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A  HISTORY 


OF 


ST.  JOSEPH  COUNTY 


INDIANA 


BY 

TIMOTHY  EDWARD  HOWARD 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  NORTHERN  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


VOLUME  ONE 


'     >     "     '    a     ■>  X      ' 


^       THE  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY  "     "      '' 


3         »     O         3    , 


CHICAGO  NEW   YORK 

1907 


|tH^^  new   YORK 

IPUBLIC  LIBRARY 

4554 71 

MSrW,  LENOX  AH» 

1909  '-I 


PREFACE 


It  is  now  more  than  three-quarters  of  a  century  since  the  organization  and  first  settle- 
ment of  St.  Jaseph  county.  Of  those  who  were  present  at  the  beginning  there  is  no 
one  left  to  tell  the  story.  Three  generations  have  since  been  born  to  the  rich  inheritance 
of  those  first  toilers.  Of  these,  the  oldest  yet  liviog  have,  perhaps,  heard  the  pioneer 
history  from  the  lips  of  the  pioneers  themselves.'  As  to  the  rest,  if  they  know  the  story 
at  all,  they  have  learned  it  from  tradition,  from  musty  records,  from  letters,  papers  and 
documents  of  other  days,  and,  it  may  be  also,  from  such  incidental  references  as  are  to  be 
found  in  scattered  pamphlets,  books  and  other  publications.  For  anything  more  definite 
concerning  our  early  history  we  have  been  accustomed  to  look  to  the  historical  atlas  of 
the  county,  published,  in  1875,  by  Higgins,  Belden  &  Company,  of  Chicago,  and  to  cer- 
tain historical  and  biographical  works,  particularly  that  published  in  the  same  city,  in 
1880,  by  Chapman  &  Company.  The  maps  in  the  atlas  referred  to  were  excellent  for 
their  time,  but  have  long  been  out  of  date.  The  footnotes  in  this  atlas  contain  much  valu- 
able information  that  might  otherwise  have  been  lost.  The  Chapman  work  consisted  of 
a  brief  history  of  Indiana,  followed  by  detached  sketches  of  the  history  of  St.  Joseph 
county  and  biographies  of  prominent  citizens.  These  local  sketches,  like  the  notes  in  the 
Atlas,  are  of  inestimable  value,  as  preserving  a  variety  of  historical  data  furnished  by 
men  then  still  living,  much  of  which  also,  if  not  thus  preserved,  might  have  been  wholly 
forgotten.  Since  the  publication  of  those  works  nearly  a  third  of  a  century  has  passed, 
during  which  time  many  zealous  students  of  our  early  history  have  gathered  up  the  old 
traditions,  searched  the  public  records,  turned  over  old  newspaper  files,  and  in  a  multi- 
tude of  ways  rescued  from  loss  historical  facts  that  were  constantly  slipping  into  oblivion. 
Chief  among  those  students  of  antique  historical  lore  have  been  David  R.  Leeper,  Richard 
H.  Lyon,  George  A.  Baker  and  Charles  H.  Bartlett.  Most  of  this  good  work  has  been 
done  for  or  through  the  Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society.  To  the  labors  of  these 
painstaking  searchers  have  been  added  numerous  reminiscent  writings  prepared  by  older 
citizens,  many  of  whom  are  now  departed  from  us.  It  seemed  high  time  to  put  into 
permanent  form  this  wealth  of  material,  new  and  old,  to  pick  up  these  scattered  threads 
of  our  splendid  history  and  weave  them  into  a  continuous  narrative,  before  they  should 
again  be  scattered  and  perhaps  lost  forever. 

For  over  a  year  the  writer  has  devoted  all  the  time  which  he  could  spare  to  this  work, 
which  to  him  has  been  a  labor  of  love.  He  has,  so  far  as  he  knows,  overlooked  no  source 
of  information  which  seemed  open  to  him,  and  has  sought  to  verify  facts,  names,  dates 
and  events,  and  to  arrange  the  whole  into  a  connected  and  readable  history  of  St.  Joseph 
county.  How  far  these  efforts  have  been  successful  must  be  left  to  the  judgment  of 
his  readers.  He  has  received  aid  from  many  sources,  and  has  endeavored  to  give  due  credit 
for  such  help  in  the  text,  in  the  footnotes,   and  in  the  Bibliography  printed  on  the  follow- 


iv  PREFACE. 

ing  pages.  This  bibliography  includes  not  only  the  books  and  other  printed  publica- 
tions, but  also  all  other  authorities  chiefly  relied  on  in  the  writing  of  this  history. 

Acknowledgments  are  also  due  to  many  friends  who  have  given  valued  information 
and  furnished  facts  and  reminiscences  clearing  up  doubtful  phases  of  our  history.  Among 
these  generous  helpers  he  would  make  particular  mention  of  GTeorge  A.  Baker,  secretary, 
and  several  other  members,  of  the  Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society;  H.  S.  K.  Bar- 
tholomew, president  of  the  Elkhart  Historical  Society ;  Samuel  J.  Nicoles,  of  Walkerton ; 
and  Albert  H.  Compton,  of  New  Carlisle.  Others  who  have  suggested  lines  of  research, 
answered  requests,  or  who  themselves  have  thrown  light  on  the  obscure  past,  are  so 
numerous  that  even  a  list  of  their  names  could  not  be  given.  They  will  kindly  ac- 
cept this  general  acknowledgment  of  their  invaluable  services  in  helping,  so  far  as  could 
be  done  at  this  time  and  Avith  the  material  now  available,  to  make  this  a  complete  and 
satisfactory  history  of  the  county. 

The  publishers  have  been  generous  on  their  part.  In  paper,  printing,  binding  and 
illustration,  all  pains  have  been  taken  that  could  have  been  given  to  a  work  that  was 
to  be  sold  throughout  the  country,  whereas  the  patrons  of  this  history  must  be  found  only 
within  the  limits  of  St.  Joseph  county.  For  their  considerate  kindness,  which  has  done 
so  much  to  make  the  labors  of  the  writer  a  pleasant  task,  his  acknowledgments  are  due 
and  gladly  tendered. 

South  Bend,  Indiana,  January  1,  1908.  TIMOTHY  E.  HOWARD. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    I. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Page 

I.  Location  and   General  Features 1 

II.  Relation  of  the  St.  Joseph  to  the  Kan- 

kakee     1 

III.  The  Glacial  Drift 1 

IV.  Glacial   Action   Over   Northern   Indi- 
ana    2 

V.  Lakes  and  Subterraneous  Waters 6 

VI.  ]\Ioraines  and  Waterways 9 

VII.  The  Great  Kankakee. "! 10 

Sec.  1.     Three  Great  Ice  Lobes. 

Sec.  2.     The   Ancient   Waterways. 

Sec.  3.     Origin  of  the  St.  Joseph  Eiver. 

VIII.  Elevations,  Strata  and  Soils 17 

IX.  Lakes  of  St.  Joseph  County 18 


CHAPTER    II. 
EARLY  HISTORY. 


I.  Marquette 

Sec.  1. 
Sec.  2. 
Sec.  3. 

II.  La  Salle  . 

Sec.  1. 
Sec.  2. 
Sec.  3. 
•  Sec.  4. 
Sec.  5. 
Sec.  6. 


First   Footprints. 
Eoutes  of  Travel. 
Historical   Data. 


20 


23 


Preparations. 

On  the   Great  Lakes. 

The  Portage  of  the  St.  Joseph. 

At  the  Village  of  the  Miamis. 

Down  the   Mississippi. 

The  Passing  of  the  Portage. 

III.  Primitive  Inhabitants   34 

Sec.  1.     The  Mound  Builders. 

Sec.  2.     Our  Miamis  and   Pottawatomies. 

IV.  Fort  St.  Joseph's 39 

Sec.  1.     The  French  Power. 

Sec.  2.     British    Supremacy. 

Sec.  3.     Pontiac's   War. 

Sec.  4.     George  Eogers  Clark  and  Fort  St. 

Joseph 's. 
Sec.  5.     Taken   by   the   Spaniards. 

V.  The    Parkovash,    Indian    Camps    and 
Trails 43 

Sec.  1.     Camps   and   Fishing   Eesorts. 
Sec.  2.     Trails  and   Traces. 
Sec.  3.     Charlevoix  on   Portage  Prairie. 
Sec.  4.     Other   Trails. 

VI.  The  Removal  of  the  Pottawatomies .  .   48 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    STATE    OF    INDIANA. 

Page 

I.  The  French  Era 57 

See.  1.     Nature   of  the  French   Occupancy. 
Sec.  2.     Canada   and   Louisiana. 

II.  The  British  and  Spanish  Era 58 

III.  George  Rogers  Clark 59 

Sec.  1.     Clark   in  Kentucky. 

Sec.  2.     His  Appeal  to   Virginia. 

Sec.  3.     Secret    Preparations. 

Sec.  4.     Capture   of   Kaskaskia. 

Sec.  5.     Father  Gibault  and  Vincennes. 

Sec.  6.     Clark  's   Winter   Campaign. 

IV.  The  County  of  Illinois 70 

Sec.  1.     First  Measures  Taken  by  Virginia. 
Sec.  2.     Nature  of  the  County  Government. 
Sec.  3.     Claims  Made  by  Other  States. 
Sec.  4.     Cession  by  Virginia. 

V.  The  Ordinance  of  1787 75 

Seel.  First  Congressional  Plan:  Seven- 
teen States. 

