Brookville, the County Seat of Franklin County, Indiana

Physical Features

Brookville lies both on “the first high ground” at the juncture of the East and West forks of the Whitewater River on its west side, and from seventy to eighty feet, lower, along the river plain along its East fork.  The high ground represents a “V.” with its west side close to the river; and more irregularly the high ground lies on the east side along Franklin Avenue to about Seventh Street, then generally with Fairfield Avenue.  The former has been referred to as “the hill” and the river plain as “the bottom.”  These natural features affected its history and development.

Brookville Platted

While Franklin County was organized effective January 1, 1811, the town predates the county’s formation.  The pioneers who entered the quarter sections also affected its development.  Amos Butler and Jesse B. Thomas, of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, entered the Northwest quarter of Township 29 in 1805.  Butler was a businessman and Thomas, a lawyer and legislator.  Butler also entered section 20 to the north, and John Allen entered the Northeast quarter section of Section 29, all about the same time.  While Brookville was platted in August 1808 with the plat recorded in Dearborn County, several early histories state that both Allen and Butler had non-platted lots to accommodate workers, businessmen and others as early as 1807.  Thomas was Brookville’s proprietor of its first recorded plat.

LOOK at THIS!

The subscriber will sell at public sale on Thursday the 25^th inst. A number of lots in the town of BROOKEVILLE, in the forks of Whitewater, in the county of Dearborn, 30 miles from Lawrenceburgh.  Sixteen months credit will be given—bond with approved security, payable in pork, tallow, beeswax, hog’s lard, hemp or tobacco.  The sale will commence at eleven o’clock, A. M.

JESSE B. THOMAS
Lawrenceburgh, Aug. 6, 1808
                                            Liberty Hall and Cincinnati Mercury Saturday, August 13, 1808, page 2, column 1.

The original town consists of 77 lots, each running 82.5’ north and south and 165’ east and west.  It appears that upwards of 13 lots were sold between 1808 – 1811, with deeds recorded at Lawrenceburg.  The Dearborn County Courthouse burned in 1826, with loss of its deed records.

As early as 1873, and thereafter, in articles and in histories to the present, Brookville supposedly was named after Thomas’ mother, whose maiden name was “Brooks,” with the “s’ later dropped.  Jesse Burgress Thomas’ mother’s maiden name was Symmes.  An 1810 petition to the governor for John Allen to be a Justice of the Peace for “Brooks Ville” and the 1810 enabling act creating Franklin County making “Brooksville” the temporary county seat had the ”S.” The source of its name remains unknown.

Butler and Thomas jointly entered the quarter section, but Thomas assigned his interest to James Hamilton and Michael Jones, of Lawrenceburg, about 1808.  On January 8, 1812, Hamilton, as proprietor, recorded the plat in Franklin County and its surveyor, Samuel Manwaring, also recorded his survey the same date.  Manwaring listed eleven “factional” lots along the west side of the plat while Hamilton’s version did not.  Butler, Hamilton and Jones entered into an agreement in March 1811 in which Butler gave up his rights to that part of the section east of the river, including Brookville. While the earliest sale recorded in Franklin County was dated January 17, 1811, it was only after this agreement did the sale of town lots continue. Butler platted an addition of 83 lots north of the original town and John Allen added 66 lots in “the bottom,” both May 26, 1812.  The quarter and sectional lines are along Franklin Avenue and between Seventh and Eighth Streets.

Jesse B. Thomas is recognized as Brookville’s founder, and Amos Butler and John Allen as the town’s exclusive pioneer contributors.  Lesser honored is James Knight.  He may have been the first lot purchaser and in 1808 erected a block house on the lots where the jail is located and had the principal tavern there, at the sign of “the Indian Chief.”  He, among others, petitioned the Legislature in 1808 for a new county to be created from Dearborn County.  With the original town including a “public ground,” Brookville was designated as the county seat.  Knight, a civil engineer, built the first jail.  He began building the brick courthouse in 1815 but died before its completion.  His widow sent for her brother, an architect, who finished the structure.  Most of Knight’s children moved from Brookville by the early 1830’s.

Incorporations

The first of three incorporations of Brookville was under an act of the territorial legislature, effective February 1, 1814.  The trustees were authorized to maintain its streets and alleys, eliminate nuisances, erect a market house when petitioned by its citizens, and keep in good repair the public well, its maintenance to be paid for by the citizens residing on the “high ground.” No records survive and the length of its existence is unknown.

