Early Settlers

In 1854 the David Patton family migrated here from Fountain County, Indiana.  The trip, made with wagons and horses, took two days.  This area, and a nearby woods known as Sugar Grove, became a favorite camping place for westward bound immigrants.  Because of an abundant supply of fuel and good water, as many as forty wagons would settle here for the night.  Deer, wild turkeys, and prairie chickens were plentiful for food.  

Between the wooded areas were prairie grasses as far as one could see.  At that time, there were eleven acres of prairie for every one acre of forest.  By 1855, plows were introduced into this area.  They were pulled by oxen. mules, and horses.  That year a variety of vegetables, melons, pumpkins, corn were grown.  In later years, the land was planted almost exclusively in corn and soybeans.  The remaining patches of prairie were used to graze cattle.