Early settlers in Adams County, Indiana

From Black Hawk Slept Here

In the year 1819 smoke curled above the first cabin ever erected in Adams County. It was situated at the head of Thompson's Prairie, in what is now Blue Creek Township. The honor of building it, of doing the first clearing, and of being the first actual settler in the county, belongs to Henry Lowe. In the year 1820 Robert Douglas, finding about one acre of cleared land at the springs on the Reynolds farm, where was situated the military camp, cleared a few acres of land and built the second cabin in the county. He raised a crop of corn during the summer of 1820, after which he left the place and went to Fort Wayne, which was then a small village. From Fort Wayne he went to Peru, where he died many years ago. It was in 1820, too, that Henry Lowe's place at the head of the prairie was taken by William Robinson, who in that year became an inhabitant of the county. He lived on the place for about two years, when he moved to Fort Wayne. Lowe returned to Ohio, where he lived to an advanced age. Robinson's place was taken by a Mr. Thompson, for whom the prairie was named.

The next settler was Mr. Ayers, who, in 1821, settled on the "Wayne trace" where it crossed Twenty-four Mile Creek. The place is now known as the old Acker farm, and is situated in St. Mary's Township. Mr. Ayers was an Englishman, and is said to have been a deserter from the King's service. Travelers were occasionally furnished loding and meals at Mr. Ayer's,; hence he is called the first landlord of the county. Mr. Green also settled in the county in the same year that Mr. Ayers died. He located near the St. Mary's River, not far from Mr. Ayers.

These are all the settlers that are known to have located in the county before 1826. Think of it--in that year there were four log cabins in 336 square miles of territory. In 1822-'23 the lands now comprise within the limits of this county were surveyed into sections. This was the original Government survey, and was made by Messrs. Worthington and Riley, who, during the survey, camped in the woods and had their provisions carried to them on pack horses. In 1820 Captain James Riley commenced his settlement at Willshire, Ohio, near the State line. During the years 1822, 1823 and 1824 the settlement of which Willshire was the nucleus spread over to very nearly the State line.

Source: Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana (1887), page 189