A History of Napoleon, Indiana: Ripley County History Series, #2

By Paul R. Wonning

Named for Napoleon Bonaparte, the town of Napoleon was platted in 1820, the second town in Ripley County, Indiana. Early in its history, Napoleon was a center of transportation and an important hub in the Underground Railroad. Berry's Trace, the Michigan Road and the Brookville/Napoleon Road connected the village to distant towns in Indiana as well as with the new state capitol in Indianapolis.

 

 

Other Books in the:Ripley County History SeriesHistoric Travel Guide to Ripley CountyA History of Indiana Libraries - Ripley County EditionA History of Napoleon, IndianaIndiana Fire Departments - Ripley County Edition

 

Short Description

Named for Napoleon Bonaparte, the town of Napoleon was platted in 1820, the second town in Ripley County, Indiana. Early in its history, Napoleon was a center of transportation and an important hub in the Underground Railroad.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mossy Feet Books
• Release date: Jan 19, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224315239

Paul R. Wonning

Publisher of history, gardening, travel and fiction books. Gardening, history and travel seem an odd soup in which to stew one's life, but Paul has done just that. A gardener since 1975, he has spent his spare time reading history and traveling with his wife. He gardens, plans his travels and writes his books out in the sticks near a small town in southeast Indiana. He enjoys sharing the things he has learned about gardening, history and travel with his readers. The many books Paul has written reflect that joy of sharing. He also writes fiction in his spare time. Read and enjoy his books, if you will. Or dare.

Book preview

Napoleon, Indiana

Vital Statistics

State - Indiana

County - Ripley

Township - Jackson

Population - 228 (2017)

ZIP code - 47034

Area code - 812

Named For – Napoleon Bonaparte

Geography and Geology

Area - 0.2 square miles

Elevation - 965 ft

39°12'15N 85°19'43W

Napoleon is located on the east-central edge of Jackson Township, which is in the northwest corner of Ripley County. Laughery Creek rises southeast of Napoleon, flows west, then north around the town and then circles back east towards Ballstown. Limestone bedrock from the Lower Silurian formation, overlaid with material from the Niagara Escarpment to the north of town. The Niagara Escarpment limestone is of excellent quality and its location close to the earth's surface has given rise to several small rock quarries in the area. The New Point Stone Quarry to the east of town still provides large quantities of limestone for both construction and agricultural purposes as well as providing jobs for Jackson Township residents. Laughery Creek exposes the upper layers of the Niagara layer

Climate and Weather

Average Last Spring Frost - April 23

Average First Fall Frost - Oct 14

Average Growing Season - 173 days

USDA - Zone 6a: -10°F to -5°F

Average Annual Rainfall (inches) - 44

Average Annual Snowfall (inches) - 14

Average Annual Precipitation Days - 76.4

Average Annual Sunny Days - 177

Average July High - 85 

Average January Low - 20 

Comfort Index (higher=better) - 45

UV Index - 3.8

Back to Table of Contents

Historical Background

To understand the history of Napoleon, the reader must have a basic understanding of United States History before and after settlement.

Colonial American Time Line – A Brief History

August 3, 1492 - Christopher Columbus Sets Sail On His First Voyage

Seven years of patient lobbying finally paid off for Christopher Columbus. On August 3, 1492, he set out with three ships from Palos os de la Frontera, Spain on his first voyage of exploration.

A New Trade Route

Columbus and the monarchs had signed the contract promising support for Columbus' voyage on April 17, 1492. The thrust of the voyage was to find a sea route to the spices and silks of the East Indies and China. All the nations of Europe coveted this trade, which the Muslims had interrupted with their conquests in Asia Minor. These disruptions had made the old Silk Road route dangerous and unstable. The route around the Horn of Africa was long and tedious. Columbus believed that a route straight across the ocean would lead to Asia. He was right, but never dreamed there was a continent in the way. Once they signed the contract, Columbus bent to the task of organizing his voyage. The Spanish town of Palos os de la Frontera would serve as the springboard for Columbus' historic voyage.

Palos os de la Frontera

King Alfonso XI of Castile granted Alonso Carro and his wife Berenguela Gómez the land Palos would occupy in 1322. That year is the town's official founding year. Paleolithic, Tartessian, Roman, Visigothic, and Muslim peoples may have occupied the site previously. The inhabitants of the town were mostly fishermen. Queen Isabella required the inhabitants to contribute to Columbus' effort.

