Benjamin, the grandson

I often wondered what happened to the children or grandchildren of Benjamin Brushfield. Today I am just filling in a small branch on the family’s tree for the first grandson. The first child and son of Richard Brushfield and Sarah Harris, who were married April 23, 1861, was named after his grandfather, Benjamin Brushfield (Derbyshire, England) who settled in Madison, Indiana in 1832. Little Benjamin was born in the next year of his parents’ union; Christ Episcopal Church family records show he was baptized on April 25, 1862. Cemetery records show he died in 1933.

 

I don’t have a lot of information on Ben Brushfield, save for that gleaned from city directories and the census . The 1887-1888 Sutton Illustrated Directory lists him as Brushfield, Benj, blksmith, res 1010 E First. The city directory of 1890-91 has the family listed at 605 E. Main while he worked at 805 Walnut, which directories show as wagons and carriages manufacturers, Charles W & Alfred D Miller . Madison’s City Directory of 1903 and 1907 both list Benjamin as a blacksmith, with his wife, Anna, living at 921 W. Main. The census showed him at a buggy factory in 1910, married with one child, and a blacksmith/wagon maker living with his wife, Anna, and daughter (Sarah) in 1920. Subsequently, the 1923 directory lists them still at 921 W. Main Street. I am unsure exactly when he moved to the W. Main Street address, but these do help narrow it down to a couple of years.

 

 In a letter from his daughter and only child, Elizabeth Sarah Brushfield, to another family member in England in 1979, Miss Brushfield gave a few details about the family, saying that all of the other Brushfields, Benjamin’s siblings, parents and grandparents, lived on the east side while her father chose to live on the “West End” which seemed a great distance in the days before cars and rapid transit were popular. The Brushfield family in England sent me a few photos recently, one of which is shown here, of Benjamin, his wife Anna and baby Elizabeth.

 

click to enlarge

In her letter, she states her father, Benjamin, was the eldest of his siblings and that she was the youngest of the six grand-children. Miss Brushfield (who never married) wrote that her father had been married twice. His first wife lived between 15-20 years, contracted tuberculosis and died without having children.

 

 

The Madison Jefferson County Library’s History rescue Project shows grooms listings with Benjamin listed twice. The listing shows him married to Luella Sisson on November 19, 1885. Incidentally, the record showed that Benjamin’s brother, William also married a Sisson—Amanda C. Sisson.

 

Benjamin was later married to Anna Elizabeth Distel on June 5, 1902. His second wife, Anna E. (1865 – 1936) gave him this single heir who says (in the letter mentioned) that she was a disappointment to parents who were hoping for a son. Elizabeth Sarah, who later went by the name Betty, says she was educated in Madison and went on to college to become a high school teacher, living in Chicago and finally retiring in Bloomington, Illinois.

 

Miss Brushfield mentioned (in her letter) that her mother was more interested in her own family (the Austermuhle-Distel family; she had 7 siblings) and therefore did not see much or know much about the Brushfields. I looked for a little information on the Distel family, and found what appears to be Anna’s parents and another family member buried in Springdale Cemetery (on myindianahome.net) :

 

Distel, George, b. Wachterbach, Germany, Jan 12 1826 – Aug 3 1895

Distel, Anna E., w/o Geo. St., b. in Liebrunen, Germany, Nov 3 1823 – Mar 19 1908

 

The site also shows George and Ann (Austermuhle) married in Madison on May 30, 1852, though a March 20, 1908 newspaper death notice for Mrs. Distel says they were married in 1851. The 1880 census lists George Distel and family on Cemetery Street, with a 1890-91 city directory showing Distel George, stone cutter, res 215 Cemetery.

 

The Madison Jefferson County library history rescue pages for brides listings showed more Austermuhle marriages as well as some other Distel listings. George W. Distel, once a bricklayer listed in the Madison City Directory (1890) was Anna (Distel) Brushfield’s brother, a councilman.