Sec.  2.     Jefferson's  Plan:     Ten  otates. 

Sec.  3.     Emigration   to   the   West. 

Sec.  4.     Development  of  the  Ordinance. 

Sec.  5.     The  Six  Articles  of  the  Ordinance. 

Sec.  6.  The  Constitution  of  the  United 
States. 

Sec.  7.     Eatification    of    the    Constitution. 

Sec.  8.     Government  Under  the  Ordinance. 

Sec.  9.     Governor   St.    Clair. 

Sec.  10.  General   Anthony  Wayne. 

Sec.  11.  The    Treaty  of   Greenville. 

Sec.  12.  Indian  Land  Titles. 

Sec.  13.  Lewis  Cass  and  the  Indian  Treat- 
ies. 

Sec.  14.  Indian  Titles  to  St.  Joseph  Coun- 
ty Lands. 

Sec.  15.  The  First  Legislature  of  the 
Northwest   Territory. 

VI.  Indiana   Territory 93 

Sec.  1.     Extent  of  the  Territory. 

Sec.  2.  Organization  of  the  Territorial 
Government. 

Sec.  3.     The  First  Indiana  Courts. 

Sec.  4.     Lotteries   and  Slavery  in  Indiana. 

Sec.  5.  The  First  Indiana  Legislature; 
tne  Territory  of  Michigan 
Formed. 

Sec.  6.  Tecumseh  and  the  Battle  of  Tip- 
pecanoe. 

See.  7.     Aaron   Burr. 

Sec.  8.     Formation   of   Illinois  Ten-itorv. 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


Page 
..103 


VII.    Organization  cti'  thi'  State 

Sec.  1.  Periods  of  Growth. 

Sec.  2.  Admission    into    the    Union. 

Sec.  3.  Population  and  Eevenues. 

Sec.  4.  Boundaries. 

See.  .5.  The  Name  of  the  State. 

Sec.  6.  The  Title  of  Hoosier. 

Oil  AFTER    IV. 
THE  ST.  JOSEPH  COUNTY  PIONEERS. 

T.    The  Fnr  Trade 125 

Sec.  1.     Sources    of   Our   Civilization. 

Sec.  2.     The   French    Traders. 

Sec.  3.     The   British  Policy  iu  Eelation   to 

the   Fur   Trafle. 
Sec.  4.     The    Great    Fur    Companies. 

II.  Three  Merchants  of  the  Wilderness.  .  .128 

Sec.  1.  Leclare. 
See.  2.  Burnett. 
Sec.  3.     Bertrand. 

III.  Pierre  Navarre 130 

IV.  The  First  Settlers 131 

Sec.  1.     Alexis   Coquillard. 

Sec.  2.     Lathrop  M.   Taylor. 

Sec.  3.  First  Name  of  the  New  Settle- 
ment. 

Sec.  4.     Early  Days   on   the   Kankakee. 

Sec.  5.  Other  Early  Settlers  of  the 
County. 

V.  The  Log  House 139 

VI.  Reminiscences   140 

Sec.  1.     By  Daniel   Greene. 
Sec.  2.     By  John   Stull. 
Sec.  3.     Paper  by  William  D.  Bulla. 
Sec.  4.     Kecollections    of    Hugh    V.    Comp- 
ton. 

VII.  Old  Settlers'  Reunions 150 

CHAPTER  V. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  ST.  JOSEPH 
COUNTY. 

I.  Land  Titles  and  Public  Surveys 155 

Sec.  1.     Indian  .  Titles. 

Sec.  2.     First    Congressional    and    Legisla- 
tive  Acts. 
Sec.  3.     First   Surveys. 
See.  4.     First    Land    Sales. 

II.  Organization  of  the  County 157 

Sec.  1.     Attached    Territory. 

III.  Oiii-  Foi-ni  of  County  Coverinnent.  .  .160 

Sec.  1.     The    Virginia    System. 

Sec.  2.     The   New   England   System. 

IV.  The  Board  of  Justices ' 161 

Sec.  L     Organization      of      CixiJ      Govern- 
ment. 
Sec.  2.     The   First   Townshii)s. 

V.  The  Board  of  Commissioners 164 

Sec.  1.     Act  of  Organization. 
Sec.  2.     Our  First   Commissioners. 

VI.  Early  County  Records 170 

Sec.  L     Organization   of   the   Board. 


Page 
Sec.  2.     Adoption    of   a   County   Seal. 
Sec.  3.     Other  Orders. 
Sec.  4.     Exemptions   from   Taxation. 
Sec.  5.     The    First    Ferry    and    Steamboat 

Landing. 
Sec.  6.     Licenses    to   Do   Business. 

VII.  Location  of  County  Seat 173 

Sec.  L  St.  Joseph,  the  First  County  Seat. 
Sec.  2.  Act  to  Ee-locate  the  County  Seat. 
Sec.  3.     Relocation. 

Sec.  4.  South  Bend,  tlie  Permanent  Coun- 
ty  Seat. 

VIII.  The  Townships  Re-organized 176 

IX.  The  County  Boundaries 177 

CHAPTER   VI. 
COUNTY   BUSINESS. 

I.  Administrative  Officers  and  Boards.  . .  .181 

Sec.  1.  The    Clerk. 

Sec.  2.  The    Recorder. 

Sec.  3.  The  Auditor. 

Sec.  4.  The   County  Agent. 

Sec.  .5.  The   Sheri£f. 

Sec.  6.  The  Coroner. 

Sec.  7.  The  Treasurer. 

Sec.  8.  The  Surveyor. 

Sec.  9.  The  County  Board. 

II.  The  Circuit  Court 187 

Sec.  1.  The  President  and  Associate 
Judges. 

Sec.  2.  The  Circuits  under  the  Constitu- 
tion of  1816. 

Sec.  3.  The  Circuits  Under  the  Constitu- 
tion  of  18.51. 

Sec.  4.     The  First  Session   of  the   Court. 

Sec.  .5.     The   Second  Session   of  the   Court. 

Sec.  6.  Other  Sessions  of  the  Court,  Un- 
der  the    Old   Constitution. 

Sec.  7.  Sessions  of  the  Court  Under  the 
New   Constitution. 

III.  The  Probate  Court 198 

Sec.  1.     The    First    Session. 

Sec.  2.     Further  Sessions  of  the  Court. 

IV.  The  Court  of  Common  Pleas 201 

Sec.  1.     Organization. 

See.  2.     The    Court    in   St.   Joseph   County. 

V.  A  Celebrated  Case , 202 

toec.  1.     Slavery,  as  Known   in  Indiana. 
Sec.  2.     Our  Slave  Case. 

VI.  The  County  Buildings 206 

Seel.     The  First  County  Jail. 

Sec.  2.     The  First  (;ourt"  House. 

Sec.  3.     The   Second   County  Jail. 

Sec.  4.     The    Second    Court    House. 

Sec.  5.     The  Third  County  Jail. 

Sec.  6.     Re-arrangement      of      the      Court 

House. 
Sec.  7.     A  Historic  Building. 
Sec.  8.     The  Fourth  Countv  Jail. 
Sec.  9.     The    Third   Court  "House. 
Sec.  10.  The  County  Asylums. 
Sec.  11.  The   Old   County   Seminary. 
Sec.  12.  The  Orphans'  Home. 


CONTENTS. 


Vll 


CHAPTER   VII. 

PUBLIC   IMPROVEMENTS. 

Page 

I.  Our  Rivers 223 

Sec.  1.     Improvements   on   the   Kankakee. 
Sec.  2.     Navigation  of  the  St.  Joseph. 
Sec.  3.     Water  Power  of  the  St.  Joseph. 
Sec.  4.     Generation   of    Electi:ic   Power. 
Sec.  5.     Accidents   on   the  Ei^-er. 

II.  Ferries,  Roads  and  Bridges 231 

Sec.  1.  Ferries  Over  the  St.  Joseph. 
Sec.  2.  Bridges  Over  the  St.  Joseph. 
Sec.  3.     Eoads. 

III.  Railroads 236 

Sec.  1.     The    Lake    Shore. 

The    Michigan    ('entral. 

The    Grand   Trunk. 

The  Division   Street    Incident. 

Other   Eailroads. 

Eailroad    Accidents. 


Sec.  2. 
Sec.  3. 
Sec.  4. 
Sec.  5. 
Sec.  6. 


IV.    Street  Railways  and  Interurbans ....  240 
Sec.  1.     The  "^ South  Bend  City  Eailway. 
Sec.  2.     The     South     Bend     &     Mishawaka 

Eailway. 
Sec.  3.     The   Indiana    Eailway. 
Sec.  4.     The      Chicago,      South      Bend      & 
Northern    Indiana   Eailway. 
The    Southern    Michigan    Eailway. 


Sec.  5. 
Sec.  6. 


The  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  «fe  South 


Bend  Line. 


V.    Telegraphs  and  Telephones.. 
Sec.  1.     The   Western  Union. 
The   Postal. 
The   Central   Union. 
The 


,243 


VI. 


Sec.  2. 
Sec.  3. 
Sec.  4. 
Sec.  5. 

Drainage 
Sec.  1. 
Sec.  2. 
Sec.  3. 
Sec.  4. 


Home. 
The   Old   and  the   New. 


VII. 


