Person:Charles Harvey (13)

At the time when Aroma, IN was being settled, John Harvey, son Charles, and others lived in log cabins with dirt for a floor. Later they would take logs and split them into slabs and used these for a floor. This was called a puncheon floor. Their doors were made the same way as their floors. The doors were so large that they could hitch a horse to a log and pull it into the the house for the fire place. They used greased paper for windows. In the end of these log cabins were large fire places and huge sections of logs which were used for seats. The chimneys were made of brick and mud. Before the people began a general settlement here, there were many wild animals.

    The people of that time spent most of their time hunting and clearing the forests. They built their log cabins in the thick forests. At night they could hear the barking and growling of wolves. Among those who made early settlement at Aroma were; William Leeman, John Harvey, William Allen, B.B. Johnson, Walter Jack, Lexional Beeson, James Whitehead, Jacob Likens, Samuel Templeton, Jaiah Williams, George Carpenter, Henry Williams, and Charles Harvey.
    William P. Haworth of Illinois, came to the spot where Aroma now stands at an early date and built a small store. The people kept demanding a name for this "town". So he sent in the name Aroma, since which time the town has gone by this name. Later certain scoffers dubbed it with the name of Toadlope, because, they said, one could hear the frogs along the creek croaking "toadlope, toadlope, toadlope!" Charles was one of the store keepers through the years. The postmasters have been Joseph Babbitt and Newton Edinson, who kept the office in the store. The first mail carrier was Mahlon Essic who carried mail from Arcadia to Aroma on horseback. Later he purchased a wagon and two horses and he hauled passengers and mail each way.

From History of Hamilton County Indiana, by John F. Haines, 1915, B.F. Bowen & Co.

"In the early seventies on a hill across the road from what is now Harvey's Chapel Church, stood a school house called Lightning Point where these earnest and faithful Christians who were Methodists assembled to worship. A handful of these settlers held religious meetings from time to time, under the leadership of Rev. Rhodes, Rev. Mose Jenner and Felix Armstrong, local preachers of Perkinsville. These men braved all kinds of weather and walked the entire distance of four miles from Perkinsville, to preach the gospel. The results of this labor was a great revival. In the year 1880, Rev. Charles Harvey came to take charge of the work already begun and to build the church which later bore his name as "Harvey's Chapel"." Note: Charles was minister from 1880 to 1882. John Atkins was minister from 1951 to 1953. From "Harvey's Chapel History" by Mrs. C.O. House, no date given.

CHARLES HARVEY DEAD, APOPLEXY- MEMBER OF MASONIC LODGE- Life of Well Known Citizen Ended Friday, Following Stroke Wednesday Afternoon.

Charles Harvey, 82, died at his home at 517 South Anderson street, about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, following a stroke of apoplexy Wednesday. Mr. Harvey has been in poor health for some time and it was his custom to take a nap in the afternoon. When his family failed to arouse him physicians were called who said that the stroke had come while he was sleeping. He never regained consciousness. Charles Harvey was one of Elwood's best citizens and during his residence here was identified with the commercial and civic interests in a manner which showed his faith in the city he had chosen to make his home. Born Near Aroma- Mr. Harvey was born in White River township in Hamilton county and spent all of his life on the farm near Aroma until the family removed to the city about twenty years ago. He was married to Margaret Orth in 1857 and to their union was born seven children, of whom five survive. She died in December 1874. The children are: Cyrus M. of Hartford City; Mrs. Eva Gwinn of Noblesville; Herman H. of Indianapolis; Mrs. Myrtle Leonard of Perkinsville and Dayton who resides on the home farm at Aroma. On March 23, 1876 he was united in marriage to Sarah Moore, a faithful helpmate on life's journey who survives. The two children born to this marriage are deceased. He leaves seventeen grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. Active in Church and Lodge- Mr. Harvey was a member of the Methodist church and one of its most devoted followers and his precence in the congregation will be missed. He was a member of the Masonic lodge and a valued member of this fraternity. The funeral services will be conducted at the M.E. curch sunday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock by the pastor Rev. W.A. Griest and the burial will be in the city cemetery with Masonic honors. Friends of the family who may wish to call at the home and pay their respects will be priviledged to do so between the hours of 7 and 9 o'clock this evening. Elwood Call Leader, Sat. 11 October 1919

1. ↑ A. Donovan Faust (Foust). A Family History: The Ancestors of Thomas Wilson Faust. (1997).
2. ↑ The Harvey files of Mr. Gene Cordell, Indianapolis, IN, Sept., 2000..
3. ↑ 1870 White River Twp., Hamilton Co., IN census
   page 45.