JOHN WILLIAM NEWBY
John WILLIAM NEWBY, son of John and Amey (Newby) Newby was born in Pulaski Co. Kentucky 24 November, 1802, died in White River Twp. Hamilton Co. Indiana July 15, 1882, age 79. He married Margaret (Peggy) Holtzclaw daughter of John and Elizabeth (Berry) Holtzclaw Jan. 10, 1822, in Pulaski Co. Ky. Both John W. and Margaret are buried in the Brethren cemetery at Arcadia Ind.
The first legal record of John W., other than his marriage is a deed for 100 acres land on Pitmans Creek in Pulaski Co. Oct. 26, 1824. He bought this land from Thomas Newby and it was the land Thomas had received as bounty land for his service in the Revolutionary War. Thomas Newby served in the war with John W.'s father, he was two years younger, enlisted two days after John, served in the same regiment and was discharged at the same time. Thomas apparently was a first cousin to John and was living in Chesterfield at the time of the deed. On Nov. 15, 1825 John W. bought 14 acres of land from his brother in-law John Holtzclaw, and Oct. 7, 1826 sold a parcel of his land to his brother Hudson.
In 1826 or early 1827 he and Amey with their two children, Elizabeth and John moved to Owen Co. Ind., where their third child Squire was born. They remained in Owen Co. for about a year and then returned to Pulaski Co. living on his original homesite. Sometime between 1830 and 1834 he and his family moved to Marion Co. Ind. where he purchased 20 acres of land from his brother (half-brother) Edmund. Here he joined with Edmund to build a grist mill on Williams creek a small stream flowing through their land. It is said that they built the mill from timber cut from the land, the only part not being made by them was the steel fly wheel.
The location of the land, and the mill, was the undivided 1/2 N l/2 W 1/2 NE l/4 of Section 26 Twp. 17. Range 20. now in the Meridian Hills section of Indianapolis.
When John W. moved to Hamilton Co. Ind. He sold his land in Marion Co. to Chas. Hallam, Feb. 8. 1836. After he had settled in Hamilton Co. he sold the remainder of his land in Pulaski Co. Kyto his brother Hudson, July 21, 1837.
November 24, 1835, John W. Newby secured 160 acres of homestead land from the United States Government, in White River Township, Hamilton Co. Ind. This land was the southeast one quarter of Section 22, Twp. 20. range 5 East. He immediately began clearing the land and built a round log cabin for his family who was at that time living on the 20 acres he owned in Washington Twp. Marion Co.
In April of 1836, after he had completed the log cabin he moved his family to the homestead. At the time he brought his family to White River Township his home was the farthest homestead north of the settlements along White River. It was four miles north of Strawtown the only settled community in White River Township, and his nearest neighbor, William Edwards was a mile to the south of him. Others neighbors living a mile to a mile and a half southeast of his homestead were, James Carey. James and Jesse Justice, and Ebenezer Holloway. William Birch who lived on the Carey farm owned a yoke of oxen and hauled the logs to build the Newby cabin. Other families living south and east of the John Newby homestead were Peter Carey,William Parker and John Morris.
For several years after the land in White River Township was opened for entry all settling was along White River. The families mentioned above constituted the first group of pioneers to settle in the wooded area north of White River in White River Township.
To settle and homestead in this densely wooded country was a very difficult undertaking, calling for men and women of courage, willing to undergo many hardships, John W. Newby and his wife Margaret were leaders among them. They united in assisting each other to build their cabins and clear the land. There were no roads and they cut their way through the woods to reach their land. They bound themselves together in community enterprises of building churches and schools. They held community log rollings, rolling the logs, after the trees had been cut, into large piles and burning them.
The first school in the community was on the Carey farm and later a school was built on the John W. Newby farm. This was a one room log cabin the first teacher being a Mr. Daugherty. It was in these schools the Newby family got their early education.
Grist and sawmills were the indispensable industries of the early settlers. It was to these mills the settlers took their grain to be ground and their logs to be sawed A Mr. Kemp had a saw mill near the community and Jacob Hier had a grist mill on Duck Creek near Strawtown. Strawtown, originally known as Woodville was the trading center for the community.