The death notice of July 21, 1936, tells that Anna Brushfield had been ill about two months prior to her death. The only other mention was about her love of growing dahlias, and a little about her daughter.

 

Not much else on Benjamin the first-born grandson at the moment, except he reminds me of my brother. I think Benjamin looked more Italian than English. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An American Matriarch

I was privileged to have recently received some family correspondence and memorabilia from the Brushfields of England,  and will be using bits and pieces of that which I find appropriate for postings in this blog. Included from research previously done by another family member, Pearl DeWitt of Indianapolis (now deceased), who was the great-grand-daughter of Benjamin and Martha Brushfield, is a death notice she typed from what she found in the Madison-Courier, dated July 30, 1887.

In the notice, the newspaper writer states that he knew the Brushfields for more than forty years as “honored citizens” who came directly to Madison in 1832, mentioning they were here to “assist in the organization of the present Christ [Episcopal] Church parrish [sic] over fifty years ago”, further clarifying its reception into the Indiana Diocesan Convention in 1835 as when the church was founded. I found the wording interesting, as I suspect the Brushfields were somewhat instrumental in the founding of the Christ Church, simply because of ties in England.

The writer of the death notice also reveals that when the Brushfields came to Madison they “bought ground and built a home in the east end of the city, in which portion of the city they continued to live” , saying that a few years “ago” they had built “a fine mansion.” I take that to mean the house at 1030 Park Avenue, a once-stately brick Federal which has fallen into disrepair. We have not been able to date the actual build-date for that house, but assumed it to be around 1880.

Mrs. Brushfield, having been a “most domestic and faithful wife” was also a pioneer mother in Madison who came here on faith.

Mrs. Brushfield’s husband’s death notice is in another post, the Death of Mr. Benjamin Brushfield.

Madison’s Sanborn maps

The “best” map was incomplete, but still, there were those willing to sign their name to it being the best. I’m not sure I understand why the Sanborn maps for the city of Madison cut off well before the corporation line, but at least they were consistent that way. It’s not like the city limits had shrunk in the years before these maps were made.  This isn’t my first mention of them in this blog, nor will it probably be the last. The problem is, so many others have considered these maps to be the best, and thus the problems associated with whatever was not corrected has been perpetuated for more than a hundred years.

What problems, you ask? Let’s start with the assumption that a certain amount of authority is given maps, and those who refer to certain maps that are inaccurate would further a certain amount of information as well, even though it is incorrect. Going against that which has been considered the most complete and reliable information from the past is not the easiest way to document accurate history.

Looking at the city of Madison’s Sanborn maps most would assume the information is correct, especially since the signatures of three individuals are evident on the maps, verifying the accuracy of the information contained on the maps, using the words, “the most complete and best map that has ever been made of this city”.  Well, if you look at the easternmost section there, you see it stops about Ferry. The city limits is a bit farther east, so I beg to disagree; it is not the best or most complete map. Even the 1854 map respected the boundaries of the city.

It’s not that I cannot or will not use the Sanborn maps; I just use them knowing mistakes are inherent in the ones for the neighborhood I am researching, thus a combination of maps or other resources must be used in determining the completeness of this or other areas I might research. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of written history about this area but I have more than one source for information.

In 1892, those who read the map signed on again, and every Sanborn map after that omits the area near the corporation line. 

Why? Who knows. I looked up Sanborn maps in Wikipedia, and what I found today( these entries are edited and change) read:

“Originally created solely for insurance assessment purposes, it was said that at one time, insurance companies and their agents, “relied upon them with almost blind faith”. The maps were utilized by insurance companies to determine the liability of a particular building through all the information included on the map; building material, proximity to other buildings and fire departments, the location of gas lines et cetera. The very decision as to how much, if any insurance was to be offered to a customer was often determined solely through the use of a Sanborn map.”

Well, I suppose if you weren’t lucky enough to be on the map,you might have difficulty proving yourself worthy of insurance, so it’s a good thing some believed in a higher power and the insurance that belief brought them.

