These sketches do not make a history of Trimble County. They are only a few links in a missing chain, and several of the links are incomplete.

My interest in local history has prompted me, off and on for a good many years, to collect and preserve items of historical value. Exact references for some of these are missing, and that is an indication that the collector was no real historian. Several subjects in this list are too incomplete for publication until further research has added sufficient information to give them value and interest.


The above text reads: Oldest house in Hunter's Bottom was ornate in its heyday of beauty. An account states it was built in the late 1700's and while it was being constructed, the workmen could see smoke from the Indian Wigwams on the site where Madison, Indiana now sprawls. Memory wanders back to bits of history about its first recorded owners, the Fearn Family. The Thieman Family, Fred J. Theiman and his father, Henry Thieman - acquired it from the Fearns. Pictured out front were Fred Thieman and Mr. and Mrs. Andy Thieman. Martin Theiman sold the house a few years ago to Claude B. Kendall, owner of the Shrimp House in Madison.


Much of the history of Trimble County can be found in the records in the courthouse; and a source for the earliest history of the region is stored in the courthouse at LaGrange, New Castle, and Warsaw. History is like gold in the mine, it has to be dug out and refined of the dross. Writers of history and genealogy have a driving desire, a hunger to discover certain information, a pleasure in finding a nugget, a patience to search every crany and nook, time in which hours, days, and weeks may be spent on the trail of a desired fact or story, and ability to organize data and to write it up.

Tradition and hearsay are not always, though usually interesting and of much concern. They are like gossip, probably based upon some fact, sometimes entirely true, but sometimes entirely false and the product of imagination. More often the story has been changed as it passed down from tongue to tongue. Many persons are not interested in the past. Especially is this true of youth with their limited experience in life. But the older we grow the more we realize the value we have received from our family inheritance, our community, state, and nation. What we are has been acquired from others.

These twenty odd items which I am sending Judge Greenwood may be used any way he may see fit; or they may not be used at all, I doubt if many of them are in shape of publication. However, they may be some slight use as source material for the researcher. It is hoped that they contain no errors -- but errors are difficult to avoid, and sometimes sources are unreliable.

History is written about people. It is generally the unusual ones who get publicity. That includes those who have to some degree become distinguished some way or other, who have rendered unusual service to soceity. The great host of honest, hard working citizens who form the warp and woof of our society, who keep our institutions stable and our laws in force, although not spectacular, are the salt of the earth. They should not be forgotten.

The boundary of Henry County when organized in 1798 is given as follows: Beginning ten miles due north of the public square on which the courthouse of the said county of Shelby is now situated, thence west to the Jefferson line, thence west to the Ohio River, thence up the Ohio River, thence up the Ohio with the meandering thereof six miles above the mouth of Corn Creek, thence on a straight line to the road leading from Shelbyville to the mouth of the Kentucky River, two miles north of Henry Daugherty's, thence a direst line to the Kentucky River two and one-half miles above the mouth of Eagle Creek, thence up the Kentucky River and the Franklin line so far til westward course will strike the beginning.

This Henry Daugherty was evidently father of Henry who married Eva Latty and lived near Providence on the Daugherty Creek. But it appears that Henry Sr., must have lived near Campbellsburg. Unless the home of Henry Daugherty, Sr., can be determined, it is somewhat uncertain to find the exact line between Gallatin and Henry Counties. A son of Henry Jr., lives near Bedford, and may be able to settle this point.

From Howard Hardaway's trek through Trimble County, 1940: "It was 1851 that Ben Hitt, Trimble County representative in the State Legislature, took a nap during the session. Some say that some fellows from Carroll County took Ben on a big party the night before. Anyway, while Ben was asleep in his chair, a bill was introduced moving the boundary line from Locust Creek to Spillman Lane. That took a lot of good bottom land from Trimble and gave it to Carroll. When questioned about it at home, Ben said he would have it corrected at the next session of the Legislature. "No, you won't" was the reply, "another representative will be there."

from the Trimble Banner Bi-Centennial, April 1974