Established April 13th, 1818
The township trustee is designated as the administrator of emergency assistance within his or her township. The township trustee, as administrator of that assistance, is responsible for the oversight and care of all needy individuals in the township as long as the individuals remain in the trustee’s charge. It is the trustee’s responsibility to see that township residents are properly taken care of in the manner required by law.
Indiana Code: IC 12-20 & IC 12-30-4
In cases of extreme emergency such as a house fire, the Township Trustee works with a variety of local organizations to render assistance to victims of disasters. When available, and can even provide temporary shelter to those in need.
The township may provide assistance in obtaining food, household supplies and personal hygiene items for qualified applicants from the township resource center. The amount and description of food, household supplies and personal hygiene township guidelines. Also, the trustee shall refer any individual or household before or immediately upon their application for food relief to the appropriate agency in charge of any federal food allotment program.
The township may not provide medical assistance to an individual if the individual could qualify for medical assistance for the same service under IC 12-16 (Hospital pending period for Medicaid, or other governmental medical program, the Trustee may provide interim medical shall only pay the cost of the following medical services for the eligible and qualifying applicants of the township as listed in IC-12-20-16-2:
1. The township will NOT pay utility deposits.
2. The utility service must be in the name of an adult member of the requesting household; an emancipated minor who is the head of the household, or a landlord or former member of the household if the applicant proves that the applicant is responsible for payment of the bill.
3. The township will not pay for utility service received as a result of a fraudulent act by any adult member of a household requesting poor relief.
4. The township will not consider the payment of delinquent utility bills if the applicant was ineligible for township assistance at the time the utility services were incurred, or the delinquent bill is older than twenty-four (24) months.
5. The township will not consider the payment of "master metered" utility service when more than one household is served by the same meter.
6. The township will not consider the payment of estimated utility bills.
7. During the period the state's energy assistance program is in effect, the township will not pay or consider the payment of utility bills until after the state's energy assistance is credited to the applicant's account.
Funeral/ Burial or Cremation Application The township requires a surviving member of the deceased person's family make a formal request for "Burial and Funeral or Cremation Assistance" before providing a person to superintend. If there are no surviving family members, the funeral home having possession of the deceased shall formally request the assistance on behalf of the deceased person. The formal request will involve completion of a "Request for Burial Assistance" form.
Trustee: Thelma Kelley Jeffries
Board Members:
Joann Calabrese
Steven Hinds
Dustin Dillard
We are also available on weekends and before or after posted hours for your convenience.
Smithville Food Pantry is located at the Smithville Community Center.
They are open Mondays 1pm - 3pm
Grace Center Food Pantry is located at the Township Office
and they are open Tuesdays 2pm - 7pm
9206 South Old State Road 37, Bloomington, IN 47403
Mon | 02:00 pm – 05:00 pm | |
Tue | 02:00 pm – 05:00 pm | |
Wed | 02:00 pm – 05:00 pm | |
Thu | By Appointment | |
Fri | 02:00 pm – 05:00 pm | |
Sat | By Appointment | |
Sun | By Appointment |
We provide efficient and reliable government services to help you in your time of need succeed. Contact us today at (812) 824-7225 or call 2-1-1 to contact additional resources.
The first settler in this township (Clear Creek Township) and in Monroe County, according to old Col. Ketchum, who settled in the northwest corner of Clear Creek Township in 1817, was David McHolland. This man whose wife is either now living or was few years ago, at a very advanced age, came to the township for permanent residence when the State was yet a Territory, or in 1815. Col. Ketchum, who
came in two years later, and was well acquainted with Mr. McHolland, often stated that the latter was, no doubt, the first settler in Monroe County. Of course the Territory now comprising the county, had previously been invaded by white hunters and trappers, but, so far as known, no white family, including wife and children, became actual residents until Mr. McHolland arrived. He was a famous hunter and
supported his family mainly with his rifle. He killed numerous bears in various portions of the county, often under circumstances of great personal peril. His wife always boasted of having baked the first corn pone in Monroe “County, and was, no doubt, justified by facts in doing so. The McHollands cultivated an acre or two of ground, upon which they squatted, and after a few years went to the northwestern part of the county, where they continued to reside many years. The name of the second settler in this township, cannot be indicated. Barlett Woodward came to the township in 1816, and entered considerable land upon which he erected a rude log cabin for his family, which either came out the same fall or the next spring. Several families were residing in the township at this time. Mr. Woodward became a prominent citizen, and was elected one of the first County Commissioners of the county in 1818. Col. Ketchum built a grist mill on Clear Creek as early as 1818, which for many years was famous in all the surrounding country. Green’s mill was another one; Chambers and Shirley each owned
early water mills. The Taylors probably sent the first flat boat loaded with pork, grain, etc., down either Clear of Salt Creeks from Monroe County. They built their own boats, and knew how to manage them on their way to Southern markets. The Chambers brothers also sent early boats of pork and grain down the creeks. Col. Ketchum was about as early in shipping pork, grain, flour, etc., as any one in the township
or county. He also shipped lumber. Later, Elias Bruner shipped cherry and other finer varieties of lumber down the creeks. These were some of the early enterprises in Clear Creek Township.
