page7niles

History of Delaware County - Niles Township
(Excerpts from pages 55, 57 through 61 and 63 through 71)
Niles township is all in congressional township, 22 north, and range 11 east. It is the northeast township of Delaware county, bounded north by Blackford county, east by Jay county, south by Delaware township and west by Union township. In dimensions, Niles, like Perry, is five tiers of sections north and south, and six tiers of sections (or miles) east and west.

Commencing with the northwest corner of the township, we find that section 7 was entered by Stephen Hayward, Thomas N. Sinks, Ephraim Sinks, George Leedom and Jonathan Ballenger. This being the north section of the west tier, we find a shortage of acres, as is the case in all the sections bordering on Union township. The lands of section 7 are now owned by J. A Jernegan, W. Matthew, E. Edwards, James Edwards, E. B. Lozier, W. R. Toll, A. M. Craig, M. A. McClain and James Holcroft. This section has three public roads, on its north, east and south lines.

Section 8, lying next east of section 7, and along the Blackford county line, was entered, as was section 7, in 1836 by William J. Knight, William J. Essley, John C. Corbley and John Black, and is now owned by R. and A. Stafford, C. Robbins, J. W. Andrews, J. A. Jarnegan. This section has public roads on the north, sonth and west.

Section 9 was entered in 1836 and 1837, all of it being taken up in 1836 except the the northeast quarter, which was entered by John Thomas in 1837, the balance of the section having been entered the year previous by James Wooster, John Black and George Huffman. In the fall of 1857, one of the first frame school houses in the township was built on the southeast corner of this section, on land entered by George Huffman. Section 9 is now owned by J. E. Stoner, T. H. Racer and others, J. E. Racer, W. C. Brundrent, A. N. Foorman and George Huffman. This section has public roads on the north and east, a gravel pike on the south, and a road north and south through the west half. Essley creek runs through the section.

Section 10 was entered in 1836 and 1837 by William D. Field, George Huffman, Dennis Wilson, Jacob Huffman, John Constant and John Mellit. The land in section l0 is now owned by H. Weaver, J. S. Manor, S. F. Huffman, Samuel S. Selvey, J. Shatto, H. Bales and J. E. Storer. Section 10 has public roads on the north, east and west, and a free gravel pike on the south, thus having a public highway on each section line. Essley creek runs nearly west through the north half of the section.

Section 11 was taken up by settlers in the years of 1836 and 1837. The purchasers of its lands from the government were John Buckles, Joel B. Low, Eldridge Addison, William Bell and Valentine Bone. Now owned by G. A. Buckles, John Buckles, J. Crowell, L. Grannon, M. J. Hartley, S. Ritter, J. Ritter, S. C. Davis and N. J. Weaver. Section 11 is surrounded by public roads, with a graveled pike on the south line, and drained by the headwaters of Essley creek, which runs north of west through the section.

Section 12 is the northeast corner of both the township and county. It is a full section containing 640 acres, and was entered in 1836, '37 and '38 by Joseph Heaton, Adam Reader, Samuel P. Anthony, John Buckles, Hugh Campbell, Noah Shearly and James Peterson. The present owners of section 12 are H. Bantz, the Dunkirk Land Company, J. and C. France, J, Brotherton, C. E. Rogers, J. Buckles, J. Beal, N. G. Weaver, J. Armstrong, W. Manning, and W. B. Wilson. Gravel road on both north and south and public road on west line.

Section No. 13 in Niles township is the east section of the second tier from Blackford county and joins Jay county on the east. This section was all entered in 1836 and 1837 by Banlin Smith, John Buckles, Nathaniel Poor, James Peterson, Hugh Campbell and William Shrack. This section is now owned by Perry Steel, A. Fowler, F. M. Selvey, Sarah A. Lucas, W. A. Wilson, J. L. Bales, W. R. Routledge and W. Frank. It is well supplied with good roads. The Dunkirk and Moore pike on its north line, Green street on the west, a section line road on the south and the Albany and Dunkirk road through the eastern portion. School No. 1 is located on the northeast quarter or this section and was named Green Street school for the road running by it.

Section 14 was entered in 1836 and 1837 by James Peterson, Elisha Bartlett, Richard Higman, Nathaniel Polk, William Lee, Daniel Fisher and Hugh Campbell. The land in this section is now owned and mostly occupied by G. Michael, A. C. Rook, Joab Thornburgh, S. Michael, Jonathan Bales, Peter McNelly, R. Cunningham and Adam Shirk. This section has had a public road on each of its borders for more than forty years, the road on the north line now being a free gravel pike.

