While walking through Presbyterian Cemetery in Ellettsville, Indiana, my daughter and I came across an interesting grave marker. It is a newer marker, as it seems that his original marker is gone, though his wife's marker is still in place.
"In Memory of
George Sharp
Pioneer of Ellettsville
Famous Bear Hunter
Donated land - Presby. Cem
Born 26, April 1767
Bedford Co, Virginia
Died June 1830
Ellettsville, Indiana"
Below are the family members that set the monument in place.
George Sharp was a busy man. Pioneer of Ellettsville, Famous Bear Hunter, Donating land for the ceme -- wait. Famous Bear Hunter??
Here is why George Sharp is the February Grave Spotlight of the Month.
George Sharp was born in Culpepper County, Virginia, or possibly Bedford County, Virginia to Adam Shaup Sharp (b. 1739 - d. 1816) and Phoebe Harmon Sharp (b. 1742 - d. 1817). The confusion here is likely because over the years, the county lines have shifted and some have merged to make different counties. I can't find any information for where George's parents are buried, but it is likely either in Virginia or Kentucky as they died around the time George is noted as having entered the area.
He had many siblings, but I haven't been able to determine where any of them are buried:
Mary Sharp (b. 1773 - d. unknown)
Abraham Sharp (b. 1769 - d. 1840)
Matilda Sharp (b. 1769 - d. unknown)
John Sharp (b. 1772- d. 1850)
Nancy Sharp (b. 1774 - d. unknown)
Rachael Sharp (b. 1775 - d. 1878)
Aaron Sharp (b. 1775 - d. 1820)
Elizabeth Sharp (b. 1776 - d. unknown)
Moses Sharp (b. 1782 - d. 1851) -
Tabitha Whitten Sharp (b. 1785 - d. unknown)
Frances Walton Sharp (b. 1787 - d. 1845)
He was married to Sally/Sallie Johnston Sharp/Sharpe (b. May 20, 1783 - d. December 4, 1861) in Winchester, Clark County, Kentucky on February 24, 1799.
They had several children:
Nancy Sharp Edmondson (b. February 9, 1800, Kentucky - d. June 23, 1851, Indiana). She is buried in Presbyterian Cemetery in Ellettsville, Indiana.
Mary "Polly" Sharp (b. 1800 - d. 1850)
Melinda Sharp (b. 1803 - d. 1872)
Hubbard Sharp (b. 1805, Kentucky - d. January 31, 1878). He is buried in Presbyterian Cemetery in Ellettsville, Indiana.
James Sampson Sharp (b. March 9, 1807, Kentucky - d. January 15, 1877). He is buried in Presbyterian Cemetery in Ellettsville, Indiana.
George Jordan Sharp (b. April 25, 1809, Tennessee - d. December 18, 1873, Ellettsville, Indiana). He is buried in Sharp-Morrison Cemetery in Centerville, Kansas
Amelia Sharp/Sharpe Parks (b. June 15, 1811, Indiana - d. December 3, 1877). She is buried in Rawlins Cemetery, Lancaster, Texas.
Thomas Johnston/Johnson Sharp (b. September 8, 1817 - d. May 17, 1897). He is buried in Presbyterian Cemetery in Ellettsville, Indiana.
William Perry Sharp (b. July 23, 1818, Indiana - d. August 3, 1886, Macon County, Missouri). He is buried in Ten Mile Baptist Church Cemetery, Ten Mile, Missouri.
I did find two children listed as his, but not with Sally, as they were born before he and Sally were married. These have no mother listed in their information, but the time does fit for them to be his children. It is possible that he was married beforehand but she died. I have no solid information about them:
Mary Sharp (b. 1787 - d. 1846)
Malinda Sharp (b. 1790 - d. unknown)
In 1817, George moved to Ellettsville, Indiana after purchasing 320 acres of land to became one of the areas earliest settlers. It is said that George built a crude log cabin and set out to clear the land. His wife, Sallie, followed later.
The land where the Presbyterian Cemetery now resides was once part of the homestead of George Sharp and his family. I am not sure when the land was deeded to the church to make the cemetery, but I have seen it credited to George and to his son Thomas. The sign at the entrance to the cemetery states 1930 as when it was founded. This date is later than both George and his son.
But, what you really came here for was to find out how George Sharp became known as a famous bear hunter. That story starts in the south, possibly in Tennessee around 1809 as his son George Jordan Sharp was born there in 1809. He had been one of a group of men who were part of a surveying expedition who was responsible for catching game for their dinner. He averaged a bear a day, as well as buffalo, deer and other animals.
He killed hundreds of bears in his time because of his courage, skill and strength, as well as his knowledge of animals and their ways. It was rare that he was injured, even though he hunted with nothing more than a butcher knife and a rifle. Supposedly, his son Thomas Johnston kept the knife as a keepsake. It makes me wonder if that knife is still in the family.
The aforementioned knife was rumored to have been used to kill one of the few bears in Richland Township. In about 1819, during the early part of the winter, a man in the newly formed settlement that would become known as Ellettsville, saw a massive track in the snow. He couldn't figure out what it could have been, so he called on Old Man Sharp, as George was known as the time. He took one look at the track and pronounced that it was that of a bear. A group of men, including George, followed the tracks which led to a hollowed out Sycamore tree. They set about cutting down the tree, all the while asking George for his knowledge of how to proceed.
As the tree came down, landing hard on the ground, it split open to reveal three bears, a large one and two older cubs. The men and their dogs managed to dispatch the bears after quite a fight. The bears were butchered and parceled out to the men and their families, which would have been quite sustaining in the cold months.
Other bears were known to have been killed in the area, though those stories were not recorded much. Probably because George was not involved. When a man known as a famous bear hunter becomes involved, that story will obviously be recorded.
So there you have it. George Sharp, Famous Bear Hunter, buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Ellettsville, Indiana. He was an amazing man, fighting bears with little more than a knife and his bare hands. No pun intended.
Thank you, George for your bravery and your skill. You will not be forgotten.
~~~~~
Counties of Morgan, Monroe, Brown, by Charles Blanchard - Google Books
Monroe County Historian - February/March 2017 Edition Page 9
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