Sugar creek was the only stream large enough to furnish water power
for the early settlers. Among the mills established were grist mills, erected by Stephen Harlan, in 1834, on Sugar
creek, in the northern part of the northwest quarter of section 22, township 17, range 8. Mr. Harlan had learned
the milling business thoroughly in the noted White Water mill, situated near Connersville, Fayattee county, Indiana,
which was patronized at a very early day by Hancock county's pioneers. In 1834 he removed with his family to Brown
township Hancock county, where, in 1835, he built first mill in the township. He was both miller and millwright.
His first mill was situated on Sugar creek on Mr. Harlan's farm, southeast of where the Harlan cemetery is now
located. It was of the "corn cracker" variety, and was propelled by an undershot water wheel. The building
was made of poles and covered with clapboards and was considered as the most ''up-to-date" mill in the county.
It was abandoned about 1852, and was used as a dwelling for several years by Lorenzo Brown, who had married Mr.
Harlan's daughter, Nancy. Mr. Harlan immediately erected a larger and better mill, one-fourth mile distant, which
was run by an overshot wheel. It was so near the source of Sugar creek, and the creek being flat and shallow at
this point, the race cold not be kept within its banks in times of high water and during a dry season the water
supply was insufficient to propel the wheel. It was operated for about ten years.
A saw-mill was erected by David Blakely in 1836, on Sugar creek, just above Nashville, and one was erected by one
Jenkins in 1850, at the northwest corner of section 10, township 17, range 8, on the line between Hancock and Madison
counties. It was operated for several years after the war. A sawmill was erected by Lane & Company, in 1852,
at the northeast corner of the west half of the southeast quarter of section 31, township 17, range 8, at what
became known as Scrabbletown. This mill was later owned by Dr. Samuel A. Troy and others and was finally moved
away, probably during the seventies. A saw-mill was erected in 1855 by Stephen Harlan and Lorenzo Brown on Sugar
creek, a little south and west of the Harlan cemetery; one by Trees & Brother, in 1863, in the northeast part
of Warrington, and one by Walton & Brother, in i868, on Sugar creek, in the western part of the south half
of the southeast quarter of section 7, township 17, range 8, the latter being operated for ten years or more.
A tile factory was established in September, 1870, just southwest of Warrington by John K. Trees. The factory was
later operated by Copeland & Garriott, James Trees and Mr. Thomas. During the seventies and early eighties
a great many tile were manufactured at this place. Work was suspended about 1885.
A grist-mill, built at Warrington in 1875 by Dr. C. C. and John Loder, was sold to Power & Cranfill in 1876;
Cranfill's interest was sold to Frank Marsh in 1879. The mill burned in 1877 and was rebuilt by Power and others.
An interest was also held in the mill by Dr. Charles Titus and William I. Garriott. Hanna, Power, Titus Garriott,
all had an interest in the mill at different times during the eighties and nineties. In 1898 it burned again, but
was rebuilt in 1899 by Keller & Wilson. Untried machinery was installed, which proved to be a failure. The
mill has now stood idle since about 1900.
Atile yard was established just east of Willow in 1906 by Fred Wicker and Earl Frost, who sold to Herschell C.
Hutchins in the spring of 1915.
The first school house in Brown township was built by Moses McCray, who was horn in Bourbon county, Kentucky, August
15. 1794. He was reared and educated in Fayette county, Indiana, near the city of Connersville. where, in 1817,
he was married to Jane Sparks. In 1831 he removed with his wife and children to Rush county, Indiana, where he
remained for two years. He then came to Brown township, Hancock county, in 1833. A few families had preceded him,
but they were of small means and with limited or no education. He entered in all four hundred acres of land. No
sooner had his two-story log house and big log barn been constructed, than he cut from his own forest poplar and
walnut logs, and, with the help of his boys built the first school house in Brown township, in 1834. For seven
years he wielded the rod and taught ''the rule of three'' without receiving any compensation as a teacher. In this
old log school house, which stood on the site of the present McCray cemetery, he educated his family. The school
often numbered thirty children, some of whom came a distance of seven miles. Among those who came so far were Samuel
Wales, father of John Wales. of Jackson township, Wintford Wales, and their sister, who married Nathan Overman.
