Hart Township

    Of the four townships along the northern boundary of the county, the second one form the west is Hart. This township was created in 1826 at September meeting of the County Board, and at the same time Ohio Township was formed. Big Creek flows across the central part of the township from east to west, and Otter Creek has its origin in the southern part. John Hart, Sr., for whom the township was named was appointed Inspector of Elections, and they were to be held at his house. In January, 1828, David Hart was appointed Inspector instead of John Hart, and the following year Isaac Fleenor received that honor, and the elections were to be held at the house of Tubby Bloyd. In July of that year (1829) Henry Broadwell was declared elected Justice of the Peace in this township. His election was contested before the County Board by James Hinman. After the necessary investigation Broadwell was sustained.

    Early Settlers

    It is said that William Rickett was the first settler in this township, but his is doubtful. The date of his coming is placed at 1816. Other early settlers were John Ferguson, Nick Hanks, William and Henry Hopkins, William Julian, Joseph Rice, William Bristow, Solomon Turpin, James Hinman, John Hart, Lane W. Posey, Tubby Bloyd, John McMurtry, Eliza Boyd, Charles Morgan, John Taylor, John James, Ross McCord, Clem Nutter, Isaac E. McSwain, Jonathan Cox, Jeremiah Cash, David Murphy, David Hart, Isaac Fleenor and William Simpson. John Hart was one of the Associate Judges in the Circuit Court. This place he filled for several years. He was a native of Kentucky. James Hinman, who came to the county in 1814 and located in this township in 1827, is still living and in his eighty-sixth year.

Land Entries

    In what now constitutes Hart Township the total land purchases from the Government up to the year 1820 were made by Henry Hopkins, 1818; William Hargrave, 1819; Jonathan Latham, 1819; John Hart, 1819; Thomas Archer, 1820; Jonathan and James McCord, 1819; Nancy McCord, 1818; David Hall, 1817; Ross McCord, 1819, and John McCord, 1819. In the meantime many squatters located in this part of the county, and the population was on a steady, although perhaps slow, increase.

    The early settlers were a long distance from any grist-mill, and in consequence they often resorted to the old hominy mortars, known in the early history of every community. These were nothing more than a large stone hollowed out, and in them was placed the corn to be pounded fine instead of being ground. The pestle, or hammer for pounding, was sometimes fastened to the middle of a spring-pole, one end of which was attached to a post, the operator standing at the other.