54 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



bodies built by one Huntley upon the South half of Sec. 8, 

 T. 34, R. 8, for which they paid him $50 in cash. Of 

 course cash must have been more plenty with them then 

 than it is now. 



Wells went back to his family near Detroit, and Fowler 

 spent the eventful winter of 1834-5 with us in the soli- 

 tude of the first settlement of what soon became known as 

 Robinson's Prairie. Fowler returned to Detroit in the 

 spring, got married in the fall & returned with his wife 

 & Wells' wife & child, and settled upon their claims. Wells 

 arrived shortly after, and both families have since multi- 

 plied after the fashion of all new settlers. 



During the first winter we had many claim makers, but 

 few settlers. The majority of those making claims, were 

 doing it for the purpose of speculating out of those who 

 might come afterwards with the intention of becoming 

 actual settlers. 



The first family that came after Childres and myself, 

 was that of Robert Wilkinson, at the place where his 

 brother Benajah now lives on Deep River, at that time, 

 the only known crossing place. He settled about the last 

 of November, 1834. The next family was that of Lyman 

 Wells; afterwards well known as "Lying Wells". With 

 him came "Irish Johnny" now known as John Driscoll. 

 They came in January, 1835, and settled on Sec. 25, T. 33, 

 R. 9, near where Driscoll now lives. Driscoll was then 

 single, but has since obeyed the scriptural command to 

 multiply and replenish the earth. 



Wells had a wife and 4 or 5 children — He lived a few 

 years here and moved further West, and his wife died & 

 some say the world would not have suffered much loss if 

 he had died too. Wilkinson lived a few years where he 

 settled when he moved off and his brother took his place. 



Next after Wells came, William Clark & family & Wil- 

 liam Holton and mother, and sister, about the middle of 

 February, and in a few days after came Warner Holton 

 & wife & child. These families are still with us. Clark 

 first settled on the N.E. 1/4 of Sec. 8, and Warner Holton 



