austinindiadev

Welcome to “City of Austin”

In 2008, Austin became Indiana’s newest city. Doug Campbell a Democrat was voted Mayor and five other men won City Council positions, Richie Buchanan, Chris Fugate, Roger Hawkins, Lonnie Noble and Jimmy Turner.  

Like all other small communities in the United States, Austin is faced with many challenges. The people of Austin have long been known as hard working people and willing to lend a hand when a neighbor is in need. The city of Austin looks to the future with encouragement and promise. Yes, that’s right, our little community is an official city, and while we like to say the “City of Austin”, we are well aware of our heritage. As a community we are ready to take the steps to improve the quality of life in our city, while maintaining a small-town atmosphere, after all there’s still only one stoplight.    

Caleb H. Skeels

Excerpts from a news story from May 2, 2011

Caleb H. Skeels (Nickname: Roxy Jane)

      Born: 1818 in Ohio.
      Died: 1884 in Noble County Ohio.

Parents of Caleb H. Skeels

• Nicholas Skeels born in Maryland in 1780.
• Mary Harding born in 1790 in Virginia.

Caleb H. Skeels first wife: Indiana Ogden (Married in 1841 in Scott County Indiana)

Children from 1st wife:

• Mary Missouri Skeels born in 1842 in New Frankfort (Scott County Indiana)
• Virginia A. Skeels born in 1846 in New Frankfort (Scott County Indiana)
• Alabama Skeels born in 1848 in New Frankfort (Scott County Indiana)
• Maryland Skeels born in 1848 in New Frankfort (Scott County Indiana)

Caleb H. Skeels 2nd Wife: Elizabeth Busz (Married in 1858)

Children from 2nd wife:

• Florida Skeels born in 1861 

Sources

Bogardus, Carl R. (1953). Centennial History of Austin Scott County. The History of Austin. P 49-50. 

Roof, George W. (1903).  The Skeels Family History. Caleb H. Skeels. P. 32-33

Forney Clark, Donna. (2011). Forney Clark Genealogy.Com.

A portrait of Caleb H. Skeels (at left), one of the three men, who established Austin, in 1853, has been discovered through the Forney Clark Genealogy Website, and is being seen locally for the first time. Donna Forney Clark, of Arlington Texas, has granted permission to the Austin Indiana History Website to display the photo.

Caleb H Skeels was one of three men from New Frankfort Indiana, credited for the establishment of Austin.

“George A. Rankin associated himself in the project with two other citizens of New Frankfort, John Elsey and Caleb H. Skeels. Accordingly, we find in Deed Book N, page 20, recorded a plat of the new town of Austin and the following statement by John Cantwell, Justice of the Peace, a lawyer, and one of the aforementioned proprietors of the town of Wooster:

State of Indiana – County of Scott

Before me, John Cantwell, a Justice of the Peace within and for said county, this day personally appeared George A. Rankin, John Elsey and Caleb H. Skeels, and acknowledged the laying off of said town of Austin to be their voluntary act and deed.”

Witness my hand and seal this 3rd day of May, A.D. 1853.

John Cantwell (SEAL) – Justice of the Peace,” (Bogardus, 1953).

Skeels Family Notes

In 1903 George W. Roof, of Albion Indiana, compiled a hardback book of the Skeels Family History, which included the following information for Caleb H. Skeels.

In 1903 George W. Roof, of Albion Indiana, compiled a hardback book of the Skeels Family History, which included the following information for Caleb H. Skeels.

“Caleb was a man of versatile genius. He was capable of turning his genius to profit was well as pleasure. His various avocations of farmer, agent, photographer, jeweler, etc., gave him advantage of obtaining general knowledge, and studying human character. He had seen much of life’s sunny side, as well as the side of adversity. He was an excellent conversationalist, a jester and agreeable with his friends.”

“Roxy Jane” as his intimate acquaintances knew him, was on a canvassing tour in the interest of a map publishing company in Indianapolis. Roxy was a good talker and his map speech was a pretty, musical one and usually proved a winning card. He called at the law office of William H English, who was later the democratic nominee for vice-president with General Hancock at the head of the ticket.”

“With a polite bow Roxy was ushered into the presence of Mr. English, when he unrolled his map and began his persuasive speech. The listener apparently became more and more interested as Roxy proceeded; which mark of attention led the young canvasser to believe that he was drawing his auditor closer and tighter into his wily meshes.”