Source: Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana.
Historical and Biographical. Charles Blanchard, Editor. F.A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1884.
Bloomington Telephone, August 11, 1883, p. 4.
NEW JANE, Now Known as Harrodsburg. A Pleasant Little Place of Clever People and Live Businessmen.
In the year 1835 a man by the name of Alexander Buchanan, orginally from Harrodsburg, Kentucky, emigrated to the State of Indiana and located in the southern part of Monroe county for the purpose of making that his future home. He had come all the way from Kentucky in the covered wagons that were so common in those days, a the
idea of establishing a little town about him was fully considered in as much as no trading point was nearer than Bloomington, a distance of twelve miles, in those days of dense forests and ungraded hills, a hard day's travel.
So with a few of the earlier settlers, in the year 1837, Mr. Alexander Buchanan first surveyed and laid out the town, now known as Harrodsburg, Indiana, and named it for his wife, "New Jane." This name lsted until the place became quite a villege, when for some reason it was changed to Harrodsburg, supposed to be called for Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Buchanan's native home. It was not long after until the L. N. A. & C. railroad passed by the place, a half mile to the east. When the place was first laid out it grew rapidly and for a time promised to out rival Bloomington, but for some reason in a short time its prosperity ceased, and now Harrodsburg is little larger than twenty years ago, with something over 300 inhabitants. Like most small places, the busines of the town is confined to one street,
that being on the road that passes directly through the place from north to south.
For the size of the place, Harrodsburg has always enjoyed considerable business and few places of its size, unless new towns, have better stocked stores with a better trade. A surrounding farming district of six miles or more do their trading here. Several years ago the unfortunate failure of Carmichael and Urmey had paralyzing effect on the
business of the place, many losing considerable money from which it has never recovered. The woolen mill, built at a cost of $28,000 in 1861, has now been idle for two years, which also has its effect on so small a place. For years after this mill was erected, it did a paying busines but in later years lost money for its operators and is now in litigation, a man by the name of McMillan of Cinncinnati being the proprietor. The building is of stone and brick and valued at fully $15,000, including the contents. A distillery, east of the town, in years past has also found a good market for grain but the good citizens of the 'Burg prefer to have the grain marketed elsewhere, rather than the results that flow from "the poisonous still."
The flouring mill of John M. Stevenson, just as the place is entered from Bloomington, is one of the useful enterprises of Harrodsburg and, in the course of a year, brings in considerable revenue as the Stevenson flour is an excellent quality. The mill is a large frame building well improved and Mr. Stevenson always gives his customers the benefit of the best market prices.
W. R. McFadden is now the proprietor of the store as the town is entered from the south and keeps a general merchandise that would be a credit to a larger place. With him is that excellent old gentleman, J. D. Urmey, one of the oldest men in Harrodsburg and the oldest settler now living in the place. To him the writer is indebted for many
facts of this letter. W. R. Kinser, on the opposite side of the street to the north, is another of Harrodsburg's reliable businessmen. He
has a nicely arranged place of business and in connection with his dry goods, notions and groceries, makes a speciality of county produce. Frank Kinser, one of the nicest young men of the place, and Will Neeld, are his clerks, and they are as accommodating as they are good looking--so the girls say, and that makes it true, so Hol.
