DECEMBER 23, 1814
200 years ago today in Salem, Washington County, Indiana
Territory John DePauw sold lots 5, 6, and 136 of the Salem plat to Jonathan
Lyon for the total sum of $295. With
this transaction, DePauw had now issued deeds for 10 lots in his plat of April
4, 1814. Lots 5 and 6 comprised the
northwest quadrant of the lots on the Public Square. Lot 136 was a larger lot located at the
southwest intersection of North Water and West Walnut Streets. This was where the ford over Brock Creek was
located that connected the Original Plat to DePauw’s First Addition. As the Washington Circuit Court had awarded
the contract for the construction of a Court House to John DePauw for the sum
of $2,940, the sight of a rising seat of justice gave a sense of permanence to
prospective businessmen such as Jonathan Lyon who were interested in the opportunities
presented by a growing new community.
Jonathan Lyon was a businessman who laid out Madison,
Indiana with John Paul and his father in law, Lewis Davis, in 1810. John Paul was a soldier, major land holder and
frontier entrepreneur. He was the owner
of the newspaper, The Western Eagle, where notice of the sale of lots in Salem
was published by John DePauw. Lyon and
Paul engaged in several joint business ventures including the operation of a
ferry across the Ohio River. William Hendricks who was a young attorney in
Madison often came to Salem in 1814 to represent clients before the Washington
Circuit Court. Hendricks became the son
in law of John Paul in 1816. He must have been impressed with the prospects of
Salem and Washington County thereby encouraging Lyon to consider moving to
Salem.
Lyon was born in Fayette County Pennsylvania in 1774. His grandfather came to Maryland from England.
His parents would have taken the Braddock Road to move from Maryland to
southwestern Pennsylvania contrary to the Proclamation of 1763. He moved to Columbiana County, Ohio where the
Ohio River entered the Territory of Ohio.
He married Elizabeth Davis there in 1804. They followed the Ohio River downstream to
Madison Township, Clark County, Indiana.
After buying the lots in Salem, Lyon moved his family here in 1815 and
opened the first general store in Salem on the Public Square. Lyon’s business partner was his cousin,
Christopher Harrison, who also came to Salem from Madison. Lyon’s commercial
dealings were lucrative for him as he invested his profits in land. He invested in 42 different registered land claims
with the General Land Office in 6 different Indiana counties. These numbers do
not include any real estate that Lyon purchased from private landowners. For
example, on August 19, 1822 Jonathan Lyon bought 80 acres and a mill on Blue
River built by William Lindley which he then sold to my great, great
grandfather Eli Wright on March 26, 1832.
The foundation stones for the dam and the mill race are still visible
today.
When Jonathan Lyon relocated his family and business interests
from Madison, Indiana to Salem, Indiana in late 1814, this meant that a
critical mass of social and economic forces had formed to build the foundation
of an enduring community on the frontier of the Indiana Territory. Jonathan and Elizabeth Davis Lyon remained in
Salem for the remainder of their lives.
One of their sons, Dawson Lyon, was a pillar of the Salem and Washington
County business community as was his father. Lots 5 and 6 remained in the Lyon family for
over sixty years. The part of the Public
Square now occupied by PNC Bank, Salem Apothecary, Ernie’s Pizza, and the Hair
Elite salon is still known as the Lyon Block.
Dawson and Martha Newby Lyon lived for many years in the 300 block of North
Water Street. After Martha Lyon died in
1907, her family granted this residence and lot to the Salem Schools for the
construction of a new high school in 1909. A separate gymnasium was was built in 1926 and was named Lyon Hall. It served as the community sports arena, theater
stage, concert hall and banquet hall for many years. The Salem High School yearbook has always
been The Lyon. And finally, the Salem High School athletic teams have been the
Salem Lions since the Salem-Washington County Centennial of 1914.
JONATHAN LYON GRAVE MONUMENT
CROWN HILL CEMETERY, SALEM, INDIANA
DAVID L. DEJEAN POSTCARD COLLECTION
SALEM LIONS
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