APRIL 18, 1814

200 years ago this month, Amos Thornburg was working on the northwest corner of his 110 acre homestead at the confluence of Royse’s Fork of Blue River and Highland Creek. He had heard stories of how Tenskwatawa (The Prophet) had burned a witch from Highland’s band of Delaware Indians at this location. His brother in law, James Harbison, who was settled just northeast of him and Godlove Kamp and Samuel Blankenbaker, who settled to the north by the large spring on Highland Creek often shared tales of their encounters with the local members of the Delaware bands of Highland and Old Ox.  Thornburg and his neighbors were pleased that Washington County had been formed and that a county seat was under development.  Doing official business in Salem would be much better than having to go to Corydon. Thornburg was a settler of some means and was checking frequently with John DePauw on the sale of lots in Salem as he and Harbison and Alexander Little were the sureties on his $5,000 fidelity bond.