Isaac Branson

Isaac Branson
ISAAC BRANSON came to Randolph County, Ind., in 1822 (or sooner), entered land in the southern part of Stony Creek, in 1822 [Section 10, 19, 12], being the farm afterward owned by Abram Clevinger. This land he sold to Joseph Rooks, about 1825, and entered land again in the southern part of Nettle Creek Township [W. N. W., 15, 18, 12], near Mr. Burroughs, March 26, 1816. They sold out again and moved to Delaware County, becoming pioneers in that region. They raised a large family of children, enduring great hardships and peril. Mr. Branson died many years ago, but " Aunt Patsy" Branson, as she is called, resides with one of her daughters, in Muncie, Delaware County. She is nearly ninety years old, but very spry and strong, walking a mile or two without difficulty or fatigue, and retaining in memory the events of her oldtime life with remarkable tenacity. They had peculiar hardships when they first settled in Randolph. They came into the woods with one horse of their own, though somebody's two-horse wagon moved them here. In less than a week after they arrived, her husband cut his knee with a frow, while splitting clap-boards for a roof to his "camp," and so badly that he could not step on his foot for six weeks;, and much of that time he lay helpless on the puncheons of the floor. About the same time, his only horse died. The horse was not very good, but it was better than none, and it was all they had, and they had nothing to buy another. They came in February, and brought four large iron kettles to make sugar in. Mrs. Branson and her husband's brother, a lad of seventeen, who came with them into their forest home, took hold and opened an immense sugar camp that stood ready to their hand, and and actually cut the wood, carried the water, made the troughs, and produced about three barrels of excellent tree- sugar, all nice and dry, as good as need be. This sugar was indeed a "God-send" to the poor, afflicted family in the wilderness. Mr. B. hired a "plug" pony of his uncle in Wayne County, and contrived to do his work. After they got corn planted, he took sugar to Richmond and exchanged for corn and other necessaries. But their corn and vegetables grew splendidly, and long before the year was out, they had plenty of corn and potatoes and such things. They took to the corn as soon as it came to "roasting ears," potatoes as soon as they would do to cook, and squashes as soon as they got large enough, and so on. They had a cow, and the pea-vines were up to her back, and she gave abundance of milk, and grew fat on her keeping to boot. When Mr. B. went to Richmond with his sugar, he borrowed a wagon and a yoke of oxen, and took grain and things, also, for some other neighbor settlers, and the trip took a week or more. Mrs. B. thinks they came in 1819, which may possibly be the fact ; but if so, they must have resided here more than three years before they entered land, since that took place in the fall of 1822. And that, too, may have been true, as Mr. B. seems to have been very poor, and it may have been three years before he could raise the money for an entry.
History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers to which are appended maps of its several townships. By E Tucker. Published 1882 by A.L. Klingman in Chicago.

ISAAC BRANSON came to Randolph County, Ind., in 1822 (or sooner), entered land in the southern part of Stony Creek, in 1822 [Section 10, 19, 12], being the farm afterward owned by Abram Clevinger. This land he sold to Joseph Rooks, about 1825, and entered land again in the southern part of Nettle Creek Township [W. N. W., 15, 18, 12], near Mr. Burroughs, March 26, 1816. They sold out again and moved to Delaware County, becoming pioneers in that region.

They raised a large family of children, enduring great hardships and peril. Mr. Branson died many years ago, but " Aunt Patsy" Branson, as she is called, resides with one of her daughters, in Muncie, Delaware County. She is nearly ninety years old, but very spry and strong, walking a mile or two without difficulty or fatigue, and retaining in memory the events of her oldtime life with remarkable tenacity.

They had peculiar hardships when they first settled in Randolph. They came into the woods with one horse of their own, though somebody's two-horse wagon moved them here. In less than a week after they arrived, her husband cut his knee with a frow, while splitting clap-boards for a roof to his "camp," and so badly that he could not step on his foot for six weeks;, and much of that time he lay helpless on the puncheons of the floor. About the same time, his only horse died. The horse was not very good, but it was better than none, and it was all they had, and they had nothing to buy another.

They came in February, and brought four large iron kettles to make sugar in. Mrs. Branson and her husband's brother, a lad of seventeen, who came with them into their forest home, took hold and opened an immense sugar camp that stood ready to their hand, and and actually cut the wood, carried the water, made the troughs, and produced about three barrels of excellent tree- sugar, all nice and dry, as good as need be. This sugar was indeed a "God-send" to the poor, afflicted family in the wilderness. Mr. B. hired a "plug" pony of his uncle in Wayne County, and contrived to do his work. After they got corn planted, he took sugar to Richmond and exchanged for corn and other necessaries. But their corn and vegetables grew splendidly, and long before the year was out, they had plenty of corn and potatoes and such things. They took to the corn as soon as it came to "roasting ears," potatoes as soon as they would do to cook, and squashes as soon as they got large enough, and so on. They had a cow, and the pea-vines were up to her back, and she gave abundance of milk, and grew fat on her keeping to boot.

When Mr. B. went to Richmond with his sugar, he borrowed a wagon and a yoke of oxen, and took grain and things, also, for some other neighbor settlers, and the trip took a week or more. Mrs. B. thinks they came in 1819, which may possibly be the fact ; but if so, they must have resided here more than three years before they entered land, since that took place in the fall of 1822. And that, too, may have been true, as Mr. B. seems to have been very poor, and it may have been three years before he could raise the money for an entry.

History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of
its prominent men and pioneers to which are appended maps of its several townships. By E Tucker.
Published 1882 by A.L. Klingman in Chicago.