Switzerland County – 1833 Indiana Gazetteer

Switzerland County, Indiana entries from:
The Indiana Gazetteer or Topographical Dictionary. Indianapolis : Douglass and Maguire, 1833.
Digitized copy at HathiTrust Digital Library

ALLENSVILLE, a post town in Switzerland county, about ten miles north-east of Vevay, on a branch of Laughery creek.

BRYANT’S CREEK, a small creek which has its source in the northern part of Switzerland county, and runs south through said county to the Ohio river.

COTTON, a northern township in Switzerland county.

CRAIG, a western township in Switzerland county.

JACKSONVILLE, a small village in Switzerland county about seven miles north-east from Vevay, on the Lawrenceburgh road.

JEFFERSON, a western township in Switzerland county.

LOG LICK CREEK, a small creek in Switzerland county, running southward into the Ohio river.

MOUNT STERLING, a flourishing village in Switzerland county, three and a half miles north from Vevay. It has some trade and abounds with fine water.

NEW-YORK, a small post village in Switzerland county. It is situated on the bank of the Ohio river, eight miles east of Vevay.

PATRIOT, a small post town in Switzerland county, on the Ohio river, about fifteen miles by land, and twenty-five by water, north-east from Vevay.

PLEASANT, a post village in Switzerland county, twelve miles north of Vevay.

PLEASANT, a northern township in Switzerland county, including the village of that name.

PLUM CREEK, a small mill stream in Switzerland county, running southwardly into the Ohio river.

POSEY, an eastern township in Switzerland county.

QUERCUS GROVE, a post office in Switzerland county, about twelve miles north-east from Vevay.

SWITZERLAND, a south-eastern county bordering on the Ohio river. It was organized in 1814; and is bounded on the north by Dearborn and Ripley, on the west by Jefferson, and on the south and east by the Ohio river. Its greatest extent from north to south is about eighteen miles, and from east to west about twenty-four miles. It contains about 300 square miles, or 192,000 acres. Its population, in 1830, was 7,111. The face of the country, the soil, and timber, are variant. The bottom lands along the river are level. The timber consists of beech, walnut, cherry, honey locust, ash, elm, and buckeye. The soil is a dark loam with a heavy mixture of sand. Next to the bottom is a high, hilly land considerably broken, and the hills in some places very precipitous. On these hills the timber is not much different from that which is found in the bottoms; blue ash, and large buckeye abound on the steepest places. In this tract, which extends back from the river about three or four miles, the soil is a dark rich loam with a smaller proportion of sand than the bottom lands, and equally fertile where cultivation is practicable. In this hilly region, are vast quantities of limestone, and in some places high cliffs, from which detached masses of rock have fallen on the subjacent plain. Passing from the river a few miles back, the hills extend gradually, forming a high table land, covered with beech, gum, poplar, ash, hickory, and all varieties of oak. In this high land the soil is clayey and calcareous, and produces plentiful crops of small grain and grass. This county is washed by the Ohio river on the east and south. Its interior streams are Indiana creek, Plum creek, Bryant’s creek, Turtle creek, and Grant’s creek; all which run into the Ohio river. In this county the vine is successfully cultivated. The settlements along the river below Vevay, where the culture of the grape is principally attended to, present an appearance of industry and taste. This part of the county, is a compound of elegance and usefulness, where to one of the most delightful natural situations on the Ohio, is added the embellishments of art; and where art and elegance are made subservient to wealth and comfort. Here are also beautiful orchards, with a great variety of the finest fruits, and gardens cultivated in the most tasteful style. The wine of this county is of excellent quality, and with the advantage of age, would not be inferior to the European wine; but it is generally used before it is sufficiently matured. The citizens of this county are rapidly improving in their circumstances, and some of them have already become wealthy, chiefly by the culture of the grape. In addition to the culture of orchards, gardens, and vines, the ordinary branches of husbandry are carried on in this county, and large quantities of corn, flour, beef, pork, potatoes, hay, and poultry, are annually transported to the low country. Vevay is the seat of justice.

TURTLE CREEK, a creek in Switzerland, running southwardly into the Ohio river.

VEVAY, a post town, and the seat of justice of Switzerland county. The situation of this town is very pleasant; it is thought by some to be superior in beauty to any other town site on the Ohio river. The first settlers in this place were emigrants from Switzerland, who at an early period commenced the culture of the vine. By the industry and enterprise of those early settlers, the beauty of the natural situation was soon greatly heightened, and that beautiful rich bottom which but a few years ago was covered by a heavy forest, now presents to the eye of the passing traveler a pleasant flourishing town, surrounded by orchards, gardens, and vineyards, where taste and elegance are combined with use and comfort. The town contains upwards of a hundred brick and frame dwelling houses, a jail, a brick court house, three taverns, seven mercantile stores, three lawyers, three physicians, a printing office, and a variety of mechanics; with an aggregate population of about 400 souls. It is situated about twenty miles south-east from Indianapolis. N. lat. 38 deg. 40 min. W. lon. 7 deg. 49 min.