Rome.—The town of Rome was originally called both Washington and Franklin, though only for short periods. When the county seat was removed there in 1819, the name Rome was adopted, but the term Franklin continued to be used by the citizens until the fall of 1819. As Washington the town was laid out in May, 1818, there being 189 lots, fifteen out lots and a public square surveyed. In the fall of 1818 the name seems to have been changed to Franklin, and in about December, 1818, or January, 1819, to Rome. It amounted to nothing before its establishment as the county seat. It was originally laid out by Cummings. Among the earliest residents were John W. Ricks, Solomon Lamb, Samuel Frisbie, William Robb, John Mallory, Lanson Mallory, Lemuel Mallory, John Little, Casper Stonements, Presley Hall, Elisha Latimer, George Ewing, John Allen, Montgomery Anson, Robert S. Negus, Robert Gardner, Samuel Anderson, Shubael Little and others.
The owners of lots in 1826 were as follows: John Allen, Montgomery Anson, Andrew Ackerman, Ira A. Blanchard, Drusilla Claycomb, George Claycomb, Nicholas Critchelow, Samuel Connor, Catharine Donnelly, Samuel Frisbie, Robert Gardner, John Green, Presley Hall, Isaac Hardin, Greenberry S. Holloway, J. W. Ricks, Matthew E. Jackson, John Little, Shubael C. Little, Israel Lamb, Ezra Lamb, Solomon Lamb, John Main, Lemuel Mallory, Moses Mallory, Lewis Mallory, Robert S. Negus, Louisa Negus, Edmund Jennings, Alexander Ramsey, Caspar Stonements, David H. Stonements, John Stapleton, John Shoemaker, Jacob Shoemaker, Stephen Shoemaker, James Stiff, Phebe Van Winkle and Thomas Wheeler. Others a little later were Henry C. Axton, Levi C. Axton, Ewing S. Brown, Alexander Carnes, Simon Davis, George Ewing, Beulah Lamb, Edmund Polk, David Wright, Samuel Anderson, William Cummings, Mark Hardin, William Hardin, Elisha Latimer and John J. Lang. Ricks and Mark Hardin (each) kept a ferry; Ricks was a merchant; George Ewing, kept hotel; John Allen, was a carpenter; Frisbie, was a lawyer, school teacher, etc.; Anson, was a mason; Negus was a blacksmith; Gardner, a saddler and harness-maker the Mallorys were mill-wrights; Lamb was County Clerk; Samuel Ander; son was tavern-keeper; Shubael Little was a carpenter. Ricks was the leading merchant for many years. In time he established branch stores in various portions of the county and elsewhere. He kept a large stock of goods, and his trade extended over a large section of country. He packed considerable pork, but did no slaughtering. It was customary for the farmers to collect their hogs and drive them in herds to Rome, and there slaughter them, and then sell them to Ricks, who packed and shipped. In a season he usually took out one boat-load of about 25,000 pounds of pork, besides much corn, oats and produce. He also shipped live cattle South on flat-boats. He owned a saw and grist-mill on Poison Creek. He shipped horses South, and dealt in the finer grades, finding ready sale for blooded animals to the Kentuckians. Jesse Dougherty was an early merchant, but he did not continue long. Samuel Anderson kept hotel, and of course sold liquor at his bar. Royston & Hardy began merchandising about 1828-30. After a few years they dissolved, and each continued alone, Royston soon retiring, but Hardy remaining in business many years. Matthew E. Jackson opened a tavern in 1826, and Levi C. Axton, a tavern and grocery the same year. Samuel Connor was ferry keeper in 1826-27; William Hargis began selling liquor in 1827; Mark Hardin succeeded Connor as ferry keeper in 1829.