The Men Involved

Martín Alonso Pinzón and his younger brother Vicente Yáñez Pinzón assisted Columbus. Martin would command the Pinta and Viceente would command the Nina. Columbus would captain the Santa Maria. Juan Niño of Moguer owned the Nina, while Juan de la Cosa owned the Santa Maria. Cristobal Quintero owned the Pinta that was nicknamed "The Pint, The Look, or The Spotted One." Many members of the crews came from Palos and the surrounding area. The combined crews of the ships numbered eighty-seven. Masters and pilots were paid 2000 maravedis per month. Able seamen received 1000 maravedis per month. Ordinary seamen and ship's boys were paid 666 maravedis per month. At the time of Columbus' voyage gold was worth 3000 maravedis per ounce and silver 100 maravedis per ounce.

The Ships

La Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción (Santa Maria) was the largest of the three ships. Built in Pontevedra, Galicia, the ship was a type of ship called a carrack. A carrack is square-rigged ship that carries three or four masts that the Spanish and Portuguese used for longer voyages. The Santa Maria would have been about fifty-eight feet long and approximately 100 tons. It would have been about eighteen feet wide and drawn about ten feet of water. The crew would have numbered around forty sailors. Merchants typically used carracks for trade. The Pinta was a type of ship called a caravel and it was Columbus' fastest ship. The Portuguese developed caravels in the Fifteenth Century. They were small, maneuverable ships with two-masts used mostly for exploration. The Pinta was about fifty-six feet long, seventeen feet wide and about seventy tons. It had a draught of about eight feet of water. The crew would have been twenty-six. The Nina was also a caravel and its name was Spanish for Little Girl. The Nina became Columbus' favorite ship. It would have been about fifty feet long, sixteen feet wide and about sixty tons. It had a draught of about seven feet and carried a crew of twenty-four.

Three Months of Planning

On the evening of August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crews set off from the minor Spanish port Palos os de la Frontera. It was on a voyage of major consequences. Spain and all of Europe would change completely because of the voyage. The natives of the new lands Columbus discovered would suffer major consequences, as well. But on that evening long ago, the sailors were uncertain about their destination and their fates. However, their place in history was secure.

October 12, 1492 - Columbus Arrives In the Bahamas

Columbus and his three crews departed the Canary Islands on September 6, 1492 after getting the broken rudder on the Pinta fixed. They would spend five long weeks sailing west over open ocean.

Measuring the Distance Sailed

Columbus recorded the distance the ships sailed each day using two different measurements. Historians at first believed that he recorded the distance this way to deceive the crew. They thought he reported the shorter distance to the crew to quell their fears about sailing so far west and kept the longer, true, distance secret. However, historians have determined that recording two distances was normal for Columbus. One set, indicating longer miles, was in his standard fashion. For the shorter set he used the shorter Portuguese leagues to which his crew was accustomed.

Magnetic Declination

By mid-September, on the Thirteenth, Columbus noted that his compass no longer pointed north. He had discovered the phenomenon of magnetic declination. A compass points to magnetic north, not true north. The difference of the angle between the two can vary at different points on the earth and can change over time. No one in Europe had seen the phenomenon until Columbus. Columbus at first did not inform his crew of the variation, afraid the knowledge would spark fears in them. When they did learn of it, he calmed them by telling them that the compass did not point to the North Star, which was the ancient method of determining true north. A compass instead pointed towards some point on the earth's surface, and that something was interfering with it. His reputation calmed the crew and the incident passed.

Signs of Land

By late September the crew noticed floating vegetation on the surface of the sea. All the sailors took this to mean that land was nearby. On October 7, the crew sighted large flocks of birds. They managed to trap a few and determined that they were field birds of some sort. This allayed their fears somewhat, but not altogether. Columbus changed the course of the ships to follow the flights of the birds.

Mutiny

By October 10, the fears returned. Food and water were getting short. They had gone five long weeks with no sign of land. The winds had turned cantankerous and supplies were running low. The sailors feared that they would run out of food and water before they could return to Spain. This was a not unreasonable fear. Columbus quieted his crew by telling them that if they did not sight land in two days, he would turn the ships around and return.

Land

On October 12, 1492, at two o'clock in the morning a crewman, Rodrigo de Triana on the Pinta, gave the cry, Land. A feeling of relief flooded the crew. They had made it. They were in Asia. Historians still dispute which island it was, but they do know it was in the Bahamas. The leading candidates for his landing are Samana Cay, Plana Cays, Grand Turk, and San Salvador Island. San Salvador Island received its current name in 1925 from those that believe it is the spot of Columbus' landing. Many also call this island Watlings Island, after a famous pirate. Columbus spent little time on the island. He was anxious to reach Cipangu (Japan). He raised the banner of the Spanish king and claimed the island for Spain, naming it San Salvador, or Holy Savior. he then continued his explorations. Columbus completed this voyage successfully and would make three more voyages to the New World.

Spain Preeminent Power

After Columbus’ voyages, Spanish power became the leading maritime power in Europe as well as the predominant power exploring the new lands. In 1685 the Anglo-Spanish War broke out. Spain prepared for an invasion of England across the English Channel. The English Queen Elizabeth I geared up for the invasion by channeling every English ship that could float into a defensive force. On July 29, 1588, the tide began to turn.