When the snows were too deep or the creeks too high they would remain with Mr. McCray until conditions improved.
Sunday school and singing schools were conducted in this school house on Sundays and usually lasted from early
morning until night. Logs split lengthwise were used for benches, and all available literature was pressed into
use. Bibles, almanacs, readers and arithmetic's served as textbooks, from which the fundamentals were taught.
Brown township also had its other log schools, all of which were replaced by frame houses about the time of the
Civil War, or a little later. These, in turn, were followed by tile brick houses that were constructed during the
eighties and nineties. Originally there were nine single-room district school buildings. About 1874 a two-story
brick school house was erected at Warrington with two rooms. This house was usedl until 1894., when it was torn
down andl a four-room brick house was constructed. At different times during the eighties, and probably earlier,
high school classes were organizedl for the term. District No. 7. where Wilkinson now stands, also had a large
enumeration, and in 1884 a brick school was erected there. A small recita-tion room about twenty feet square was
carved out of one corner of the larger room so that two teachers were emplovedl during the eighties. Later, another
room was added and three teachers were employed until the four-room house was erected, in 1904. Old printed lists
of teachers show that sometimes two teachers were employd, at other times one teacher for each of these schools.
Systematic high school work was begun at Warrin gton in 1894, the same year that the four-room brick building was
constructed. W. B Stookey -was the first prinicpal of the high school. Follllowing are the teachers who have had
charge of the school since that time : Walter Bridges 1895; Walter T Orr, 1897: A. H. Symons, 1899, Ord Kuhn, 1902;
0. W. Jackson, 1903: D. W. Sanders, 1904; L. F. Lydy, 1905; Jesse D. Knight, 1907 Lawrence Bridges, 1908: Eva Hubbard,
1909 ; John T. Rash, 1911; Leland S. Hamilton. 1912, after holidays, and J. P. Amick, 1914.
The school at first followed the regular three-year course that was organ-ized for the county. Its first class
graduated in the spring of 1899 during the principalship of Walter T. Orr. After the towns of Shirley, Wilkinson
and Willow came into existence, and after the interurban line had been con- structed through the southern part
of the township, there was a feeling that the school should be located at Wilkinson, where it would be more accessible.
From 1903-1907 it had a full attendance. But for several years prior tO 1911 the attendance at Warrington did not
exceed fifteen or eighteen students, those along the car line asking to be transferred to Kennard, in Henry county.
In the fall of 1911 the question of the location of the high school became acute and it became necessary for the
trustee to make a decision as to whether it should remain at Warrington or be movedl to Wilkinson. it was finally
moved to Wilkinson, with John T Rash as principal. The school at once had a large incoming class. Each of the successive
classes has been large, and in the winter of 1915-16 the school had an attendance of about seventy-five. It was
certified by the state department in 1911-12. Two additional rooms were built in 1913, and the school received
its first commission dinring the winter of 1913-14 under the principalship of J. P. Amick. A kitchen was fully'
equipped for domestic science work in the fall of 1914. 'lhree teachers are now employed in the high school.
Shirley', although a town with a population of about one thousand and two hundred, has never appointed a school
board to take charge of its schools. For several years during the growth of the town, rooms were rented here and
there, and schools conducted in various places. A four-room building, how-ever, was erected in 1900, which burned
during the winter of 1907-08. In 1908 the present six-room building was constructed, during the trusteeship of
John S. Mooney.
Brown township has a population of 3,028, as shown by the United States census report of 1910. Ini the spring of
1915, 630 children between the ages of six and twenty-one years were enumerated for school purposes. There were
enrolled in the schools of the townshtp in 1914-15, 594 pupils. Of these, 62 were in the high school and 532 in
the elementary grades. The average daily attendance for the year 1914-15 in the high school was 53 ; in the elementary
grades, 404. the total cost of maintaining the elementary schools during the year was $9,209.76; the total cost
of maintaining the high school during the year was $3,058.24. The total amount paid teachers for the year was $8,045.
fhe estimated value of the school property as reported by the township trustee on August 1. 1915 was $5o.ooo. The
total assess-ment of taxables in the township as reported by the assessor in 1914, was $1,680,580. Ninety children
were transported to school at a cost to the township of $1,487.00.
Source:
History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman,
B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Pages 513-525.