The maps still included the City Waterworks, which was further east of the line north to south where they stopped illustration on the maps. So if you look at the Sanborn maps for this area and can’t figure out the location I am writing about, well, it’s not on the Sanborn maps.

It’s  no wonder no one knows anything about this area.

some progress

The following three news articles will bring you up to date on some of what has been going on in meetings for the past month, in addition to that which is on the Milton-Madison Bridge site. The results of the August 13th PAG meeting describe the proposed action to do a superstructure replacement with minimal approaches, and applying for a TIGER grant. Nothing’s a done deal until it’s a done deal, but this is what has been going on. I decided to hold off on saying anything until a few news articles came out, because this blog isn’t just about the bridge.

Excerpts from the Madison Courier: Bridge to Use Existing Piers :

“The option to build on the existing piers was jumped ahead of other route possibilities that consultants have been studying because of the possibility of stimulus funds, the bridge advisory group was told at a packed meeting at Milton Baptist Church in Milton, Ky. The decision to move forward with one option this early in the bridge replacement process was a surprise.

An application for the stimulus funds must be submitted by Sept. 15. The announcement of recipients of the funds will be in January 2010. The stimulus funds would pay most of the costs, but Indiana and Kentucky each would pay a share.

The option, as well as the other options that are still under consideration in case a grant is not received.”

 Milton-Madison Bridge consultants announce KYTC, INDOT apply for stimulus funds to replace Milton-Madison bridge. 

 Another excerpt from the Madison Courier:  Bridge’s Impact on Historic Property Studied :

 

“Consultants for the Madison-Milton bridge project met with historic preservation experts for two days this week to examine how historic district properties might be impacted by the construction of a new bridge.The group was given a list of historic properties that could be adversely affected by construction of a bridge (superstructure is built on the existing piers). Group members came up with measures to reduce, eliminate or resolve each separate adverse effect. The results of their work will be listed in a document that will be considered by both states and the state historic preservation offices in Indiana and Kentucky.

 

Negative impacts included physical destruction, inconsistent alterations, relocation of properties, a change in character of the properties, incompatible visual elements, neglect of properties and transfer, and lease or sale of properties without preservation.”

 

 Milton-Madison bridge project gives some FAQs on their site.

 

A few excerpts from Can Milton, Madison survive a longterm bridge closure? (a Roundabout article):

 

“Business owners on both sides of the Ohio River are worried that a recent proposal by the bridge study group to use the existing piers for a new bridge superstructure rather than construct a totally new bridge will destroy the local economy.”

 

Further…”If approved, the bridge would be closed in January 2011 for up to 12 months while a new superstructure, similar to the current one, is erected on the 80-year-old existing piers. Experts agree that the piers are capable of lasting for another 80 years.

During the superstructure replacement, construction would begin in spring 2010 with periodic lane and bridge closures. In January 2011, the bridge would be closed completely for up to 12 months while the old superstructure is removed and the new one erected. Two ferries would shuttle commuters back and forth and operate 24-hours a day. The ferry service would be free – paid for through the grant.”

“Several PAG members questioned why the grant money couldn’t be used to fund one of the alternatives for a new bridge alignment. Carr said time and right-of-way acquisitions and relocation are factors against the grant money being used for a new bridge. He also said that right-of-way issues can take years to resolve. In the meantime, the bridge continues to deteriorate at a pace faster than was originally thought.”

Many are concerned that this whole process has been too rushed while others are doing whatever they can to do the best they can in telescoped time to get the TIGER grant. I have heard more terminology than I can repeat as part of the 106 consulting parties; it’s been an interesting process to be part of though. I don’t know that I would want to sit through meetings like those government folks do  for a living. Of course, there are probably some like myself that get paid nothing more than the simple satisfaction of  maybe helping a neighborhood remain intact (plus lots of research and a history blog maybe).  