The  Swamp  Land  Act. 
Professor  Campbell's  Survey. 
Eemoval   of   the   Momence    Eock. 
General    Drainage. 

Farmers'  Societies  and  Fairs 267 

Sec.  1.     Agricultural    Societies. 
Sec.  2.     Hailstorm,  Flood  and   Tornado. 
Sec.  3.     Horticultural   Society. 
Sec.  4.     Farmers '  Fire  Insurance  Company. 
See.  5.     The    Grange,    Farmers'    Institutes, 
etc. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 
THE    TOWNSHIPS. 

I.  The  First  Division  of  the  County  Into 

Townships \ 272 

Sec.  1.     Michigan    Township. 
Sec.  2.     Deschemin   Township. 
Sec.  3.     German   Township. 
Sec.  4.     Portage  Township. 

II.  Second  Division  Into  Townships.  ■. . .  .273 

Sec.  1.  Portage    Townshijj. 

Sec.  2.  Center  Township. 

Sec.  3.  Highland   Township. 

Sec.  4.  Commissioners'   Districts. 


III. 


IV 


V. 


Third  Division  Into  Townships.  . 
Sec.  1.     Penn  Township. 
Sec.  2.     Portage    Township. 
Sec.  3.     Olive   Township. 
See.  4.     Commissioners'   Districts. 

Two  Lost  Townships 

Sec.  !.■    Plymouth. 
Sec.  2.     Washington. 

The  Present  Townships . 

Sec.  1.     German. 
Sec.  2.     Greene. 
Sec.  3.     Harris. 
Sec.  4.     Union. 
Sec.  5.     Liberty. 
See.  6.     Warren. 
Sec.  7.     Clay. 
Sec.  8.     Center. 
Sec.  9.     Madison. 
Sec.  10.  Lincoln. 
Sec.  11.  Penn. 
Sec.  12.  Portage. 
Sec.  13.  Olive. 

CHAPTER   IX. 
THE   TOWNS. 


Page 
..273 


274 

.275 


I.    Towns  That  Were 

Sec.  1.  St.  Joseph. 

Sec.  2.  Portage. 

Sec.  3.  Plainfield. 

Sec.  4.  Palestine. 

Sec.  5.  Williamsport. 

Sec.  6.  Greensburg. 

Sec.  7.  Canton. 

Sec.  8.  Mount   Pleasant. 

Sec.  9.  Terre    Coupee. 

Sec.  10.  Denniston. 


.303 


.244      II.   Unincorporated  Towns 


.309 


Sec.  1.  Osceola. 

Sec.  2.  Crum  's   Point. 

Sec.  3.  Granger. 

Sec.  4.  Wyatt. 

Sec.  .5.  Lindley. 

Sec.  6.  Woodland. 

Sec.  7.  Warwick. 

Sec.  8.  Nutwood. 


III.    Incorporated  Towns 312 

Sec.  1.     New    Carlisle. 
Sec.  2.     North   Liberty. 
Sec.  3.     Lakeville. 
Sec.  4.     Eiver  Park. 
Sec.  5.     Walkerton. 

CHAPTER   X. 
THE  CITY  OF  MISHAWAKA. 

I.  Formation  and  Incorporation 319 

Sec.  1.  The   St.   Joseph  Iron   Works. 

Sec.  2.  Barbee  's  Plat. 

Sec.  3.  Fowler's  Addition. 

Sec.  4.  Indiana  City. 

Sec.  5.  Other  Additions. 

Sec.  6.  Union   of  the  Towns. 

See.  7.  Incorporation. 

II.  Business  Enterprises 323 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

III.  Religious,  Educational  and  Social. .  .  333 

Sec.  1.     The   Episcopal   Church. 

Sec.  2.     The  Baptist   Church. 

Sec.  3.     The   Christian   Church. 

Sec.  4.     The   Catholic  Church. 

Sec.  5.     The  Evangelical  Association. 

Sec.  6.     The    Methodist    Church. 

Sec.  7.     The   Lutheran    Church. 

Sec.  8.     The   Presbyterian    Church. 

Sec.  9.     Schools. 

Sec.  10.  Eeminiscences. 

Sec.  11.  Societies  and   Clubs. 

Sec.  12.  Soldiers '    Monument    Association. 

Sec.  13.  The   Press. 

Sec.  14.  Mishawaka   Summary. 

IV.  Town  and  City  Government .' 348 

CHAPTER   XI. 
THE    CITY   OF   SOUTH   BEND. 

I.  Beginning's  of  the  Town 351 

Sec.  1.     The   Michigan   Eoad. 

Sec.  2.     Names  given  to  the  Town. 

See.  3.     The  Original  Plat  of  South  Bend. 

See.  4.     South  Bend  the   Countv  Seat. 


II.   The  Town  Government 

Sec.  1.     The  First  Incorporation. 
Sec.  2.     The    Second    Incorporation. 
Sec.  3.     The   Officials   of   the   Town. 


,356 


.359 


III.  The  City  Government 

Sec.  1.  Officers. 

Sec.  2.  Growth — Wards — Population. 

Sec.  3.  The   Special   Charter. 

Sec.  4.  The   Municipal   Code. 

IV.  City  Improvements 369 

Sec.  1.  Streets   and  Sidewalks. 

Sec.  2.  Sewers. 

Sec.  3.  Water  Works. 

Sec.  4.  Fire    Department. 

Sec.  5.  The   City  Hall. 

See.  6.  Parks. 

V.  Business  Enterprises 394 

Seel.  The  Studebaker  Brothers'  Manu- 
facturing   Company. 

Sec.  2.     The  Oliver  Plow  Works. 

Sec.  3.  The  Birdsell  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany. 

Sec.  4.  The  Singer  Sewing  Machine  Com- 
pany. 

Sec.  5.     The  O'Brien  Varnish  Works. 

Sec.  6.  The  Staley  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany. 

Sec.  7.  The  South  Bend  Toy  Manufac- 
turing   Company. 

See.  8.     The    Knoblock-Heidman    Company. 

Sec.  9.  The  South  Bend  Chilled  Plow 
Company. 

See.  10.  The  Folding  Paper  Box  Company. 

Sec.  11.  The  South  Bend  Woolen  Company. 

Sec.  12.  The    Indiana    Foundry    Company. 

Sec.  13.  The   La  Salle   Paper  Company. 

Sec.  14.  The  Winkler  Brothers  Manufactur- 
ing Company. 

Sec.  1.5.  Other   Manufacturing   Companies. 

Sec.  16.  Banks. 


VI.   Religious. 
See.  1.  ' 
Sec.  2. 
Sec.  3. 
Sec.  4. 
Sec.  5. 
Sec.  6. 
Sec.  7. 
Sec.  8. 
Sec.  9. 
Sec.  10. 
Sec.  11. 

Sec.  12. 

See.  13. 
Sec.  14. 
See.  15. 
Sec.  16. 


Page 
Educational  and  Social . .  .  412 

The   Methodist   Church. 

The    Presbyterian    Church. 

The    Reformed   Church. 

The    Catholic    Church. 

The   Baptist    Church. 

The    Episcopal    Church. 

The  Lutheran  Church. 

The  Evangelical   Church. 

The   Christian   Church. 

Other  Churches. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociation. 

The  Young  Women 's  Christian 
Association. 

Hospitals. 

Hotels. 

Schools. 

Societies    and   Clubs. 


VII.    The  Press. 


.463 


Sec.  1.  The  Pioneer. 

Sec.  2.  The  Register. 

Sec.  3.  The   Tribune. 

Sec.  4.  The   Times. 

Sec.  5.  The   Sunday  News. 

Sec.  6.  Other  Newspapers. 

Sec.  7.  South  Bend  Summary. 

CHAPTER   XII. 
NOTRE  DA:\IE  and  ST.  :\L\RY'S. 

Father  Sorin  's  Predecessors 

Sec.  1.     Pokagon. 

Sec.  2.     Stephen   Theodore   Badin. 

Sec.  3.     The   Removal   of   the   Indians. 


603 


II.  The  University  of  Notre  Dame 612 

Sec.  1.  Tne  Congregation  of  the  Holy 
Cross. 

Sec.  2.     At  Notre   Dame. 

Sec.  3.     A    Hard    Winter. 

Sec.  4.     The   First   Buildings. 

Sec.  5.     Early  College  Years. 

Sec.  6.     The   War   Period. 

Sec.  7.     A  Retrospect. 

Sec.  8.  The  Development  of  the  Univer- 
sity. 

Sec.  9.     The  Fire. 

Sec.  10.  The  Presidency  of  the  Rev. 
Thomas  E.  Walsh. 

See.  11.  Jubilees. 

III.  St.  Mary's  Academy 698 

Sec.  1.     Three   Religious    Societies. 
Sec.  2.     The  Sisters  at  Notre  Dame,  Mish- 
awaka, Bertrand. 
bee.  3.     The  Story  of  Bertrand. 
Sec.  4.     At    the    New    St.    Mary's. 
Sec.  5.     In    the   War   for    the   Union. 
Sec.  6.     Days   of  Peace   and   Growth. 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

TEIklPERANCE   AND   PROHIBITION. 
709 


INDEX. 


IX 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MILITARY    HISTORY. 

Page 

I.   Black  Hawk : 711 

Sec.  1.     St.     Joseph     County     Troops     and 
Forts. 


Sec.  2. 


Thomas     S. 
cenees. 


