June 1, 1814

200 years ago today much of Washington County Indiana was covered by a mesic deciduous forest which the first settlers were clearing so as to have land to farm.  Some of this forest had been cleared by the native inhabitants of this land so they could either farm the land or have a clear grazing area around springs and salt licks for easier hunting. When the original land survey was performed by government surveyors around Royse’s Lick in 1806, it was noted that the area was cleared land.  As animals were drawn to the salt lick, native inhabitants would establish settlements in the vicinity so as to enhance their hunting prospects.  Old Ox and his band of Lenni Lenape camped in this area of Washington County at the time of the first settlement of the area by pioneers such as Frederick Royse, Jesse Spurgeon and George Brock.

This forest on the land purchased by John DePauw as the agent for the Washington County seat of government from Benjamin Brewer was described by one of these Federal surveyors as covered with beech, ash and poplar trees with a very thick undergrowth of “spice”.  Witness trees used for marking the section corners and quarter section corners were often dogwood trees.  It was this large mature forest with the thick undergrowth of dogwood and spice that was the major impediment to the sale of the lots that DePauw had platted for purchase and settlement.  On this date 200 years ago, Zachariah Nixon was undoubtedly beginning the process of clearing this thick undergrowth from the lots he had purchased the previous week.

What was this forest understory tree that was called “spice” or “spicewood”?  It was Cercis Canadensis or the Eastern Redbud. In parts of the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Kentucky, green twigs from the redbud tree were used to season wild game such as deer, ground hog and opossum hence the name spicewood.  This designation of the redbud tree as spice by the government surveyors provides a hint as to the origin of a majority of  the original settlers of this part of the Indiana Territory—Virginia and North Carolina by way of Tennessee and Kentucky.

John DePauw was anxious to get the county seat  of Salem established for Washington County, Indiana Territory.  His platted lots went on sale on April 4, 1814  and the first lots didn't sell until May 27, 1814.
During this time the understory of redbud and dogwood under the old growth forest in the Salem plat were in full bloom and color. In 1814, Mr. DePauw may not have been appreciating this natural beauty around him.