The Pedens: First Family of McCormick's Creek

The Pedens: First Family of McCormick's Creek. . , The early arrivals to McCormick's Creek worked hard to create a life for themselves and their children., Although John McCormick first owned this land, it is believed that he never set foot on it. Upon his death, the land was divided among his children. Two sons took portions of the creek and built mills. His daughter, Nancy, received the land north and east of the creek. It was here that she and her husband, Jesse Peden, established a farm., The Family Farm , Nancy and Jesse Peden built a log cabin and barn where they raised cattle, sheep and grain. Before taking the sheep to market, they were washed in the creek to remove oil from their wool., Nancy regularly walked to the White River to sell butter and eggs to passing flatboats. A spring house provided a cool place to store these and other perishable foods., The Peden Barn , Jesse and Nancy's son, Tom, took over the farm. In 1857, the log barn burned. Tom had a large barn with a limestone base and 64-foot long hickory timbers built in its place., The timbers were long enough that no central support was needed. This allowed the Pedens to thresh wheat on the barn floor. A team of twelve horses would circle over the harvested wheat, separating the grain from the chaff., The barn's stonework, still visible, was quarried near the Statehouse Quarry and assembled by a mason from England. Notice "1857” on the stonework.,

"In the center of the circle stood my grandfather, Jesse Peden, with a whip - just like a ringmaster." , - Walter Peden

, Did You Know? , John McCormick was a captain in the Revolutionary War. Following the war, the young country was land-rich, but cash-poor. Instead of payment, veterans were allowed to mark off desired property. John McCormick recorded his acreage at the Vincennes Land Office on September 1, 1816.