The land in section 15 was entered in 1835 and 1836, the south half of the section being entered by George W. Stafford and Samuel Sprinkle in 1835 and the north half by Richard Higman and John Constant in 1836. That portion entered by Messrs. Stafford and Higman was improved soon after the entry was made while the tracts taken up by Sprinkle and Constant was mostly unimproved for a number of years. The section is now owned by D. Bales, E. Bullock, Samuel S. Selvey, J. and A. Garr, C. Bales and heirs, S. Bales and heirs, and Peter McNelly. School No. 5 is situated on the northwest corner of this section. Section 15 has public roads on the northeast and south, also through the center east and west.

Section 16 being donated to the township by the government for school purposes, was sold by the commissioners on November 2, 1838, to the following purchasers in eighty-acre tracts. Morton C. East, William Richardson, Andrew Black, James Black, Mary Gorton and James McMillan. The purchase price paid at this sale was $1.50, $1.62½ and $1.75 per acre. The tract purchased by James McMillan was for some cause forfeited, and afterwards the title was perfected and the land resold to Thomas Klugh at an increased amount of $97.50. Section 16 is now owned by H. Weaver, A. C. Weaver, D. B. Moore, Mrs. D. B. Moore, C. H. Manor, W. H. Richey, J. and S. Fudge, J. and E. Racer and W. Fishback. Sixteen has roads along its north and south lines, and a free gravel pike through the center north and south.

Section 17 was entered in 1834 to 1839 by John Black, Rachael Chandler, Ralph Stafford, John Barley and John D. Heighway, and is now owned by J. W. Black, T. J. Robbins, C. A. Barley, E. Black, J. R. Black and C. H. Manor. School No. 6 is located on the northwest corner of this section. Roads run along the north and south lines and through the west half.

The land in section 18 was all entered in 1836 and all by Ezra Wasson, except eighty acres, which was taken up by Thomas Moore the same fall after Mr. Wasson had made his purchase in June. The section is now owned by A. N. Foorman, A M. Robbins. J. W. Long, J. W. Cochran, M. Hayworth and J. Herron and C. A. Barley. That portion of the section bordering on Union township is fractional, or short in acreage. Thc section has public roads on the north, south and west, also north and south through the center.

Section 19, in Niles township, was entered as early as 1832 and as late as 1836. The first owners of land in this section were Philip Stoner, Philip Essley, James Black, Elisha Essley, Jesse Essley, Junius McMillan and Stephen Buttar. The section is now owned by J. D. Hance, C. L. Smith, J. Roberts, J. W. Long, F. R. Foorman and W. C. Hance. This is another fractional section, being in the west tier. Essley creek crosses the south half, a road on the north side, and north and south on the half section line.

In section 20, four entries of land were made during the year 1833 by James Black (making three of them) and Francis A. Essley. The balance of the land in section 20 was entered in 1835 and 1836 by William Constant, Elisha Essley, Cyrus McMillan, Jeremiah Priest and James L. Veach. The present owners of section 20 are: C. H. Manor, Z. Stanley, Jr., S. J. Stanley, C. L. Smith, W. C. Hance and Z. Stanley, Sr. Essleycreek crosses the northwest corner and good roads run along the north line and through the center of the section north and south.

Section 21 at the center of its east line is the center of Niles township. The public land of this section was entered in 1835, 1836 and 1837 by Alfred Barnett, William Lee, David Mason, Frederick Thornburg, Andrew Wilson, Albert Boyd and David Moore, and is now owned by James D. Weaver, D. N. Peterson, L. L. McDaniel, J. R. Black, R. Champ, E. E. Miller, L. F. Smith, D. and W. Frank, M. Vincent, S. E. Stanley, S. D. Frank and William D. Barley. A good road borders the north, east and half the south lines, and a free gravel road crosses the section north and south on the half section line.

Section 22 was all entered in the year of 1836 from March 7 to August 27, or within six months, by Jacob Moore, James Bolton, Augustus A. Root, Loxley A. Rickand and Samuel T. Kyle. The land in section 22 is now owned by A. Devoe, O. H. Devoe, F. S. Fosdick, A. N. Bosman, W. D. Barley, and W. and Mary Shirk. There is an open road on every section line surrounding section 22, and has been for more than forty years.

