Tag Archives: Pleasant Township

Pleasant Township, Switzerland County Democratic Meeting – April 1840

Details of the Pleasant Township, Switzerland County, Indiana Democratic meeting appeared in:
Vevay Times and Switzerland County Democrat – 18 April 1840 – Page 3, Column 1.
See newspaper for full details.

PLEASANT TOWNSHIP
Democratic Meeting.

Pursuant to notice, the Democratic citizens of Pleasant township, met at Moorefield, on Saturday last, the 11th day of April, 1840.

The meeting was organized by appointing JAMES S. LONG, President, and SQUIRE HULLEY, Secretary.

[Resolutions passed.]

Resolved, That the President and Secretary appoint a suitable number of delegates to represent Pleasant township in the Switzerland County Democratic Convention. Whereupon the following delegation were reported:

  • William Hannis
  • James Gray
  • Garret Rickets
  • Abraham Adkinson
  • Andrew Shuck
  • Robert Rickets
  • John Manford
  • William Grimes
  • John Francis
  • Francis Adkinson
  • Levi Adkinson
  • George W Headey
  • A H Grimes
  • George Anshutz
  • James S Long
  • John Anshutz
  • Squire Hulley
  • Noah Martin
  • John Shaddy

Switzerland County – 1849 Indiana Gazetteer

Switzerland County, Indiana entries from:
The Indiana Gazetteer or Topographical Dictionary. Indianapolis : E. Chamberlain, 1849.
Digitized copy online at Internet Archive

ALLENSVILLE, a small town in Switzerland county, eleven miles north-east of Vevay, surrounded by a good country and a very industrious population.

BELMONT, a small town in Craig township, Switzerland county.

BENNINGTON, a small town in Pleasant township, Switzerland county.

BRYANT’S CREEK, a small stream in Switzerland county, running south into the Ohio near Warsaw.

COTTON, a northern township in Switzerland county.

CRAIG, a south-western township in Switzerland county.

FLORENCE, a small town in York township, Switzerland county, on the Ohio river, eight miles above Vevay.

GRANT’S CREEK, a small mill stream in Switzerland county, which runs south into the Ohio river, four miles below Rising Sun.

INDIAN CREEK, a mill stream in Switzerland county, rising in the north part of it, runs south into the Ohio two miles below Vevay.

JACKSONVILLE, a small town in Switzerland county, seven miles north north-east of Vevay.

JEFFERSON, the most populous township in Switzerland county.

LOG LICK, a small stream in Switzerland county, running south-west into the Ohio six miles above Vevay.

MOUNT STERLING, a small town in Switzerland county, four miles north of Vevay.

PLEASANT, a north-west township in Switzerland county.

PLUM CREEK, a small stream in Switzerland county, that falls into the Ohio two miles above Vevay.

POSEY, an eastern township in Switzerland.

QUERCUS GROVE, a small town in Switzerland county, 12 miles north-east of Vevay, sometimes called the “Bark Works.” It was first settled in 1816, by Daniel D. Smith, and others, who commenced grinding and packing oak bark in hogsheads to send to England for coloring matter. The experiment proved a failure, and was soon abandoned.

SWITZERLAND COUNTY, organized in 1814, derives its name from a settlement of Swiss, who came within the bounds of the present county in 1802, and commenced the cultivation of the grape there. It is bounded north by Ripley and Ohio counties, east and south by the Ohio river, and west by Jefferson, and it contains about 225 square miles. The civil townships are Craig, Jefferson, York and Posey, on the Ohio, Cotton in the north, and Pleasant in the north-west. The population in 1830 was 7,111, in 1840, 9,920, and at this time is about 14,000. As the Ohio river borders on the county 36 miles, there are many large and fine bottoms which are mostly rich and well cultivated. Back of these for an average distance of three miles, the river hills rise from 400 to 500 feet, and are interrupted at short distances by precipitous ravines. The timber and soil are, however, of a superior quality, and where the hills are not too steep to be farmed, first rate crops are produced. Farther back from the river the ravines disappear, and a high table land is reached, more clayey, yet well adapted to grass and small grain, and with proper cultivation, suited to any crop common to the climate. There are some of the best farms in the State in Switzerland, and every year large quantities of produce are shipped to the south from the numerous landings on the river.

There are in the county 10 grist mills, 15 saw mills, of which about half are propelled by steam the others by water, 40 stores, 20 groceries, 20 ware-houses, one printing office, 10 lawyers, 30 physicians, 25 preachers, and the usual proportion of mechanics. In the towns there are 12 Methodist churches, two for the Presbyterians, two for the Baptists, and one for the Universalians, besides others in the country. The taxable land amounts to 143,016 acres. There is none yet belonging to the United States.

John James Dufour was the enterprising leader of the Swiss Colony before referred to. By his indefatigable exertions, a grant of land was procured from the United states to him and his little colony on a long credit, and by this means about 200 acres of land was procured for each of the original settlers. They were industrious and prudent, and they and their posterity have generally been prosperous. See Vevay.

VEVAY, the Seat of Justice of Switzerland county, is situated on a beautiful bottom on the Ohio river, 70 miles below Cincinnati and the same distance above Louisville, and 96 south-east of Indianapolis. It constitutes a part of the tract of land sold on credit by the United States to the Swiss settlement, in 1802, for the cultivation of the vine. The town was laid out in 1813, by the brothers J. J., J. F. and Daniel Dufour, and received the name of a town in Switzerland from the vicinity of which they had emigrated. Vevay now contains over 200 houses, many of them built with much taste, and 1,200 inhabitants.

