The First Settlers
The first known white settler of Grand River
township was Solomon Tetherow and he came in the spring of 1831. It
was believed that John Splawn built the first cabin within the
limits of Daviess county and in Union township before he occupied
what is known as Splawn's Ridge, still while he may have done so,
Mr. Tetherow was not long behind him. Solomon Tetherow settled on
section thirty-three, very near the line of section twenty-eight,
and for sometime it was not known whether the section line would run
north or south of him. After the survey it was found to be on.
thirty-three. He was followed, a few weeks afterward, by William
Bowman, who became the first sheriff of Daviess county, and the
recipient of personal attention from a Gallatin mob, when it was
learned the Mormon leaders had escaped. John Tarwater and his
family, including Nancy, his wife, and young Nancy his daughter,
came in 1833. This latter party came earlier to the county and
claimed to have settled in the country near the Grand River,
February 25, 1830, but their residence in Grand River township was
early in 1833, and they settled on section fourteen. John Tarwater
came from Tennessee. A son of Solomon Tetherow settled in Grundy
county in 1834; John Martin and his wife came also in 1833. Adam
Black came in 1834 and settled on the northeast corner of section
thirty. Mr. Black was a prominent citizen in the early history of
the county. He was county judge in 1838, and protested against the
building of a court-house at Gallatin on the ground that the
county-seat question was not settled. Be was one of the signers to
the petition for its removal, which was drawn up and circulated and
pre-sented to the County Court for action in 1840. The Lick Fork and
Grindstone settlements were too much for those north of the river.
John Roland came in the spring of 1835, and settled on section
twenty-four. He was soon followed by Alfred Coots, who settled on
section twenty-three; James Odell followed and also settled on
section twenty-four, the same year. All of these settlers came from
Tennessee.
There were some pretty hard times experienced by these early
settlers. Communication with the outside world was not often. Their
nearest post-office was in Richmond, Ray county, and it was
sometimes two or three months before any one would go, or chance
opportunity be given them, to get their scanty mail. If one man went
he was generally mail carrier for the whole country round about,
sometimes including a circuit of ten or fifteen miles. Then again
the mill was at Richmond and another at Liberty, in Clay county, and
both were patronized to a liberal extent considering the population.
Pestle and mortars were used, and when a horse-mill sprang up a few
years later at Millport, the joy of the settlers was unbounded.
The coonskin cap was the fashion, with buckskin breeches, vest and
coat of the same material. There was one excellent thing to be
recorded of the fashions in those early days. Each one could start a
fashion of his or her own, and it would hold in style for ten,
fifteen or twenty years. It did not make any difference to the young
blood of those days whether he had a seam down the legs of his pants
and spring bottoms, or whether he had a hip pocket. With the girls
there was no goring or cutting bias and flounces running around and
up and down; what they wanted was a dress, and if they got eight
yards of goods they had it, and would not give a dime for lace
trimmings or ribbons plaited all down the back and front; a neat
ribbon-bow for the hair, and a lively vigorous beau for Sunday
nights was about as much happiness as they cared for. Thus, there
was no fretting about the latest styles or worrying over the texture
of the goods. Buckskin, corduroy and jeans were for men's wear;
homespun, calico and gingham answered for the women; so each with
their own idea of fashion settled the question of style.
It was as early as 1833 that Mrs. John Martin and Mrs. John Tarwater
did weaving and spinning in Grand. River township, and it is not
much a matter of doubt that these pioneer women of Daviess county,
were the first to hear the whirr of the spinning-wheel and the click
of the shuttle, in the county.
From the best information at hand or that can be found, it was Mrs.
John Martin who taught the first school in the township. This was
probably in 1835. First at her own home, and second in a deserted
log cabin.
Nicholas Netherton settled in Grand River township in 1835 or 1836. John J. Netherton arrived September 30, 1836. Moses Netherton came in 1837 and settled, with Morgan Smith, on section twenty-one. The latter came direct from Tennessee. John Roland and James Odell sold their lands to the Mormons. Roland moved away from the county soon afterwards.
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