Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1908 — LEWIS DAVISSON IS ALSO AN OLD SETTLER. [ARTICLE]

LEWIS DAVISSON IS ALSO AN OLD SETTLER.

Lewis Davisson, the subject of this sketch, was born in Johnson county November 21, 1826, and moved with his parents to Boone county, settling near the little town of Mechanicsburg, now on the traction line between Frankfort and Lebanon, in 1833. ’ The family did not stay here long, and in 1(40 they moved to Jasper county. 111., and from there to, Jasper county, Ind., in 1849, settling at a place called Tail Holt from that time to the present day. This little town, or what waa a little town for many years, is sometimes called Haddock’s town, and was situated at the outlet of the big marsh by that name, in Gillam township, and which was a veritable lake at the time of which we are writing, 1849. Here in 1850 and ’sl Mr. Davisson built a saw mill, locating it on the outlet of the marsh and using the water flowing through the narrow channel which had been dammed by beavers years before, to run the mill. This beaver dam made the digging of a mill-race a small affair, the work of getting that part of the mill in working order did not take long, but when it came to getting the other part of it in working order—that was another affair. Finally it was completed and George Kessler, who died many years ago, fixed up a boat and brought logs from what was known at that time as Red Oaks, on the north side of the lake, to the mill. There was already a grist mill at Rensselaer, and in 1853 a set of burrs was installed at the saw mill and corn could then be ground there, as the luxury of wheat bread was almost unknown. In 1849 there was no settlement after leaving the Nowels settlement, east of the present station of Surrey one and a half miles, until the McNeil settlement, south of Wheatfield, was reached, between Rensselaer and the Kankakee river, and it has been of comparatively late years that the country north of Wheatfield was anything but a big mgrsh, covered most of the year with water. McNeil soon set out some apple trees and was probably one of the very first of the early settlers to do this. The Haddocks mill soon changed hands, and John Haddocks became the owner, and he turned it into a distillery after a time, and from this source came much of the whiskey that was consumed in this vicinity in pioneer days, and especially during the time the state ditches were dug, many of which still remain, a few of them still in use. Many Irish and Germans worked on these ditches, and it is related that Haddocks would frequently order more water, after he had tested the new whiskey by tasting it, remarking that “that’s too strong for the Irish, bring another bucket of water.” Finally the dam which had been made higher at the mill site backed up the water so much that it had to be removed, and then the mill was run by steam power. In 1852 Mr. Davisson bought a mill site on the Big Monon, in White county, and built a mill there. Soon after this, on March 23, 1853, he was married to Hepsabeth Haines. In 1856 he sold his mill and moved to Francesville, where the railroad had already been built, and farmed for a few years. He soon got the mill fever again, and bought and built mills at various places in Carroll and Warren counties, finally settling on a farm in Barkley township, “this county, where he lived for many years, and in 188? he bought a farm in Union township, remaining there until 1896 when he came to.town and has lived here since. His wife died Sept. 12, 1906, since which time his daughter has lived with him and kept the house. Mr. ' Davisson has five sons, all. democrats and good • men, and two daughters all living in Jasper county, and two of them are township trustees in adjoining townships, a very uncommon occurence. He is enjoying very good health and bids flair to live several years yet, enjoying the confidence and esteem of everyone who is acquainted with him.