John Ketcham (1782)
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Colonel John Ketcham (September 10, 1782 – February 5, 1865) was an American
surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...
,
building contractor A contractor (North American English) or builder (British English), is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the c ...
and
judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...
. The founding father of
Brownstown, Indiana Brownstown is a town within Brownstown Township, Jackson County, Indiana, Brownstown Township and the county seat of Jackson County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,947 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It was named for ...
, Ketcham was famed for his military escapades against Native Americans. His father was supposedly held captive by Native Americans. He was awarded titles during his life, among them an honorable
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
and judge honorable (from serving the State
Legislature A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial power ...
). Ketcham was also a self-taught surveyor and building contractor. One of his most highly prized titles, however, was that as of one of General
Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
's electors. He also was listed as one of the first trustees of
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
.


Early years

John Ketcham was born in
Washington County, Maryland Washington County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. The population was 154,705 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is Hagerstown, Maryland, Hagerstown. The ...
to Daniel Ketcham and Keziah Pigmon Lewis. He had eight siblings. His father had signed the Patriot's Oath of Allegiance in 1778. In May 1784, when Ketcham was two years old, his family moved from
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
to
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...
, eventually settling down near
Shelbyville, Kentucky Shelbyville is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Kentucky, Shelby County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,282 at the 2020 census. History Early history The town of Shelbyville ...
where he spent his early years. He was said to have told his story about the trip: "When coming down the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
on a raft, a wildcat was spotted on a tree branch over-hanging the river, it was shot and it fell before me on the boat." Though Ketcham's father was presented with 1,400 acres of land by the government in
Shelby County, Kentucky Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,065. Its county seat is Shelbyville. The county was established in 1792 and named for Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentuck ...
, the family struggled financially.


Ketcham family origins

The Ketcham family can trace its history back to 1590 when Edward Ketcham was born in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. He immigrated to
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in 1629 and the Ketchams remained in the East until John Ketcham's father, a great grandson of Edward, came to the West in 1784, settling down in Shelby County, Kentucky. In 1792, Daniel was carried away by a small band of Tawa (Ottawa) who led him on a march lasting several days. Daniel claimed his captors forced him through many hardships, namely carrying a full pack while marching through the wilds and fording rivers. After several days of this, Daniel pretended to be injured and began limping. The Tawas relieved him of his pack and he proceeded to walk with ease. However, while crossing a log bridge, he ran and forgot to hobble. His captors noticed and immediately loaded him with all he could bear. Allegedly, the group came to a large camp near
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, where Daniel was kept prisoner until, one day, his captors led him to a stake where a fire had been prepared. He was blackened and made ready to die in the fire when a maiden decorated with "fully 500 silver broaches", came forth, denouncing the group and taking Daniel for herself. She supposedly cared for him until he was later able to escape the tribe and make his way into
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, then back to his original home in
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
. He was eventually able to return home to
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
, two years after his capture. It was said his wife and family there never had given up hope for his return. His wife, when he had been captured, kept the neighbors from pursuing the group lest Daniel be the victim of a tomahawk death, because she believed that God would bring him back to her.


Personal life

In 1803, John Ketcham married Elizabeth Pearsy in Kentucky. They had 12 children. Six were born in Kentucky and six more were born in the
Indiana Territory The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by an organic act that President of the United States, President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an Historic regions of the United States, organized incor ...
after the family moved in 1811. His grandson was
William A. Ketcham William Alexander Ketcham (January 2, 1846 - December 27, 1921) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician who served as the sixteenth Indiana Attorney General from November 22, 1894, to November 22, 1898. Ketcham also served as Commander-i ...
(
Indiana Attorney General The Indiana Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state, State of Indiana in the United States. Attorneys General are chosen by a statewide general election to serve for a four-year term. The forty-fourth and Attorney General is ...
from 1894 to 1898), and his granddaughter was Susan Merrill Ketcham (a notable Indiana painter). The maternal grandmother of William A. and Susan M. Ketcham was Samuel Merrill (
Indiana State Treasurer The Indiana Treasurer of State is a constitutional and elected office in the executive branch of the government of Indiana. The treasurer is responsible for managing the finances of the U.S. state of Indiana. The position was filled by appointmen ...
from 1822 to 1834).