Stanfield  's     Eeminis- 


II.  Other  Early  Wars 715 

III.  The  War  for  the  Union 716 

Sec.  1.  Enlistments. 

Sec.  2.  The   Roll   of   Honor. 

Sec.  3.  liie  Grand  Army  of  the  Eepublic. 

Sec.  4.  The    Soldiers'    Monument. 


INDEX 


Abbott,  Everett  L.,  376. 

Abenakis,  28. 

Adams,  John,  81. 

Adelphia,  77. 

Adle,  Henry  A.,  967. 

Admission  of  Indiana  to  Union,  103. 

Agricultural  Societies,  267. 

Albert,  Charles,  797. 

Aldrich,  William  H.,  1037. 

Algonquin  Indians,  37,  48. 

Allen  County,  160. 

Allouez,  Father  Claude,  20,  21,  22,  39,  41,  43,  57,  603, 

604. 
Altfield,  Max  E.,  425. 
Alward,  George  H.,  182,  359. 
Alward,  George  H.,  Jr.,  888. 
Ambrose,  Sister,  422. 

American  Fur  Company,  127,  132,  162,  172,  351. 
American  Hotel,  435. 

American  Telegraph  and  Telephone  Co.,  243. 
American  Trust  Co.,  412. 
Amm,  Leonard,  1026. 
Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  462. 
Anderson,  Andrew,  456,  520. 
Anderson,  Andrew,  Jr.,  202. 
Anderson,  William   S.,  832. 
Andre,  Joseph,  358. 
Andrew,  William,  202. 
Andrews,  James  M.,  851. 
Angela,  Mother,  344,  634,  701. 
Anti-Saloon   League,  710. 
Antrim,   Daniel,   313. 
Antrim,  James  P.,  200. 
Appleby,  Madison  H.,  412. 
Armstrong,  James,  297. 
Arnold,  Joseph  B.,  525. 
Arnold,  Joseph  D.,  202. 
Arnold,  Levi  F.,  161. 
Arson,   97. 

Articles  of  Capitulation  (1760),  58. 
Articles   of   Confederation,   79,   80. 
Askin,  129. 

Asphalt  Pavement,  370. 
Assenisipia,  75. 
Associate  Judges,  187. 
Associated  Charities,  459. 
Assumption  School,  419,  422. 
Astor,  .John  Jacob,  127. 
Asylums,  County,  216. 
Athletics,  at  Notre  Dame,  698. 
Attorneys,   93. 

Attorneys-at-Law,  in  Indiana  Territorv,  96. 
Atwood,  Amos  T.,  949. 
Auditor,  County,  181. 


Auditorium,   The,  459. 
Auglaize  itiver,  87. 
Augustine  Lake,  283. 
Aukerman,  Lewis  S.,  1006. 
Au  Sable,  Jean  Baptiste  Point,  129. 
Auten,  John,  717. 

Auten  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  389,  718,  736;  Fortieth  Anni- 
versary, 736;  741;  Appeal  of,  745;  754. 
Auten  Relief  Corps,  389,  744. 
Ave  Maria,  The,  639. 
Avenue  Hotel,  440. 

Babaugo  Creek,  310. 

Bachtel,  David,  1068. 

Bacon,  Julia  M.,  416. 

Badin,  Father,  604,  629. 

Badin,  Stephen  T.,  51,  418. 

Baer,  Alpheus  F.,  811. 

Baer,  John  H/^  451. 

Bailey,   Charles  E.,   1114. 

Baird",  Thomas  D.,  409,  456. 

Baker,  A.  D.,  558. 

Baker,  Adam  S.,  407. 

Baker,  Bessie  A.,  453. 

Baker,  Darwin  H.,  411. 

Baker,  George  A.,  128,  426,  453. 

Baker,  L.  F.,  361,  378. 

Baker,  Wm.,  380. 

Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  239. 

Banfil,  Francis  M.,  424. 

Banker,  John,  191,  195,  199. 

Banks  of  South  Bend — State  Bank,  409;  Bank  of 
State  of  Indiana,  410;  First  National,  410; 
South  Bend  National,  411;  St.  Joseph  County 
Savings,  411;  St.  Joseph  Loan  and  Trust  Co., 
412;  People's  Savings,  412;  Citizens'- National, 
412;  Merchants'  National,  412;  American  Trust, 
412;    Citizens'   Loan,    Trust    and   Savings,    412. 

Banner,   The   Ligonier,   469. 

Baptist  Church,  Mishawaka,  334. 

Baptist  Church,  South  Bend,  422,  423. 

Barbee's  Plat,  Mishawaka,  321. 

Barber,  A.  E.,  534. 

Barker,  .John  G.,  365,  388,  857. 

Bar   Association,   456. 

Bartlett,  Charles  H.,  449,  453. 

Bartlett,    John    G..    565. 

Bartlett,  David,  144. 

Bartlett,  .Joseph   G.,  565. 

Barrett  Law,  370. 

Basil,  Brother,  626,  671. 

Bass  Lake,  18,  283. 

Bassett,  Allen,  184. 

Bates,  Benjamin  A.,  844. 


INDEX. 


Bates,  Demas  D.,  515. 

Battel!,  Joseph,  321. 

Battell  Park,  321,  346. 

Baugo  Creek,  291. 

Baumberger,  Fred,  1146. 

Beach,  William  H.,  372. 

Beacon,  The  St.  Joseph,  191. 

Beal,  Archibald,  347,  467. 

Beall,  Brenton  H.,  965. 

Beall,  Daniel  W.,  972. 

Beall,  Eayon,  969. 

Becher,  Jacob,  1141. 

Beck,   Samuel,   573. 

Bedrock,,  Arched,  12. 

Beehler,  Adam,  1132. 

Beehler,  Jacob,  1125. 

Beehler,  Joseph,  1069. 

Beehler,  Peter,  1120. 

Beemer,  Harrison  G.,  182. 

Beiger,  Martin  V.,  790. 

Beitner,  George  B.,  453. 

Belledin,  John,  1072. 

Bellinger,   William   M.,  978. 

Bells  at  Notre  Dame,  634. 

Bennett,  Philo,  196. 

Bettcher,  George  A.,  988. 

Bergan,  Joseph,   408. 

Bergan,  William  N.,  408,  1147. 

Berner's   Grove,   315. 

Bernhard,  Albert,   852. 

Berrien   County,  Michigan,   161. 

Bertrand,  45,  47,  130,  151,  699;  Story  of,  701. 

Bertrand,  Joseph,  129. 

Beulah  Chapel,  425. 

Beyer,  August  P.,  766. 

Beyer,  Herman  H.,  856. 

Beyrer,  John,  781. 

Bicknell,  Ernest  P.,  136. 

Biddle,  Horace  P.,  198. 

Biddle,   William  B.,  197. 

Bierbauer,  Ambrosia,  882. 

Big  St.  Joseph  Station,  351. 

Bigelow,  Francis,   642. 

Bingham.  E.  Volney,  524,  722. 

Bingham,  Newton,  723. 

Bird,  Andrew,  145. 

Bird,  John,  144. 

Birdsell  Clover  Huller,  Invention  of,  401. 

Birdsell,  Joseph  B.,  401,  491. 

Birdsell,  John  C,  362,  376,  401,  490,  709. 

Birdsell  Manufacturing  Co.,  401,  405,  408. 

Birk,  George  A.,  1120. 

Birk.  George  J.,  1119. 

Birkinbine,  John,  373. 

Biro,   Michael  J.,  422. 

Bissell,  Thelus  M.,  400. 

Blackford,  Isaac,   104. 

Black  Hawk,  146,  300. 

Black    Hawk   War.   144,   373,   711. 

"Black  Robes,"  Nevin's,  604. 

Block  House  on  Portage  Prairie,  713. 

Blownev,  Henry  J.,  716,  809. 

"Blutf,""   The,   14. 

Board  of  Commissioners,  160,  164,  190. 

Board  of  Health,  South  Bend,  358. 

Boards  of  Justices,  lo8,  160,  161,  169,  186,  190. 

Boles,  James,   792. 

Bolin  Lake,  277. 

Bonaparte,  Napoleon,  32. 

Bond,   Shadrach,  92. 


Boner,  James,  929. 

Boot  Jack  Cemetery,  734. 

Borisowicg,  N.    G.,  545. 

Borg,  John  F.,  424,  839. 

Bostwick,  James   G.,  549. 

Boundaries   of  County,   177. 

Boundary  Line,  Michigan   or  Indiana,  107,   620. 

Bourget,  J.,  419. 

Bowman   Cemetery,   732. 

Bowman,  David,  874. 

Bowman,  John  L.,   855. 

Bowman,  Joseph,  62. 

Bowman,   Samuel,   187,   215. 

Bowsher,    Delevan    D.,    583. 

Bowsher,  Jay  C,  583. 

Bowsher,  N.  P.,  582. 

Bowsher,  The  N.  P.  Companv,  582. 

Bowsher,  N.  P.,  Feed  Mill  Mfg.  Co.,  409. 

Bradley,  John  H.,   196. 

Bray,    TjTa   W.,   181,   186,   281,   305,    308,   312,   314, 

321,  410. 
Brechenser,    Charles,    864. 
Bredemus,  Kate,  425. 
Breen,  William  P.,  651. 
■Brennaman,    Andrew    J.,    1078. 
Brethren   Church,   425. 
Briber,  97. 

