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Morgan County History
Located in
Central
Indiana, Morgan County is bounded by Hendricks and Marion Counties
on the north, Johnson County on the east, Brown and Monroe Counties on the
south and Owen and Putnam Counties on the west. It was organized in 1821
from sections of Delaware and Wabash Counties and named for General Daniel
Morgan, a Revolutionary War hero.
To see an 1876 map of Morgan County, click
here.
The
county's terrain varies widely from relatively level farmland in the
northern sections, to rugged, heavily forested areas in the south. Morgan
County is well watered with the West Fork of the White River bisecting the
county from the southwest to northeast and numerous tributaries flowing into
it. It was along this river where much of the county's early activity
occurred.
When the 1818 Treaty of St. Mary's ceded
all land south of Fort Wayne to the United States Government, settlement of
this vast area began in earnest. It was in that same year that Jacob Whetzel
and his son Cyrus blazed a 60-mile trail following an Indian trace from
Laurel in Franklin County to an area known as "The Bluffs" near the White
River in Morgan County. Known as Whetzel's Trace, it served as the primary
route for settlers coming to central Indiana from the east and was heavily
used until the construction of the National Road through Indiana during the
late 1820s.
With the organization of the county in
1821, settlement increased and a number of early communities were
established. The county seat of Martinsville was founded in 1822 along the
east bank of the White River. The town's ready access to the river
encouraged its early growth. During the mid-nineteenth century, the
community was one of central Indiana's leading shipping points for pork and
grain.
Two early settlements in northern Morgan
County includedBrooklyn and
Mooresville. Settlers arrived in Brooklyn as early as 1819. Located along
the White Lick Creek, the village was known for its distilleries.
Mooresville, also first settled about 1819 was closely associated with the
Society of Friends, who established a meeting in the area in 1823. As the
town developed into northern Morgan County's largest community, the Friends
opened one of the county's first subscription schools during the 1820s. The
Academy Building, an 1861 brick school, remains as a testimony to this
influential early religious group.
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Academy Building (1861), Mooresville |
Founded in 1837, Waverly sprung up as a
product of the construction of the Central Canal linking Indianapolis with
Newberry in Greene County. Construction on the canal began that same year
with large numbers of Irish workers coming to the area. Only a year later,
with only a small segment of the canal completed, construction was suspended
due to financial problems.
The demise of the Central Canal signaled
the beginnings of the railroad era in Morgan County. In 1847, the
Martinsville & Franklin Flatbar Railroad, operated by the Madison &
Indianapolis line, began service to the county. During the remainder of the
nineteenth century and into the early-twentieth century, the railroad would
have a lasting impact on the county's commercial, industrial and
agricultural development.
Although only a limited number of lines
crossed the county, the railroad's economic impact was felt county wide.
Paragon, located in southwestern Morgan County was platted along one of the
lines and is one of the county's few towns established solely as a result of
the railroad. More typical was the dramatic growth of already established
communities such as Morgantown, Brooklyn and Mooresville. Even towns such as
Monrovia, Hall, and Eminence that had no direct access to lines benefited
from the railroad. With access to distant markets, area farmers boosted
their productivity and prosperity. Evidence of this is seen in the many
substantial late-nineteenth century houses built throughout the county's
rural areas.
Nowhere was the railroad's impact more
apparent than in the county seat of Martinsville. Beginning in the 1850s,
when the town was linked by rail line to Chicago and Indianapolis, and well
into the early-twentieth century, a number of
significant industries
bolstered the local economy. The
Adams Brick Company and the
Poston Brick
Company took advantage of the large deposits of shale in the cliffs north of
town. The
Old Hickory Chair Company, later the Old Hickory Furniture
Company, operated a large plant in town, manufacturing bent wood chairs and
other pieces. Martinsville also became known for
Grassyfork Fisheries.
Established in 1899 and still in operation today, Grassyfork was, by World
War II, the world's largest supplier of goldfish in the world.
Grassyfork Office and
Showrooms (1936), East Morgan Street
Manufacturing was not Martinsville's only
major economic activity. Between about 1885-1950, the town was nationally
renowned for its eleven mineral water
sanitariums. People would travel by
rail to bath in and drink the healthful waters. Only two of these
sanitariums remain. On North Main Street, the Morgan House, now subsidized
housing, is the former New Highland Sanitarium. The Martinsville Sanitarium
on West Harrison Street is currently vacant.
As
Martinsville's industrial activity waned during the mid-twentieth century,
the town, like many of the county's other communities, relied on the area's
agricultural economy. More recently, the tremendous growth of the
Indianapolis metropolitan area has significantly impacted Morgan County's
rural character. As the county's population steadily increases with an
influx of Indianapolis commuters, farmland is giving way to residential,
industrial and commercial development.
Established over 150 years ago by William
Landers, the great-great-grandfather of the current owner of the same name,
this historic Madison Township farm property is currently up for sale. In
May 2006, the Morgan County Plan Commission rejected the proposal of Pride
One of Medina, Ohio, to create a residential development consisting of
nearly 1500 houses. Proposals by other developers will surely follow.
Increasingly, the White River flood plains,
much of which have been farmed for generations, are being sold to gravel
mining companies. They are particularly common in the northeast part of the
county. This one is located north of Waverly on State Road 144.
This steady loss of both the land but and
the county's rural identity is a matter of concern. Morgan County must
balance the desire for increased economic development with the need to
preserve its rich history and architectural heritage. Through education and
careful and thoughtful planning, development and historic preservation must
coexist so that Morgan County's unique character can be appreciated and
enjoyed in the future.
Map of Morgan
County (with) Plan of Mooresville, Morgan Co. (with) Plan of Martinsville,
Morgan Co. Published by Baskin, Forster & Co., Lakeside Building, Chicago,
1876. Engraved & Printed by Chas. Shober & Co., Props. of Chicago
Lithographing Co.) |
