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Spencer County History and Information

Spencer County was created on February 1, 1818 and was formed from Perry and Warrick Counties. The County was named for Capt. Spier Spencer, killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.

The County Seat is Rockport and derives its name from the hanging rock, known to boatmen at the "Lady Washington Rock." In 1849 it contained good county buildings, a County Seminary in which there were usually 30 students, a Methodist Church and 200 houses (only seven of which were brick) and 600 inhabitants. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Spencer County are Dubois County (north), Perry County (east), Hancock County, Kentucky (southeast), Daviess County, Kentucky (south), Warrick County (west).

Spencer County is divided into 9 Civil Townships as follows: Carter, Clay, Grass, Hammond, Harrison, Huff, Jackson, Luce and Ohio.

Cities, Towns and Communities include Africa, Buffaloville, Centerville, Chrisney, Clay City, Dale, Enterprise, Eureka, Evanston, Fulda, Gentryville, Grandview, Hatfield, Kennedy, Lamar, Lake Mill, Liberal, Lincoln City, Mariah Hill, Maxville, Midway, New Boston, Newtonville, Patronville, Pueblo, Reo, Richland City, Ritchie, Rock Hill, Rockport, St. Meinrad, Sand Ridge, Santa Claus, Schley and Silverdale.

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Spencer County Township Map
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Extended History

1849 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Gazetteer," published by E. Chamberlain

Spencer County, organized in 1818, was named in honor of Captain Spier Spencer, of Harrison County, who fell it the Battle of Tippecanoe. It is bounded north by Dubois, east by Perry, south by the Ohio River, and west by Warrick, and it contains 410 square miles. The civil townships are Luce, Ohio, Grass, Jackson, Hammond, Huff, Harrison and Carter. The population in 1830 was 3,187, in 1840, 6,305, and at this time [1849] about 9,000.

The south part of the county is level, the middle undulating, and the northeastern hilly. The soil for the most part is a rich black loam with an under soil of yellow clay mixed with sand, though in places steep hills or extensive flats do not encourage agricultural improvements. The prevailing timber is oak, hickory, ash, poplar, black gum, walnut, sugar, beech, and sassafras, with an undergrowth of dogwood, spice and pawpaw. Large crops of corn are raised on the extensive river bottoms, and in the interior, corn, wheat, rye, oats, grass and tobacco. There are in the county eight gristmills, eight sawmills, thirty stores, ten groceries, five warehouses, one printing office, three lawyers, nine physicians, fifteen preachers, and quite a small proportion of mechanics. The surplus produce, consisting of corn, wheat, hay, oats, tobacco, hogs, cattle and horses, is estimated to be worth $150,000 annually. There is a great abundance of stone coal found in the county. The taxable land amounts to 156,159 acres.

1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature

Spencer County was the boyhood home of Abraham Lincoln and a tract of 100 acres has been set aside in Lincoln City, marking the place. Here is the Lincoln State Park and the Nancy Hanks Lincoln Memorial. Two monuments mark her grave at the crown of the hill. There are several other Lincoln markers and memorials in Spencer County.

Spencer County is also noted as the site of St. Meinrad's Abbey .The name, which this institution of piety and learning bears, is taken from the holy man and hermit St. Meinrad, born in the year 797, a member of the noble house of Hohenzollern (the same that today in the person of Emperor William II rules in Germany). For years, he lived as a hermit in a life of prayer and penance at a spot, which today is the world-renowned place of pilgrimage in Switzerland - Maria Einsiedeln (Our Lady of the Hermits). There he died as a martyr in the year 861, being slain by two robbers, who falsely thought that the holy man had concealed in his hut rich gifts received from the pilgrims. Although aware of the impending danger, he nevertheless extended to them the hospitality of his humble cell, thus falling a victim to this own charity.

It was by this famous Abbey of Einsiedeln in Switzerland that the Abbey of St. Meinrad in Spencer County, Indiana, was founded. In 1852, the Rev. Joseph Kundeck, of Jasper, Indiana, upon the urgent request of Bishop de Saint Palais, of Vincennes, Indiana, secured from Einsiedeln several Benedictine recruits for the American missions - the Rev. Bede O'Connor and the Rev. Ulrich Christin, who arrived in New York January 31, 1853. Shortly after, more recruits were sent from the motherhouse, and on March 21, 1854, full possession was taken of the new Benedictine colony established at St. Meinrad. The Rev. Kundeck dedicated the little log cabin, held solemn celebration of high mass in the open air, and preached to the throng that had gathered from all directions. Soon frame buildings and a church were erected; missions, together with a school (college and seminary), were begun; and by reinforcement of members, the new settlement was able, in 1866, to count in its family twenty religieux, all ready to sacrifice their time, their strength and even their lives for the good cause. Many were the hardships and struggles during these years; but in spite of all adversity, the Benedictine colony progressed so satisfactorily that it was deemed feasible to have it elevated by Rome to the title of an independent Abbey, with all rights and privileges; this was effected on September 30, 1870. The Rev. Martin Marty, up to this time Prior, became its first Abbot; but in 1880 he was appointed Bishop of all the Dakotas, where he accomplished an immense amount of good work for the Indian cause, settling many a difference between the Indians and the government. He died as Bishop of St. Cloud in 1896.

With this elevation to the title and rank of an Abbey, a period of great activity set in for the institution under the leadership of Abbot Marty. In 1872, the cornerstone of the new Abbey building was laid, and in 1874, the community abandoned their old frame buildings and occupied their new stately edifice constructed of sandstone from its own quarry. The successor of Abbot Marty was Abbot Fintan (1880-1898), under whose administration the large and spacious college building of stone was erected; he also founded a new Benedictine colony at St. Benedict's in the State of Arkansas, and one at St. Joseph's in the State of Louisiana.

