1729 Maryland

1729- Elizabeth Finch dies in Charles County, Maryland, at age 42.
Elizabeth Finch had lived her life on the plantation Goodwill, which was originally purchased in 1681 by her father, Guy Finch. It was located north of and adjoined the plantation Timberly, which was owned by Arnold Livers.
Elizabeth's third husband Peter Hoggins dies one year later in 1730. It was a brief union, they had married in 1728.

(Elizabeth Finch is my sixth great grandmother.)

The Land Records of Prince George's County, Maryland, 1726-1733 By Elise Greenup Jourdan
Liber M, Page 586

Enrolled at request of David Craufurd 1 May 1730:
Indenture, 19 Feb 1729; between Arnold Livers, merchant, and David Craufurd, merchant, for 1s; half of lot #73 between Livers and John Miles in Upper Marlborough; wit. Clement Hill, John Docwra; 1 May 1730 ack. by Arnold Livers and Hellen his wife.

(Arnold Livers is my fifth great grandfather.)

1729- Son, William Elder, is born to William Elder and Ann Wheeler in Frederick County, Maryland. He is the grandson of Elizabeth Finch, who dies the same year. (Elizabeth Finch married three times: Solomon Stimson, William Elder, Peter Hoggins.)

(William Elder is my 1st cousin six times removed.)

October 23, 1729- Solomon Stimpson 9.480 A PG £21.18.11 Oct 23 1729

Received from: Mr. William Digges, Moses Orme.
Payments to: Charles Calvert, Esq., Alexander Countee, Simon Nicholls, Mr. Alexander Fraser, Mr. Alexander Contee, Lingan Wilson, Leonard Holliday garnishee of Thomas Brooke & Co., Mr. Robert Tyler.

Executors: Peter Hoggins and his wife Elisabeth Hoggins.

(Solomon Stimson is my fifth great granduncle. Solomon Stimson and Elizabeth Finch are his parents. Peter Hoggins is his stepfather.)

1818- Indiana

Settlers begin to arrive in Shelby County, Indiana.
A squatter by the name of James Wilson, with the help of his three sons, builds the first cabin in Shelby County.

Delaware Women- Indiana

Isaac Wilson once told of how he remembered two families of Indians that had camped near his family’s home around the winter of 1819-1820. They often dined together. Isaac also remembered one of the Indian women that had camped near his home bringing a pair of moccasins for one of the Wilson babies. The day before, she had measured the child’s foot with her thumb and forefinger. When she slipped the moccasins on the child’s foot, they fit perfectly.
There were others that told stories of Indians in the area. The descendants of Dr. Sylvan Morris passed on the story of an Indian woman that brought her sick child in for treatment. After the child was treated, the woman left without saying a word. Several months later, the woman returned. She brought to his cabin a beautifully woven blanket that she had made for him to thank him. The Delaware Indians were pushed further west, as time passed, leaving behind only memories and a few remnants.

1819 Indiana

January 1, 1819- James Wilson, his wife Nancy, son Isaac, four daughters and a baby boy moved in to their cabin in Shelby County. The two older sons, that had also helped build the cabin, had a fire burning in the fireplace to welcome the rest of the family when they arrived. Once they were settled into their new home, James established a trading post.

1820 Shelby, Indiana

October 9, 1820- David Fisher and James Wilson enter their land at the Brookville Land Office. The area of land where the two men had settled was known as ‘Marion’ , which had been named in honor of General Francis Marion, also known as the "Swamp Fox" during the Revolution.

History of Shelby, Indiana

Shelby County was part of a huge territory, known as the "New Purchase", which the Delaware and Native American tribes ceded by treaty to the United States, October 3, 1818, at St. Mary's, Ohio. The area was not opened for settlement until 1820, the Indians having agreed to vacate the ceded lands by that date.
Jacob Whetzel, (brother of the famous Indian-hater, Lewis Whetzel, one of Shelby County's pioneer settlers--who lies buried in the City Cemetary) had obtained from his Indian friend, Chief Anderson of the Delawares, permission to mark a wagon path through the forest from Franklin County in eastern Indiana to the "Bluffs" on White River, south of present day Indianapolis. Within a week after the treaty had been concluded, Whetzel and a few friends began to blaze this wilderness "road", since known as the "Whetzel Trace." The route selected by Whetzel crossed Shelby County in a northwesterly direction a short distance north of present Shelbyville.
It was by way of the Whetzel Trace that many of Shelby County's first settlers came to make new homes. One of them, a squatter by the name of James Wilson, with the help of three of his older sons, erected the county's first cabin near "little" Marion in late 1818. Early in January, 1819, the Wilson family---eleven in all---moved from Franklin to this new one-room, 16' by 16' cabin, and become the county's first settlers.
In 1820 the "New Purchase" was formally opened for settlement and most of the rich farm land which now comprises Shelby County was speedily claimed by purchasers at the Brookville Government Land Office.
The next year, late in December, the State Legislature at Corydon-then the state capital-authorized the organization of Shelby County and the establishment of a county "capital." The name Shelby was assigned to the new county in honor of Isaac Shelby, twice governor of Kentucky and a famous Indian Wars soldier under whose leadership many of the pioneer settlers had served before emigrating to Indiana. The State considered four sites for the county seat, finally deciding on the present location in the center of the county. A donation of 70 acres of land--40 acres by John Hendricks, 20 by James Davison and 10 acres by John Walker-- was a deciding factor. The decision as to the county seat's location was revealed on July 4, 1822, at a giant barbecue northeast of the present Fairgrounds, and was made official the next day.
The county was first divided into four civil townships, but since has been made into its present fourteen townships. Shelbyville is in Addison, the central township.
The first house in present Shelbyville was built by Francis Walker on the lot at the northwest corner of Washington and Tompkins Streets.
On July 4, 1834, Judge William J. Peasley, local railroad enthusiast, built and put into operation at Shelbyville the first "railroad" this side of the Allegheny Mountains. It was an experimental road, horse drawn, ran on wooden tracks, and extended only one and one-fourth miles east from the town to a picnic area on Lewis Creek. Soon it was abandoned. Today the Penn Central Railroad serves Shelbyville.
Shelbyville was incorporated January 21, 1850, by a special act of the Legislature, according to county histories.