Brick,  Abraham  L.,  198,  389,  392,  506,  651. 
Bridges  Over  St.  Joseph,  232;  Iron,  233. 
Brick  Pavement,   370. 
Brink,  James  H.,   765. 
British   Occupancy,   59. 
Brookfield,   William,    157,    162,    173,    175,    183,    185, 

276,   303,  355. 
Brower,    Norman   Y.,   347. 
Brown,  Chapel  W.,  191,  195,  199. 
Brown,  George  A.,  1064. 
Brown,   John   M.,   183. 
Brown,    William    A.,    358. 
Brown,   Eezean,    842. 

Brownfield,  John,  357,   358,  378,  400,  410,  411,  453 
Brownson,   Orestes   A.,   680. 
Brummitt,  Mark  L.,  909. 
Brusie,   Orville   H.,   378. 
Brute,  Bishop,  22,  52,  126,  610,  612. 
Brvant,   Alfred,  414,  434,  435. 
Bryan,  F.  A.,  568. 
Bryce,  William  K.,  422. 
Buchheit,    Jacob,    804. 
Buckley,  J.   M.,  677. 
Buechler,  Alexander  A.,  900. 
Bugbee,  Almond,  384,  393,  554,  709. 
Bugbee,  Willis  A.,  426,  453,  585. 
Building   and   Loan   Associations,   South  Bend,   463. 
Bulla,  Milton  V.,  186. 
Bulla,    ihomas  P.,   146,  186. 
Bulla,   Vincent   S.,   1004. 
Bulla,  William  F.,  187. 
Burial,  First,   145. 
Burner,  Edgar  E.,  876. 
Burnet,  Jacob,   91. 
Burnett,    James,    129. 
Burnett,    William,    128. 
Burns,   Albert   M.,   854. 
Burr,   Aaron,   102. 

Burroughs,  Ricketson,  357,  358,  361,  410,  453. 
Business    College,   South   Bend,   452. 
Business  Enterprises  of  South  Bend,  394. 
Business    Enterprises    of    Mishawaka,    323. 
Butler,  John  P.,  831. 


INDEX. 


XI 


Butterworth,  William   E.,  542. 
Buttorworth,   William   W.,   541. 
Butzbach,   George,   762. 
Byerley,   Samuel,   623. 
Byers,  Andrew,  1155. 
Byers,  Andrew,  Sr.,  1155. 
Byers,  John,  813. 
Byers,  John  A.,  861. 
Byrkit,  Edmund  B.,  596. 

Cady,   W.   E.,   823. 

Cahokia,   22,  42,   62,   63. 

Cahokias,  37. 

Caldwell,   Francis   M.,   588. 

Caldwell,  John,  377. 

Calkins,    William  H.,   197,  456. 

Calvert,  W.   B.,  501. 

Campbell,  Marvin,  407,  411,  556. 

Campbell,  Myron,  407,  499. 

Campbell,  Prof.   John   L.,   245. 

Campbell 's  Survey,  245. 

Camper,  James  W.,  876. 

Camper  Tent  and  Awning  Works,  409. 

Canada,    58. 

Canton,  308.   • 

Carey  Mission,  296,  301. 

Carlisle,  Charles  A.,  394,  425,  432,  566. 

Carlisle,   Kichard    R.,   312. 

Carpenter,    Guy    C,   917. 

Carrier.  .losejjh  C,  635,  647. 

Carrington,    Edward,    78. 

Carroll,   Thomas,  419,  420. 

Carv,    Abner,    91. 

Case,   Carl   D.,   422,  423. 

Case,  Gaylord  H.,  513. 

Casey,   Patrick  H.,  1140. 

Cass,  Albert,  187. 

Cass,  Lewis,  88,  226,  301. 

Cassaday,  W.   L.,   407. 

(  assidy,  John,   545,  639. 

Catholic    Church,    Mishawaka,    335. 

Catholic   Church,   South   Bend,  417. 

Catholic   Knights   of  America,   462. 

Catholic  Order   of  Foresters,  462. 

Cauffman,  Jacob  E.,  1061. 

Cauthorn,    Henry    S.,    22. 

Cayugas,  37. 

Cedar   Block   Pavement,    369. 

Cedar   Grove  Cemetery,   732.  ' 

Cement    Sidewalks,    370. 

Center  Township,   176,   177,   273,   288. 

Central  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  243. 

Cession  bv  Virginia,   73;   by  Other  States,  74. 

Chaffee,   Walter   D.,   .537. 

Chain    Bridges,    233. 

Chain  Lakes,  18,  36,  145,  283. 

Chamberlain,   Charles,   1056. 

Chamberlain,    Daniel,    1073. 

Chamberlain,  Ebenezer,  196. 

Chamberlain    Lake,    283. 

Champlain  Epoch,  10. 

Chandonai,    Charles,    129. 

Chandonai,  John  B.,   607,   716. 

Chaonanous,   28. 

Chapin,   Horatio,   172,   194,   .356,   410,   414,    453. 

Chapin,    Marshall    P.,    410. 

Chapman,  John  B.,  194,   195. 

Chapman,  John  P.,   918. 

Chardon,    Father,    605. 

Charlevoix,  266. 


Charlevoix,   on   Portage   Prairie,   46. 

Chase,  ira  J.,   297,  335. 

Cheobot,  Frank  W.,  1144. 

Chersonesus,    75. 

Chestnutwood,  Reece  J.,  182. 

Chicago  Fire,  372. 

Chicago,  Fort,  58. 

Chicago  Historical  Society,  63. 

Chicago   and  Lake  Huron  Railroad,   238. 

Chicago,  Lake, Shore  and  South  Bend  Railway,  243, 
283. 

Chicago   River,  21,  24,  32,   46. 

Chicago   Road,    163,   309. 

('hicago.    South   Bend   and    Northern   Indiana   Rail- 
way, 242,  283. 

Chief   Logan,    95. 

Children's   Aid    Society,    220. 

Children's  Orphans'  Home.  710. 

Chippewas,  37,  90. 

Chirhart,   Ed  S.,  1155. 

Choral  Club,   463. 

Chord,  Samuel  M.,  181,  186,  202. 

Christ-Church,   Mennonite,   425. 

Christian,  Asa  D.,  1091. 

Christian    Church,   Mishawaka,   335. 

Christian  Church,  South  Bend,  424. 

Christman,   H.   G.,   829. 

Christoph,  Frank  P.,  182,  817. 
.Churches  in  Greene  Township,  278. 

Churches  in  South  Bend,  412-425. 

Cimmerman,  F.  M.,  786. 

Cincinnati,   83. 

Circuit  Court,  187;  First  Session,  190;  Second  Term. 
193;   Special  Term,  196. 

Cissne,  Robert,   145. 

Cisterns,   Covered,   377. 

Citizens'  Loan,   Trust  and   Savings  Co.,  412. 

Citizens'  National  Bank,  412. 

City   Building,   Old,   213. 

City    Charter    of    1901,    367,    375. 

City  Government,   Modern,   367. 

City  Hall,   South  Bend,  381,  382. 

City   Improvements,    in    South   Bend,   369. 

Civil  War,   731. 

Civil  War  Period  at  Notre  Dame,  635. 

Clark  County,  100,  104. 

Clark,  Elias  V.,  181. 

Clark,  Father,  421. 

(Hark,  George  C,  884. 

Clark,    George    Rogers,    22,   42,    58,    59,    70,    84,    86, 
95,   160. 

Clark's    "Memoir,"    60,    62. 

Clark,  Stanley  A.,  529. 

Clark,  William,  95,  185,  349. 

Clark's   Winter   Campaign,    65. 

Clarke,  George  E.,  198,  389,  516. 

Clay,   Henry,   605. 

Clay   Township,  283. 

Clear  Lake,  19,  150,  283. 

Clenny,  William,  845. 

Cleosophic  Literary  Society,  449. 

Clerk,  of  Circuit  Court,  181. 

Cline,  John.  1133. 

Clubs,   South  Bend,  452. 

Codd,  Robert,   859. 

Code  of  1807,  101. 

Cointet,   Francis,   604. 

Colbert.   23. 

Cole,  Charles  W.,  1154. 

Colerick,  D.  H..  194. 


xn 


INDEX. 


Coles,  Theodore  S.,  196. 

Colfax  Manufacturing  Co.,  408. 

Colfax,  Schuyler,  182,  218,  268,  358,  375,  411,  426, 
453,  461,  466,  475,  630. 

Colfax,  Sch.,  Jr.,  364,  389. 

College  Buildings,  First  at  Notre  Dame,  621. 

Collegiate  Hall,  St.   Mary's,   703. 

Collins,  Charles  M.,   794. 

Colmer  Bros.,   Manufacturers,  409. 

Columbian   Anniversary,    St.   Joseph's   Church,   421. 

Colovin,  Patrick  J.,  653. 

Commencement  Exercises,  Notre  Dame,  626. 

Commercial-Athletic   Club,  458. 

Commissioners,   First,    169. 

Commissioner's   Districts,   166,  169,   176,   273. 

Common  Law,  93. 

Common  Pleas,  Court,  201;  First  Session,  201. 

Community    Cemetery    at    Notre    Dame,    733. 

Community   of  Association,  306. 

Community  Ownership,   101. 

Company  B,  15th  Inf.,  719. 

Company  I,  9th  Eeg.,  718. 

Comparet,   Francis,  132.  351. 

Compton,  Hugh  Y.,  147,  912. 

