| THE JASONVILLE STORY CONTINUED...... |
| Chapter III I believe we can state with certainty that prior to 1810 no white man resided within the borders of what is now Greene County. Only straggling bands of Indians invaded the territory. For many years prior to this date they seemed to have had no permanent home or village here, but came into the territory on war or hunting expeditions, or just roaming, as Indians were wont to do. In many places throughout they have left specimens of their crude axes made of stone, their arrowheads made of flint, the latter in most cases showing painstaking and expert workmanship. According to a history written many years ago by Jack Baber, the first white habitation in Greene County was a log cabin built by John Latta. This cabin was erected in 1816 and was located on the hill just South of where the New York Central Railroad now crosses Latta�s Creek. This point is one fourth mile North on a gravel road that crosses State Road 54 one mile West of Elliston. There is little doubt but Lattas Creek was named after the first man to settle alone the stream John Latta. Mr. W. D. Ritter, another early historian says it is unknown where Mr. Latta resided before coming to Greene County, but that he is remembered as the owner of fine horses. Historian Ritter�s father was in the VanSlyke Bottoms as early as 1818. Here a pile of deer hides and turkey feathers waist high lay where the Indians had recently made camp. On this occasion the elder Ritter visited the cabin of John Latta which stood just across White River from VanSlkye Bottoms. It is believed that Latta left Greene County with a few others and helped establish a Quaker settlement on White Lick Creek in Hendricks County. The first term of the Circuit Court Weld in Greene County was at the home of Thomas Bradford, one mile South of Bloomfield. This was in September of 1821 or one hundred and thirty seven years ago. J. Doty was president judge, John L. Buskirk, associate judge, Thomas Warnick, clerk and Thomas Bradford, sheriff. Only two cases appeared on the docket for that term of court. One was Thomas Mounts vs. Zebulon Hogue, the cause being docketed as, �Trespass on the cause for slander�. The other was Benjamin Hashaw vs. Thomas Mounts the cause being styled �Tresspass on the cause for debt.� Both cases were dismissed. The laws have changed, but human behavior seems to have altered but little, slander, debt and trespass having slander, debt and trespass having been with us throughout these 137 years. In the February term of 1822 the first foreign born person residing in the county became an American citizen through naturalization. This man, Robert Anderson, an immigrant from Scotland, led the way for hundreds of Europeans who were to become citizens of the United States under our laws, and selected Greene County as their permanent home in the land of their adoption. At this same term of court the first jury found the defendant guilty on a charge of assault and battery and assessed a fine of one dollar. A motion for a new trial was overruled, then a motion to arrest judgement was taken under advisement until the term the motion was granted and the accused was discharged. Thus we learn that an accused of relief granted him under the law is no new thing. The first action of the county commissioners in 1822 was to pay John L. Buskirk as salary in full for services as Associate Judge for the year of 1821 the sum of $2.00. The president Judge was paid Thirty Dollars. |
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