Lewisville, Indiana

Henry Lewis was born in New Jersey. After voyaging around Cape Horn to San Francisco in his early years, he settled in Indiana. He worked for Benjamin Butterfield who was a millwright, farmer and carpenter until he acquired his own grist mill in the area that is now Lewisville.

In 1874 the only store in the area was in Lewisville. Hobson & Stillwell ran what is described as a nice little country store. The name Lewisville was already in common use. The post office was in Alaska which was just west of town on Lewisville Road.

The store started in 1876 when a load of merchandise was brought up from Louisville, Kentucky. Partners Wigal and Haldom joined Lewis to build the Lewisville General Store in 1880 and their initials still can be seen in the brick. Lewis bought out Haldom when he was elected as Morgan County Sheriff and moved to Martinsville. Wigal sold his share some time earlier. Until 1982 the Lewis family owned and operated the store.

Lewisville once had a shoe store, several blacksmiths, a sawmill, a gristmill and later a gasoline service station and telephone switchboard.

The following list of citizens has been compiled from the "People's Directory of 1874." All appear to have lived in or near Lewisville according to the directions given. Addresses were given in reference to the local town or post office. An example is, one-half mile east of Alaska.

AWBREY, PHILLIP, farmer, born in Kentucky 1818.

BOWMAN, ABLE, farmer, born in North Carolina.

DUNNAGAN, JOHN, farmer, born in Indiana, 1830.

HERDEL, LEWIS, farmer, born in Kentucky, 1836.

HOBSON, MILES J. Rev., of the firm of Hodson & Stillwell, dealer in dry goods, groceries and general merchandise, born in Ohio, 1846.

LEWIS, HENRY, saw milling, born in New Jersey, 1832.

REED, THOMAS, farmer, born in Kentucky, 1841.

RAY, WILLIAM H., farmer, born in Tennessee, 1846.

REID, MILTON, farmer, born in Kentucky, 1836.

REID, WILLIAM, farmer, born in Kentucky, 1801.

REID, JAMES C., farmer, born in Kentucky, 1846.

REID, MILTON, farmer, born in Kentucky, 1836.

REID, WILLIAM, farmer, born in Kentucky, 1801.

REID, JAMES C., farmer, born in Kentucky, 1846.

SHUMAKER, WILLIAM H., farmer, born in Indiana, 1834.

STIERWALT, J.H., farmer and blacksmith, born in Indiana, 1833.

STIERWALT, T.S., farmer, born in Indiana, 1835.

STILLWELL, F.C., of the firm of Hodson & Stillwell, dealer in dry goods, groceries and general merchandise, born in Indiana, 1843.

SPAIN, T.D., farmer, born in Kentucky, 1802.

TAYLOR, J.W., farmer, born in Indiana, 1836.

WIGAL, J.W., saw milling, born in Morgan County, Indiana,1840.

WHITLOW, ELI, farmer, Morgan County, Indiana, born in 1847.

WHITE, J.J., farmer, born in Indiana, 1840.

Web Page Designed and Created by Ron Riggan for SCICAN Corporation - January 1998

All photographs and graphics by Ron Riggan. Text written and researched by Marsha Riggan