The History of Hendricks County (Chicago: Interstate Publishing, 1885)--Center Township, pages 527-528
Joseph P. Lewis was born in Bracken County, Ky. While he was a lad his parents moved to Indiana, stopping in Fayette and Rush counties. Joseph went back to Kentucky and was married to Louisa Leak in June, 1834. He moved to Hendricks County in 1835, and lived there continuously until his removal to Nebraska April 1, 1885, where he went to join his children in Custer County. He could related many interesting experiences of pioneer life, such as how the settlers beat their corn into meal in a hominy mortar, and attended mill at Crawfordsville for several years, going one day and returning the next on horseback, which he did many times. On the death of his wife he married a widow lady, Mrs. Eliza Bell, of Hendricks County. They have several children. Uncle Joe, as he was familiarly called by everybody, left a host of friends and well-wishers behind him.