1835: Samuel McCutchan

In 1835, Samuel McCutchan inspired by stories from his father William, also made the move to this area north of Evansville. In 1850, McCutchan applied for a post office for the community. It was well known that his house had been the unofficial mail distribution center for a number of years before. When asked what he wished the office to be named, he offered up Goshen, an area from Ireland his family had come from. Unfortunately their was already one in existence by that name so they named it McCutchans-ville and Samuel became the Post Master. This led to the community being called McCutchanville.

Samuel McCutchan, the oldest son of William McCutchan, married Agnes McCrabbie on April 23, 1820, at Bethel, New York. Agnes never used her real name but went by Nancy. In New York they had the following children: Margaret, Agnes, William, Sarahm Elizabeth, and Samuel Vickerstaff. Immediately following the birth of Vic, they sold their New York farm, in March 1835, and set out for Indiana. Their arrival here is dated November 27, 1835.

Samuel selected property along what is now the Kansas Road between Hedden and Green River roads. He built a small cabin near a spring in the depression on the southeast side of the hill near a old Indian Village and lived their for about a year.

His selection of land was not then a wise one because the Blue Grass Creek valley immediately to the east was nothing more than mosquito-infested swamp. He completed the purchase of the property anyway, but did nothing further to develop it. Instead he moved to the hill 1836.

William, the father, died on October 22 that year, and Samuel purchased his father’s land, as well as the land and house of his brother George Bond. George and the now widowed mother moved north into Scott Township where they permeantly settled on what is now know as McCutchan Road. Samuel remained at the Petersburg location for the remainder for his life.