Anderson Township

    At the original organization of the county, one of the townships was named Anderson, in honor of Bailey Anderson, its earliest settler. It is situated in the southeast corner of the county, and bounded on the north by Boon and on the west by Ohio Townships, on the south by the Ohio River and on the east by Pigeon Creek and Spencer County. In area it is the smallest township in the county, containing only about twenty-one square miles. It has been greatly reduced in size since its original formation. In the year 1807 Bailey Anderson came into this township from Kentucky and for the succeeding ten years was one of the leading men of the county. It was at his house that the early courts were held, and he was for some time one of the Associate Judges. About the year 1818 he moved to Texas. In the year 1813 came another man that took a leading part in the early history of the county. This was Solomon Vanada who, it is said, located on Section 4. He was a native of Kentucky. His family consisted of three children, and he served as County Commissioner for some time, besides holding several other important trusts for the county. About the same time perhaps a little later, came William Briscoe from Kentucky, and settled on some of the land now owned by the heirs of Lewis Taylor. He was County Agent at the time of locating the county seat at Darlington, and was afterward Sheriff for several years. In the year 1814 came Lewis Taylor, who was for many years one of the foremost citizens of the county, and at one time held the office of County Commissioner. His family was rather large and some of them are yet living and among the best people of the county. Others came about the same time. John Baker, a native of South Carolina, and a soldier of the Revolution, together with his two sons Edward and John, located in this township in 1814, but soon after moved to what is now Boon Township. One of the earliest settlers was Joseph Arnold, a County Commissioner prior to 1818, and one of the first Justices of the Peace in the township. Daniel Rhoads came from Kentucky in an early day, and Daniel Bates from Rhode Island in 1815. John Youngblood, a native of South Carolina, came in 1814 with the family of Lewis Taylor, and two years later was married to Anna Musgrave, whose parents had come in 1814. He remained in the county for many years and was among its best known citizens, and for years was a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Other early settlers were Nathan Pyeatt, Hubbard Taylor, Solomon Rhoads, Leonard Bullock, Solomon Day, Jonah Frisbie, James Horton, David Hedges, Martin Kiser and Anthony Kiser. Some of a later date, many of whom are yet living, are J. M. Youngblood, J. W. Boner, S. E. Bates, Orrin Caswell, Amos W. Davis, Joseph Funk, Anthony Fisher, Malon Fay, Hiram Horam, Boney Herr, Felix Haberstroh, Daniel Hartley, Andrew Barnett, Brayton Johnson, Johnson Selby, Johnson Taylor and Martin Vanada.

Early Land Entries

    Perhaps no part of the county was in better demand than Anderson Township. This is shown by the record of land entries, but hwy it should be so would be difficult to explain on any other ground than that of being contiguous to the Ohio River, the commercial thoroughfare of early times. The soil is not more fertile and the surface is broken and hilly in a large part of the township. The purchasers of land from the Government up to the year 1820 were as follows: John W. Arnold 1814; S. R. Carr 1817; William Boner 1814; William Snelgrove 1813; John Vanada 1812; Nathaniel Ewing 1814; Henry Hopkins 1814; John Baker 1814; Daniel Rhoads 1810; Eliphalet Ludington 1816; Lewis Taylor 1814; Samuel Hall 1816; Harry Smith 1819; Alpha Frisbie 1816; Hiram C. Boon 1818; William Briscoe 1814; Benjamin W. Dudley 1818.

Early Elections

    On the first Monday in August, 1814, an election was held in Anderson Township for a delegate to Congress and for member of the Territorial Legislature. Forty-eight votes were cast in all. As kept in those days the records of an election show how each man voted, and they are sometimes interesting. At this particular election Elisha Sparks and Jonathan Jennings were candidates for Congress. These seven voted for Sparks: Joseph English, Bailey Anderson, Sr., George W. Tevault, John Lout, Lawrence Younce, Josh Anderson and John Couts. Jennings received forty-one votes, as follows: George Briscoe, Adam Young, William Stone, Paton Thrailkill, Wyatt Anderson, Lewis James, John Young, Daniel Rhoads, Josiah Woodruff, William H. Gillam, Nathaniel Woodruff, Hiram Tevault, Anderson McFadden, Thomas Higgins, Solomon Vanada, Bailey Anderson, David Shelton, John Meeks, Absalom Dover, Jacob Seavor, Henry James, William Vaughan, Daniel James, Athe Meeks, Edward Baker, John Baker, Sr., John Baker, Jr., William Henslee, Jesse Gay, Amos Critchfield, William Briscoe, John Luce, Robert Laton, John Sprinkle, Freedom Gay, John Gardner, James Young, George Knox, John Alexander, David Lawrence, Sr., and David Lawrence, Jr. At this election William Prince, Gervers Hazelton and David Robb were candidates for Representative. Robb received forty-six votes and William Prince one vote. Boon received forty-seven votes and McGary one vote.