Section 23 was all taken up in 1836, except a forty acre tract, which was entered as late as October 6, 1838, by Isaac Spence. The balance of the section having been purchased by Thomas Berry, Ezra Porter, Daniel Bosman, William Scott and Ira Ingraham. The present landlords of 23 are Adam Shirk, A. and E. Wilson, J. B. Bosman, J. Mendenhall, W. Foorman, W. Campbell, C. P. Cole, C. W. Andrews, and P. Archibald. Section 23 is also surrounded by open roads of many years location.

The public land in section 24 was purchased of the government between the first of April and last of December,1836, the original purchasers being Amos Wooster, Nathaniel Dickson, Adam Michael, and Isaac Mailten. Twenty-four is the most eastern section of the middle tier and joins Jay county. The section is now owned by H. and M. Miller, M. Shatto, W. H. Maitlen, Adam Shirk, W. Harrison et al. Twenty-four has roads on the north, south and west, also the Albany and Dunkirk road crossing it north and south.

Land in section 25, Niles township, was entered as early as 1833. The first purchasers were Samuel Kyle, John Dinsmore, Daniel Dean, Jr., John Wilson and William H. Houston. The first of these entries was made by John Wilson, who settled on the west half of the southeast quarter of the section. The present owners of the land in section 25 are A. Gray, A. Bales, H. Shirk, E. Berry, R. Berry, J. A. Bales, C. Baldwin, R. M. Bartlett, M. Bryant, C. Wilson and G. M. French. Section 25 has a road on the north and also west line, another a part of the way through the section north and south on the half section line, and another on and near the south line.

Section 26 was all entered during the months of March and May, 1836, by John Blakely, Sarah Kimball, Robert Kimball. John W. Vincent and John Shrack. The land in section 26 is now owned by J. A. Bales, P. Frank, E. E. Frank, C. Baldwin, M. Bryant, James W. Wingate, A. S. Wilson, G. and M. Wilson, D. C. Frank and I. F. Andrews.

Section 27 was also entirely taken up during the year 1836, with the exception of the southwest quarter, which was entered on December 4, 1835, by Jeremiah Veach. The other three-fourths of the section was purchased by William McCoy, Jacob Moore, Robert Kimball, and William Foster. The present owners are F. M. Wingate, W. A. Jones, C. M. Mann, P. W. Vincent, M. A. Wilson, J. Ball, T. Wingate, J. A. Wright, J. S. Fudge, J. and W. Krohn, and James W. Wingate. The Albany and Eaton pike angles across the southern part of the section, and there are good roads on the east, west and north lines.

Section 28 was purchased in the years from 1832 to 1839. Those securing land in this section were George Shearon, Samuel Martin, David Smith, John Lewis, Robert M. Boyd, Israel Martin, William Custar, Robert Huston, Noble Gregory, Glass Ross, Henry Shearon, and Stephen Berry. Section 28 is now owned by William D. Barley, L. F. Smith, E. E. Miller, C. Miller, M. R. Smith, S. and G. Low, T. and C. Walburn, T. and G. Sanders, M. Saunders, S. Williams and M. A. Wilson. Section 28 has two good gravel pikes passing through it and crossing each other at almost right angles near the center.

Section 29 was entered in the years 1833-34-5 and 36, two hundred and forty acres being entered in 1833, one hundred and sixty acres in 1834, eighty acres in 1835 and a hundred and sixty acres in 1836. These entries were made by John Blakeary and John Thomas in 1833, Samuel Clark in 1834, James Robinson and James Hetton in 1835, and by Charles Redding and James Hetton in 1836. These lands are now owned by M. Topp, L. Clark, C. C. Edgington, W. C. Hance, F. S. Wingate, E. B. Wingate, Crooks and Wolf, J. A. Barley, A. N. Bosman and M. R. Smith. Section 29 has a public road on the south and greater part of the west line, through the center north and south, and the Albany and Eaton pike passes across the north half of the section.

