The Kathryn Jeannette Ward Of Indiana:Information about Allen Shepherd, Sr.
Allen Shepherd, Sr. (b. 1781, d. February 23, 1833)
Notes for Allen Shepherd, Sr.:Was buried on his own farm within a circle generally known as the Indian fort.Came to Philadelphia from England by way of New York (before 1809) around 1800. Came to New Castle around 1819.Purchased 569.22 acres in Henry Count 8-21-1821.Also purchased 160 acres in Ann Ward's name.(info from Judy Shepherd Robbins)Article on Allen with info from Martha Ward Lytle, Alson Allan Shepherd Estate Probate Distribution Petition.In Probate matter, Sarah Sturdivant, a widow aged about 41 years, gave interrogatory on July 26, 1838 that she was the niece of Elizabeth Powell Shepherd.Sarah stated that she and her husband had gone west with Allen Shepherd Sr. and his son, Allan Jr.in the year 1819.They went as far as Brookville where Sarah, her husband and Allen Jr. remained.Allen Sr. continued on to Blue River where he settled.The following spring Sarah and her husband visited Allen Sr. at Blue River. Allen Jr. having gone on before them a few months previous.They stayed With Allen for about a week.That was the last time she saw Allen Sr.
See article from Courier Journal. also entry in History of Henry County Book, also copy of probate records.
Henry County Historical Society, Inc. - Henry County Heritage Recognition, Early Settlers of Henry County - see copy.Family Info given by Marth Gray Smith, daughter of Maurine Shepherd Gray gives Allen's occupation as coach maker.See also Memories of the Allen Shepherd Family by Martha Gray Smith.
New Castle, Indiana History
In October 1819 that New Castle had its first settled inhabitant. That man was Ashael Woodward. During the year Charles Jamison, Alen Shepherd, Williamand Andrew Shannon, George Hobson and David Gray became Woodward's neighbors.
Early Methodism in New Castle, Indiana
The first church building was erected on a vacant lot.That lot being the one on which the present building is located.Frist Untied Methodist Church,1324 Church Street.It was built in 1831 by W.F. Harmen a Carpenter from Knightstown, Indiana.The shingles, nails, glass and window sashes were furnished by Alen Shepherd,who was not a member.[see papers]
Herny County Historical Society, Inc.
Henry County Heritage Recognition
Special Tribute to
Early Settlers of Henry County
Occupation of Settler:Coch Maker
Frist lived In Philadelphia
He went west the first of September 1819
Also see History and GrowthPapers. History of Henry County,Civil History Chapter III Page 296.Also on page 318 list as a Commissioner from 1822 to 1823. on page 431 Alan Shepherd an Englishman by birth, came to Henry County with his family in October, 1819, and settled one and three-fourths miles Noth of New Castle.He had been here a shout time previously, and selected a sitefor his cabin and engaged Charles Jamison to build it.The Woodward and Jamison families were then the only settlers at New Castle.There was an Indians cabin about eighty rods from the Shepherd cabin.The Indians seemed friendly, though the objected to the white men hunting and fishing.The Shepherd family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd;Nathan Powell, a Revolutionary veteran of eighty, who was the father of Mrs. Shepherd; Alan Shepherd Jr., a boy of eight or ten years; an infant son, Samuel; and Eliza and Martha Ward, Daughters of Mrs. Shepherd by a former marriage.Martha [now Mrs. Andrew J. Lytle] is still living in New Castle,Alan Shepherd was on of the first commissioned officers of Henry County.He died in 1832.
Alan Sheperd
The author of the next account is unknown.Its source was almost certainly the stepdaughter, Martha [Ward] Lytle, to whom the last paragraph is devoted.It appeared in the Courier, February 1, 1884.It is virtually our only source of the life of the man who may well have named New Castle for his home in England and who was certainly one of its most influential early citizens.
As the pioneers of Henry county are rapidly passing away would it not be interesting to those remaining and to the public generally for some representative of each pioneer family to interview those who survive and glean from their lips recollections incident to pioneer life?
