Craig Township Squirrel Hunt – 1824

The following article about a squirrel hunt in Craig Township, Switzerland County, Indiana, appeared in:
Vevay Reveille – 9 May 1867 – Page 2, Column 4

Mr. Baird:–In looking over a number of the Indiana Register, dated March 26, 1824, I find the following, which may be of interest to some of the old settlers:

“A SQUIRRIL HUNT IN CRAIG TOWNSHIP”

“A hunt took place in Craig township, on the 17th and 18th inst., and on the 19th the hunters met on Long Run and counted their game. The following is the result:

  • William Roberts – 125
  • Reading Roberts – 112
  • Peter Vanbriggle – 83
  • Abisha McKay – 52
  • Joseph Brown sen – 169
  • Moses Lutz – 70
  • David Bray – 114
  • Joseph Brown – 61
  • William J. Stewart – 78
  • Hazekiah Roberts – 59
  • Abraham Parkinson – 82
  • David Ramseyer – 44
  • Jesse Warden – 48
  • Samuel Brown – 167
  • Johnson Brown – 135
  • James Brown – 115
  • James A Stewart – 85
  • Isaac Richards – 66
  • Nathaniel Gerrard – 43
  • Philip Ramseyer – 81
  • Lewis C. Bakes – 36
  • Eugene Dretort – 32
  • Zadig Rous – 78
  • Lewis F. Golay – 39

Total – 1984

“It was agreed to hunt one day more, on the 15th of April next, and a subscription was raised to procure powder and lead. If the people in this and neighboring settlements will persevere, the numerous race of squirrils will be much deminished. It is calculate that one-forth part of the crop of corn has been destroyed by squirrils during the last three years.”

At some future time I may furnish you with some other items in relation to the early settlement of this county, which I hope may interest the readers of your paper.

D.