 

 All of the alternatives are still open until they have TIGER money in their hot little hands and all mitigation has been settled. There’s quite a ways to go yet, so I’m sure I have more meetings to sit through before I am assured the house I presently live in will be there awhile. 

 

**See also http://mustbemadison.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/re-usable-piers/ for an update

Bertha’s bevy

For some reason I couldn’t let go of the thought that the little house a block and a half from the river could possibly be in the path of a bulldozer if one of the alternative options for a new bridge deems it. I drove by, took a photo of the property, as is, and decided to do a little history. The photo shows the building is in a current state of rehabilitation, having been directly impacted by a large tree during high winds that damaged many buildings in Madison when Hurricane Ike’s storm effects reached here. Though I have not yet done a deed or tax search, the usual first place to start was with the old maps. It would appear the building is shown on the 1854 map, and then sporting a new addition by the time 1887 rolls around.

 

I thought I might start with a city directory to trace one family who lived there. I came across the name Forse when I looked at the 1890-91 city directory online. I felt guided to look for another name. In this case I went to the 1920 census next and the name that caught my attention was Bertha, one of the many Sheets family members who lived in the Sheets Add.

 

 Looking through the original handwritten copies of the earliest plat books gave me this description (click to enlarge) of the Sheets Add.

 

Bertha Sheets was born July 11, 1876 in Madison, Indiana. Life in Madison came to an end for her on September 2, 1947. I found that according a genealogy site where I found the Sheets family tree, at familyorigins.com , Bertha married John Moore on October 19, 1892. According to the  site, the marriage of John and Bertha (Sheets) Moore produced nine children: Helen Moore, Clifford Moore, Barbara Moore, Dorothy L. Moore, Roy Edward Moore, Bess Moore, Mable Mae Moore, Gladys Kick Moore and John Henry Moore.

 

The 1920 census shows Bertha and John Moore (who was listed as an engineer) with seven children with the addition of a grandchild, named Emma listed at 1004 Filmore.  According to the census, Bertha’s parents, Peter and Helen Amanda (Roll) Sheets lived next door. A little about Peter can be found in my post, On a Roll with Sheets.  The census also shows the Charles Eaglin family living on the other side, next door. The Eaglins were mentioned in the last post I did, an Eaglin or Two.

 

The name of one of Bertha’s children kind of “jumped out” at me, so I decided to see where that went. I looked up Gladys Kick Moore on the familyorigins site. As it turned out, Gladys was married to Ralph W. Sauer, who was born on May 24, 1904. He died on May 26, 1972. His parents were Henry Sauer and Ella Barton. The name Sauer rang a bell, since Chris Sauer is how Mr. Cunningham came to be in the property on Park Avenue. Madison is a small town, so many know the name; Mr. Sauer (as of this date) owns Shipley’s Tavern, among other business ventures.

 

I traced Bertha’s family back to John Sheets who was born in 1797 in Prussia, Germany. He died on June 13, 1875 in Jefferson County, Indiana. That makes him one of the original settlers here in Madison, Indiana. I’m sure that’s important to some here. John Sheets was married to Elizabeth Leishman between 1812 and 1839. Children were: Unknown Sheets, Hannah Sheets, John Sheets, Jacob Scheitz Sheets, Francis Frank Sheets, Michael Sheets.

According to these genealogy pages, the son, John Sheets was the father of: John Sheets , Jacob Sheets, Peter Sheets , Nicholas Sheets, and Margaret Sheets. The information says Peter Sheets was born in 1849 and died on September 6, 1939. He was married to Helen Amanda Roll on September 3, 1869. Children were: Bessie Sheets, Janet Jennie Sheets, William Sheets, Charles Jack Sheets, Bertha Sheets, and James Chapman Sheets.