July 29, 1588 - Spanish Armada Defeated and Scattered By English Defenders

In late July Spanish ships appeared in the English Channel and invasion of the island nation loomed as the navies commenced battle.

After Midnight

The sea battle between Spain and England raged for seven days. The Spanish ships included wares of torture in their holds. Racks, pulleys, thumbscrews, iron virgins and iron gridirons waited on the ships. With them Jesuit priests stood ready to inflict God's punishment on the heretics of England. As the Spanish fleet anchored off Calais, the wind shifted in favor of the English. As the clocks in England ticked past midnight, flaming ships of fire advanced out of the night. The winds drove them toward the Spanish formation.

Fire Ships

During the era of wooden ships, one favorite weapon was the fire ship. The ships used for this were generally old, worn out ships that were close to the end of their service. Sometimes cheaply built ships were constructed expressly for this purpose. It was common practice to load these ships with combustible items. Then the defenders would either steer or allow favorable winds to drive them into the midst of an enemy fleet to set its ships on fire. The English sent eight fire ships into the middle of the Spanish Armada. The Spanish panicked and disbursed, breaking formation.

New Tactics

The English had previously captured some Spanish ships and learned from them. They knew that the Spanish sailors had difficulty reloading their cannons after firing them. To take advantage of this weakness, the English would approach close to the Spanish ships, keeping just out of range of the powerful cannon. This provoked the Spaniards to fire. The English would use the forced delay to their advantage. With the Spanish guns reloading, the English ships would close in. At close range, they could unload a devastating volley, then retreat.

Favorable Winds

The wind cooperated with the English by driving the Armada's ships into shallow water off Gravelines. This Spanish port was in the Netherlands, close to its border with France. The shallow water limited their maneuverability. The English ships already had an advantage with their smaller, more maneuverable ships. The fighting began to take a toll on the Spanish ships. By late afternoon, both fleets ran out of ammunition. The English began loading chains and anything else they could cram in a cannon barrel. They continued inflicting damage on the Spanish fleet. After losing five ships and having many more severely damaged, the Armada broke formation and fled. The Battle of Gravelines was over.

After the Battle

The Spanish did manage to regroup. But strong southwest winds drove them north with the smaller, nimbler English ships in close pursuit. The Armada fled north into the English Channel. Then severe North Atlantic storms finished the English fleet’s work. The stormy seas and fierce winds wrecked many of the Spanish ships on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland. The Spanish had lost over 2000 dead and many more wounded during the fighting. The English had lost around fifty. The 130 ship Armada had lost over a third of its ships. It was a humiliating defeat for Phillip II of Spain. The invigorating victory infused confidence in what had been a small, weak English nation. The defeat of the Armada left England with the means and confidence to rise to a powerful world power. It used that power to establish its colonies in the New World.

December 20, 1606 - English Colonists Sail From London to Found Jamestown

On December 20, 1606, three ships departed England, bound for North America. The three wooden ships were the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery.

The Ships

The 120 ton Susan Constant also has references that is was really the Sarah Constant. Historians are unsure which the proper name is. At 116 feet long, she was the largest of the three ships and she carried 71 of the 104 colonists. At fifty tons, the Godspeed carried thirty-three passengers and thirteen crewmen. She would have been about sixty-eight feet long. The twenty-ton Discovery carried no passengers. Her purpose was to carry some of the cargo and navigate the shallower rivers after the colonists arrived. Replicas of all three ships reside at Jamestown National Historic Site.

The Voyage

The passage from England to the Virginia shores took 144 days, an unusually long voyage. The ships spent six weeks lolling in the English Channel as they waited for favorable winds that would blow them south. They arrived at Cape Henry on April 26, 1607.

April 26, 1607 - First British to Establish an American Colony Land At Cape Henry VA

On April 26, 1607, they dropped anchor in the early morning hours. Several of the 102 passengers boarded a small boat and rowed ashore. As the boat touched the shore, the men emerged onto the shore. Thus began the first permanent British occupation of North America, Jamestown.

First Election in the New World English Colonies

The first act of the new colonists was for the Reverend Robert Hunt to lead them in prayer for the safe passage across the seas. Then an exploring party ventured forth to explore the area. In the afternoon, the party encountered an Amerindian band. A skirmish ensued in which two of the colonists received wounds. After the fight, the men returned to the beach. There, they opened a wooden box that they had carried from England. The box contained the names of the men that would form the governing council. The document inside named the seven men that would serve as the council, but there was no mention of a leader. The men then held the first vote under English common law. They chose Edward Maria Wingfield to serve as president for a one-year term. The Virginia Company had chosen Newport to serve as the commander until the colonists went ashore. The men explored the area for several days before moving on to delve deeper into Chesapeake Bay.