The first home of the Newby family in White River Township was the log cabin built from the timber cut from the land. It had a rough boarded roof with rough wooden doors. This served the family for a few years and sometime in the 1840s a new house was built. This house stood near a small stream and near the barn, back from the road which now runs from the Arcadia pike to the Walnut Grove road, (1965). A picture of a Newby family reunion in 1875 is taken in front of this house and is shown later in this chapter.
The children of John W. and Margaret Newby all settled on land near the old homestead and the community in that area is called in the early histories, The Newby Settlement. Family tradition relates that John W. Newby gave each of his children 80 acres of land with the provision that they buy 80 acres more. This is in fact more than tradition, for each of his sons at one time owned 160 acres of land in the community, and later extended their land holdings.
John W. Newby was a religious man and reared his family in a strict religious manner. Instrumental in advancing education in the community he also was one of the founders of the Christian Church at Omega, a small community two miles north of his home. The following is from a booklet, "Centennial 1863-1963, Omega Christian Church"
"The community (Omega) was no more than a cross road with a cabin or two then. The settlers had their farms or clearings scattered about, many now still with the same family names as then. It was the custom to have church meetings in the various schoolhouses in the township (there were 15 or 16 by 1880). Here they met in the Fairv Glade, Newby and Porter schoolhouses. -- When they decided to locate their church (referring to the members of the Christian faith) they purchased the ground from Nelson and Mary Anderson, on the 29th. day of May, 1863. The deed states this ground was conveyed to J. W. Newby, Silas Blount and Henry Newby, Trustees, for the sum of $40.00. - Some of the early members of the church were, Mr. and Mrs. John Newby, and Mr. and Mrsfrank Newby, and Mr. and Mrs. Squire Newby, and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Billhymer.
The early congregation did not believe in having man-made musical instruments in the church and there was no organ or piano in use until the early 1900's.
Prior to 1863 and probably later also, the following officers served the church: Elders J. W. Newby, C. Leeman, and R. W. Wright, Deacons Jefferson Edwards, Squire Newby and W. Leeman.
John William Newby lead a vigorous pioneering life. He acquired considerable wealth in land holdings and established a community and settlement in White River Twp. Hamilton Co. Ind. which to this date 1967 is inhabited by many of his descendents. He died at his home, on the land he had homesteaded, July 15, 1882, lacking only four months of reaching his 80th. birthday. He and his wife Margaret(Holtzclaw) are buried in the Brethren cemetery at Arcadia Ind. .
CHILDREN I. Elizabeth born 1823, died April 18, 1898 age75 II. John William, Jr. born 1825, died Oct. 26. 1907 age 82 III. Squire born Mar. 4, 1827, died Mar. 1, 1912 age 85, IV. William born Jan. 11, 1829, died April 6, 1910 age 81 V. Franklin born Sept. 18. 1831, died March 1913 age 82 . VI. Nancy Ann born 1835, died 1841 age 6 VII. Sarah born April 1837, died Aug. 22, 1898 age 6I VIII. Martha(Patsy) born Dec. 8, 1840, died March 20, 1932 age91 IX. Jane born 1843, died Aug. 19, 1919 age76 X. Jacob died infancy
The following story has been handed down through the generations. When John W. and Margaret with their four children migrated from Somerset Co. Kentucky to Indiana they traveled in a two wheeled ox cart. This was a covered affair with bows arched over the cart to hold the cover. When Margaret rode in the cart, sitting on a chest which contained their clothing, her head reached the top of the cover. Jolting over the rough roads through the hills of Kentucky and southern Indiana contact with the bows mussed her hair and made her head sore. She made a cap to protect her head when riding and retained this cap for many years, wearing it on many occasions.
When they finally reached Williams Creek in Washington Twp. Marion Co. to settle on the land John had purchased, their ox cart contained all their earthly belongings, their stock consisted of the yoke of oxen and one horse, and John had fifty cents in his pocket.
The Christian Church at Omega Indiana has been the religious center of the Newby family and their neighbors for more than 100 years.
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