Woodward says. One of the best arranged stores in the place, however, is owned by J. W. Sears, on the west side, and in conenction with the Post Office, kept by U. N. Pearson, it receives a share of patronage. Harrodsburg challenges any place in the whole state for a more accommodating post master; and Sares himself is a thorough business
man. In addition to his store. Mr. Sares has gone into the bee culture with success, with fifty-two hives of bees, that he takes great care of and when the season is closed, will have harvested 3,000 pounds of honey. He finds a ready market at 12 1/2 cents wholesale, or 15 cents retail. Much of the honey is used in Bloomington.
Dr. Simpson is the man who made the race for the nomination of Representative in a Democratic convention, and if he was not successful had the pleasure of knowing he had the suport of his own township. He keeps a good drug store and talks politics.
J. W. Brown is the confectioner of the town, and Simeon Pedigo supplies the furniture. Both are good businessmen and equally good citizens. Joe Woodward has a dry goods and notion store with his share of the trade, having been in business over four years. Griffin does the tailoring, always giving a good fit, and A. T. Smallwood makes
the shoes and boots, giving complete satisfaction; while Joshua Moore clothes the horses. Mark Rainbolt is the photographer and his wife is the milliner of the place. Bonher and Buchanan are the smiths, also George Smith, and they have a well established busisness.
Though Harrodsburg is a healthy place, it has a cemetery over the hill, to the north, it being impossible for Drs. McLahlan and Louder to save all their patients. Both are excellent physicians and are known throughout the county as skilled in their profession. Dr. McLahlan was Coroner of Monroe County one year.
But Harrodsburg is not all business, for it has its educational, religious and fraternal circle. An excellent school building stands in the west of the town, with an average attendance of 100 or more. William Neeld is the principal and is quite popular with the scholars. Miss Belle Lee has charge of the 3rd grade and William Smallwood of the 2nd. Both were employed last year.
Religiously speaking, Harrodsburg is by far from being lost, there being three well attended churches.
The Methodist Church, in charge of Rev. Bruner, has a membership of near ninety; the Christian Church also has a good attendance and Rev. Krutsinger is their pastor. The Cumberland Presbyterians are now without a pastor but maintain a good organization, though they seldom have services.
The Mason Lodge was established here in 1864, and is known as "Harrodsburg Lodge," being number 322. The order has a membership of 35 and has a hall of their own over the Methodist Church room. No. 23 of the Knights of Pythias is here known as the "Mystic" Lodge and is in a flourishing condition having 25 active members with a
good hall over Simpson's drug store. Several years ago a flourishing lodge of Good Templars was in existence, but has died out.
A history of Harrodsburg would not be complete without mentioning "Uncle Mose," as they call Moses Fields. He is the hack-man, and his good wife sets a dinner for a King. It is worth riding twelves miles in the hot sun to get to set at Mrs. Fields' table.
Smithville was born when the New Albany railroad was built in 1852-3. Mansfield Bennett and George Smith laid the town out on section 3 in November, 1851. Thirty-eight lots were platted
on each side of the railroad. Smith opened the first store, and was succeeded by a blacksmith and a few scattering families. Its population is now three hundred and seventy-five people. Although very small, the town is well connected with the larger cities of the county and state, being on the Monon railroad. G. M. Deckard is the postmaster, and also owns a first-class
general store and caters to the best trade of the community. O. E. Deckard also runs a general store, and Miss E. A. Deckard has a millinery shop. J. L. Waring. Stull Brothers and W. G.
Updegrafif also have general goods in stock. Ralph Carpenter is the blacksmith, and Lee Horton, the barber. In connection with the blacksmith shop there is a mill and corn crusher. R.
B. Carter conducts the newspaper. The Smithville News which is published weekly. The physician is Dr. J. Kentling.
Smithville is not incorporated, and there are no town officials, other than the justice of the peace. James H. Burkhart. The Methodist and Christian churches have houses of worship here.
The Knights of Pythias have a lodge here and, in connection with the Improved Order of Red Men, have a handsome brick building. Plans are on foot to establish an electric light plant here.
The business houses and residences are wired and have been supplied with current, but financial reasons compelled the failure of the former plant.
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All Rights Reserved.
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