Harrison Township
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General PETER B. ALLEN was born in the town of Dover, Mass., in the year 1766. He removed to Ontario county, N.Y., in 1804, where he continued to live until 1818, when he came to Vigo county. He traveled by the "usual route" at that day, namely, by flat-boat down the Ohio, thence up the Wabash to "Old Terre Haute," two miles below the city. He landed on the 18th of June. He located land in different parts of the county, with "Canadian rights," the same as described in the notice of Major MARKLE. Among the lands then located was the tract where the Rose Polytechnic Institute now stands; also, 480 acres where the county poor farm in now located. His house was constructed of the lumber that constituted his flat-boat. This house stood on the same spot now occupied by Mr. PRESTON's house, two and a half miles of Fort Harrison. Gen. ALLEN located many valuable tracts of land in this county and also in Clay. He had nine children, all of whom came to this county with him. His daughter, Catherine, afterward married Curtis GILBERT. His son, Henry ALLEN, served in the war of 1812, and was afterward sheriff of Vigo county. Another son, Ira ALLEN, served one year in the Black Hawk war. He was a farmer, as were two other sons, Myron H. and Peter B., jr. His daughters, Amanda and Harriet, married Mr. Silas HOSKINS and Mr. George CONN, respectively.

HISTORY OF VIGO AND PARKE COUNTIES Together With Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley
H.W. Beckwith - 1880
Terre Haute - pp. 43-44

Major JOHN T. CHUNN, was born in Maryland in 1780. While he was yet young his father removed to Faquier county, Virginia. But little is known here of Maj. CHUNN's early life in Virginia. He came to Ohio about 1801, and thence to Clarksburg, Indiana, before 1804. He married his first wife about this time. He had five children: three sons and two daughters. The sons became river-men and steamboat captains. In 1811 Maj. CHUNN became an officer in the United States army, and participated in HARRISON's campaign in Canada. He then returned to Indiana, in the latter part of 1815. He was then assigned to the command of this military district, which he held from 1815 to 1818, with headquarters at Fort Harrison. He was afterward transferred to Fort Detroit. In 1820 he retired from the army, and returned to this county. In 1821 he married Matilda Le MARCH, at Clinton, Indiana; located on Bronllette creek, in Independence township, about four miles southwest of Clinton, where he died in 1847. He served as magistrate in that township for twenty-four years. He was noted for his open-handed hospitality, and this, as in Thomas JEFFERSON's case, prevented him from ever becoming a wealthy man. He was made a Mason in Winchester Lodge, Virginia, in 1801, and took nine degrees. He was a charter member of Terre Haute Lodge, No. 19, and likewise a charter member of Western Star Lodge, No. 30, at Clinton, and was buried with Masonic honors. By his last wife he had four sons and two daughters. Three of his sons were conspicuous for bravery during the late war. One of his daughters is the wife of John WRIGHT, of Vermillion county, a prominent farmer. The other is unmarried.

HISTORY OF VIGO AND PARKE COUNTIES Together With Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley
H.W. Beckwith - 1880
Terre Haute - p. 43

BENJAMIN McKEEN was one of the pioneer settlers of the Wabash valley. He was born January 1, 1803, in Mason county, Kentucky, and came into this state--then territory--with his father's family, in 1811, and lived in Knox county until twenty years of age. His father was a member of the society of Shakers, and participated in making the settlement at "Shaker Prairie," now in Sullivan county. In 1823, when just twenty years of age, he was stimulated by that energy of character for which he was always distinguished, to enter, on his own account, upon the active duties of life, and then settled in the southern part of the county. This was only seven years after the admission of the state into the Union, and five years after the organization of the county. Those were the days of the keelboat and the "broadhorn." Mr. McKEEN partook actively of that adventure which carried so many of our early settlers to New Orleans, which was then the only market for their produce, and was among those who aided, by their untiring industry and enterprise, in developing the resources of this country. The people of this county knew and admired him for his many virtues, his intergrity, firmness and public spirit. He died in December, 1866. He left two sons and three daughters, who are among the most estimable and respected of the citizens of Vigo county. During the last seven years of his life he lived in the immediate vicinity of Terre Haute.

HISTORY OF VIGO AND PARKE COUNTIES Together With Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley
H.W. Beckwith - 1880
Terre Haute - p. 44

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