Native fighting

From 1809-1818, fighting
Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...
s was almost an everyday occurrence for the
settler A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a Human settlement, settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among ...
s in South Central
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, in attempts to claim the area. In 1811, Ketcham moved to
Fort Vallonia Vallonia is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Driftwood and Brownstown townships, Jackson County, Indiana, United States. It was an 18th-century French settlement and 19th-century American frontier fortification kn ...
.
Ketcham's Fort Ketcham's fort was a 19th-century fort northeast of Fort Vallonia in Jackson County, Indiana. Established Ketcham's fort was established around 1811 or 1812 on John Ketcham's land near the east fork of the White River for the protection of ear ...
was built on Ketcham's land and lay between
Huff's Fort Huff's fort was established around 1811 or 1812 northeast of Fort Vallonia in present-day Jackson County, Indiana, United States. Huff's fort was established for the protection of early settlers land near the east fork of the White River. It ...
and
Fort Vallonia Vallonia is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Driftwood and Brownstown townships, Jackson County, Indiana, United States. It was an 18th-century French settlement and 19th-century American frontier fortification kn ...
, which is now Jackson County, making it of vital importance for settlers for security and safety prior to and after the
Treaty of Grouseland The Treaty of Grouseland was an agreement negotiated by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory on behalf of the government of the United States of America with Native American leaders, including Little Turtle and Buckongahelas, ...
. Most of the fighting between settlers and Native Americans took place from 1812 to 1813. In his own words: The area was still controlled by the Native Americans, some willing to have peaceful relationships with the settlers; most of them were unhappy over the constant threat to their lands by white settlers by the signing of treaties with the white men their lands were diminishing. The Ten O'Clock Treaty, signed in 1809 and the Treaty of Grouseland, signed in 1805, formed a triangular boundary, of which this area was in the southernmost part. With forts in
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,
Terre Haute Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and its metropolitan area had a population of 168,716. Located along the Wabash River about e ...
and
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 United S ...
, the area was not particularly well guarded. Temporary forts were built to allow the homesteaders to clear and till the soil and find safety at night inside the protecting walls of the forts. They were built on a line south of just south of Vallonia through Brownstown and on toward the east. Fort Vallonia was manned with 100 troops of the territory militia and afforded protection nearby to the other small forts on up the way. Ketcham's Fort was located on or near the spot where the Asher Woodmansee home now stands and was occupied by a few families. Only the other fort, Huff's Fort, lay between Ketcham and Vallonia all that time. The troubled area, as he put it, was in that portion of the Indiana Territory, commonly called the "Forks", situated between the Muscatatuck and Driftwood fork of the White River. The Native Americans were numerous and friendly in that area before the Tippecanoe Battle in 1811. However, the
Delaware tribe The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historical territory included present-day northeastern Dela ...
expressed disapproval of the battle and many left the territory then, but several remained. Constant harassment was given the settlers with occasional killing and horse thievery being committed by the Natives, but no large battles occurred at that time. In April 1812, Ketcham recalled a man was murdered near Ketcham's fort and the colonel and another man retrieved the body, found stripped and thrown in the river. The next day, three Natives came to Ketcham's door. They could speak decent English, and the colonel asked them what was new. They replied, "None." Ketcham asked them to accompany him to the site of the murder. They agreed. However, Ketcham's wife begged him not to go with them like his children. When they had gotten a mile or so away, the Native Americans said they would go no farther as it would make the white men mad. So they returned to Ketcham's place to find his wife; the children had vanished. They had expected an ambush from the Natives and hid in the forest. About 10 days later, there came two natives with white flags and a note from the Delaware tribe that the trouble had been caused by the
Kickapoo tribe The Kickapoo people (; Kickapoo: Kiikaapoa or Kiikaapoi; ) are an Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe and Indigenous people in Mexico, originating in the region south of the Great Lakes. There are three federally recognized Kickapoo tr ...
, and was not the Delaware. Supposedly the two Delaware messengers stayed on in the fort working for the white men after the peaceful settlement. There were nearly 70 families in the forts at that time, but after several violent encounters with disgruntled Native Americans, about 50 families left and went back to Kentucky for safer territory. The remaining settlers were determined not to leave and had built blockhouses for protection. Once, upon discovering some Native Americans attempting to steal horses, the settlers gave pursuit to John Ketcham while directing the chase when shot. Shortly after this episode, he enlisted for two years in the territory militia. He fought under General
John Tipton John Shields Tipton (August 14, 1786 – April 5, 1839) was from Tennessee and became a farmer in Indiana; an officer in the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe, and veteran officer of the War of 1812, in which he reached the rank of Brigadier General; ...
and participated in many conflicts with the Natives including the one on Tipton's Island, which got its name from the Natives who fight there with Tipton's men. Ketcham murdered and scalped a Native American on his first trip out. He was carried on the
muster roll In military organization, the term ''muster'' is the process or event of accounting for members in a military unit. This practice of inspections led to the coining of the English idiom , meaning being sufficient. When a unit is created, it is "mu ...
as
First Sergeant First sergeant is typically a senior non-commissioned officer rank, used in many countries. Singapore First sergeant is a Specialist (Singapore), specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First sergeants are the most senior of the junior spe ...
. He wrote that on one campaign he was away from home for 88 days and lived on a week's simple rations. He was a ranger in the militia and received a dollar a day in pay, "sustaining himself" as he put it, which meant finding his own food and clothes. After General Tipton's rough treatment of the Native Americans at the battle of Tipton's Island, Ketcham wrote the Native Americans retreated and were more wary of the invaders. Two humorous tales he told about his service concerned fording a creek on horseback. The creek was flooded and difficult to cross. He and his friend's horses became mired and stuck fast in the mud. The friend, Jack Storm, had his name attached to the creek and it remains so to this day as Jack's Defeat in Monroe County.