Concrete   Arch   System   in   Bridges,   233. 

Confederacy,   Indian,   31. 

Conflagration,  A  Fearful,  325. 

Conflagration  in   1872,  337,  347. 

Connecticut,  Claims,  73,  81. 

Conner,   William   H.,   996. 

Connolly,  Peter  D.,  198. 

Conrad,  August,  843. 

Continental  Cadets,  637,  716. 

Continental  Congress,  80. 

Constitution     of     United     States,     80;     Ratification 
of,  81. 

Cook,  Frederick  J.,  794. 

Cooney,  Peter  P.,  419.  421,  635. 

Coquillard,   Alexis,   .5.5,  131,  133,   147,  157,  161,  170, 
173,  175,  181,  199,  295,  304,  351,  410,  418.  716. 

Coquillard,  Alexis,  Jr.,  383,  387,  476,  622. 

Coquillard,  Alexis  Theo.,  314. 

Coquillard,  Benjamin,  432. 

Coquillard  Park.  383. 

Corbin,  Horace,' 202. 

Corby,  Wm.,  420,  635,  641,  692. 

Corn  Island,  61. 

Coroner,  The,  184. 

Corporations,    78. 

Corydon,  96,  103,  104. 

Cottrell,  Samuel  L.,  184,  190,  193,  195. 

Councilmen   at  large.   367. 

Country   Club,   St.   Joseph   Vallev,    463. 

County  Agent,  162,  174,  183,  206. 

County   Asylums,    216. 

County  Board,  186. 

County  Buildings,    206. 

County,  First  Division   into  Townships,  272. 

County  Government,   160,  161. 

County   of  Illinois,   70,   71,   72,   160. 

County  of  Knox.  84,  100. 

County  Lieutenant,   72. 

County  Seat,  355. 

County  Roads.  235. 

County  Seat,  157;  First,  173;  Re-location.  174,  175, 
304,   355. 

Coureur  des  Bois,  125. 

Court,  Circuit,  187. 

Court   House,   First,    208;    Second,    212;    Rearrange- 
ment of,  214;   Third,  21.5. 


Court,  Probate,  198. 

Court  Room,  Order  for  Improvement,   197. 

Cover,  John  A.,  839. 

Crabill,  C.  N.,  1141. 

Crabill,  Will  G.,  519. 

Crakes,  Lawrence  W.,  805. 

Crawley,   James   A.,   197. 

Creed,  A.  McMullen,  523. 

Creed,  Jonathan  P.,  386,  51S. 

Creosote  Blocks,  370. 

Creviston,   David  B.,   185. 

Crocker,   Charles.   342. 

Crocker,   Edwin  B.,  203,  456. 

Crockett,  Charles  E.,  509. 

Crockett,   Elmer,  215,   503. 

Crofoot,  Henry,  932. 

Crogan,  George,  132. 

Cronbach,  Abraham,   425. 

Crum,   Charles  F.,   1055. 

Crum,   Nathaniel  H.,  1050. 

Crum's  Point,  13,  45,  46,  47,  283,  310. 

Crumstown    Cemetery,    Soldiers   in,    735. 

Crusade   Movement,    709. 

Csepke,   Stephen,  424. 

Cullar,  William  O.,   1025. 

Culver,  John   M.,  449. 

Culver,  A.   B.,  378. 

Cunningham,   Oliver   M.,   198. 

Gushing,    Albert    H.,    774. 

Custard,  Daniel  D.,  184. 

Cutler,   Manasseh,   77. 

Cutter,  George,  560. 

Czyzewski,  Valentine,  421. 

Dablon,  Father  Claude,  20,  29,  57.  604. 

Dane,  Nathan,  77,  78. 

Darling,    Eratus    S.,    982. 

Daughertv,  James,  581. 

Davies  Shirt  Co.,  409. 

Davies.   William '  O.,   818. 

Davis, 'C.  O.,  449. 

Davis,  James,  197,  202,  467. 

Davis,  Josephus,  920. 

Davis,  Terry,  97. 

Day,  Lot,  Jr.,  184,   186,  211,   377.  441. 

Day,  Lot,  Sr.,  184.  441. 

Dayton,  Daniel.  184,  305,  307,  358,  361,  4.53.    , 

Dayton,    Hiram,    713. 

Deacon  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  744. 

Dean,  Edwin  R.,  494. 

Dearborn    County,    100,    104. 

Deavitt,  Albert  G.,  197,  198. 

Debates,   Public   at   Notre   Dame,   698. 

DeCamp,  Henry,  323. 

DeCamp,   Israel.   184. 

Declaration   of  Independence,   80. 

Deed   of    Cession   by   Virginia,    71,    75,    105. 

Deer  Lake,  283. 

Defrees.  Anthony,  183,  410,   715. 

Defrees,  Calvert' H.,  385,  391,  393,  409,  580. 

Defrees,  .John,   715. 

Defrees,  John  D.,  195,  216.  226,  4.56.  464,  624. 

Defrees,   Joseph   H.,   464. 

DeGroote,  August  H.,   790. 

De  Groote,  John  F.,  421.  577. 

Delano.  Alonzo,  186. 

Delaware,    81. 

Delawares,  37. 

DeLorenzi,  Joseph  H.,  883. 

Delta   Hose   Co.,   No.   1.   378. 


INDEX. 


xiu 


Deming,  Dwightj  187. 

Deming;  John  J.,  201,  229,  320,  323. 

DeMotte,   Mark   L.,   197. 

Deuaut,  Matthew  S.,  960. 

Denniston,  309. 

Denniston,  Garrett  V.,  229. 

Deppen,  Harrison,  1084. 

DeRhodes,  James  M.,  496. 

Deschemin   Township,    163,   172,   272. 

De  Seille,  Father,  418,  604. 

DeSoto,  Hernando,  32,  57. 

Desplaines  Eiver,  10,  32. 

Detroit,  38,  42,  47,  58,  59,  83,  86,  125,  127,  132. 

De   Vaea,   Cabeza,   32. 

Dibble.  Edward  F.,  201,  202. 

Dice,  Isaiah  L.,  876. 

"Dictionary  of  Americanisms,"  109. 

Dietrich,   William   B.,   842. 

Dillon,   Historian,   38. 

Dillon,  Patrick,  638. 

Dinnen,   John    R.,    638. 

Directory,   of   South   Bend,   470. 

District   of  Louisiana,  94. 

Division   Street  Incident,  238. 

Dixon,    John,    597. 

Dodd,   Union,   840. 

Dodge  Electric  Light  and  Power  Co.,  331. 

Dodge   Manufacturing  Co.,   326. 

Dodge,  Wallace  H.,  326,  484. 

Dodge,  William  W.,  326,  483. 

Dolph,   C.   A.,   781. 

Donahue,   John,    1086. 

Doolittle,  Charles  W.,  877. 

"Double  Hammer,"   624. 

Dougherty,  James,  184,  187. 

Dougherty,   Thomas  H.,   964. 

Doughty,"  George   W.   E.,   906. 

Douglas  Debating  Club,  461. 

Dragoon    Trace,   47,    132. 

Drainage,   General  in  St.  Joseph  County,   266. 

Drapier,   Ariel   E.,   468,   716. 

Drapier,   Charles   E.,   349. 

Drapier,  William  H.,  468. 

Dresch,   Chris   A.,   550. 

Drollinger,  Erastus  M.,  184,  545. 

Drulinger,    .John,    186. 

DuBail,   Edward  F.,    772. 

DuBois,   Bishop,   614. 

Duck   Lake.    19,    277. 

DuComb,    Courtland    P.,    512. 

DuComb,  Philip  P.,   1113. 

Duelling,   97. 

Duey,  Renatus  H.,  868. 

Dugdale,  Richard  B..  184,  537. 

Dujarie,  James  F.,   612,   698. 

Duncker,  Henry,   872. 

Dunkard  Cemetery,  733. 

Dunbar,  Alvin  S.,  197,  451,  456. 

Dunn,   B.   F.,   497. 

Dunn,  Jacob  P.,  111. 

Dunn,  Reynolds,   186,   196. 

Dutinahoo,  Frank   H.,   514. 

Dunnahoo,  Mrs.  F.  H.,  459. 

Dunnahoo,  Griffin  S.,  1066. 

DuQuesne,  Fort,  58. 

DuShane,  James,  449,  453. 

Eagle  Hose  Company  No.  2.  378. 
Eagle  Hotel,  436,  441. 
Eagles,  Order  of,  461. 


Early,  Charles  E.,  985. 

Early,  Isaac,  187,  983. 

Eastburn,   John,   1109. 

Eastern    State,    The,    79. 

Eaton,    Edwin    D.,    1070. 

Eaton,   Jacob,   187. 

Eberhart,  Fred  G.,   937. 

Eberhart,   George  F.,  801. 

Eberhart',  James  C,  184,   938. 

Eckler  Manufacturing  Company,   1156. 

Eckler,  Henry  C,  1156. 

Eckman,  Joseph,  824. 

Eckstein,   Jacob,    791. 

Eddy,  Norman,  378,  456,  722. 

Education,  78. 

Edwards,  James  F.,  418,  644,  681. 

Edwardsburg,  47,  280. 

Eel   Riyer,   126. 

Egan,  Francis,  484. 

Egbert,  Andrew  J.,  198. 

Egbert,   Elisha,   201,   305,   453,   456. 