Alen Shepherd, a native of England, emigrated to the United States in the early part of the present century and settled in Philadelphia, where he engaged in the coach-making business, by which he saved some money.The writer does not know the exact date of his marriage, but after leaving his first wife he became the husband of a widow lady by the name of Ann Ward, Whose maiden name was Powell.She had two daughters, Eliza and Martha Ward. Having conceived the idea that there was a vast fortune in the far West for all who had the courage and enterprise to possess it, about the first of September, 1819, Mr. Shepherd and his family went for the land of promise, bringing with him Allen,Jr., the oldest son by his first wife-leaving John and William, the younger sons, with their Mother in the East-Nathan Powell, his father-in-law, his wife and her two daughters, Eliza and Martha, and an infant son of the twain, whom they called Samuel.They were accompanied by a Brother-in-law, Samuel Powell, whose family consisted of himself, wife and one child.
When this little colony started to the far West they did not charter a car, although the last half mile of their journey was over the ground where the I.B. & W. now runs. but a two-horse wagon carried all the clothing, furniture and tools which constituted an outfit for the pioneer of that day.After the first day's journey the father, traveling in a gig similar to what is now called a sulky,started in advance of his family to spy out the land and prepare a receptacle for his weary pilgrims,instructing them to stop at Lebanon, Ohio, and there await his return.He proceeded as far as White River, near the present sit of Anderson.Not being favorably impressed with the White River country, he returned to where New Castle now stands, where he found two families; that of Asahel Woodward and Charles Jamison, who had settled here in March of that year. After a brief exploration of the surrounding country he chose for his future home a site about one and three-quarters miles north of present public square in New Castle.He employed Charles Jamison to erect a cabin at designated place, while he returned to meet his family and escort them to the home of his choice.His family arrive at Lebanon some ten or fifteen days before his return, and here occurred the first incident in their pioneer life that was calculated to try the nerves and test the metal of which they were made.Weary days and restless nights passed, but the family returned not.The problem as to what had become of him could not be solved.Were it possible that he had died in the wilderness of disease of fallen a victim to wild beasts or the fierce wrath of the savages that then roamed the forest?And there occurred a circumstance remarkable in its nature.When the family was about to relinquish all hope, the father was sharing their grief.On returning to Lebanon, a town at that time of about 500 inhabitants, he hunted for two days without finding any trace of his family.As he was about to abandon further search and was starting from the town, he saw standing in the door of a cabin in the outskirts his youngest step-daughter.Martha,whom he called " Little Patty." Thus their grief was turned to joy and their sorrow into gladness, demonstrating the fact that the darkest hours in our mental life is just before the dawn of day.After recruitingtheir little stock of provisions and purchasing as many articles of domestic household goods necessary to pioneer life as their wagon would carry, they resumed their journey to their future home, where they arrived in due time.Then came the trying hour; the hearts of the female portion of the colony quailed, and like the children of Israel, entreated their Moses to return rather than let them die in the wilderness.But Mr. Shepherd, being a man of courage and perseverance, prevailed with them to unload and put their little stock of goods into the cabin, as soon as a door could be cut out and a roof of clapboards put on, the cabin not being quite finish a their arrival.It then being in October, little else could be done than to make their winter quarters as comfortable as possible.They spent the dreary days and long winter nights, not by hearing the shrill whistle of the locomotive that now passes over the spot where their cabin then stood, but their ears were greeted by the hideous howls of the wolves that then inhabited the dense forest.
The only visitors at this humble home during the first winter [ in the recollection of the youngest step-daughter of Mr. Shepherd who was Martha Ward, now Martha Lytle, Wife of A.J. Lytle, from whom this information is obtained ] were the families of Asahel Woodward, Charles Jamison and William and Andrew Shannon, all of whom came the spring previous to Shepherd's arrival.At the opening of spring and the return of the calm sunshine and balmy breeze that floated over the forest, the dormant frog spoke out and proclaimed the dead alive, mean while the little birdschimed in with their warbling notes which sent a thrill of joy through the hears of the weary strangers in a strange land.Preparations were immediately made for making sugarfrom the maple trees which were abundant in the forest, and about on acre cleared for a truck patch.
