My Genealogy Hound

Alonzo J. Alldredge, one of the oldest natives of Posey county, was born October 9, 1846, son of Anderson and Sarah Mariah Alldredge, also natives of Indiana. In his boyhood much of the land now under cultivation was forest and there were no railroads in the county. Mt. Vernon was but a small village and where the hominy mill now stands a Mr. Brinkman had a blacksmith shop and there was a saloon on the location of Rosenbaum’s store. There were a great many wild turkeys and Mr. Alldredge can remember of one occasion when his dog was chasing a flock of these birds and one of them jumped up on the fence where he caught it with his hands. At that time there was an old grist mill on the creek near Grafton, where the farmers had their grain ground by water power. Alonzo attended the common schools and remained at home with his parents until the age of twenty-one. At the age of seventeen he enlisted in Brown’s company of Mt. Vernon. They made a trip to Morgantown, thence to Henderson and back to Mt. Vernon. He was also in Johnson’s raid across the Kentucky border. At the age of twenty-one he began farming for himself, taking charge of his father’s place of 200 acres. As only fifty acres of this tract were cleared, he had to subdue the forest before he could gain any benefit of the ground. These were the days of split rail fences, some of those made at that time remaining to this day. When he started farming he had to cradle his own wheat, mow clover and other grass with a scythe and use oxen for farm work. One year Mr. Alldredge threshed wheat by tramping it out with four horses under a big shade tree. He was able to tramp out 200 bushels in a week’s time. He continued clearing his land and now has 240 acres under cultivation, having added to the original holding. Mr. Alldredge married Victoria Bishop, the marriage occurring in 1867. She was born in Posey county, where she was raised and educated. They had four children: Lemuel, January 20, 1872, now living on the home place; Laura, May 4, 1874; Otis, January 5, 1870, and Minnie, December 3, 1876, now deceased. His first wife died February 7, 1877, and he married Miss Martha S. Pierman, daughter of James Pierman of Indiana. She was born in Posey county, where she was raised, educated and married. They had five children: Marsh, February 23, 1880; Fred, August 13, 1881; Elijah, July 4, 1884; Julius, November 13, 1887, and Eva, November 15, 1890. Eva is deceased and the other four are all living in the county. Mrs. Martha Alldredge died January 26, 1891. He married as his third wife Sarah Pierman, a sister of his second wife.