I have come full circle for now and that little house is more important to me  because if it weren’t for Bertha’s bevy the dots would have never connected to put me here.

an Eaglin or two

In the 1887 Sutton Publishing Company’s Madison, Vevay, Vernon, North Vernon, Jefferson County Illustrated Directory, I came across the name Egland and Eaglin, wondering if these people were of the same family, and realized the address listing was the same in this particular directory. What I found on one page was, Eaglin, Thos., barber, at 314 Mulberry, res 104 Ferry Street and then on page 64 these listings:

Egland, Joseph, barber, res 104 Ferry

Egland, Mrs. Louisa, wid, res 104 Ferry

Egland, Martin, wine and beer saloon, 104 Ferry, res same

Nothing like inconsistent spelling. I found the “wine and beer saloon” interesting, so Martin became a person of interest.

I looked at the census information for 1880 and found there was a listing for Martin Eagland, wife Laura, step-daughter, Jennie Gibbs and step-son, Thomas, showing them on the south side of High Street (which is also known as E. First). 

I went back to the 1887 directory to look at the Gibbs listing on Ferry, which showed Miss Jennie, res 104 Ferry and Thomas, lab at 105 Filmore. Again, not too sure about the addresses here; maybe they just wanted everyone to be sure they were at the corner.

A check of the 1890-91 Madison City Directory on the MJCPL history rescue pages shows a different spelling and an address now at 216 e. First:

I found this interesting, that James Egland listed as a teamster, Joseph and Tobias barbers and now Martin is listed as a musician.

 

The 1900 census shows Martin and wife Bell Eaglin on W. Third Street, no children. There is a listing for Eaglin, Isabella,  w/o Martin, Dec 15 1874 – Feb 23 1913 on myindianahome.netunder the Springdale Cemetery listings.

 

I don’t know why I picked Martin out of the bunch but I did and went online for a couple of searches. I found two death notices, dates as written, on Rootsweb:

 

Obit #1

Madison Daily Herald, 18 Sept 1923
————————————-
DEATH OF MART EAGLIN
————————————-
Well Known Madisonian Expires Following Stroke of Paralysis
————————————
Martin Eaglin, aged 73, died at four pm yesterday afternoon at his home
at the corner of First and Craigmont following a stroke of paralysis he
suffered a few days ago which at work in Kentucky. Mr. Eaglin had been
in ill health for several years, but was able to be about until
stricken.

The decendent lived in Madison most of his life and at one time served
on the police force. He was also well known in former days as a
Musician and played with several local orchestras. He is survived by a
widow, but no children…

Funeral services will b held at the residence at 2:30 pm tomorrow
afernoon and the burial will be at Springdale Cemetery…

——————————————-
Obit #2

The Madison Daily Herald, Sept 19, 1924
——————————————
MARTIN EAGLIN
—————————————–
Martin Eaglin, a well known resident of this city, passed away at his
home yesterday evening after being stricken with paralysis at his home
yesterday morning. Mr. Eaglin suffered the stroke while at his camp
across the river, Neighbors over there notified his brother, Mr. Tobe
Eaglin, who had him removed to his home and sumoned Dr. E. C. Totten.
Mr. Eaglin remained in an unconscious condition up unil the time of his
death…

The decedent was 74 years of age and is survived by his wife and three
brothers; Messrs. tovias, John, and James Eaglin, all of this city; and
three sisters: Mrs. Mahala Grubb this city; Mrs. Louise Hayes, of
Warsaw, and Mrs. Nan Spencer, of Patriot. He was a member of the
Christian church.

Funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 pm from his late
residence, 1105 west First Street. Interment will be in Springdale Cemetery…

**According to the sexton, Martin Eaglin is buried in plat B lot 148 in Springdale Cemetery; he was 73 when he died on 9-14-1923.

 

Take your pick, I guess. My pick turned out ok, since he turned out to have been a Madison notable, having served on the police force and he was a musician.

 The step-son Thomas Gibbs, his wife and children are showing up back in the old neighborhood, on Filmore, and on Front are John Eaglin and family, as well James Eaglin and his family. Again, not sure about these addresses since the 1880 census says south side of High Street, which might have been considered a Filmore address. This is why deeds help, if they owned a home, at least.