Brookville was incorporated a second time in 1817, with an election held September 1.  49 were in favor and 2 against.  On September 8^th five trustees were elected.  No records also exist for this second incorporation, but most likely its functions were the same as before.

The current incorporation occurred March 23, 1839 under the requirements of “An Act for the Incorporation of Towns,” Revised Code of 1838.  There were 77 voters.  A town incorporation included all “building lots as recorded in the recorder’s office. . .and when any new building lots shall be laid off adjoining any town, . ..the same shall form a part of the said incorporation,” but this did not include any out lots.  No map was required.  Of interest was the proviso “for the purpose of removing nuisances, the limits of the corporation shall extend one half mile in each direction from the recorded plat of said town.”   The board had the power to establish ordinances to regulate nuisances, issue licenses for “public shows” and taverns, maintain public wells, establish market houses, and keep in repair streets, alleys, and drains. The board also could establish jails and fire departments.  It had the power to levy and collect taxes, which evidently caused residents of the southern part of town to petition the General Assembly to establish a separate town called “New Augsburgh.” An act in 1840 legalized the town’s incorporation and its power to tax.

Under the present Constitution, the General Assembly passed a comprehensive law for incorporation of towns in 1852, which the town board adopted December 12, 1852.  Along with continuing the powers listed above, among many additional powers given to the board of trustees was the power to annex contingent recorded plats and to petition the County Commissioners to incorporate unplatted territory.  The town also could establish cemeteries.

Growth

There are three possible reasons for Brookville’s slow growth before 1815:   a series of earthquakes, lack of a reliable water source for those living on the hill, and Indian fears.   It is uncertain if a series of earthquakes, 1811 – 1812, affected settlement of Brookville, but their magnitude and contemporary accounts suggest that they could have.  The first one occurred at 2:15 AM December 16, 1811 and had a magnitude of at least 7.5.  It lasted 15 minutes.  On January 23, 1812 a second one occurred, registered 7.3, followed by a third February 7th, measuring at least 7.5.   The major factor slowing down Brookville’s early growth was both active and perceived Indian threats from the summer of 1811 through 1814.  Charles Test remembered, “The Indians continued to be exceedingly troublesome until 1814. They had taken the side of our enemies during the war with England. The settler lived in daily dread, not knowing at what moment his cabin might be invaded by Indians, and himself and family fall victims to their cruel and relentless warfare.” Hamilton and Jones sold most of their lots in the fall of 1811; and due to a judgment in favor of James Knight, 35 lots of the original town were sold at auction in June 1814, with about half selling for less than $2 per lot.  There was 1 lot purchased in Butler’s addition in 1812, followed by 2 in 1814.  Allen was more successful with 3 lot purchasers in 1811, 5 in 1812, and 6 in 1812. In July 1816 the town had 1 grist mill, 2 saw mills, 7 stores, a market house, a brick courthouse, 16 artisans from cabinet makers to tanners, not including 5 taverns. Businesses occupied the original town, along with some residences.  Most citizens lived in the “bottom,” on Allen’s lots, including many of its leading residents.  The editor of the American, in 1853, chided a Mr. Price for planning to build a house on the hill, noting that almost all the prominent people lived in the bottom.

Due primarily to the lack of dependable water on the hill, the Butler and Eads additions grew slowing.  John C. Ellis moved from Wynn to Brookville July 1, 1861 and noted that there were but five houses north of Tenth Street.  Based upon his service both as Brookville Township Trustee and County Assessor, he noted, when interviewed in May 1914, that 425 houses had been added since 1861 and an additional 145 remodeled.  Spurts of development occurred as a result of the Canal and immediately after the Civil War.  Its population in November 1827 was 443; in 1835, 510.  By April 1887, it had grown to 2,056 but dropped to 2,037 in 1900.  For many years its population has stabilized at approximately 2, 500.

Annexations

Over thirty annexations have occurred.  In addition to the Allen and Butler ones, prior to the current incorporation, were the following:  Eads, on north Main, 1818; Henrie, in the bottom, 1819; Price and Mary & W. W. Butler, 1838.  With the exception of the Fairview Addition west of the river (1923) all others have been contiguous to the town until after WWII.  Most prominent has been Riverview, east of the river (1947).

