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WHETZEL TRACE AND WHO CUT STJACOB WHETZEL AND HIS SON €1RUS BLAZED THE TRAIL THROUGH THIS TERRITORY.FACTS ARE WELL PRESERVEDThe story of the Whetzel family vas much better known sixty years -agothan it is today. These brave Indian fighters, scouts and pioneers were the subjects of hundreds of hair-lifting stories and the heroes of many perilous escapes. The sensational writers of the earlier period painted many word pictures of the daring doinga of the five brothers of John Whetzel. There was a sufficient amount of solid truth in what they really did to make many stories of an interesting character but the novelist of the day pictured them as desperadoes, particularly Lewis and he probably deserved all the hard things said about him. However, lie was one of the most valuable scouts of the war of 1776. Iiidpnth’s History of the United States written in 1876 devotes two fcages to the services of Lewis Whetzel. The rifle he carried and with which he kijled scores of Indians, is now on exhibition in the show window of the Louis Tood store. Unfortunately, a few years ago this rifle fell into the hands of a man who did not care for its historical value. He took it to a gunsmith named Beck in Indianapolis where eight inches was cut off the barrel, it was stripped of »its stock that reached to the muzzle and the flint lock was removed. There is nothing left of it now hut the barrel.There were five sons in this family. They were all born in the Shenandoah valley but later the father moved to where Wheeling is. There he was shot and killed while at work in his field by marauding Indians. The older Whetzel boys took a solemn oath before Almighty God that from that time hence they would kill every Indian possible. They kept this vow. Martin, the oldest brother, permitted himself to be captured by the Indians and then made peace by indicating he would live with them and help them. And he did but be managed to kill more than twenty of them before he was suspicioned. He then made hia escape without any trouble. He Joined his brothers and together they continued their warfare. So bitter was Lewis Whetzel that while he was serving as a scout he was locked up and hundculfed. In this condition heeluded his keepers, made his escape,• found a grindstonp at a settlers cabin, ground off his manaccls and continued | his- depredations. In the closing days | of his life lie quieted down, an authentic history saying he died a peace-jful death.Jacob Whetzel was the fourth son. For years these brothers had no home. I Their mother was killed by the in-jdians and an only sister taken captive. She was rescued by Lewis Whetzel and Nathan Goodrich, of j Connecticut, who was the pal of Whetzel during his scout days/In 1S18 Jacob Whetzel had come to Franklin ‘county with his family, his eldest son being Cyrus Whetzel, then nineteen years of age. Jacob Whetzel went to a noted Indian chief known as Anderson, his village being where the city of Aniler30u now stands. Of this chief Whetzel secured a permit to cut a trace through his Iapds. In 1818 Jacob and his son Cyrus commenced this work which they finished on White river where the village of Waverly stands, this being in Morgan county about thirty miles almost due west of here. There they built a cabin and as soon as they could the remainder of the family was brought, this being In March 1819. Jacob Whetzel .was born on September 16, 1765 and died July 2, 1827. The next day the Indianapolis Journal said of this pioneer:H’apUtln * IViietzcl emigrated to thewestern part of TIrgiaia when but a very srxuill hoy, and took a very active pari in all the Indian wars hi the west of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and what Is now the state of Ohio, and carried many testimonials of his hin«Vry, jn the numerous wounds he received in the various combats withthe savage foe,‘•Wlillo in tlie army, under .Gen* era Is Harrison and SL Clair, and sev* lt;»raliother commanders, he performed in- laborious duties, and .rendered Itrnsil service as a spy which duties ' • preferred ami for which he wan must admirably adapted by Ids fonn ■•r life.*Cyrus Whetzel, the son, was born near Wheeling, where a monument has been erected to the family, in isod. it was these two men who biased the trace through the territory of Shelby county. Both are burled at Waverly. Soon after building their first cabin almost on the banks of White river they built a large double log house on the bluffs at Waverly overlooking the valley. This stood there until 1837 when Cyrus Whetzel took the cabin down and built a two story frame house, which is still standing. A large addition has been built on the north side. Five generations have been born in this old house. The property and the adjacent lands are now owned by Cyrus MacKenzie, a grandson of Cyrus Whetzel. Mr. MacKenzie will attendthe Centenufal celebration here on the Fourth. Ho is a highly educated man, has a large library and one room full of relics. The Lewis Whetzel rifle was borrowed from him.The sister of these Whetzel men, Susan by name, married Nathan Goodrich after she was rescued from the Indians. With her husband she is buried in the City cemetery. She died in 1S2S.First Home of Mr. and Mrs. A.J. ThurstonHONOR FOR MARY ROWELL.OT all the original school teachers of this city and county, Mrs. Mary E. Powell is the only one left She went to Califoniia anly a few years ago. Her age is ninety-three years and she is perfectly healthy. She was a teacher in the first graded school in Shelbyville, the building being the first school house on the lot where tlie Charles Major building is now being erected. The old building was destroyed by lire in 1S66.In the year 1823 the total expenditures of Shelby county amounted to 1386. There is some difference now; there is also some difference in the county.During the years 1883 and 1884 the gravel roads' in the county were bought by the county from the private companies that owned them, the old toll gates quickly disappearing.The log cabin pictured above is the house in which Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Thurston went to housekeeping fifty years ago immediately after they were married. It is quite in contrast with their splendid home located on South Harrison street.This cabin has entirely disappeared. It was built by one of the first pioneers of the county. It was located on the road that runs north from the Franklin pike, west of the Franklin bridge, in what was known as the Squire Parker neighborhood. When Mr. and Mrs. Thurston mqved into this cabin it had been modernized. Glass windows had been jfat In In place of greased paper, the stick chimney had given place for a brick chimney, the gables were filled with hoards and a leanto had been added. However, the elab board roof was still in tact. Water was drawn from a well with a sweep. Mr. Thurston had saved money from teaching school on which to get married and take a start in life. He knows all about the privations of poverty as well as the comforts of the rich. This cabin was built in the woods about 100 years ago. Mr. Thurston prizes the picture highly from which this illustration was made. It will be handed down to one of his graud-children.
Newspaper Details
Shelbyville Republican
Shelbyville, Indiana, US
Mon, Jul 03, 1922
Page 22
Full Page
Clipped by
Elyria P.
OH, USA 03 Mar 2021
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