In Jackson County, Indiana

In 1815, Ketcham was released from the service and returned to his home in
Jackson County, Indiana Jackson County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 46,428. The county seat is Brownstown, Indiana, Brownstown. History Jackson County was formed in 1816. It was named after G ...
. He was honored by Governor
William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...
with rank of
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
in a
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
of the state's militia. In 1816, Ketcham sold to the county government of ground for 8 dollars per acre, donating the block of land where the Jackson County Courthouse now stands. In 1816, Ketcham received a
judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...
ship from General
William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...
and remained in that position until 1817. He also helped lay out the town of Brownstown, the location of which was picked because of its central geographical location in the county.


In Monroe County, Indiana

In 1818, Colonel Ketcham moved to
Monroe County, Indiana Monroe County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 1910 the United States Census Bureau, US Census Bureau calculated the nation's mean center of U.S. population, mean population center to lie in Monroe County. The ...
six or from Bloomington near Victor and
Harrodsburg Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census. Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the Virginia House of Burgesses after Boo ...
. He built a
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...
on Clear Creek the first year. When the city of Bloomington was laid out in 1818, Ketcham was asked to design and contract for building of the first courthouse there. In 1836, Colonel Ketcham was named one of General
Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
's electors for the
Presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The p ...
of that year. He served in the
Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House mem ...
. Colonel Ketcham was later appointed a
trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, refers to anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the ...
of the Indiana Seminary which would become
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
. A chapel, financed by Indiana University chaplain Frank O. Beck and his wife, Daisy Ketcham Beck, was built on the Indiana University campus. Stone used in the chapel was quarried from Colonel Ketcham's original farm to make the project more realistic. Colonel Ketcham and a co-worker established a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
religious school on grounds at the south end of College Avenue in Bloomington. It was a frame building 30 by 60 feet and later enlarged. Colonel Ketcham is buried in the Ketcham family cemetery in Monroe County. The cemetery is still maintained by family members.


In popular culture

Ketcham has a similar name to a character in ''The Amityville Horror'' films and books. The fictional Ketcham is cited as a reason why the house at 112 Ocean Avenue is haunted and why
Ronald DeFeo Jr. Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. (September 26, 1951 – March 12, 2021) was an American mass murderer who was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of his father, mother, two brothers, and two sisters in Amityville, New York. He was found guilty ...
killed his family. Both the film and book say that Ketcham moved from
Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada * Salem, Ontario, various places Germany * Salem, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality in the Bodensee district ** Salem Abbey (Reichskloster Salem), a monastery * Salem, Schleswig-Holstein Israel * Salem (B ...
, Massachusetts and into Amityville, New York during the
Salem Witch trials The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Not everyone wh ...
. This Ketcham caricature in the
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
and
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
films was said to have killed multiple Native Americans and himself in a secret part of the house in the basement. The real Ketcham is not known to have been to either Salem, Massachusetts nor Amityville, New York and was born more than a century after the character in the book was said to have lived.


Sources


External links


Ft. Vallonia

Indiana Historical BureauKetcham-Piercy family collection, 1830-1995, bulk 1854-1946
at the Indiana University Archives.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ketcham, John Indiana Territory officials American surveyors People from Indiana in the War of 1812 People from Jackson County, Indiana People from Monroe County, Indiana Members of the Indiana House of Representatives 1782 births 1865 deaths People from Washington County, Maryland