Sheridan High School - Syllabus Yearbook (Sheridan, IN)

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 Page ten ----- 4- History of Adams Township One hundred years ago in April, George Boxley made the first permanent settlement in what is now known as Adams Township. He built his cabin on the knoll north of the present site of Sheridan. Boxley had become a man of wealth and an owner of many slaves in the South but he became conscientious on this subject, liberated his own slaves, and was instrumental in aiding other slaves to escape to freedom. In some of these acts he violated the penal laws of Virginia and he was arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to death. However, fate had not ordained that this man should suffer such an ignoble death so his wife visited him on the day set for his execution and gave him a small saw with which he was able to make his escape. He traveled a great deal in the west and finally settled in Adams Township, Hamilton County, where he lived for the remainder of his life. The first settlement in the township was made by Thomas Spencer John Blaush, James L. Masters, Z. Acord and Washington McKensy a little west of the present site of Boxleytown. This settlement was made soon after George Boxley settled near Sheridan Soon after this James Mann, Thomas and William Harbaugh, Payton Harris and Reuben Tansey joined this settlement. James Harbaugh, Ebcr Teter, and others came later. This part of Adams Township was at that time called Boxley’s swamp. Two trails, one leading from Noblesville to LaFayette, the other from Strawtown to LaFayette, were the only roads in the township at this time. The people who came in from 1830 to 1833, made their own roads and in so doing they kept to the high ground, avoiding the ponds and swamps that existed in the township. When they came to the “slashes” the old corduroy bridges were bu It. This was done by laying two large logs parallel and a few feet apart across the “slash.” Then across these were laid a number of smaller logs until the entire creek or branch was bridged. At the sides strong stakes were drawn to hold the first and last logs in place. In some cases dirt was thrown on top of this structure to make it smooth. The settlement at Bakers Corner was formed sometime between the year 1831 and 1837. For some time after this settlement was formed schools were taught at private houses until a cab n was built for tl at purpose near Bakers Corner. These schools were supported by the parents of the pupils on the subscription plan. A majority of this settlement belonged to the Friends Church. They had no meeting house of their own, bui attended at Hinkle Creek church until the West Grove church was built. There were a few Wesleyan Methodists among them and tl ey held services at private homes and ac the school house until the Mount Pleasant church was built. Another settlement in the township and one which was destined to become the sec ond largest city in Hamilton County was Millwood, situated in the southwestern part ol Adams Township. The town was laid out in 1860 by Egbert Higbee on the south side of the pike road running east and west. Higbee gave the town the name of Millwood. On the north side of the road opposite Millwood, Caswell Boxley laid out an addition to the town. Some years later when application was made for a post office at this point, it was found that there was a Millwood in the state, so a new name had to be decided upon. Dr. Davenport was one of the most influential members of the town at this time and he had served in the Civil War under Phillip Sheridan. He suggested that the new town be called Sheridan. Dr. Moore establshed the first store on what is now the coiner of Second and Main streets. This was a general store in which was kept for sale a little of everything. Other stores were soon added, one by P. G. Pearson and John Wilson. C. Boxley started his store at the comer of Second and Main streets, oppo- The Centennial Syllabus

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Page eleven --------4 - History of Adams Township continued site Dr. Moore’s store. These men later sold to other parties. Hamilton Emmons started the first drug store in the town. John Francis was the first to establish an exclusive grocery store. May Emmons 1 ad the first millinery business in the town. Uncle Tom and Aunt Prude Kercheval kept the first boarding house and entertained travelers. Uncle Tom Kercheval also had the first dray in Sheridan. Old Mr. Sackman started the first undertaker’s business on the corner of Georgia and Third streets. On May 4, 1913, a great conflagration swept the town which destroyed several business houses. The fire started in the Weaver planing mill and with the wind blowing at the rate of forty miles an hour it was impossible to stay the flames rapid advance over the place. This fire necessitated the reconstruction of the business houses that were destroyed and in many cases the location of the building was changed so that Main street began to look more like it does today. Some changes have been made since, such as th» razing of old buildings the construction of filling stations and the erection of new street lights on Main street. The first school house near Sheridan was built by George Boxley on his farm for the instruction of his own children and those of his neighbors. He himself was an efficient teacher. In this rude log school house, one end of which was taken up with a large fireplace, was the beginning of the schools of Sheridan. Mr. J. O. Pearson gives the following personal recollection of the house and scholars: “The windows had sticks across them with paper on them and were greased to ad mit the light. The seats were split cut and hand-shaved, with wooden pins for legs. The door was of shaved boards. The one long desk was a long plank on pins in the wall. There was John McKinzie, F. M McKinzie, Mrs. S. A. Vickery, Peter D. Horn. Nelson Higbee’s uncles and aunts, Ellis Dean’s mother, Howard Stephenson’s mother, P. G. Pearson and Addison Boxley.” In 1850 the Dunn school house was built near the Rodeman corner. Isaac Underwood was the only teacher who taught in this house for a number of years. In 1869 what was known as the Rodeman school house was built. It was a two room building. A particular circumstance connected with the building of this house was that the trustee refused to build the house unless Mr. E. A. Hutchens would agree to teach the school. The consent of Mr. Hutchens was secured, the house erected and Mr. Hutchens was the teacher for the next five years. With the building of the Monon railroad the growth of the town was assured. The trustee in 1885 was Eli Hutchens. He purchased the ground where the second ward building now stands, and Henry Devaney, his successor, erected the building in 1886. The growth of the town was very rapid and consequently the growth of the school was equally rapid. The building erected in 1886 contained four rooms, which was not adequate for the attendance the first year, and an addition of four mora rooms was built and more teachers added. In 1895 the first ward build ing was erected. Tl is was a substantial brick building containing four rooms. The town continued to grow and the high school outgrew its quarters. In 1912, the town board erected an addition to the first ward building to which the high school was removed. This building, however began to grow inadequate as the student body increased and the standards for the high school grew higher. In the beginning of the twentieth century the new school house proposition began to be agitated. However no steps had been taken until on January 30, 1928 the High School building burned down. Every one was sorry for the loss but they realized that this means a modern building for Adams Township. Our one great