Cape Henry

The Cape takes its name from the eldest son of King James I, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales. It is on the southern bank of Chesapeake Bay. Virginal has established a state park on the site, commemorating the First Landing. The 2,888-acre park has camping, cabins, picnicking, a beach and hiking.

Jamestown National Historic Site

1368 Colonial Pkwy

Jamestown, VA 23081

http://historicjamestowne.org/

(757) 856-125

First Landing State Park

2500 Shore Dr.

Virginia Beach

VA 23451

Phone: [phone];

http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/first-landing.shtml#recreation

May 14, 1607 - English Colonists Land Near James River in Virginia

Their initial landing on April 26, accomplished, the English colonists searched for a site to settle. If successful, they would be the first permanent English settlement in North America. At length, the president they chose to lead them, Captain Edward Maria Wingfield, decided on a spot. It was on a marshy spit of land on the north shore of the James River. They arrived on the spot on May 13, 1607 and went ashore on May 14.

Captain Edward Maria Wingfield (1550–1631)

Born to Thomas Maria Wingfield and Margaret Kay, near Stoneley Priory, England Edward Wingfield entered military service early in life. Taken a prisoner of war in the Protestant Dutch Republic’s war against Spanish Catholics, he gained his release on 1589. After a brief retirement and stint in Parliament, he returned to military service, fighing next in Ireland. Once again, he retired from the military.

At the invitation of his cousin, Bartholomew Gosnold, he joined the new Virginia Company. The Company was just beginning to organize its colonization efforts in the New World. Through his efforts, about forty of the original settlers joined the expedition. At the conclusion of the voyage, the settlers chose him to serve as president for a one-year term.

The Site

The Virginia Company leaders had given them some specific qualities that they wanted in a colony. It had to have deep-water access for the large ships to anchor. Because the Spanish were active in the area, the site had to be hard for patrolling Spanish ships to see. It needed to be upstream far enough that the colonists would be alerted to them before any attack. The site he chose proved to be a good choice in one respect, but bad in many others. The local Amerindian tribes did not use the site, deeming it too poor to raise crops. Thus, an English settlement there posed no immediate threat to them and they largely left it alone. It also had other bad qualities. It was low, marshy ground well stocked with disease carrying mosquitoes. There was also a serious shortage of fresh water. The early settlers drank water poisoned by salt, causing many deaths due to salt poisoning. Many historians feel the first quality balanced out the other two. If they had chosen a spot used by the local tribes, they may have attacked them and wiped them out.

Jamestown

After they chose the site, they began clearing land and building structures. They called it Jamestown, in honor of King James I of England.

July 30, 1619 – Virginia Company Formed First Elective Colonial Governing Body

The concept of representative government in the United States is rooted in the beginnings of colonization.

Limited Monarchy

The representative government tradition runs deeper in the English settled regions of North America than in the French and Spanish regions. That stems from the types of monarchies that ruled the colonizing nations that controlled those regions. Both France and Spain had unlimited, absolute monarchies. All political power rested in the king or queen. In England, a limited monarchy existed since the times of the Magna Carta in 1215. This concept of elected government rooted firmly in Colonial soil.

Formed to Encourage Settlement

The Virginia Company was a private enterprise that owned a charter to colonize the area known as Virginia. The king had granted the company the charter, and the company ruled the colony through an appointed council. The company needed to encourage skilled craftsmen and others with valuable skills to immigrate to the New World. To encourage settlement, the Company drew up a charter. This charter endowed each colonist that paid their own way to the colony with fifty acres. They established the House of Burgesses. They bestowed the right to vote for representatives to this House on landowners over twenty-one years old. Thus, colonists not only had title to land upon arrival, but a voice in the government of the colony as well.

Unicameral House

The House of Burgesses was a unicameral, or one chamber, body. It met in conjunction with the governor of the colony and his council. The governor could veto its legislation, if he wanted. The Virginia Company had ultimate control over both the governor and the House. But through their representatives, the landowners could make their voice heard. The first meeting was in the Jamestown church and lasted six days. There were twenty-two representatives. The House accomplished little at this session as a malaria outbreak cut it short. It was important, though, as it established the tradition of elected assemblies. After the Virginia Company formed the House, the other colonies demanded their own assemblies when they formed. By 1776, 157 years later, the colonies were well versed in elected self-government. They were ready for the next step.

August 15, 1620 – The Pilgrims Set Sail From England

The Pilgrims arrived in Southampton on the Speedwell from their refuge in Leiden, Holland. In Southampton, they were to rendezvous with the Mayflower and some other settlers. The Pilgrims planned to sail to the New World on the two ships. These two ships departed Southampton, England around August 5. The Speedwell created the first of what were many