First Township Officers

    The first County Court, held at the house of Bailey Anderson, near the mouth of Cypress creek, in 1813, recommended to the Governor the following persons to be appointed Justices of the Peace:

  • Samuel Snyder, Ohio Township

  • Thomas Higgins, Anderson Township

  • David Brumfield, John Talbot and Thomas E. Casselberry, Pigeon Township

  • Joseph Kennedy, Big Creek Township

    The following persons were appointed to list all taxable property in the several townships:

  • Samuel Conner, Tobin Township

  • Elias Roberson, Ohio Township

  • Robert Tevault, Anderson Township

  • Thomas Alsop, Pigeon Township

  • Shufle York, Big Creek Township.

    At a special session of the court, held at the house of Hugh McGary, in June following, George Tevault was appointed Lister, in place of Robert Tevault, in Anderson Township. Hugh McGary, Samuel Gill and William Curtis were appointed Inspectors of beef, pork and flour for the entire county, and John Talbot was recommended for County Surveyor. Overseers of the Poor were named for each township, and were as follows:

  • Samuel Conner and James McDonnell, Tobin Township

  • Ratliff Boon and Wyatt Anderson, Anderson Township

  • Thomas Spencer and Jacob Garrett, Ohio Township

  • Zeddick McNeal and Jacob Landers, Pigeon Township

  • Samuel James and James Albright, Big Creek Township.

    The ferry at Newburgh, belonging to the heirs of William McFadden was taxed $4 for the year 1813. For the same period, that of Jacob Winmiller was taxed $4. Jonathan Anthony's, $6; Hugh McGary's, $3; and John Sprinkle's, $1.

    Another special session was held at Evansville, the county seat, on Monday, the 16th day of August, 1813. At that time Nathaniel C. Claypool was licensed to retail merchandise and spirituous liquors until February 1, 1814, in Warrick County. Henry Webster was licensed until the 17th of the same month at the rate of $4 per year.

    At the October term of the court in the same year the places of holding elections and the Inspectors were decided upon as follows: At the house of George Tobin in Tobin Township, James McDonnell, Inspector; Anderson Township, at the house of Freedom Gays, Ratliff Boon, Inspector; Anderson Township, a t the house of Freedom Gays, Ratliff Boon, Inspector; Ohio Township, at Francis Morton's, Daniel grass, Inspector; Pigeon Township, at William Wagman's, Thomas Casselberry, Inspector; Big Creek Township, at Abraham Duckworth's, James Black, Inspector. The first election was held on the first Monday of November, 1813.

    On November 15 the court ordered these sums to paid from county funds for wolf scalps:

  • David Whitstone, $2

  • William C. Carson, $3

  • John Russell, $2

  • David Lawrence, $6

  • Samuel R. Mars $5

    David Lynn was recommended for the office of Justice of the Peace. In those days the election returns were taken to Vincennes, and for that service Peter Gray, of Anderson Township, Thomas Spencer, of Ohio Township, Joseph French, of Big Creek and Charles Carson, of Pigeon Township, were selected.

    In May, 1814, a new township was organized in the northwestern part of the county and called Lynn. At the same term Daniel Grass was recommended to the Governor as a suitable person to be appointed Associate Judge in that place of Bailey Anderson, who had resigned. In December, 1815, the court began its sessions at Darlington and Thomas Higgins was licensed to keep a tavern at that place. In September of the following year he was granted permission to retail merchandise at his house. In this manner were the first affairs of the county conducted and when comparing with the present a great and interesting  change is presented. Then, two men were all that the public necessity required for the discharge of the county business and they at an aggregate salary that would scarcely support in moderate style the family of a deputy of the present day.

    Four-fifths of a century have gone by since John Sprinkle, in 1803, first landed in Warrick County in search of a new home among the forest wilds of Indiana. All evidence goes to show that he was the first white man to locate in what now constitutes the county of Warrick. Could he, Van Winkle-like, be aroused from his long slumber, there is little doubt that his surprise would more than equal that of the far-famed sleeper of the Catskill Mountains.