Allowed to John Stoenking for making a coffin for a drowned person
No. 72 – Allowed to John Melatt for keeping and boarding Ann Gay and Elisma Gay, her son, two paupers
John Spencer elected collector. John Dawson, Jacob Dils, Henry Dils, Zachariah Bedford and John T. Bishop, securities.
Walter Armstrong elected treasurer. (Thomas Palmer having declined serving any longer.) Isaac Dunn and Jesse Hunt, securities.
Page 186
No. 73 – John Porter for judgment obtained by him against the board of county supervisors at the October Term of the Dearborn Circuit Court 1830
No. 74 – Allowed to George H. Dunn, attorney at law, on a suit brought by John Porter against the board of county supervisors
No. 75 – Allowed to Justice J. W. Hunter for costs which accrued before him on a suit brought before him by John Porter against the board of county supervisors
No. 76 – Allowed to James Dill, Clerk of the Dearborn Circuit Court, for costs on a suit brought by John Porter against the board of county supervisors
No. 78 [sic] – Allowed to Thomas Palmer for an order for removing a pauper
William Cullen – license to keep a grocery and retail foreign and domestic groceries and liquors
Lay out Dearborn county into three equal commissioners districts.
- District 1 – Randolph, Union, Cesars Creek and Laughery Townships
- District 2 – Sparta, Manchester, and Kelso Townships
- District 3 – Lawrenceburg and Logan Townships
Page 187
Norval Sparks – license to retail foreign and domestic merchandise
Assessment books accepted.
Page 188
Juror selection.
No. 79 – Allowed to Waller Hudson, Jailor, for boarding sundry prisoners in jail
No. 80 – Allowed to James Dill, Clerk of the Dearborn Circuit Court, for sundry record books and articles of stationery for the clerk’s office
Fines collected by Thomas Palmer:
- John Wood – assault & battery – fined $1.00
- Robert Hunley – profane swearing – fined $1.00
- Hamilton Jarred – assault & battery – fined $1.50
- John Brasher – assault & battery – fined $1.50
- Ephm Lutton – assault and battery – fined $1.00
- James Cornish – profane swearing – fined $5.00
Page 189
Samuel M. Weaver’s ferry on Tanners Creek be taxed $2.00.
No. 81 – Allowed to John Spencer for his extra services a sheriff
Ferry rates:
- Ferry of Vance’s heirs across Ohio River
- Aurora ferry across Ohio River
- Hogan Creek at Aurora
- Tanners Creek, Saml M. Weavers
- Martin Cozine’s Hogan Creek
- Lawrence & Harpham, Laughery Creek
- Elijah Horsley, Ohio River
- David Trester, Laughery Creek
- Wm Groyns – Miami River
Luther Plummer – license to retail foreign merchandise at his store in Manchester Township
Treasurer’s report.
Page 190
Mark McCracken’s report as commissioner to contract for the erection of a fire proof clerk’s office and fire proof recorder’s office. All contracts over budget. Commissioners dismissed.
No. 82 – Allowed to James Dill for his extra services as clerk to the Dearborn Circuit Court and this court
Road Masters ordered to open all state roads.
Fines assessed by Mark McCracken:
- Samuel Wright, Jr. – assault & battery on the body of Isaac W. Conger – fined $1.00
Fines collected by John Spencer:
- John Williams – fined $18.00
- Daniel Conaway – fined $2.00
- Samuel H. Dowden – fined $2.00
- Ashford Dowden – fined $2.00
Page 191
No. 83 – Allowed to Mark McCracken for his services as commissioner for building fire proof clerk’s and recorder’s offices
Board adjourned.