Twenty years later, in the 1920 census, John’s son, Charles, and his wife and daughter, are still there, shown as living on Filmore. Sometimes it is hard to say if they’ve moved or the census taker mixed up the street names, which is something I have found happens. Unless I do deed research, looking at a property description for those who owned it, or more lengthy in-depth family research on each and every one, I won’t know for sure.

So far, I have found two Eaglin deed mentions; here are the property descriptions, one easily recognized but  I’ll have to go into where they are at a later date or in a different post:

 

While preparing this post I happened to notice I had a few pages of previously copied directories which showed the nameCharles Eaglin at 1012 Park Avenue for the years 1927 (W.H. Hoffman’s City Directory, page 253), 1942 (C.R.Hoffman’s City Directory, page 282) and one  there in 1947 (C.R. Hoffman’s City Directory, page 278). I have not looked at every directory nor do I have deed information on that address at this time, but I do have a photo of it.

According to theJefferson County Historical Society webpages, they have records of “Eaglin, Charles & Family (chief of police, sheriff) 4 pages photocopied newspaper stories: golden anniversary, obits 1941.”

I’m not yet sure this is the same person or another relative, so will check that out for another post. 

Stay tuned…things change around here.

Cap’n Billy

I decided to look over my notes on the 1890-91 city directory for putting some familiar names to some of the houses around here. I did not realize at the time I painstakingly went through the directory that these were already on the internet on the Madison Jefferson County Public Library’s History Rescue Project . Oh well. I will check there more often before hand-writing out or photocopying every page in a directory that has information I need.

 I was actually looking for information on the Wells family, who had lived at 1030 Park and found (on the library’s history rescue project) that John A. (age 40) & Lottie McQuin (age 35) Wells had their second child Carl Ansel on April 24, 1893 while they were living at that address, so neither family must have lived there very long. I knew that the Wells family owned the house while they themselves lived there. Anyway…

The name Lepper came up as being next door, at 1030 Park Avenue, a couple of years before that. In checking the library’s site, I saw that the Vail’s Undertaker records showed Benjamin C. Lepper died 7-17-1889 (Cincinnati) so I can only imagine that he shows up in the 1890-91 directory because it went to press before he died. The Leppers are listed in the 1890-91 directory as follows:

Lepper Benjaman C, steamboat clk, res 1030 Park ave (not sure about that spelling)

Lepper Miss Daisy, res 1030 Park ave

Lepper Miss Josie L, res 1030 Park ave

Lepper Miss Lillie, res 1030 Park ave

Lepper William C, steamboat clk, res 1030 Park ave.

According to the MJCPL site, the Lepper girls were mentioned in the records of the First Baptist Church. Benjamin C. Lepper had been involved as “an owner and operator of steamboats in the Cincinnati-New Orleans trade.” There was a note about the Captain Wm. C. Lepper family moving into the “old Col John Abe Hendricks homestead” at 424 West First Street, as that residence had been vacated by Rev. J. S. Gatton (the Madison-Courier 5-27-1891).

 

Another search of the library’s records brought up their River to Rail pages and since their information is so wonderful you may  just as well use the link to read the rest. Mr. Lepper was a well-respected riverboat captain who lived in Madison for a little while, and apparently was lucky enough to have a job he truly loved.

cooper Joe’s house

While at the library today, browsing through old newspaper clippings in files marked Jefferson County History, I came across a number of interviews by Chas. E. Heberhart, for the Madison-Courier, “They Say and Do in the Country” , one marked August 8, 1939. I really enjoyed reading this one about the neighborhood cooper shops, mainly one east of Ferry Street which burned in 1977; thus the property now sports an apartment building. There is an earlier post on this,  1004 E. First Street in Madison, Indiana; I did say I would add to it when I got more information.