Water

Water was lacking on the hill.  Brookville’s incorporation in 1814 called for a public well.  This was built on the courthouse square and was from 90 – 120 feet deep, lined with stone. It fell into disrepair about 1837.  Perhaps the second incorporation in 1817 was designed to more permanently solve this issue.  Brookville had the second water works in Indiana.  On March 10, 1819 Amos Butler entered into an agreement with the town board, valid until March 13, 1831, for constructing a reservoir at or near any of Butler’s springs in Section 20 and to construct “aqueducts from said reservoir or springs or fountains to Brookville.”  The reservoir was a large vat about ten feet square and from eight to ten feet deep from which log pipes would direct the water to town lots.  One source states that the reservoir was located on high ground on Ninth Street between Main Street and Franklin Avenue.  Effective January 1, 1820, the town passed an ordinance setting water rates.  Pumps were to be located in the middle of each block.  Office, store or shop keepers paid $3.00 per year for water, five dollars yearly for each private housekeeper or family not exceeding three and $1.00 for each additional person, and taverns not exceeding $30.00 per year.  Problems with leaking log pipes led to its demise by 1824 and perhaps the town’s incorporation as well.  Beginning in the late 1830’s private cisterns provided water for residents on the hill.  Brookville did not have another waterworks until 1891.

Market House

Market houses were established as a place to permit country produce to be offered for sale.  Clarkson, editor of the American, noted in April 1839 “our farmers when they bring any thing to market, either have to go around to our residences to dispose of their produce, or dispose of it to our merchants at whatever they please to give.” Brookville’s market house was located at the southeast corner of Fifth and Main Streets, on the public square.  It consisted of a roof over a number of individual stalls.  This concept waned after the Civil War, and it was offered for sale, or to be rebuilt with the town hall on top, in 1872.  It did not sell that year and three years later was replaced by the town hall.

Brookville Cemetery

The Methodists and Presbyterians established a cemetery at the site of the former’s church in the 1820’s on East Tenth Street, and as space became premium, the town purchased four of Butler’s lots immediately west of the existing cemetery in 1854 and laid out 320 lots.  On April 2, 1859 the town began selling them.  The combined cemeteries (along with Saint Michael Cemetery) remained the only ones until the former began filling up.  The corporation considered purchasing the Agricultural Society grounds as a corporate cemetery in the spring of 1872.  It did not and in 1882 Maple Grove Cemetery, west of Brookville, was established.

Street Lights

In the 1870’s Brookville installed street lights using an unknown fuel source.  Evidently these were tricky to light and were given to exploding.  The board passed an ordinance in 1877 limiting lighting to the marshal.  In 1891 the town entered into an agreement with National Electric Manufacturing Company for a series of arc lamps.  Evidently there were problems, thus this comment in the American October 18, 1894:  “Where are the electric lights?  Out making political speeches?” Later the trustees contracted with the Brookville Electric Company.  Carbon arc lights were replaced, progressively, with newer technologies throughout the Twentieth Century, the last set, installed in 1979, being replaced in 2018.

Brookville Fire Department

In June 1877 the board passed an ordinance creating a fire department and the next year purchased a hand fire engine and 600 feet of hose for $994.50.  Between 1881 – 1883 five cisterns were installed for the fire department, including one at Fifth and Main holding 1,500 barrels of water.  On July 24, 1893 the board passed an ordinance organizing a fire company, to consist of “twelve athletic men, sober, respectable residents of Brookville.”

Street Names

Original street names led to confusion.  In June 1877 the Board changed Main Burgess Street to Main, Main to Franklin Avenue, and Head Street to Central Avenue.  In December 1894 the final change occurred.  The original street names, Bank, Race, James, Claiborne, Walker, Central Avenue, Lean, Rose, Grave, John and Butler became in the order named, Second Street to Twelfth Street.

House Addresses

In 1877 the Board passed an ordinance numbering “houses and vacant lots on Main Street for advertising and business purposes.”  On the east side of the street, starting at lot 15 the numbers placed every 25 feet, being even numbers, 1 -359, to the north end of town and odd on the west side of the street.  Just before WWI the current street addresses were established.

John J. Newman