“Mr. English did not interrupt him until he had finished the finely worded language; and then it was that Roxy received the severest blow to his genius that had ever befallen him. The great statesman and politician across from his desk, and himself addressed the young map canvasser: My good sir, I do not want your map, but I should like to buy that song you sing so sweetly,” (Roof, 1903).

Originally appeared in Skeels Family History 1720-1980 (which includes the text of a hard back bound book, compiled and printed by George W. Roof in 1903 in Albion, IN). Important contributors to Section II of the above text were: Hazel Brown McCollough & Mrs. J. Harry Kidwell & Mrs. Edmund Schafer & Col. Mortimer Bennet. Kenton M. Kidd organized and compiled the combined three book edition of Skeels Family History 1720-1980. Parts of the earlier books were set in type at South Side Press by Wayne Favinger, aged 15 yrs. (Forney Clark, 2011.

Austin Thrived off it’s ties

LOCATION: The Road from Louisville to Indianapolis

During its early existence Austin thrived off of its ties to the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1926 the community received another boost when US Highway 31, which was the main transportation route from Louisville to Indianapolis, was graded through the center of Austin. In the late 1950s Interstate 65, was graded on the west side of Austin.

Logistically Austin is in an ideal location for current and future economic growth, as the small city is within close driving range of four major cities. Austin is 35 miles north of Louisville Kentucky, 77 miles south of Indianapolis, less than 2 hours away from Cincinnati and less than five hours away from St. Louis.

The Conflict Between North & South Austin

In 1854 and about a year after Austin became a town, the business district which was located where the main part of town is today, began to move to south Austin near the Austin Train Depot. The change created conflict between the citizens of Austin over the move, and hard feeling lasted for years. As the south side of town flourished, the north side of town was considered the rough part of town.

The streets that once were the business section of South Austin are now the streets of a residential area. The main area of the former business district is the area located on the west side of U.S. Highway 31, directly across from Austin High School. When the Austin Canning Company established its plant in central Austin in 1899, the business district began to shift back to Main Street and is still the main section of town today, but even after that, conflict between North and South Austin lasted for several years.

First Nations Life in Austin, IN

Long before the white-man settled in Austin in 1839, the area was inhabited by First Nations communities. Archeologists and Scientists have determined that thousands of years ago, around the ice age period that Austin was home to several different generations of Indians. 

Around 15,000 years ago and near the end of the glacial period, Archeologists have found evidence that in south Austin the Paleoindians lived along the shore line of a great lake that was 17 miles long and covered areas in what is now known as Washington and Scott Counties. The lake no longer exists but the vast number of creeks and small rivers attest to its existence. The Paleoindians were believed to have migrated from Asia into North America.

After the Paleoindian era Austin was then inhabited by the Archaic Indians some 6-7,000 years ago. After that era the Woodland Indians lived in the area and still along the great lake, which was followed by the Mississippian Indians era and lasted until around 1650. 

By the late 1700s and early 1800s three different Indian tribes lived in the area or nearby, the Shawnee, the Delawares and the Potawatomi. The last known Indians to live in the area were the Delawares in the 1830s, but by the time Austin was established in 1853, Indian life in the area existed no more.

A Quick Story of Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas, became an official community in 1839, but was known as Waterloo prior to the name of Austin. In the early 1830s Anglo-Americans arrived in central Texas and settled along the banks of the Colorado River. In 1839, when Texas was searching for a centrally located capital; Waterloo was renamed Austin, Texas, in honor of Stephen F. Austin (1793-1836). Stephen F. Austin was affectionately known as “The Father of Texas.”

Stephen F. Austin was born in the mining regions of southwest Virginia in what is now known as Austinville, also named after him. In the state of Texas, Stephen F. Austin along with Sam Houston are revered as the two most heroic and influential men in the history of Texas. The state office building is named after Austin, as are both Austin, Texas, and Austin County, Texas. Along with communities bearing the Austin name in Texas, there is the Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, and Austin College in Sherman, Texas. Several grade and high schools are also named after Austin. So that’s how Austin Indiana got its name in 1853, after Austin, Texas, which originally was named after Stephen F. Austin, “The Father of Texas.”