Reiter Dooley Cragun was the fourth daughter, one of fourteen children of Robert and Julia (Shelburn) Dooley born August 7,1826 at Shelby County, Kentucky. The following account is taken from a booklet by Squire Washington Dooley, Reiter's younger brother."In 1836 when she was ten years old, the family then of seven children sold their possessions and with Robert's brother Squire and sister-in-law came to Indiana in one four horse wagon. They traveled in a party which also included Julia's brother, John Shelburn, and Wm. Taurman and their families driving other wagons. They came in rainy weather camping out nights and traveling the muddy roads by day. It took them six weeks to reach their 40 acre home site in Union Township, one mile west of the Michigantown Road and the Northfield Community. He purchased the property improved by a little patch of cleared land and a small hewed log house for $200. To this he added 40 acres adjoining to the south, paying $1.25 per acre. Here he commenced to make a farm by cutting away the small trees and brush and deadening the larger ones."
While struggling to clear a farm and raise a family, the country was struck by the economic panic of 1837 which precipitated the nations first major depression. It was nearly impossible to sell anything for cash although one could pay debts with hogs at $1.25 per hundred weight. While hard times were at their worst in 1838, Robert seriously injured his foot cutting it with an ax while chopping timber. He was disabled from farming for a year. The neighbors showed a kindness by coming to his relief...rolling logs, plowing ground, and planting corn. With such neighborly help, Robert's children, using hoes brought forth a good corn crop that year. While recovering, Robert, having some skills in working leather, repaired shoes for the community. These settlers, identified with the Mounts Run Regular Baptist Church, were most all acquaintances and kin. If not blood kin they were often related by intermarriages so they seemed like one family. What was of interest to one was of interest to all. They were always ready to share each others' losses and bear each others' crosses. The men would meet and raise houses and roll logs. Their wives would meet at the same time and do their quilting and pick wool and have a good time together. It became a neighborhood noted for sociability, piety, and benevolence.
In addition to corn and hogs, Robert and his family grew flax using the fine lint which was spun into thread and woven into either linsey, flannels, or jeans and sewn into wearing apparel. The courser lint was made into ropes and twine and sold. They kept sheep and manufactured wool into cloth for winter apparel. When the boys got on their hats, plaited of wheat, oats, or rye straw, they had homemade clothes from top to bottom.
The children went to subscription schools, which operated two or three months each year, when they could be spared. They studied orthography (spelling), reading, writing, arithmetic and sometimes English grammar. They used books such as Webster's Elementary Spelling Book, Pike's arithmetic, and Kirkam's grammar. In the 1840's few reading books existed, however the New Testament was sometimes used. Goose quill pens and homemade ink were used for writing.
Julia died In 1849 at age 47. Robert lived until age 52 dying December 30,1854. They are buried side by side at Mounts Run Church Cemetery eight miles East of Lebanon, just south of Route #32.
After their marriage on August 18, 1842, Reiter and Hiram Cragun settled in the woods on an 80 acre tract of land in Eagle Township between where Whitestown and Zionsville were situated ten years later. The Big Four railroad was built through this farm in 1851 and the home later became known as St. Clair stop, being located near the T. I. H. & E. traction line. By industry and perseverance they soon had a nice farm started which eventually grew, by purchase, to 245 acres and was considered one of the best farms in that locality.
Squire Dooley, describes farming in those times. "The implements used were hoes and bar share plows. These plows were entirely wooden, except the bar and wing (or share) which was adjoined to a wooden mouldboard. This plow was used in breaking (the soil) and also in cultivation of the corn. When the corn was small the bar was put to it, and when it grew larger the mouldboard was turned to it to hill it up like sweet potato ridges. The wheat, oats, and rye were cut with hand hooks. The grain when dry was put into stacks, and then put on a dirt floor and trodden out by horses. It was the business of the boys to ride one horse and lead another by its side and keep them on the straw until the grain was all trampled out. It was then cleaned by pouring from an elevated place where there was a brisk wind blowing or by the use of a sheet put in motion as a fan. Sometimes flails were used to thresh out the grain. The mills for grinding the grain were all run by water. "The ones on the small streams would fail when the dry part of the season came. People would then go to larger streams to get their milling done. [The elder boys] usually took the lead in doing chores and assisting the father in the many burdens that he was compelled to undergo in caring for the family. The milling was all done on horseback. Two bushels of grain was put into a sack and put across the horses back. The [round] trip to the mill sometimes took two days. This would be repeated every week the year round."
Hiram and Reiter continued to live on their farm nearly all of their matrimonial lives covering a period of forty two years. During this time they brought forth nine children, six sons and three daughters. Two children died in their youth; Mary Ann, age five years in 1848, and Columbus F., age five years in 1862. The surviving children are all believed to have made Indiana their home.
A biographical sketch in Indianapolis and Vicinity reports that Hiram had been a Democrat until the Civil War at which time his politics changed to Republican. He is also shown to have been an early member and class leader of the Pleasant View Methodist Episcopal Church. It is in the graveyard of that church, now known as the Hutton Memorial Cemetery about six miles East of Whitestown on County Road 300 S, that he is buried. He died at age sixty eight in 1884.
Reiter remained on the farm until her remarriage on March 8, 1893, to John Bowers of Marion County, an old family friend. She moved to join him in Zionsville leaving daughter Melvina St. Clair and family on the farm. She continued to live in Zionsville after his death on October 27, 1904, keeping house with the assistance of a granddaughter, Lily Cragun, eldest child of Hiram Nelson Cragun. She died there on April 27, 1914 and is interred beside Hiram and son, Columbus.