JUDGE
HEWIT
L. THOMAS
A manuscript record in the handwriting of the
late local historian Dr. Jehu Z. Powell, and found by the present writer in the
museum of the Cass County Historical Society (in City Building at Logansport,
and dated about 1907 or 1908, states that this cemetery is near the very center
of the east half of section 6 of CLINTON TOWNSHIP, CASS County, which
means in Congressional Township 26 North of Range One (1) East; for, although
this small township of Clinton happens to contain part of four separate
congressional townships (in two distinct ranges) and, naturally, some little
duplication (of section numbers) of a very confusing sort, it contains only one
section numbered “6”.
Research discloses that Hewit L. Thomas (or
Thompson!) bought this east half of section 6, on March 21, 1825, while still a
resident of Fayette county, Indiana, and from Nicholas Reagan, likewise of
Fayette county, and apparently under the name of Hewit L.Thompson, a name which
is repeated again and again in the deed, with the result that even is indexed
under the name “Thompson”, a thing which gave us a rather long search, and
almost was overlooked entirely. (See D.R.”A” pg.224.) Late in 1847, in a
deeded record, Hewit L. Thomas’s wife’s name is given as CHARLOTTE O.
Thomas. On 1-12-1853, Judge Thomas and wife finally sold said E1/2 of Section
Six to JOHN MYERS (See D.R.”Q.”, p.230). By or before 1878, the
cemetery-farm had passed into the hands of Ike, or Isaac, Myers (See Kingman
Bros. Atlas)
Further research discloses that Judge Hewit L.
Thomas was born in Tompkins county, New York, on 4-27-1805, and was the son of
Nancy (Wynans) Thomas and Minor Thomas, the later of whom was a native of
Connecticut and of Welch descent and a prominent Baptist clergyman who finally
settled at or near Connersville in Fayette county, Indiana, where he was a
pioneer settler.
A farmer, teacher, and hotel-proprietor before
coming to Cass county, Hewit L. Thomas came to Clinton township in or before
1836, but, in 1853, sold out to John Myers, and moved to Noble township (across
Wabash River), where he became deeply interested in the lumber business, moving,
in 1855, actually to the state of Minnesota, where he remained till near the end
of the Civil War, serving 2 or 3 terms in that state’s Legislature, while two
of his sons served as officers in the Union army during that war, one rising to
the rank of actually brigadier-general. His sons are said to have been Meredith
H. (born 1826), Minor T. (b. 1830), and William H. (b. 1833). His wife had been
Miss Charlotte C. Helm, daughter of William (of
But while living in
His
Descendents of Judge Thomas are said to have
gone to
In or about 1865 Judge Thomas is said to have
returned to Cass county, but to have settled in Clinton nor Noble township, but
in Jackson township, near Galveston (and north of Kokomo, Indiana), where he was
still living in 1886.
In this little Thomas private burial-ground
between 1836 and 1853, were buried:
“Remarks” Dau. of Hewit L. (& Charlotte C.H.?) Thomas, and buried at an attractive spot “just back of the Thomas log-cabin.) This grave was dug by the late Robert Reed, an Uncle of the late (and widely known) C. Bruce Reed of ¾ mi. S. E.
But this lady’s remains are understood to
have later been disinterred, and re-interred in some other and perhaps more
permanent cemetery.
“and probably a few other persons,” who,
according to historian Powell, still lie buried here in graves now entirely
unmarked, and whose names the present writer does not seem able, at this late
date, to obtain.
Fieldwork indicates that the center of the
east half of section 6 is perhaps only about 20 rods southeast of the ravine (or
narrow and rather winding hollow) of a small spring-fed creek and northward
flowing creek, on the east side of which is said to have been one or more little
log cabins, the site of one of which is still detectable, at a point only about
80 rods, southwest of the present sturdy (and large) brick house formerly
occupied by the Myers family, and now by Dr. O”Leary’s caretaker, Mr.
Williams,---which brick house is perhaps 25 rods south of an east-to-west road
which runs along the East-to-West midline of the north half of said east half of
said section 6.
On both terrace-rims are some attractive spots
which may have served as this little pioneer-day family burial place; but the
present writer is unprepared to say precisely which one, if any of them so
served. (END OF REPORT.)
This report was transcribed by Sadie Cunningham for the Cass County INGenWeb Project in September 2006.
Added 16 October 2006