Affairs had thus made marked progress in St. Meinrad. Its mission, as well as college and seminary, were in a flourishing condition; the institution enjoyed a great increase of members not only in the community, but also in all departments of the student body; when of a sudden, on September 2, 1887, at the noon hour, a terrific disaster fell upon the Abbey, bringing gloom and desolation with it. On that day the Abbey buildings, church, library, college, seminary and all workshops were destroyed by fire. What had taken many years of labor and self-sacrifice to build up, an unexpected conflagration of an hour or two turned into a waste of smoldering ruins. The community immediately set to work for the reconstruction of the new Abbey buildings, and on the second anniversary day of the fire, September 2, 1889, the new Abbey was ready for occupancy.

In 1898, after the death of Abbot Fintan, the third incumbent of the abbatial chair was elected, the choice falling upon the rector of the seminary - Reverend Athanasius Schmitt, O.S.B. His chief aim was to erect a church large enough to accommodate choir members, priests, clerics, brothers, students of the college, philosophers, theologians and a large number of lay people. This church is a huge structure of solid stone masonry built in the pure Romanesque style of architecture, 200 feet long by 72 feet wide, with two beautiful towers containing a chime of six bells. These towers are covered with copper shingles, whilst the roofing of the church proper is of slate. The magnificent art glass windows were imported from Munich, Germany. The high altar, a unique, gorgeous structure of Italian marble and fire-gilt bronze, hails likewise form the art studios of Germany and Italy. Beneath the chancel, there is a crypt containing four different grottoes; these grottoes are built of natural stone obtained from a cave in Ohio. The church contains fourteen altars, with baptismal chapel and a chapel of Our Lady near the entrance. The mammoth double organ is an instrument of 55 registers and 3,015 pipes.

After completion of the beautiful church a new four-story library 125 feet by 30 feet and a new seminary 200 feet by 40 feet, five stories high, built entirely of sandstone (form the monastery's own quarry), reinforced concrete and with tile roofs were added; also a reinforced concrete water tank, containing 500,000 gallons of water for supply and fire protection purposes was erected.

The membership of the Abbey at present (1915) is as follows: Priests, fifty-five; clerics, twelve lay brothers, forty; students of the college, 120; of the seminary, seventy, besides workingmen and employees, averaging about 300 all in all.

A Benedictine family is an industrious colony in itself, with agricultural facilities and practically all kinds of trades represented in the lay-brethren, to-wit: carpenters, blacksmiths, wagon makers, gardeners, butchers, shoemakers, tailors, bookbinders, cooks, electricians, tinners, mechanics, painters, scientists, musicians, etc., and is again proof, as in the past centuries, that such settlements become centers of industry, art, science, learning and piety. All of which naturally will exercise an influence upon its surroundings.

St. Meinrad's College, which was first opened for the education of young men on January 1, 1857, has developed since its establishment into an institution with three distinct departments and facilities: St. Meinrad's Seminary, St. Meinrad's College, and Jasper College. The three departments of this institution are conducted by the Fathers of the Benedictine Order, and are connected with the Abbey of St. Meinrad: the first two (for ecclesiastical students) at St. Meinrad, Indiana, the last named (for secular students) at Jasper, Indiana. All three departments were incorporated in the year 1890 under the title of "St. Meinrad's Abbey," subject to the laws of incorporation of the State of Indiana, and empowered to confer collegiate degrees until recent years.

Spencer is one of the southern counties bordering the Ohio River. It is noted for its large tobacco crops, although corn and other agricultural products also are raised on the rich river bottomlands. In the northern part large beds of coal are found, and some mining is done.

It has an area of 403 square miles, divided into nine townships. The incorporated city is Rockport, 2,396; towns: Dale, 770; Grandview, 588; Chrisney, 414, and Gentryville, 271. The county population in 1890 was 22,060; 1900, 22,407; 1910, 20,676; 1920, 18,400; 1930, 16,713.

Rockport is an Ohio River town located thirty miles from Evansville, and is served by one railroad. It is most important as the center of a great tobacco-growing district. Its manufactures include strawboard, school desks, buttons, boxes, egg cases, chairs, and furniture.

One of the most interesting features of Rockport is the historic flatboat landing, where biennially the Indiana Lincoln Memorial Association produces the pageant "When Lincoln Went Flatboating From Rockport." Among other points of interest in Rockport is Sargent's Inn, built in 1832. Lincoln was a guest here in 1844, when he was elector for Clay. At Rocky Side Park there is a marble slab in a rock cave at the site of the home of Spencer County's first white family, who came in 1807.

At the town of Grandview, five miles northeast of the County Seat, are several markers erected by the Lincoln Trail Club. One marks the site of an old blockhouse fort. In front of the public library is a series of plates giving the route traveled by Lincoln between Grandview and Lincoln City. At New Hope, which is two miles north of Grandview, a marker has been placed near the site of the old Bayse store where Lincoln traded.

In Lincoln City are two other markers in addition to the Memorial Area and Lincoln State Park. One, a monument on the grounds of the public school, marks the site of the cabin home of Thomas Lincoln, father of the Great Emancipator. In Old Pigeon Cemetery is a monument at the grave of Sarah Lincoln Grigsby.

East of Lincoln City is St. Meinrad, home of the famous abbey. This institution is one of Spencer County's most notable points of artistic interest.

Spencer County had fifteen manufacturing establishments, according to the figures of the 1935 federal census. Ninety-four wage earners were employed on payrolls totaling $61,974. The value of the products was $608,874.

The county had 2,221 farms averaging 101.3 acres each. The value of these was $6,796,852. A total of 40,666 head of livestock was reported.

The county's tax valuation for 1936 was $9,130,520.

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Spencer County History and Information

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Extended History