Joel, Abner and Nathaniel Scribner were the founders or proprietors of New Albany.
The Scribners were of Puritan stock, so says their kinsman, Mr. William A. Scribner, son of Joel, who died April 16, 1866. Nathaniel Scribner, Sr., was the progenitor of the New Albany branch of the family. He served in the Revolutionary War, in a company of Connecticut volunteers, and died about the year 1800, in Dutchess County, New York, whither he had moved with his family of twelve children. In the winter of 1812, Joel, Abner and Nathaniel Scribner concluded to improve their fortunes in the West. It was a tedious journey across the mountains by wagon, stage and river. They landed in Cincinnati, proceeding from there to Madison, Ind., where they successfully negotiated with Col. John Paul, land owner, for eight hundred and twenty-six and one-half acres of land. On this land they located a town, calling it New Albany, after the capital of the State of New York which was founded in 1654. The Scribners were not the first settlers of New Albany, but they were the first proprietors by right of purchase and clear title and the first to organize a system for the foundation of a town and city. There were squatters on the land which they bought, but history does not record that the Scribners had any trouble in getting rid of them. Previous to the coming of the Scribners some of the soldiers who had served with Col. George Rogers Clark at the reduction of the British Post at Vincennes, in February, 1779, settled on land which is known as Clark’s Grant, and which extended to a point near Seventh and Market streets, extending west to Falling Run Creek and north to what is now called Culbertson Avenue, in the present city. One of Clark’s soldiers bearing the euphonious name of Epaphras Jones, settled on 100 acres of land east of the Scribner tract, this land having been allotted to him by the State of Virginia for chivalrous conduct in the march to Vincennes.
Jones was an eccentric man. He wore a blue coat all buttoned down before with brass buttons and he affected a military air. In these days he would be called a promoter. “Col.” Jones—he deserved the title—had aspirations as well as the Scribners. He wanted to build a town too, and to sell lots and run a ferry. He subdivided his one hundred acres and named it “Providence.” It was later known as Whitehill tract. Jones’ lands were covered with heavy timber and there were conveniences for public gatherings in after years. In 1844, Old Ben Hardin, of Kentucky, delivered a political address there which was listened to by George D. Prentice and other notable Kentuckians. A barbecue was given in Jones’ woods in honor of Henry Clay who would rather be right than President. The Jones tract was located on the river front from Vincennes street to about East Ninth street. The would-be town of Providence did not flourish, for the reason that “Col.” Jones did not have the money or the business ability of the Scribners. In a later day the town of Greenville, then the equal in size, was a rival of New Albany for the County Seat, but again the Scribners came to the rescue and secured the Seat of Justice when Floyd County was organized in 1819. In the earliest days New Albany was called a community of schools and churches, a title which from her records is well deserved. The town indeed had scarcely been laid out before several church congregations were formed, all of which is briefly mentioned elsewhere in this volume.
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Table of Contents
- Officers of Centennial Committee, p. 4
- Centennial Program, p. 6
- Officers and Committees, p. 8
- Officers of Women’s Auxiliary, p. 12
- Beginning of New Albany, p. 16
- The Scribners, p. 18
- Anders Rasmussen Florist, p. 19
- Frank A. Craft, p. 21
- Early Settlers, p. 22
- Laub-Zink Furniture Company, p. 23
- Anti-Slavery Sentiment, p. 24
- Early Society, p. 24
- The Hopkins Fertilizer Co., p. 25
- Early Manufacturing, p. 26
- The Naming of Floyd County, p. 26
- Ferries and Steam Boats, p. 28
- Taverns, p. 30
- The Bench and Bar of Floyd County, p. 30
- John Baer Dry Goods, p. 31
- New Albany in Medicine and Surgery, p. 32
- New Albany’s Schools, p. 36
- The Churches in New Albany, p. 42
- The Presbyterian Church, p. 44
- The Catholic Church, p. 48
- St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, p. 50
- The Christian Church, p. 52
- The Evangelical Church of New Albany, p. 56
- The Baptist Church, p. 58
- The Colored Churches, p. 60
- The “KLUB,” J. Robert Hukill, proprietor, p. 43
- Joe Renn’s Bottling Works, p. 43
- The Miller Dry Cleaning Company, p. 45
- Frank Manus & Son, p. 45
- The Rhodes-Burford Housefurnishing Company, p. 47
- Paul Reising Brewing Company, p. 53
- Louis Hartman, Merchand and Public-Spirited Citizen, p. 54
- Peerless Bread, p. 55
- New Albany Benevolent Institutions, p. 62
- New Albany’s YMCA, p. 60
- The United Charities, p. 62
- St. Edward’s Hospital, p. 64
- Ladies’ Sewing Circle, p. 66
- Carnegie Public Library, p. 66
- Rear Admiral George Augustus Bicknell, USN, Retired, p. 65
- Scribner Family Survivors, p. 70
- Chas. D. Knoefel Drug Company, p. 71
- Browns Seed & implement Co., p. 71
- Descendant’s of Mrs. Waring (Phoebe Scribner), p. 74
- City in Literature and Art, p. 76
- New Albany Milk Depot, p. 77
- Surviving Families of Pioneers, p. 78
- J. Graf Crupper Co., p. 79
- The First Railroad, p. 80
- Street Railway System, p. 80
- Early French Settlers, p. 80
- P. N. Curl, p. 81
- Future of New Albany, p. 82
- Hon. Jesse J. Brown, p. 83
- Commercial Bodies, p. 84
- New Albany Chamber of Commerce, p. 86
- Wholesale and Retail Houses, p. 88
- Water Power May be Utilized
- Silver Hills Railway, p. 94
- The Telephone Service, p. 94
- Sewer and Water Works, p. 96
- John C. Bettman Family, p. 85
- Stephen Day & Sons, p. 87
- C. C. Brown, p. 91
- Dr. Augustus P. Hauss, Jr., p. 91
- E. H. Arelung, p. 93
- Ruoff Bros., p. 93
- John J. walter Stoves and Tinware, p. 95
- New Albany in the Wars, p. 96
- Early and Late Newspapers, p. 98
- Secret and Benevolent Societies, p. 100
- On Silver Hills, p. 102
- John K. Graham, p. 105
- The Centennial Queen, Miss Martha L. Enos, p. 106
- Woman’s Auxiliary, p. 107
- Market House in the Street, p. 110
- The De Pauw Family, p. 111
- The Marsh Family, p. 112
- 1913 City and County Officers, p. 112
- New Albany in Music, p. 112
- Notes about Old New Albany, p. 114
- First Things in New Alabany, p. 116
Source
Russell, George L., 1813-1913 Souvenir history: New Albany centennial celebration, October 12 to 16, 1913, New Albany : 1913.