In addition to the white families who visited each other, numerous Indians, who occupied an Indian village about eighty rods from Shepherd's cabin, visited here.No hostile demonstrations were made by these Indians, though there seemed to be great jealousy to the whites hunting and fishing.One day Grandfather Powell, who was an old Revolutionary soldier, then near four score years, and Allen Shepherd, Jr., a lad of eight or ten years, were returning from Blue River where they had been fishing and met an Indian who was Called Johnny.He told them that they must keep away from the river fishing, but raise corn and buy their fish from the Indians, for if the fish saw the pale-faces they would leave the streams and there would soon be no fish for white man or Indian.
After traveling a distance of six hundred miles to possess a land flowing with milk and honey, Mr. Shepherd found that the penalty against Adam for disobedience had not been removed, but here, too, bread had to be earned by the sweat of the brow, and he obtained his honey by felling the trees and extracting it from the cavities in which the gregarious bee had chosen his home.The milk was got by going some thirty miles into the settlement and buying a cow.
In October, 1820, Mr. Shepherd returned to Philadelphia to settle some business and collect some money due him, in order to be prepared for the land sales the following year.On his way home, in November, he was taken with inflammatory rheumatism, so that he was unable to get in or out of the gig in which he was traveling.After spending a dreary winter in suffering, he partially recovered, and being a man of energy, determined to make the best he could out of his misfortunes, and as William Shannon had settled on eightyacres of land adjoining on the east of the land settled by him, and wishing to buy that and one eighty east of Shannon, he gave Shannon $50 for his improvements, and bought the three eighty acre lots at the land sales.He then proceeded to erect a hewed log House on the Shannon eighty, said house being twenty by twenty feet from the cabin erected by Shannon, which was at that day the best house in what is now Henry county and is where the first election in the county was held.The first floor was hauled from Connersville.Although the first occupants have ass passe away except two, which are Allen Shepherd, who if living, is probably in Missouri, and Martha Lytle, living in New Castle.She has lived in Henry township for sixty-four consecutive years.The old house gives evidence of having weathered many a storm.It is still in a tolerable state of reservation and affords comfortable quarters for a family. It is the property, but not the residence, of John C. Hudelson, who is well known in Henry County, having filled the important offices of treasurer and clerk of Henry County.
Mr. Shepherd spent the remaining days of his life in the above named house in peace and quietude, entertaining to the best of his ability, and generally without charge, all those who might favor him with a call.This timewas spent in making whatever improvements he could to render home as Pleasent, cheerful and comfortable as the adverse circumstances under which he had to labor to improve his farm.
To record all of the little incidents pertaining to pioneer life would fill a volume, so we have confined ourselves to an abridged synopsis of the prominent points, and will desist for the present from a detailed account of this little colony, except of those remaining and the death of those who have passed away.
Allen Shepherd, Sr., the head of the colony, passed away in February, 1821, and by his request was buried on his own farm with in a circle generally known as Indian fort.
Eliza Ward, step-daughter of Mr. Shepherd, was married in 1821 to John Dorrah, a young man who came to Indiana from Muskingum County, Ohio, in the employ to Thomas Hendrix, Sr., who was then surveyor of the public lands of Indiana, and who has since been governor to the State.Dorrah was employed as assistant surveyor.The marriedlife of Dorrah was brief, he dying suddenly of quinsy in December 1823.Two sons were the fruits of this marriage, Joseph and John.Joseph is living one and one-half miles north of New Castle, on the farm where his father died;John lives in Iowa.Eliza Dorrah was afterward married to William Meek, by whom she had four children, and died May, 1834.
