On Center Township - Excerpts from Our County, Its History and Early Settlement by Townships, John S. Ellis, 1898

There was but one entry of land in the township under the treaty with the Delaware Indians of 1818, but our records do not show the date of this entry, it was made by Goldsmith C. Gilbert and was the southeast quarter of section 18. White river, the Big Four railroad and Yorktown pike, all cross this quarter just west of the city of Muncie. A good portion, if not all, of this tract was subsequently owned and occupied by Thomas Bishop and was once known as the Bishop farm. But the first entry of land in Center township after the establishment of the government land office, was made by James Bryson on the 24th day of December, 1822. This tract was the east half of the southeast quarter of section 25, lying in the southeast corner of the township and now owned by the widow of John Fulhart and R. A. Johnson (assignee). Sometime subsequently to 1825, Goldsmith C. Gilbert bought the Hackley reserve of the widow Hackley, she being of the Delaware tribe of Indians, and having inherited the said tract of land. There was 672 acres in this reserve, the southeast corner being not far from the Boyce flax mill, the southwest corner is now in the river near the old dug road nearly north of the new Jefferson school building, the northeast and northwest corners being one mile north of the two corners mentioned, the tract being parts of sections 3, 4, 9 and 10. The south line of this reserve passes through the center of the Court house Mr. Gilbert paid $960.00 for the tract which at that time was considered a very fair price. Here Mr. Gilbert erected two cabins, a residence and trading post, which were the foundation of the present prosperous city of Muncie.------ The name of Muncie seems to have been taken from one of the principal chiefs of the Delaware's (Little Munsee,) and for many years the place was known as Munseytown. Technically speaking, Delaware county was organized on April 1, 1827, at which time it became necessary to locate a seat of justice for the new county and a committee having been appointed by the Legislature for that purpose, after having examined the several sites proposed in conformity with the requirements of the law, selected the site owned by Mr. Gilbert, Samuel G. Jackson and William Brown. All three of these pioneers making liberal donations of land to the county, the donations centering in the middle of the public square, where the court house now stands. The donation of Mr. Gilbert contained 20 acres and 9-100. That of Mr. Jackson 9 acres and 72-100, and that of Mr. Brown, 20 acres, so the entire tract contained in round numbers 50 acres of land, yet, it is said that at that time persons thought it was useless to include so much territory as it was thought it could never possibly be utilized for town purposes.------ The first term of the Delaware circuit court was held in a log house near where the jail now stands, and after hearing the evidence and the charge of the Judge, the jury retired out of doors to a big oak stump to deliberate, and the business of the sheriff was to keep intruders out of hearing.------- The first newspaper printed in Muncietown was the Muncietonian and we give here verbatum an article that appeared in one of its issues in 1837, believing that it will be of interest to many of our readers. "Muncietown, the seat of justice of Delaware county, is situated on the south bank of White river, on an elevation of about thirty feet above the bed of the river. It was laid out in 1827, by three different proprietors, in the form of an oblong square. The four principal streets are sixty feet wide, the others forty-five, all crossing each other at right angles. It contains at present 320 inhabitants, a post office, a printing office, four physicians, six mercantile stores, three taverns, three groceries, one grist mill, one saw mill, one distillery, one carding machine, one cabinet maker's shop, two tailors, two hatters, one shoemaker, six house joiners, one brick layer and plasterer, two chairmakers, two tanners, two blacksmiths, one gunsmith, one wagon maker, one painter, one saddler's shop, four milliners, one school mistress, one sheriff, one clerk of the court, two magistrates, one school commissioner, one county surveyor and recorder. A superb court house, with cupola, etc., 45 feet square and 28 feet high, is to be built, and is now under contract. The contemplated central canal will pass through this place, and the connecting link, to be by railroad, between the Central and White water canals will, in all probability, terminate at this point, as the Board of Canal Commissioners have reported favorable to such termination. The state road, from the Ohio state line to Indianapolis, passes through this place. A state road from Richmond to Logansport, a state road from New Castle, in Henry couuty, to Fort Wayne all pass through this town. There is also a state road leading to Pendleton and one to Delphi. Muncietown is about 61 miles northeast from Indianapolis; north latitude 40 and 7; west longitude 8 and 9."------ The first court house in Delaware county was a frame building, erected on the west side of High street, between Main and Washington streets, about the year 1829 or 1830. This building did duty as a court house for some ten years and until its successor was built in 1838 or 1839, on the site of the present court house.------ The first school in Muncietown, of which we can get anything like an accurate account, was taught in a log cabin that stood at or near the southwest corner of Main and Walnut streets, during the winter of 1829 and '30 by Henry Tomlinson, a native of North Carolina, who had come here a short time previously from Preble county, Ohio. The families represented in this school were about eight in number, sending some twenty pupils. It was maintained by subscription, the patrons agreeing to pay and paying so much for each and every scholar. Such was the custom of those days. As a consequence the schools were not continuous, occupying about three months during the winter, with an occasional summer term. (Pages 105-107)------ Near the southeast corner of this northeast quarter of section 20 a saw mill was built in the early days, and power furnished by the water of Buck creek. Subsequently, early in the fifties, Mr. Samuel Hurst, a gentleman of English nativity, purchased this mill site and erected a woolen mill, which he operated successfully for a long time. After his death his son, William, continued the business for a number of years, when the machinery was taken out and the whole converted into a flouring mill; but those old land marks have all disappeared. (Page 117)------ Section 24 is on the east side of the township, and joins banks are high and bluffy. Here among these hills was the famous "Old town," and here near the south line of section 24, is the place where legend says was planted the stake where the Indians executed their prisoners by burning them at this stake. It is said the stake was afterwards cut down and made into canes or walking sticks, but be this as it may, there were many stories told of the ghosts that were seen hovering about the "old town" hills, supposed to be the spirits of the departed Indians and their victims, and many bloodless battles were fought over again by these specters for the especial delectation of the gullible and the superstitious, and at one time the excitement ran so high that persons came from many miles around to witness the uncanny ghost dances at "old town" hills, but after a certain painter, (who by the way still lives in Muncie) with other associates had played ghost, until they were about to be captured, or at least feared so, they desisted, which broke up the ghost business, and nothing has been heard of them for many years. (Page 118)

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