Egbert,    .Tohn,    183. 

Egbert,  Layman  C,  896. 

Eighty-seventh   Inf.,   726. 

Eikenberry,  David,  425. 

Elbel,   Henry  F.,   562. 

Elder,   Thomas,  933. 

Eldredge,   H.   W.,   874. 

Election.   First   County,   161. 

Electoral   College,    80. 

Electric  Light   Plant,   South  Bend,  401. 

Electric  Power,   Development   of,   230. 

Elevations,  17. 

Elkhart    County,   159. 

Elkhart  River,  12. 

Elks    Club,   461. 

Elks,  Order  of,  461. 

Elliott,  George  L.,  845. 

Elliott,  Gilbert  A.,  515. 

Elliott,  L.  A.,  347. 

Elliot,  William  G.,  461. 

Ellis,  E.  W.  H..  324,  347,  471. 

Ellsworth,   Aaron  B.,  182. 

Ellsworth,  John  C,  886. 

Enabling  Act,  Indiana,   104,  105. 

Endley,  J.  F.,  317. 

Endley,  William  A.,  317,  980. 

Endlich,  Charles,  489. 

English  Literature  at  Notre  Dame,  683. 

English.  W.  H.,  22,  43,  60,  70. 

English,  William  H.,  810. 

Entail,   78. 

Episcopal  Church,   Mishawaka,  333. 

Episcopal   Church,   South   Bend,  423. 

Epworth   Hospital,   393,   431. 

Erb.   August,   884. 

Ernsperger,   John,   187. 

Essiek,   Michael   L.,    197. 

Eucharistic   Congress,   696. 

Euglossian    Literary    Society,   449. 

European    Hotel,   439. 

Eutzler.   George,   934. 

Evangelical   Association,   336. 

Evangelical  Association,  First  Church,  424. 

Evangelical   Church,   South  Bend,  424. 

Evans,  Charles  A.,  451. 

Everts,  Gustavus  A.,  193,  195,  196. 

Ewing,  David  A.,  451. 

Ewing,  Sydenham  C,  943. 


XIV 


INDEX. 


Exchange  Hotel,  410,  440. 
Eyer,  Daniel,  446. 

Fair  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,  735. 

Fair,  Jolin  B.,   1034. 

Fair,   Leander,   1036. 

FalUze,  Michael  Ph.,  421,  431,  462. 

Farmers'   Fire   Insurance   Co.,   271. 

Farmers'    Institute,   271. 

Farneman,   Lucy,   1086. 

Farnsworth,  Keuben  L.,  196,  197,  202,   456. 

Fassett,   Ann   T.,   453. 

Fassett,  Chauncey  N.,  408,  453,  470,  502. 

Fassnacht,   Christopher,   408. 

Feaser,  George  W'.,  751. 

" Federalist,  The,"  82. 

Feiten,  Eugene  A.,  891. 

Feiten,  John,  891. 

Feldman,  George  G.,  365,  523. 

Fellows,    Joseph,    229. 

Ferris,  Alfred,  933. 

Ferris,   Nelson.   184. 

Ferries,  Over  St.  Joseph  Eiver,  231. 

Ferries,    Eegulation    of,    92. 

Ferrisville    Cemetery,    Soldiers    in,    734. 

Ferrv,   First    at   South    Bend,    171,   440;    First   Ov<;r 

St.  Joseph  Eiver,  132. 
Ferry,  Public,  at  Portage,  305. 
Fickentscher,  Gustav,   470. 
Fields,   Priscilla   C.    1069. 
Fields,   Stephen,   1069. 
Fifth  Ward,  South  Bend,  366. 
Finch,   Frank   J.,   805. 

Finch,   John,   184.  i 

Findlay,  James,  91. 
Fink,   H.   A.,  532. 
Fink,  Eeuben,  812. 

Fire  Department  of  South  Bend,  371,  377. 
Fire,  Great,  in  Mishawaka,  345. 
Fire  at  Notre  Dame.  656. 
Fire  of  1865,  442. 

Fire  Station,  Central,  South  Bend,  380. 
Fire  Tournament,  378. 
First  Footprints,  20. 

First   National   Bank,   South  Bend,  410. 
First   Through   Train,   237. 
Fish,  Frederick  S.,  459. 
Fish  Lake,   19,   283. 

Fisher,  Joel,  1054.  * 

Fisher,   Manuel  M.,  349. 
Fishing  Yillae-e,  of  Miamis,  39. 
Fites,  John  W.,  834. 
Fitzgerald,  Thomas  J.,  951. 
Floods,    270. 

Flouring  Mill,  First,  295. 
Foe,  Frank   H.,   987. 
Fogarty,  Edward  J.,  365,  751. 
Fogle,  'Christian   E.,   1111. 
Fogle,  Fannie,  1111. 
Folding  Paper  Box  Co.,  407. 
Folk,  George  N.,  1049. 
Folsom,  C.  G..  Stove  Co..  409. 
Folsom,  Charles  G.,  567.  ' 
Foote,   Larmon,    1013. 

Ford,   George.  197,   198,   202,  401,  453,  508. 
Ford,  Josephine   Oliver,  401. 
Fordham,  315. 
Forster,  Henry,   762. 
Forsyth.  Eobert,  128. 
Fort,   Building  of   a,   714. 


Fort  Chartres,  58. 

Fort    Crevecoeur,    27. 

Fort  Dearborn,  129. 

Fort  Defiance,  87. 

Fort  Frontenac,  32,  57. 

Fort  Greenville,  87. 

Fort  Harmar,  77. 

Fort  Massac,  62. 

Fort  Miamis,  24,  28,  32,  40,  58. 

Fort  Pitt,  59. 

Fort  Eecovery,  87.  93,  106. 

Fort  Sackville,  69.' 

Fort  Stephenson,  132. 

Fort   St.   Joseph's,  39,   44,   47,  58,  59,  95,   128,   130, 

151,  603,  605. 
Fort  Washington,  83. 
Fort  Wayne,  38,  58,  125,  127,  132. 
Fort  William,  127. 
Forty-eighth  Inf.,  724. 
Foster,  Andrew  J.,  451. 
Foster,  Edson,  820. 
Foster,  James  L.,  202. 
Foster.   Eobert   S.,   736. 
Fountain,  George  M.,  313,  182,  492. 
Fourth    Ward,    South    Bend,    366. 
Fowler's     Addition,     to     Mishawaka,     321;     H.     H. 

Fowler's,  322. 
Fox   Eiver,   21. 
Fox,  Truman,  184. 
Frame,  James  I.,  840. 
Frame,  Nathaniel,   187. 
Francais,   Gilbert,   695. 
Frank,  Charles,  350,  498. 
Frankenberry,  Thomas  K.,   1042. 
Franklin,  Benjamin,  81. 
Franklin  County,   104. 
Franklin  House,  438. 

Fraternal  Oi-ganizations  of  South  Bend,   461. 
Fraternities  of  Mishawaka,  344. 
Frazer,  James  S.,  196,  198,  266. 
Fredericks,  John,  1127. 
Fredericks,  Joseph  A.,  1128. 
Free  Democrat,  347. 

Free  Methodist  Church,  Mishawaka,  337. 
Free  Methodist   Church,   South  Bend,  413. 
Free  Press,  The,  466. 
Free  Soil  Movement,  471. 
French   Era,  57. 
French  Eevolution,  86. 
Freyermuth,  George   W.,   751,   1146. 
Frick,  Alfred  B.,  1085. 
Frontenac,  23. 
Frontenac,  Fort,  57. 
Fuchs,   Christopher,    1105. 
Fullerton,  Daniel  A.,  162.  191. 
Fuller,  Frank  L.,  1047. 
Fulmer,  Jacob,  930. 
Fulmer,  John  D.,  187,  215. 
Fulmer,  John   H.,   929. 
Funk,  Walter  A.,  198,  507. 
Fur   Companies,   Great,    127. 

Fur  Trade,   125;   British   Policy  Eelative  to,   126. 
Futter,  Fred  P.,  879. 
Putter,  Jacoo,  1134. 

Gallagher,   John,    779. 
Garoutte,    Augustus   B.,   924. 
Garrison.  James  M.,  539. 
Garwood,  Stacy,  144. 
Gazette,  New  Carlisle,  313. 


INDEX. 


XV 


Gazetteer  of  the  St.  Joseph    Vallev,  The,  470. 
Gearhart,  Heury  B.,  994. 
Geltz,  William,  847. 
Geological  Catastrophe,  352. 
Geological  Map,  St.  Joseph   County,  16. 
Geological  Report,  State.  1886,  2. 
George,  William  G.,  197,' 359,  456. 
George  III.,  126. 
Georgia,  81. 
General  Court,  95. 
Genet,  Mr.,  86. 

