December - 2018

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Welcome to the Putnam County Museum

Meet the Author

Larry Tippin has served as County Historian since 2008. His interest in history grew out of extensive research of his family roots and restoration of pioneer cemeteries. A semi-retired CPA, Mr. Tippin has served in a variety of civic and professional organizations.

He was a founding member of the Central Indiana Chapter of the Association of Government Accountants and served as Chapter President and Regional Vice President of the National Association of Government Accountants. He has also served as Treasurer and President of the North Putnam Alumni Association, as a member of the Board of Directors of the local Heritage Preservation Society, Putnam County Museum and the Friends of the Roachdale Library.

The museum is happy to host many of Larry Tippin's talks

on our Youtube channel, which can be viewed here:

Carpentersville

Carpentersville

If one lived in north central Putnam County prior to 1880, he or she would get their mail at either Ashby’s Mill or Carpentersville. Ashby’s Mill was about one mile north of present day Roachdale and straddled the Montgomery/Putnam county line. Carpentersville was about three miles south of Roachdale and was the largest community in that area. In 1880, the census listed two hundred eighteen residents for Carpentersville and only eighty-six for Roachdale, which was just starti

Vivalia

Vivalia

Vivalia was a collection of homes partly in Putnam and Parke counties in Section 6 in northwestern Madison Township, about two miles north of Brunerstown. This community was never platted and does not show up on very many maps. One of the early prominent citizens of the community was Isaac Brattain. According to an article in the June 26, 1974 edition of the Banner-Graphic, as told by Isaac Brattain’s son Emery: “Isaac Brattain’s father (Millican or Milligan Brattain) establi

Reelsville and Pleasant Garden

Reelsville and Pleasant Garden

Reelsville and Pleasant Garden The area now known as Reelsville was probably first settled by John and Mary Reel in 1826, where they built their cabin and mill. The Reel’s did not file a plat for the 29 lots of land for what became Reelsville until January 5, 1852. As noted in A Journey Through Putnam County History, 1966, “beginning with the log mill of John Reel in 1826, the Reel family was in the mill business for well over a half of a century. After the mill was washed aw

Mullinix Murder

Mullinix Murder

Not far from Manhattan lived Greenbury O. Mullinix and his young wife Martha. He was often described as an unruly and largely undisciplined young man, barely twenty-five years of age, with a quick temper. Martha, a lovely lady several years younger than her new husband, was the daughter of Manhattan’s own David Sublett. This young couple had been married not quite one month, when in the early morning hours of April 10, 1857, she was doing her usual household chores and prepar

The History of Putnamville

The History of Putnamville

The history of Putnamville is so vast, I would not be able to do it justice in the small space we have here. Therefore, I will hit the high points and include many photos and newspaper articles. Malcolm Romine plans to prepare a comprehensive history of Putnamville soon, and one can obtain more information at the recently completed Townsend/Layman museum at Putnamville, a restoration of the summer kitchen/freed slaves’ quarters associated with the Whitehall Inn, sometimes cal

Manhattan

Manhattan

As noted in the 1879 Putnam County Atlas, Manhattan is said to be the oldest village in Washington township, having been laid out in the year 1829, on the National Road, by John M. Coleman and Thomas H. Clark. The first merchant there was said to be Wilson Devore. Dr. Lenox N. Knight was the first practicing physician. Mrs. Judge Clark taught the first school. The first Justice of the Peace at that place was Lloyd Harris. There was once a swamp north of the Old National Road,

Westland

Westland

Westland was a small community on the Old National Road located about one mile east of the intersection of the current U. S. 231 and U. S. 40. The town was platted by H. W. West in 1841 and is shown on the old maps, but it never took off like some nearby communities. Two summaries of this town were included in the local newspapers. The Daily Banner on May 29, 1928 described Westland as it once was. Warren township had another hamlet that the grim reaper reaped before it was r

Mount Meridian

Mount Meridian

Resting in Jefferson and Marion Townships along the Old National Road, Mount Meridian was laid out by William Heavin and Bryce W. Miller, in the year 1833. It was at first called Carthage, but when the post office there was established in 1835, it was discovered that another post office already had that name and the post office was called Mount Meridian. In order that the town and the post office might have the same name, the town began to be referred to as Mount Meridian as

Canby/Farrowtown/Samuelsburg/Hanna’s Crossing

Canby/Farrowtown/Samuelsburg/Hanna’s Crossing

According to the publication “Postmasters 1832 to 1971” obtained from the National Archives, the only postmaster at Canby was W. P. Bailey, who was appointed on May 5, 1873, and the post office was discontinued on June 25, 1875. An article in the Greencastle Daily Banner on March 15, 1937 reminisced about the early rural mail carriers and stated, in part: “Nate Hollingsworth’s route permitted him to deliver the mail daily to Brick Chapel, Canby, Morton, Portland Mills and Cli

Grubb’s Mill and Alma

Grubb’s Mill and Alma

Alma is shown on the 1864 Map on the Little Walnut Creek in the southwest quarter of Section 21 of Clinton Township, at the point the creek makes a sharp turn, northwest of Clinton Falls and a little south of the Edna Collins covered bridge. By 1879, Alma is no longer shown on the Clinton Township maps, but Clinton Falls is. Alma was first known as Grubb’s Mill, named for the mill (believed to be a sawmill) of Collingwood C. Grubb. Postmasters at Grubb’s Mill were: Collingwoo

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