To make mention of all who came in this little colony would make this article too long, so we will close by making a brief mention of Martha Ward, the Youngs step-daughter of Shepherd, who is now Martha Lytle, from whom this information was obtained, which may no be exactly correct with regard to dates, as it goes as far back as her arrival in the State, when she was, four years old, but most of her statements are corroborated by statements made to the writer by Asahel Woodward in his lifetime.She speaks of having attended the first school taught in Henry County, she is not positive, but thinks it was in 1822 and was taught by Richard Huff, in a cabin which stood south of what is now Church and west of Court streets, on or near what is known to many of our citizens as the Berkshire lot.The road or path she went over to school was about two miles through a dense forest inhabited by wolves and other wild beasts.She often had to break the road through the snow, and on arriving at school would find the skirts of her clothing frozen.Such were the facilities for education at that day.She knows of no one now living who attended that school, Hon J.T. Elliott being the only one at his death except herself.Martha Ward was married to Andrew J. Lytle at New Castle, May 7th, 1848, by whom she had eight children, two of whom are living.Thus she has seen the Forst cleared away by the ax man and a thriving town of over three thousand inhabitants take its place.The eye that saw the majestic oak towering high above the earth sees in its place the church steeple pointing its spire toward heaven.Mrs. Lytle is now living with her husband on South Main street, in New Castle, not in a hidden corner in poverty, but in good circumstances, and having food and raiment is content there with.When she takes a retrospect of her life and reviews the meandering path over which she has passed,seeing so few of the associates of her childhood and youth remaining, while so many have passed away, she is constrained to feel that she has passed far over the sea of life, and that her little bark is nearing its moorings in the haven of rest.
There was another side to Allen Shepherd's life, however, that is preserved in Complete Probate Record B, pp. 32-50, in the Henry County Courthouse.It provides one important correction; the probate records clearly show that Shepherd died February 23, 1833.Therecords also preserve records of a lawsuit over Shepherd's estate filed in the spring if 1838, and they tell a strange and hauntingstory .
Allen Shepherd died without a will, leaving, as the lawsuit put it, "a considerable amount of personal estate consisting of household goods farming utensils stock on his farm accounts and Books and divers other goods and effects." Isaac Bedsaul and William Meek, two prominent New Castle men who often administered estates and served as guardians for orphans, were appointed administrators, and they divided it among all of the children, sending Shepherd's three sons living in the east their shares.The three sons of the first marriage, John, Allen, and William D. Shepherd, however, filed suit claiming that they were the only heirs and were thus entitled to all of their father's property.
The story told by affidavits sworn to by several residents of Philadelphia, including a brother and sister of Shepherd's first wife, was this.Allen Shepherd and Elizabeth Powell, both residents of Philadelphia ,were married the by Rev. Dr. Willism Staughton, a Presbyterian minister, on June 6, 1811.She was born about 1788.Their three sons were all born in Philadelphia; Allen,Jr. born in 1812 John born in December 1814, and William D. Shepherd, born in 1816. They lived in Castle Street.
In the fall of 1819, Allen and Elizabeth Shepherd separated.According to a niece of Elizabeth, Allen and his son Allen went west with the niece, Sarah Sturdivant and her husband, as far as Brookville.The Sturdivants and Allen Jr., remained there while the older Shepherd went on to "Blue River,"in what is now Henry County.Allen Jr. joined his father there a few weeks later.Sturdivant made no mention of the Powells or Ann Ward and her daughters accompanying them.The testimony of another neighbor in Philadelphia, a widow named Susan Brannan, makes it clear that the Shepherds' parting was a Micale. As she put it: "in a year of less after Allen Shepherd removed to the west he visited Philadelphia and remained with his wife a few weeks---- he returned again to the west and in about two years afterwards he came to the city of Philadelphia again and remained about eighteen months living all the time of his stay with his wife Elizabeth ."Brannan stated that " she was on the most intimate terms with them all the time that after this last visit of Allen Shepherd he returned to the west."Elizabeth remained in Philadelphia until 1833, when she moved to Baltimore.There she died in May 1835, two years after her husband.
The Philadelphia witnesses also remembered Ann Ward. Both Elizabeth's Brother Malin S. Powell, and her niece Sarh Sturdivant, as well as the neighbor Susan Brannan agreed that ward was a widow from New Jersey.Brannan said that she first met Ann Ward in 1815 at the Shepherd house.Shortly afterwards she moved into the neighborhood, remaining about a year before moving again.All agreed, however that she was frequently at the Shepherd house.Sturdivant recalled that " when she visited Allen Shepherd on Blue River in the state of Indiana Ann Ward was living with him as his wife..... that she lived when deponent first became acquainted with her husband in the State of New Jersey that her husband died and afterward deponent frequently met her at the house of Allen Shepherd in Castle Street in the city of Philadelphia."