Switzerland County – 1833 Indiana Gazetteer

Switzerland County, Indiana entries from:
The Indiana Gazetteer or Topographical Dictionary. Indianapolis : Douglass and Maguire, 1833.
Digitized copy at HathiTrust Digital Library

ALLENSVILLE, a post town in Switzerland county, about ten miles north-east of Vevay, on a branch of Laughery creek.

BRYANT’S CREEK, a small creek which has its source in the northern part of Switzerland county, and runs south through said county to the Ohio river.

COTTON, a northern township in Switzerland county.

CRAIG, a western township in Switzerland county.

JACKSONVILLE, a small village in Switzerland county about seven miles north-east from Vevay, on the Lawrenceburgh road.

JEFFERSON, a western township in Switzerland county.

LOG LICK CREEK, a small creek in Switzerland county, running southward into the Ohio river.

MOUNT STERLING, a flourishing village in Switzerland county, three and a half miles north from Vevay. It has some trade and abounds with fine water.

NEW-YORK, a small post village in Switzerland county. It is situated on the bank of the Ohio river, eight miles east of Vevay.

PATRIOT, a small post town in Switzerland county, on the Ohio river, about fifteen miles by land, and twenty-five by water, north-east from Vevay.

PLEASANT, a post village in Switzerland county, twelve miles north of Vevay.

PLEASANT, a northern township in Switzerland county, including the village of that name.

PLUM CREEK, a small mill stream in Switzerland county, running southwardly into the Ohio river.

POSEY, an eastern township in Switzerland county.

QUERCUS GROVE, a post office in Switzerland county, about twelve miles north-east from Vevay.

SWITZERLAND, a south-eastern county bordering on the Ohio river. It was organized in 1814; and is bounded on the north by Dearborn and Ripley, on the west by Jefferson, and on the south and east by the Ohio river. Its greatest extent from north to south is about eighteen miles, and from east to west about twenty-four miles. It contains about 300 square miles, or 192,000 acres. Its population, in 1830, was 7,111. The face of the country, the soil, and timber, are variant. The bottom lands along the river are level. The timber consists of beech, walnut, cherry, honey locust, ash, elm, and buckeye. The soil is a dark loam with a heavy mixture of sand. Next to the bottom is a high, hilly land considerably broken, and the hills in some places very precipitous. On these hills the timber is not much different from that which is found in the bottoms; blue ash, and large buckeye abound on the steepest places. In this tract, which extends back from the river about three or four miles, the soil is a dark rich loam with a smaller proportion of sand than the bottom lands, and equally fertile where cultivation is practicable. In this hilly region, are vast quantities of limestone, and in some places high cliffs, from which detached masses of rock have fallen on the subjacent plain. Passing from the river a few miles back, the hills extend gradually, forming a high table land, covered with beech, gum, poplar, ash, hickory, and all varieties of oak. In this high land the soil is clayey and calcareous, and produces plentiful crops of small grain and grass. This county is washed by the Ohio river on the east and south. Its interior streams are Indiana creek, Plum creek, Bryant’s creek, Turtle creek, and Grant’s creek; all which run into the Ohio river. In this county the vine is successfully cultivated. The settlements along the river below Vevay, where the culture of the grape is principally attended to, present an appearance of industry and taste. This part of the county, is a compound of elegance and usefulness, where to one of the most delightful natural situations on the Ohio, is added the embellishments of art; and where art and elegance are made subservient to wealth and comfort. Here are also beautiful orchards, with a great variety of the finest fruits, and gardens cultivated in the most tasteful style. The wine of this county is of excellent quality, and with the advantage of age, would not be inferior to the European wine; but it is generally used before it is sufficiently matured. The citizens of this county are rapidly improving in their circumstances, and some of them have already become wealthy, chiefly by the culture of the grape. In addition to the culture of orchards, gardens, and vines, the ordinary branches of husbandry are carried on in this county, and large quantities of corn, flour, beef, pork, potatoes, hay, and poultry, are annually transported to the low country. Vevay is the seat of justice.

TURTLE CREEK, a creek in Switzerland, running southwardly into the Ohio river.

VEVAY, a post town, and the seat of justice of Switzerland county. The situation of this town is very pleasant; it is thought by some to be superior in beauty to any other town site on the Ohio river. The first settlers in this place were emigrants from Switzerland, who at an early period commenced the culture of the vine. By the industry and enterprise of those early settlers, the beauty of the natural situation was soon greatly heightened, and that beautiful rich bottom which but a few years ago was covered by a heavy forest, now presents to the eye of the passing traveler a pleasant flourishing town, surrounded by orchards, gardens, and vineyards, where taste and elegance are combined with use and comfort. The town contains upwards of a hundred brick and frame dwelling houses, a jail, a brick court house, three taverns, seven mercantile stores, three lawyers, three physicians, a printing office, and a variety of mechanics; with an aggregate population of about 400 souls. It is situated about twenty miles south-east from Indianapolis. N. lat. 38 deg. 40 min. W. lon. 7 deg. 49 min.