The person being interviewed, Joe Guerich, had been born in the house sixty-six years prior the interview by Mr. Heberhart, a good hundred years before it burned to the ground. According to the interview, Mr. Guerich was living in the same house his grandfather had built, “way back when Madison was just a doubtful point on a map.”  I have mentioned before that I have to wonder when the house was really built because in the account after the house burned in 1977,  I read it was built in 1801. 

There was more to the house description. Mr. Heberhart wrote that the dwelling  “once soared to three stories dominating the whole panorama of Fulton in its youth and even into its adult age, for the lowering of half a story is only a matter of about 40 years ago.”  That’s a good sized frame building for that time period.

Part of the 1887 Bird’s Eye View map shows where the building sat at the corner of Ferry and E. First Street in Madison.

 

1880 Census showing the Guerich family.

Joe came from a long line of coopers; Louis Guerich was mentioned in the interview as having had made barrels in his workshop there in the 1850s and up until the 1880’s. Apparently it was still there at the time of the interview. 

It was a cooper’s site, remember, so it should be of no surprise that there was a large brick oven in the shop, described as being six feet wide, six feet deep and ten feet high, appropriate chimney with a good brick base. It was made large to accommodate a full-sized barrel. The interviewer also wrote that it was “isolated to the degree that it was no danger to the rest of the structure.” I found the way this read to be interesting, considering the place burned to the ground in 1977.

If you have a few minutes to spare at the Madison, Indiana library sometime, or the Jefferson County Historical Society,  you can read the rest of Mr. Heberhart’s articles. You’ll find the rest of this one here.

Sulzer Said

According to the newspaper article, They Say and Do in the Country by Chas. E. Heberhart, found when thumbing through the Jefferson County history files at the library, (The Madison Courier-marked 5/12/1939) Marcus Sulzer was “a former mayor and postmaster and holder of many other posts of honor.”In documenting Mr. Sulzer’s reminiscences, Mr. Heberhart rode with Mr. Sulzer from Ferry Street to Vernon street for interview. Describing the sights and smells of that which Mr. Sulzer remembered they started at the foot of Ferry Street.

 

There, with “a sweep of his hand” to the east “as far as the pumping station”, Mr. Sulzer began his telling. He explained that the Mammoth Cave packing plant buildings “covered all that ground south of the road and all of the ground north of Front street here back to the alley.” The alley he would have been referring to would be nearby, Filmore, which runs east and west, parallel and just north of what was then called Front Street or Fulton Street, now Vaughn Drive. Further he showed that another building had been “across Front Street along the river to the west” to complete the plant.

 

Mr. Sulzer also mentioned the Thomas cooper shop at the northwest corner.

Kriel’s deed

Looking at the “Cosby & Moore Subdivision East” one sees the name Mary (Brushfield) Kreil on the map to the west of that land, and Anna Brushfield to the east. Mary Brushfield was the wife of William Kriel (Kreil). The  directories at the library make a jump in years, so the first  available that I can show with the Kriels is 1875, with the listing, Kriel, William, butcher, ss Lawrenceburg Road, e of Ferry. That would be a Park Avenue address. No way to cross reference for that year or how much earlier they were living there since the census was five years earlier and showed them one street down. I’m pretty sure that’s 1016 Park Avenue at that point.

It would appear the house is at least within the period of significance, not that anyone seems to care but me.  I’m pretty sure every single house in Madison that is in the historic landmark district has not had a deed check nor did they have to, they were just included, while this end was excluded. At least I am trying to date these by more than one resource. I found the property had been gone through the hands of M.G.Bright and William Burkitt, the deed description saying it was the same premises conveyed in 1874. So if they were living there in 1875 there had to be a house there.

In the 1890-91 Madison, Indiana city directory  Mr. Kriel was listed as living with children  Bessie and Henry and a relative, Samuel Roll, who has been mentioned in other posts.  An 1887  listing shows: Kriel William, meat market, 317 W. Main and then another shows him at 325 w Main, res 1016 Park ave.

