THE BLOCK HOUSE

During the Blackhawk war a fort and block-house was built in the yard where Mr. Samuel Lynn's house now stands, as a place of refuge for all the surrounding settlers' families. A place was first enclosed by twelve foot slabs set in the ground, inside of which was built the block-house, consisting of two stories, the upper one projecting out about two feet over the lower one, each having loop holes on all sides, through which to shoot. Previous to this a temporary fort was built around W. R. Jameson's house, by setting pickets in the ground around the house. This was, so far as known, the second fort in Henderson county built against the invasion of the Indians, the one at Yellow Banks being the first. The only remaining thing to mark the spot where the fort stood is the wall of the well for the use of the fort.

In the winter of 1S32, when there was a great deal of excitement in the settlements about the Blackhawk war, there were several families stayed in the block-house near by.

The names of those living in the block-house were as follows : Samuel Jameson and his family, his son James and his family, William R. and his family, among which was Calvin Jameson, Stephen Short and his family, and Abner and Gabriel Short, William Russel and. his family, Aaron Earnest and his family, James Ryason and his family, Eliza Griffith and her family, making forty-five in all.

 

History of Mercer and Henderson Counties.

 

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