S-2
Delaware County, Indiana
KITH AND KIN CONNECTION
On Salem Township - Excerpts from Our County, Its History and Early Settlement by Townships, John S. Ellis, 1898
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Originally the face of the country was covered by heavy forests of the variety of timber common to this section of the country, but the immense growth of black walnut timber in section 21, the west half of section 22, the east half of section 20, and the south half of section 16 gave to this neighborhood the name of the "Rich Woods," by which name it has been known for many years. The name has been often more generally applied to a much greater scope of the township than that mentioned above, but we think we are correct in our statement that the term was applied originally to the above described territory, but today the name would seem a misnomer, as the "woods" are nearly all gone, while the "Rich" only remains, and that richness of soil extends generally through the township.-----It is said that William Dilts was the first white man who ever became a permanent resident of the township, although the first person to enter land in the township was Joshua Baxter, who entered the west half of the northeast quarter of section 31 on May 15, 1823. This 80-acre tract lies about one and a half miles northeast of Daleville, on the Yorktown road, and is owned by C. and R. Helvie and L Hoover. Mr. Baxter entered this land about the time Mr. Dilts came to the township. There were evidences of former residents in the township, as huts, built apparently for habitations, were found in different localities, but as they were vacant when the first settlers came, it is fair to suppose they were built as temporary residences for parties who were hunting or trapping in the vicinity, and who, after supplying themselves with meat and furs, sought their former or new homes. Mr. Dilts became a citizen of the township, and resided here a number of years, but later moved to Chesterfield, a few miles west in Madison county, where he spent the remainder of his life, and near where many of his descendants still live. (Pages 135 and 137)
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Among the early settlers of Salem there were many who afterward became prominent characters in the community and who left living monuments to their memory in their posterity, many of whom are still residents of the county. Among such we might mention the names of Dale, Williams, Nation, Witt, Perdue, Summers, Van Matre, Sharp, Pitser, Makepeace, Kilgore, Shoemaker, Stewart, Sunderland, Campbell, Jones, Suman, Fenwick, Fosnot, McAlester, Oliver H. Smith and others.----The first effort at merchandising in Salem was that made by John C. Gustin at what is now Cross Roads, in the year 1832, but for the want of sufficient custom, Mr. Gustin very soon quit the business and returned to Madison county. However, after the lapse of several years, about 1838, William and Erasmus Moffitt opened a stock of goods at the same place (Cross Roads) and continued the business for several years. About the same time of the opening of the Moffitt store at Cross Roads, Abraham Depboye "hung out" the first general store sign at the village of Daleville. Mr. Depboye seems to have met with sufficient success to hold out for some two years, when he, too, closed out his business. And so it seems that for many years merchandising was almost as uncertain in Daleville as is the gold crop in Alaska.----The first school house in Salem was in the "rich woods." The building was on the land of David Van Matre, in section 21, and we find a school taught here as early as 1828-29, by Elza Watkins, a man of superior culture and attainments, and feel it is no disparagement to other townships in the county, when we say Salem has ever kept up her reputation for good schools and competent teachers. (Page 138)
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Section 34 was all entered by, Oliver H. Smith on Angust 10, 1835. Mr. Smith was an eminent jurist in the broadest sense of the term, as well as an author and historian of some note. He became extensively interested in the early part of our county settlement and his only son, Hon. M. C. Smith, who has represented Delaware county in both branches of the state legislature, as well as having served the city of Muncie several terms as mayor, with distinction and honor, is still one of our respected citizens, hale and hearty, although seventy four years of age, most of these years having been spent in this community. (Page 141)
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Section 15, in Salem township, is in the south central part of the township, and that our readers may the more readily understand its location, we will state that Cross Roads, Post Office and Village, is situated in the southwest corner of the section. As this section borders on the Richwoods neighborhood, the land has been held at a high value, but whether or not the facts sustain the values, is a matter to be determined by those more directly interested, as it is the duty of the historian to state facts, and then let others search for the reasous. More than two years before any other purchases of public land in this section (July 30, 1829) Daniel Shawhan entered the east half of the southwest quarter of this section, an 80-acre tract, now owned by G. Young, after which entries were made by John Tomlinson in 1831, Christian Wall and Isaac Pitser in 1833, John Tomlinson in 1834 and William Parent and Christian Wall in 1835. (Page 146)
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