AUGUST 11, 1814

200 years ago today in Driftwood Township, Washington County, Indiana Territory, Thomas Ewing and John McAfee sold 11 lots in Vallonia to 7 different buyers for the total sum of $347.75.  The deeds were all prepared and witnessed by Cornelius Williamson as Justice of the Peace.  The buyers were:

          Samuel Carr                 lots 42,82,92        $66.25

          Clark McAfee               lot 66                    $47

          William Davenport        lots 48, 59            $55

          John McKarney            lot 65                    $44

          Robert McKarney         lot 68                    $36

          George McKasler          lot 91                    $67

          Thomas Crawford         lots 63,64             $59.50

Although Vallonia was a private plat while Salem was a public plat, Ewing and McAfee (Vallonia) probably considered themselves rivals of John DePauw (Salem) in the development of their respective towns.  Ewing and McAfee let it be known that they had sold more lots in Vallonia in one day than DePauw had sold in Salem since April 4, 1814. 

John DePauw learned of these sales when the deeds were delivered for recording to Isaac Blackford.  Being curious, DePauw inquired about the buyers.  He was wondering why settlers would buy lots in Vallonia which was hoping to become the county seat of new county that would eventually be formed instead of  in Salem which was a present county seat under development.  DePauw soon learned that the Vallonia sales were mostly family related and did not mean that new settlers to the area were avoiding Salem.  Samuel Carr was part of the family of  Thomas Carr (Kerr) who was an early settler of Driftwood and became one of their first county commissioners. Clark McAfee was a son of John McAfee. William Davenport was a son in law of John McAfee.  John McKarney and Thomas Crawford were sons in law of Thomas Ewing.  Robert McKarney was a brother to one of the Ewing sons in law.  The next time that DePauw met Ewing to discuss the purchase of Ewing’s land claim at the old ford of the Muscatatuck, he spoke in jest about the Ewing/McAfee Scotch-Irish commune of Vallonia.

                                DRIFTWOOD VALLEY AND VALLONIA

                                   MUSCATATUCK FORD-MILLPORT