COL. JOHN PAUL, was the fourth child and second son of Michael Paul and Ann Parker, who were married at Germantown about the year 1751 or 1752. Michael Paul was a native of Holland. Michael Paul was a native of Holland. The time and place of his birth is unknown, as is also the date of his emigration to this country, and the fact as to whether he came alone, or with others of his father's family; however, it is known that he had two brothers who lived at the same place-Germantown, Penn. He left Germantown in the year of 1766 or 1777, and went to Redstone, Old Fort, now Brownsville, Penn. From there he went to what is now West Virginia, and from there, in 1781, to Hardin county, Kentucky, where he died in 1801.
Ann Parker was born in Germantown, Penn., in the year 1724. She belonged to the order of the Dunkards. She was a cousin to Rev. Samuel Davis, D.D., a noted Presbyterian preacher of that day, and president of one of the early theological schools of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (perhaps of Princeton.) She died in Hardin county, Ky., in June, 1813, at the age of 89. They were the parents of seven children.
John the subject of this sketch, being the fourth. He was born in Germantown, Penn., November 12th, 1758, and died June 6th, 1830, in Madison, Ind. He went with his father to Brownsville and to Virginia, and after-wards to Kentucky.
In the year of 1778, he went with the expedition of Gen. Geo. Rogers Clark in the campaign against the Indianas in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The expedition went by boats from Louisville, Ky., to Kaskaskia (now) Illinois. When they debarked at Kaskaskia, the soldiers had to wade for a great distance in water up to the armpits, carrying their guns and powder horns above their heads to keep them dry, before reaching the fort. In 1794, he was married to Miss Sarah Thomberry Grover, at Danville, Ky. She was born in or near Baltimore, Md., March 21st, 1775, and went to Kentucky with her parents somewhere in the decade of 1780. They had four children, Mary Berry, the oldest, dying quite young.
In 1809, Col. Paul left Xenia and came to the Indiana Territory, landing with his family at the point where Madison now stands, on October 6th. Previous to this, he had gone to the "Vendue" of public lands at Vincennes, where he bought the land upon which New Albany now stands. Upon his trip home from that sale he stopped at his purchase to fix a home, but concluding that it was an unhealthy locality, he prospected along the river for a more healthy situation. He decided upon the present site of Madison as being best suited to his wishes, and went home to Ohio to await the opening of the sales at Jeffersonville where this land was to be sold. In the spring of 1809, he went to the sale and bought the land, and returned home and arranged for the immediate removal of his family to this place, where he afterwards lived till his death.
Col. Paul was a man full of the milk of human kindness. His benefactions in the way of property for public uses are seen all along the pathway of his life. At Xenia, Ohio, he gave the site for the court house. In Madison, the ground for the old graveyard, on Third street; the site for Wesley Chapel Church, now the opera house. In Ripley county, Indiana, the ground for the graveyard in Versailles, and ground for the Academy. He was a practical surveyor, and a very good judge of the quality of land; as is proven by the fact that a great many tracts of the best land in this county and Ripley were bought by him from the United States government.
He was a man endowed by nature with all of the elements of a leader amongst men, and he was one. In this day and generation he would have been called an athlete on account of his strength, activity, and powers of endurance.
He was tall, of a fine attractive physique; he had a commanding appearance. Kind hearted, he was gentle in manner to alll, tender to those in distress; magnanimous, he was generous to a fault, always a friend to the poor and helpless, and ready to lift up and help forward young men. He was beloved by his friends, and respected by all men who knew him, even by his enemies,-for, like all men of positive character, he had them. He was an energetic business man, and engaged in farming, milling and real estate business. He was the first representative in the Territorial Assembly from this part of Clark county, and was a member of the Legislature after this county was organized. He was elected as Senator from Switzerland and Jefferson counties to the first Legislature of the State of Indiana, which convened at Corydon, Monday, November 4th, 1816. He was called to the chair of the Senate as President pro tempore, and was the first presiding officer of the State.
He was the first Clerk and Recorder of this county, which offices he held for many years.
Col. Paul was the first clerk of Green County, Ohio, and laid out the town of Xenia in that county. He also named Jefferson county and Madison town.
Col. John Vawter, in a letter written in 1850, says of Col. Paul: "He was one of George Rogers Clarke's men in the expedition against the British posts at Detroit, Mich., and Kaskaskia, Ill. He was at the capture of Vincennes in 1779, February 24th."
At the time he located in this county, his family consisted of himself and his wife, Miss Ruth Grover, a niece of his wife who made her home with them, and three children; the eldest, Ann Parker, was born March 18th, 1799, in Harding county, Ky., John P., who was born in Greene county, Ohio, December 23rd, 1800, and Sarah G., who was born March 21st, 1802, in Greene county, Ohio.
Ann Parker was married May 19th, 1816, to William Hendricks. From this union were born nine children. She died September 12, 1887, in the 89th year of her age. John Peter Paul was a graduate of Washington College, and became a surveyor. He was married to Miss Eliza Meek. He died in September, 1835, in Clark county, in the thrity-fifth year of his age. Sarah G. Paul was married three times; her fist husband was Dr. Robert Cravens, who died leaving one son, Judge John R. Cravens (who still resides in Madison); her second husband was Dr. Samuel M. Goode, who died leaving one son now living here in the city, and known as Dr. Goode. Her third husband was B.C. Stevenson, a Methodist preacher. She died in September 14th, 1877, aged---. Mrs. Paul, the mother of the family, died May 8th, 1866, in the 92nd year of her age.
Col. Paul and his wife and daughter, Mrs. Stevenson, are all buried in the old graveyard on Third street, in the city of Madison.
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