In section 30 the public lands were taken up as early as 1832, and each year thereafter until the last entry was made in 1836. The purchasers of the public domain in this section were Thomas Hillman, Ralph Shaw, Willis Hance, William Gregory, John Gregory, Reason Iams and Norris Venard. The present land owners in section 30 are Joseph D. Hance, S. J. Peterson, W. Peterson, Calvin C. Crooks, C. Boyd and Crooks and Woolf. This section lies across the river and just north of the old village of Granville. Section 30 has public roads on the east and south; also through the center north and south, and the Albany and Eaton pike across the north half. The Mississinewa river drains the south part of the section, crossing the section line twice, and not being more than sixty rods from that line at any point.

Section 31 is the southwest corner of the township, and perhaps the first settled part of the surrounding country. The first entry of public land in this section was in June, 1831, but squatters had located along the banks of the Mississinewa river several years prior to that date. The land in section 31 was all entered in the years of 1831 to I836 by Peter Thomas, John Gregory, William O'Neal, John Engard, Jonathan Ruggles, John Battereall, Andrew Batterell and Jacob Battereall. John Gregory purchased the west half of the northeast quarter of the section on April 17, 1832, and in 1836, divided a portion of his purchase into town lots, thus founding the village of Granville. Afterward Peter Thomas, (whose purchase joined that of Mr. Gregory's on the east, the line being where the Muncie pike now enters the village), also laid out town lots.

Section 32 was also one of the early settled sections of the townships, one half of its lands being entered in 1831, the remainder in subsequent years to 1836. The entries in this section were made by Alexander Price, John Sutton, Samuel Kite, John Battreall, Isaac Martin, William Battreall and William Downing. Section 32 is now owned by J. L. Ray, J. F. Peterson, E. H. Valentine, Crooks and WooIf, Eli Peterson and H. J. Williams. Thirty-two has good roads and is well drained by the Mississinnewa, which crosses the west portion of the section.

Section 33 is perhaps the most hilly section of land in Niles township. The "Ellis hills" are in the southwest quarter of this section and are rich in their deposits of sand and gravel. This section (33) was first purchased of the government by James Gregory, William Lee, Alexander Price, Andrew Battreall, Jesse Clark, William Downing and Samuel Gregory in the years 1831, '34 and '36. The present land owners are Samuel Gregory, B. M. Williams, J. and L. Anderson, J. L. Ray, J. F. Peterson, G. W. Younce, John F. Black and N. Peterson. The Peterson and Black free gravel pike crosses the section north and south, a public road east and west and another on the north of the west half.

Section 34 was taken up in the years 1831, '36 and '37. The original purchasers were Robert Kimball, George Huffman, Jacob Peterson, Samuel Gregory, Michael Hedekin and Joseph Stafford. Near the center of the northwest quarter of this section once stood the old "Gregory school house". This section (34) is now owned by James Wingate, E. Fishback, M. Wright, Samuel Gregory, James R. Stafford and Joseph R. Stafford. Section 34 has less distance of public road than any section in the township, there being less than two miles of road touching the section, and there is no section perhaps better prepared to furnish gravel to make good roads than is section 34.

Section 35 was taken up by Eli Anderson, Thomas Vincent, John Shrack, Adam Keaver, John Dinsmore, John Mann and Eli Pendroy. These lands are now owned by W. T. Bartlett, R. Flanery, M. Vincent, Jas. W. Wingate, D. M. Bell, C. N. Bartlett, E. L. W. and C. Bartlett and F. and A. Cline. The Albany and Eaton pike crosses the east and north portions of this section. (My note: Mr. Ellis did not include any dates for section 35.)

Section 36 is the southeast corner of the township joining Randolph county on the east and the corporation line of the village of Albany in Delaware township on the south. The public lands of this section were entered by Isaac Pavy, John Boots, Eli H. Anderson, Jacob Noggle, Warren Mann and Ezra Bantz in the years of 1833, '34 and '36. The holders in section 36 at present are D. M. St. John, J. J. Hoak, F P. Anderson, R. M. Bartlett, F. and A. Cline, E. L. W. and C. Bartlett, B. W. and D. J. Manor.

The schools of Niles township are located as follows: No. 1 northwest quarter of section 13, No. 2 southeast quarter section 26, No. 3 southeast quarter section 27, No. 4 (Center) southwest quarter section 22, No. 5 northwest quarter section 12, No. 6 northwest quarter of section 17, No. 7 northeast quarter section 30, No. 8 (Granville) northeast quarter section 31 and No. 9 southwest quarter of section 20.

(End of Niles Township-Click NEXT for Union Township)