Early Settlers

Early Settlers. 1789 — 1814. Immigration to the Princeton area began to explode after the Northwest Territory was formed in 1787. Young settlers came seeking a place to start their own homestead. They often arrived by way of the Red Bank Trail and Patoka Trace, traveling either on foot or by horse and carrying only a few tools with them. They subsisted off of buffalo, bears, deer, turkeys, acorns, wild rice and barley seeds, until they could raise a patch of corn. The settlers built their own log cabins with the help of their nearest neighbors, who may have lived up to 5 miles away. They also made their own clothing, often using animal hide for material. Educational opportunities for their children were sparse, but they became students of Nature, learning about the land, plants and animals around them and how to survive in their new home. Even though neighbors often lived far apart, the early settlers were a socially connected group who relied on and celebrated with one-another. It is said that wedding invitations were not sent out as they are today because the whole community was invited. A typical wedding celebration included a feast and dancing and often lasted several days. The first settler of the Princeton area was John Severns, who was an invaluable liaison between the Native Americans and the settlers. Severns had learned to adopt their customs when he was held captive for 7 years by Native Americans in Virginia. When he arrived in the Princeton area, he was able to befriend the Shawnee Chief “Trackwell” and the Miami Chief due to his understanding of their customs and dialect. In exchange for supplying them with Brandy or “White Man’s Milk,” the Native Americans allowed him to operate a ferry across the Patoka River, near what came to be known as “Severn’s Bridge.”