I think the addresses changed on W. Main. This old photo shows Peter’s drugstore at the corner  (at 327 W. Main) so the Kriel Meat market would have been in a  building to the east (left) of the corner building.

Anyway…

After Benjamin Brushfield (Mary’s father) died, his land was divided with most of the children staying in the neighborhood.The plat  map of his subdivision is at the eastern most part of the city of Madison, Indiana, to the east of the six Cosby & Moore  shown above. Brushfields lived in a number of houses on Park, some to the east and west of that shown above, some on E. First (High), Filmore and Fulton (Front).

I mention the Kriels again because I made another connection today for William Kriel, who lived at 1016 Park Avenue at the time of that directory listing. I decided to do a search again on him, and came to see his name on one of the myindianahome.net pages for churches, under the heading for the Otterbein Chapel, United Brethren (Madison Twp., Jefferson County). The site mentioned the Madison Courier of Nov. 9, 1869 noting that “Otterbein Chapel located at Bee Camp” would be dedicated “that Sunday”. Further, there is the mention that there was a hunt for another building.

I was a bit confused reading that trustees had voted to buy the Eagle Hollow School House (Miscellaneous Records Book 1 p. 331.) and then the church elected trustees to get a deed, (Miscellaneous Records Book 1 p. 530.) saying they were “finally successful in purchasing the school house, identified as located at the corner of Ferry and High Street.” 

I had to read that twice because there was no school at Ferry and High Street, unless we’re talking someplace else, but there was the old schoolhouse at the time on High Street just east of Ferry, in Madison. The newer school building at Park and Ferry was not yet in existence.  I figured I would have to look that one up, because if that was the case, that meant the old schoolhouse on High Street, east of Ferry Street.

I had my doubts so I looked the Otterbein Chapel up on Wikipedia, and at the moment (as things may change on that site), there was this, “ Otterbein Chapel, a congregation of the United Brethren, formed in 1867 and a stone building was constructed for its use by Nov. 9, 1869 when its upcoming dedicated was mentioned in the Madison Courier. However, the church apparently lost ownership of the building and on March 18, 1873, its trustees voted to buy the Eagle Hollow School House in nearby Madison.”

I couldn’t find much else out after looking at the two Miscellaneous Records Books, and decided to look for the names of the trustees individually for a purchase because the reference  on myindianahome.net said, “School trustees sold the property to William Kreil, Daniel Grebe, Nathan Schoolcraft, Joseph Gray and George Peters for $300. The church was still in existence on April 5, 1902 when George Davis and J.H. Drennen, were elected trustees. L.L. Schoonover was presiding elder and F.W. Cole was secretary.  

None of that was making sense to me at the time and I was about to give up but then ran across William Kriel’s deed, a few pages and a few sheriffs later. A.D.D. set in; I left the search for the UBC, figuring it went elsewhere. I had no idea what they bought for their church or if or where they had bought anything.

This is part of the page  found, in Sheriff’s book 2, page 428:

 I  recognized the property description of the William Kriel deed as starting at that northeast corner of the property to the west, the Joseph Thomas property, (which was identified in the 1014 Park Avenue post) and running east along Lawrenceburg Road then south, then east along High Street and north to the point of beginning. Yeah, now what?

Well, it was four o’clock and the recorder’s office was closing. I was done for the day. I figured out the description was not for the schoolhouse building but it was right next to it, at 1016 Park Avenue.  1016 is where Richard B. Brushfield lived, and where the Kriels lived, so obviously it stayed in the family a little longer, since Richard (the son) was there until the 1950’s. That property went to the Wesleyan Church of Brooksburg, IN, then to the present owner who has it for sale. I pretty much have that one done.  

Stumbling my way through all these things, I’ll have to go back to the recorder’s office, though, to see what else turns up. I know there are two other Kriel deeds in the neighborhood.