Hoosier Dusty Files - January 17, 1814 - Washington County Created

A Year of Indiana History - 2016

January 17, 1814 - Washington County Created
Washington County, Indiana
Founded 1814
County Seat - Salem, Indiana
Total Square Miles - 517
Population - (2000) - 27,223
The first European to live in the area that became Washington County was a hunter/trapper and salt manufacturer who lived among the Ox Indians in 1802. He was in the area called the Lick, about two miles east of Salem. A man named Thomas Hopper settled near what is now Hardinsburg in 1803.
Washington County, Indiana, named after George Washington, was formed in 1814 by an act of the Territorial Legislature passed on December 21, 1813. Indiana Territory Governor John Gibson named Isaac Blackbird the first county clerk and recorder. He then appointed William Hoggart sheriff; William Lindley, surveyor; Jeremiah Lamb, coroner; and Johnathon Lindley, Moses Hoggart, and Simeon Lamb circuit court judges. He selected Joseph Paddox, Peter McIntosh, Ignatius Abel, Marston G. Clark and Joseph Bartholomew to select a site for the county seat. The men met on January 17, 1814 near the geographical center of the county in William Lindlay's home. The men inspected sites at Royse’s Lick, Beck’s Mill, Camp Spring, Mill Creek, and Fort Hill before finally deciding on a spot at the junction of the Blue River and Brock Creek. They chose the name Salem for the new county seat, naming it after William Lindley's wife's hometown in North Carolina. By February 14, John DePauw, appointed to plat the new town, had completed his work and lot sales in Salem began on the second Tuesday in April of 1814.
Cities and towns of Washington County include:
Campbellsburg
Fredericksburg
Hardinsburg
Little York
Livonia
New Pekin
Pekin
Salem
Saltillo
Townships include:
Brown
Franklin
Gibson
Howard
Jackson
Jefferson
Madison
Monroe
Pierce
Polk
Posey
Vernon
Washington
Three Indiana State Highways cross Washington County on an east west route, Indiana State Routes 60, 160 and 56. US 15 tickles the southwest boundary of Washington County. The CSX rail line crosses the county, bisecting it as it connects Clarksville Indiana with Bedford, Indiana.
Agri-Tourism Sites in Washington County include:
Artesian and Farmer's Market
Cornucopia Farms
Grateful Goat Winery
Farmers Market
Hein Tree Farm
Historical Attractions:
Beck's Mill
Carnegie Library
Courthouse
Crown Hill Cemetery
Morgan Trail
Pioneer Village
Museums:
John Hay Center
Piper Flight Center
Salem Depot
Stevens Memorial
Stevens Genealogy Library
Motor sports:
Salem Speedway
Thunder Valley Raceway
Outdoor Recreation:
Lakes
Canoeing
Delaney Creek
State Forest
Knobstone Trail
Swimming
Golf
For more information on Washington County Tourism, click the link.

Indiana possesses a rich history that is fun to read and learn. This Hoosier Dusty Files is in an easy to read “this day in history format” and includes articles from the author's A Year in Indiana History series. Visitors may read the articles as they appear or purchase the book:
A Year of Indiana History - 2016
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© Paul Wonning