In 1829 Samuel Connor was given permission by special act of the State Legislature to erect on Water Street, Rome, a warehouse, provided he made certain improvements to the wharf. Thomas D. Beauchamp opened a grocery in 1830. Uriah Cummings began selling goods in 1830. William Baker began with a grocery in 1830. J. E. Anderson was tavern keeper in 1831. W. H. Freeman began selling goods in 1831. William B. Lamb began the same business in 1832-33. Benjamin Barlow opened a grocery in 1833; Elisha Latimer did likewise. George P. Kyler started a grocery in 1838, and Samuel Connor a tavern at the same time. Kyler & Shoemaker became a leading business house about this time. At a very early day Samuel Connor made whisky about a mile from Rome. Andrew Ackerman conducted a tannery near Rome at an early day. W. B. Lamb owned a store-boat with which he traded much on the river. Benjamin Royston was postmaster in 1833 and before, and Jehu Hardy was his deputy. Thomas Ricks began merchandising early in the thirties. He was a brother of J. W. Ricks. Elijah Huckaby also opened a general store. He was finally succeeded by W. V. Reynolds during the forties (about thirty-five years ago), who has been in business ever since. Mr. Reynolds has done as much as any other man for Rome, and is one of the most public-spirited citizens of the county. Stephen Welch started a store a little late in the history of the town. Jacob Anspach began with liquor and groceries about 1846. His house is yet in existence under his sons. Adam Ackerman opened a store about this time. Of late years the business of Rome has been very limited and dull. The postmasters of the town have been John W. Ricks, Benjamin Royston, Samuel Frisbie, B. F. Axton, Samuel Frisbie, J. J. Gordon. R. H. Whitmer and L. H. Bennett at present. Among the doctors have been Riley, Flood, Henry Axton, B. F. Axton, Jones Howard, Hestor, Buhenzer, and at present Drs. Wedding and Lee. Terrence & Co. built and for a short time operated a saw-mill twenty or twenty-five years ago. Late in the fifties R. B. Hall & Co. erected a steam flouring-mill at a cost of about $5,000. It was a three-storied frame building with three sets of buhrs, and was in dimensions about 80×40 feet. It did good work for several years, sending off by water considerable flour. After the war Thomas Tagg and A. Ackerman bought the mill and a year later the property was removed to Hawesville, Ky. Mark Hardin and Charles Bennett were cabinet-makers forty or fifty years ago. Both Royston and Lamb flat-boated a limited quantity of pork. The town of Rome can boast of scarcely a manufacturing establishment in all the past. The distillery of R. D. Hamilton & Co. has been in operation about two years, and in that time about 350 barrels of apple brandy have been made.
The present business is as follows: General stores—W. V. Reynolds, Henry Ackerman, J. D. Kroush, Adam Anspach. Drugs—August Paulman. Saloon—Joseph Allen. Distillery—R. D. Hamilton & Co. Millinery —Mrs. Letitia Anderson. Rome has been incorporated two or three times, but not for the last forty-five years. The first occurred about 1830 and lasted a few years, and was afterward revived one or more times. As the records were not preserved, or if they were preserved, as they are missing, details of the municipal affairs can not be given. It is said that the first incorporation was effected by a special act of the Legislature, the bill beeing carried through by G. B^ Thompson, then representing the county. It is stated that by the provisions of the bill, women, the owners of property, were permitted to vote within the corporate limits, and that this was resorted to in order to secure as heavy a vote as possible against the granting of licenses for the sale of liquor. When the test came, however, in the granting of licenses, it is asserted that several of the women whose votes had been confidently counted against the sale of liquor, signed the petitions of liquor dealers for licenses, and were thus the means of extending the sale of liquor. As early as about 1847 the Sons of Temperance had an organization in the town, which was continued several years with much zeal and effect. They were followed by one or more organizations of Good Templars, but these also died after a few years of active work. On May 26, 1852, Rome Lodge No. 133, F. & A. M., was organized, the first officers being John C. Shoemaker, W. M.; Isaac W. Whitehead, S. W.; William Hyde, J. W. The membership at first was small, but in time became large and active. Various places of meeting have been used, among them being the court house, the academy (same as court house), and the old jail building, as at present. In 1876-77 the records of the lodge were destroyed by fire in the hall of the old school building. The present membership is about twenty-five. R. E. Huckaby is W. M. Charles B. Wheeler Post, No. 392, G. A. R., was organized by Capt. James A. Burkett in November, 1884, the charter bearing date November 22. The charter members are as follows: A. P. Wheeler, W. H. Kyler, L. R. Rollins, Elijah Stroads, J. W. Wheeler, A. J. Bryant, Eliaa J. Kaid, Robert T. Huckaby, A. J. Earles, D. A. Wheeler, John L. Baker, H. B. B. McCoy, Abraham Crist, R. W. Robinson, John A. Hargis, Jacob Paulman, W. R. Polk, W. R. Gardner, H. P. Robinson, James F. Connor, Davis Connor, Edmund Connor, John D. Kroush, Calvin Sampley. The first and present officers are Hargis, commander; Davis Connor, adjutant; Edmund Connor, S. M.; Robert Huckaby, Q. M.; E. J. Kaid, Q. M. S.; J. F. Connor, chaplain; Jacob Paulman, surgeon; W. H. Kyler, O. of D.; J. D. Kroush, O. of G. A total of twenty-six members have belonged prior to May 20, 1885, the day this sketch was written. Two have died. The loss to Rome in 1859 of the county seat, ended forever its hope of distinction, unless some railroad should visit it and leave other neighboring towns without the activity following the construction of such road. The town had the boon for a period of forty years—from 1819 to 1859. The location of. Rome is unfortunate, as it stands upon a projection of the county running south into Kentucky, remote from all except a narrow range of country. As a consequence of its location it was a county seat of no prominence or permanence, and readily though sorrowfully saw the county records removed. Its earliest history is its best.
The Perry County Agricultural and Mechanical Society was organized in 1870, the first meeting being held at Rome, February 12. James Hardin was Chairman of the meeting and Adam Ackerman Secretary. About the first act was the adoption of a constitution and by-laws. The election of permanent officers resulted as follows: James Hardin, President; Hiram Carr and James T. Bean, Vice-Presidents; E. Longuemore, Secretary; Adam Ackerman, Treasurer. At this meeting the subject of “Oat Culture” was discussed. After this for some time meetings were held regularly about every two weeks. At the earlier meetings the subjects “Onion Culture,” “Preservation of Meat from Vermin,” “Use of Manures,” “Does the Moon Affect the Potato Crop?” “The Clover Crop,” and similar topics were thoroughly and intelligently discussed. In April, 1870, seeds from the Department of Agriculture were received and distributed among the members. It was decided to hold a fair in the fall of 1870, but later this was abandoned. An effort was made to reorganize the society on the basis of a stock company, but this attempt failed. Meetings continued to be held until the autumn of 1871, when it was definitely decided to hold’the first fair the following year, 1872. At this time the society consisted of about thirty members, nearly all residents of Rome and vicinity. After deliberation it was concluded to hold the fair on the academy grounds and in the building. The fair was duly held, and was successful in exhibits, attendance and interest. The fair of 1873 was equally successful and was also held on the academy grounds. Early in 1874 three acres of land just west of town were purchased of Andrew Ackerman for $300, and during the summer and fall were fenced and fitted with stalls, sheds, buildings, etc. These improvements with those since made, including a well seventy-five feet deep have cost the society over $1,500. James Hardin was president until 1876, and was then succeeded by John T. Connor, but again took the office in 1880. H. C. Ackerman was elected in 1882, James Curry in 1883 and A. T. Wheeler in 1884. The society languished somewhat after the first four or five fairs, but lived through the ordeal and has held annual fairs since. The town and vicinity deserve much credit for their efforts in founding and maintaining an organization which many counties in the State far better in an agricultural point of view have failed to establish successfully. In December, 1851, John Gordon and twenty-seven other residents of Rome asked for a donation from the county treasury of $200 to be used toward the construction of a wharf. The board granted $100 and appointed William Van Winkle to see that the amount was properly expended. The wharf was built in 1852 at the foot of Main Street.
History, Genealogy, Early Settlers and Historical Points of Interest in Perry County, Indiana