There appears to be only one possible explanation.At a time when Divorce was rare and extremely difficult to obtain, Allen and Elizabeth Shepherd informally ended their marriage, apparently without great rancor.Allen then headed west with the widow Ann Ward, certainly a family friend and most likely a relative of Elizabeth, to begin a new life.Probably most of their neighbors in Henry County believed the story that they told --that Allen's First wife had died back in Philadelphia, and that he and Ann were legally married.
Shepherd's three sons From the east won their lawsuit; the court ruled that they were the sole legal heirs to their father's estate.Allen Shepherd may well have anticipated such a situation, since he put 160 acres of his land in the name of Ann Ward, so it was not part of his estate.She lived on his farm until her death, which took place November 7, 1863, aged 77 years.She was buried in the Old North Fourteenth Street Cemeteryin New Castle.In 1922 her grave was moved to South Mound Cemetery, where it can still be seen.
General Notes:Was buried on his own farm within a circle generally known as he Indian fort.Came to Philadelphia from England around 1800.Came to New Castle around 1819.
Article on Allen with info from Martha Ward Lytle.Also Allen Shepherd Estate Probate Distribution Petition.
In probate matte, Sarah Sturdivant, a widow aged about 41 years, gave interrogatory on July 26,1838 that she was the niece of Elizabeth Powell Shepherd.Sarah stated that she and her husband had gone west with Allen Shepherd Sr. and his son Allen Jr. in the year 1819.They went as far asBrookville where Sarah, her husband visited Allen Jr.remained.Allen Sr. continued on to Blue River.where he settled.The following Spring Sarah and her husband visited Allen Sr. at Blue River. Allen Jr. having gone on before them a few months previous.They stayed with Allen for about a week.That was the last time she saw Allen Sr.See article from Courier Journal, also enter in History of Henry County book, also copy of probate records.Henry County Historical Society, Inc. - Henry County Heritage Recognition, Early Settlers of Henry County - see copy.Family info given by Martha Gray Smith, daughter of Maurine Shepherd Gray gives Allen's occupation as coach maker.See also Memories of the Allen Shepherd Family by Martha Gray Smith.
In the book History Henry County 1820-1849On page 26 states that Allen death February 1832
Alan Shepherd , was named with two others as commissioners. for New Castle, Indiana when they had their first election.On Monday, the 10th day of June, Alan Shepherd and the others were sworn into office by Jesse Healey, Esq. Sheriff of the county a fore said, as is required by the Constitute and laws of this State.
During the year 1821 seventeen persons made purchase of land in Henry Township.on Aug. 15, 1821 Alan Shepherd was one of the seventeen.
Alan Shepherd gave 10 Acres of ground to start the city of New Castle, Indiana.
More About Allen Shepherd, Sr. and Elizabeth Powell:
Marriage: June 11, 1811, Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia.
More About Allen Shepherd, Sr. and Ann Powell:
Marriage: 1830
Marriage Notes for Allen Shepherd, Sr. and Ann Powell:Common Law
Children of Allen Shepherd, Sr. and Elizabeth Powell are:
- +Allen Shepherd, Jr., b. 1812, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, d. 1888, Maryville, Missouri.
- +John Shepherd, b. December 1814, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, d. 1844, Henry County, Indaina.
- +William D. Shepherd, b. 1816, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Children of Allen Shepherd, Sr. and Ann Powell are:
- +Samuel Shepherd, b. May 08, 1818, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, d. date unknown.
- Mary Shepherd, b. 1822, Henry County, Indaina, d. 1899.
- Sarah Shepherd, b. 1829, Henry County, Indaina, d. February 15, 1898, Henry County ,Indiana.
- +Milton Shepherd, b. November 17, 1831, Henry County, Indiana, d. May 13, 1882, New Castle, Henry County ,Indiana31.
- Richard D. Shepherd, b. 1827.