German  Baptist  Brethren,  425. 
German  Township,  163,  272,  275. 
Geyer,  Charles  F..  1131. 
Geyer,  Edmund  G.,  1009. 
Geyer,  Robert  E.,  1003. 
Gibault,  Father,  22,  42,  63,  66,  84. 
Gibson   County,  104. 
Gibson,  John,   95,   103. 
Giddings,    Mary   E..    820. 
Giddiugs,  William  W.,  820. 
Girac,  Professor,  626,  671. 
Glacial  Action,  2. 
Glacial  Drift,  1. 
Gladstone,    w .    E.,   80. 
Gladwin,  Major,  42. 
Glover,   George  V.,  184,  821. 
Goetz,  Charles  L.,  389,  409,  768. 
Goetz,  George,  778. 
Goffeney,  Martin,  424,  579. 
Golden   Jubilee  at  Notre  Dame,  697. 
Goniec  Polski,  470. 
^  Good,  John,  1124. 
Good's  Opera  House,  442. 
Goodwin.  T.  A.,  110. 
Goose  Lake.  19,  277. 
Goppert,  Herman  F.,  975. 
Gorbv,   S.   S.,  2. 
Gordon,    Martin   E..   1129. 
Gordon,  Moses,  1077. 
Gorski,  Marion  S.,  867. 
Gorsuch,  Issac,  889. 
Grace  Church.  South  Bend,  413. 
Graham,   Archibald,   llou. 
Graham,  Henry  J.,  552. 
Graham.  John  A.,  800. 
Grammar  School.  South  Bend,  450. 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  215,  463.  707,  735. 
Grand   Central  Hotel,  439. 
Grand  Jurors  (1832),  191.  193. 
Grand   Trunk  Railroad,   237,  283. 
Grand  View  Hotel.  439. 
Grange,  Felix.   837. 
Grange,  The,  271,  311. 
Granger,  280,  310. 
Granger,  Alexis.  419,  691. 
Grant  County.  160. 
Grant,  Wilfird,  380. 
Grapevine  Creek,  l'3,  282. 
Gravel  Roads,   235. 
Graves.  William  E..  186. 
Graveyard,  Set  Aside  in  1831.  174,  175. 
Gray  Mill.  Passing  of  Old,  285. 
Great  Miami  jiiver,  94. 
Great  Sauk   Trail,  46,   129,   151,   163,   223,   234,   272 

301.  309. 
Green  Bay,  21. 
Green  Bay  Route,  24. 
Green,  Powers,  196,  411,  423. 
Greene,  C.  B.,  827. 


Greene,  Daniel,  140,  453,  559. 
Greene,  Ezekiel,  185. 
Greene,  James  B.,  548. 
Greene,  Mary  L.,  145. 
Greene,  Nathan,  144. 
Greene  Township,  276. 
Greensburg,   308. 
Greenville,  155;  Treaty  of,  87. 
Gregori,   Luigi,   665. 
Grider,  Edward,  944. 
Grifiin,   John,  95. 
"Griffin,"  The,  23,  24,  27. 
Griffith,  John  W.,  1097. 
Griffith,  N.  B.,  412. 
Grimes,  James  F.,  551. 
Grise,  George  H.,  1129. 
Grob.  Paul,  1126. 
Groff',  John,  182. 
Grose,  Abraham  L.,  1127. 
Grose,  Alexander,   1137. 
Grotto,  The,  675. 
Grzesk,  Wladyslaw  A.,  522. 
Gurney,  Aaron,  197. 
Gushwa,  William  E.,  1011. 
Guy,  Miller,  425,  522. 

Habeas  Corpus,  78. 

Haberle,  John  B.,  869. 

Hager.  Frank  D.,  547. 

Hager,   George   L.,   827. 

Hager,  W.   A.,  532. 

Hagerty,  Dennis  J.,  421. 

Hagerty,  John,  359,  360,  456. 

Hailandiere,   Bishop.   612. 

Hailstorm  of  1886,  270,  421. 

Hain,  Henry  E.,  867. 

Haines,  Jesse,  296. 

Ham,  Levi  J.,  361. 

Hamilton,    Alex.,    81. 

Hamilton  Cemetery,  733. 

Hamilton,  Henry,   65,  69. 

Hamilton   (see  Terre  Coupee). 

Hammond,  Alonzo  J.,  823. 

Hammond,  Hilton,  783. 

Hammond,  Matthew  B.,  186. 

Hammond,  Seth,  1041. 

Hanbert,  Peter_.  892. 

Hancock,  John,  81. 

Hanford,  W.  H.,  543. 

Hanna,  William  C,  196. 

Hanna.  Samuel,  132. 

Hanna   (Samuel)    &  Co.,  162,  351. 

Hannah.   William   C,  316. 

Hans,  Otto  S.,  831. 

Harbou,  John  W.,  183,  598. 

Hardman,  Benjamin,   186. 

Hardman,    Jacob,    184. 

Hardy,  Robert,  184. 

Harper,  Abram  R.,  232. 

Harmar,  (ren.,  84. 

Harris,  Albert  M.,  589. 

Harris.  .Jonas,  286. 

Harris  Line.  107. 

Harris  Prairie,  279. 

Harris  Prairie  Cemetery,  733. 

Harris  Township,  279. 

Harrison,  Christopher,  104. 

Harrison  County,  104. 

Harrison  Mansion,  94. 

Harrison,  William  H.,  92,  95. 


XVI 


INDEX. 


Harrod,  William,  62. 

Hartman,  Jonathan,   1083. 

Hartman,   John    G.,    1147. 

Hartzell,  Prank  P.,  1153. 

Hascall,   Milo    B.,   469. 

Hay,  John,  185. 

Healy,  Eobert  W.,  638.     - 

Heaton,  Charles  M.,  358. 

Hebrew  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,  732. 

Heid,  Paul,  424. 

Heimberg,  Herman  P.,  839. 

Heiner,  L.  E..  806. 

Heinzman,   Andrew,  1040. 

Helm,  Leonard,  62,  64. 

Henderson.   Joseph,   202. 

Hendricks,  I'homas  A.,   197. 

Hendricks,  William,  104. 

Hen   Island,   230. 

Hennepin,  Louis,  22,  23,  24,  27,  33. 

Henricks,  John  A.,  378,  409,  446,  453,  716. 

Henry,   G.  W.,  424. 

Henry   (of  Maryland),   77. 

Henrv,  Patrick.' 42,  60,  72,  81. 

Herald.  The,  469. 

Hering,  Frank   E.,  527. 

Herzog,  August,  759. 

Herzog,  John  A..  760. 

Hess,   A.  S.,  808. 

Hess,  William  B.,  202. 

Heston,  Mahlon.  1100. 

Hibberd,  John  A.,  526. 

Hickey,   Louis   A.,   888. 

Highland   Township,   176,   177,   273. 

High   School,   South   Bend.   445,   446,   448. 

Hildebrand,    Jeremiah,    182. 

Hill,  Jacob  W.,  538. 

Hiliier,  Samuel  A.,  570. 

Hine,  Henry  B.,  864. 

Hiner,  L.  E.,  806. 

Hinsdale.  Mary  L,.,  449. 

Historic  Building,  A,  215. 

Historical  Data,   22. 

Historical  Lisplay,  453. 

Historical    Quarters,   455. 

Hoban.   Martin,  370,   420. 

Hoban.  Thomas  M.,  511. 

Hodson,   Charles  L.,   1142. 

Hoffman,   George  J.,  890. 

Holland,  William   H..   761. 

Holler,   Charles   E.,    709. 

Holloway,  George.  144,  186. 

Holloway.   John   H.,    851. 

Hollowav,   Woolman   J.,   182. 

HoUoweil,   Kalph   S.,   1139. 

Holly  Water  Works,  371. 

Holman.   William   S.,   469. 

Holtzendorff,  Henry  C,   184. 

Holv  Trmitv  Eng.  Lutheran  Church,  424. 

Home,  H.   N.   S..   833. 

Home  Telephone  Co.,  244,  565. 

Honored  Soldier  Dead,   740. 

Hooper.   John.  358. 

"Hoosier's  Nest,"  112. 

Hoosier,   Title  of,  109. 

Hooton,  Emily  J.,  913. 

Hooton,  Francis  M.,  915. 

Hooton,  Jacob,  914. 

Horino,   Phillip  G.,  1138. 

Horticultural  Society,  271. 

Horse-stealing,  97. 


Hose  Company  No.  3,  378. 

Hosford.  W.  B.,   489. 

Hosinski,  Frank   S.,   880. 

Hospitals,  of  Sisters  of  Holy  Cross,  708. 

Hospitals,  South  Bend,  431. 

Hotel,  Calvin  Lilly's,   190. 

Hotels,  in   South   Bend,   432. 

Houghton  Post,  G.  A.  E.,  Eoll  of  Honor,  734,  744. 

Houser,  Moses  G.,  1018. 

Hovis,  W.  F.,  459. 
•«•  Howard,  George,  91. 

Howard  Park,  383,  387,  388,  393. 
»  Howard,   Timothy  E.,   182,   389,   474. 
-  Howard,  Thomas'  M.,  182. 

Howe,  William  P.,  356. 

Hovnes,  William,  649,  751. 

Hubbard,  Arthur  L..   389. 

Hubbard,  Lucius,   13"5,   198,   299,  309,  360,  411,  453, 
456,   520,   651. 

Hubbard,  Martha  O.,  453. 

Hubbard,  Sanson,  186,  410. 

Huber,  Andrew,  869. 

Hudson,  Albert,  493.      . 

Hudson  Bay  Company,  127,  130. 

Hudson  Cemetery,  734. 

Hudson,  Daniel  *E.,  640. 

Hudson,  Father,  684. 

Hughes,  John,  744,  754. 

Hughes,  Marshall,  598. 

Humane  Societv.  393,  458. 

Humphrej-s,  Louis,  358,  360,  378,  412,  416,  453. 

Hunsberger,  Adam,  185,  1151. 

Hunt  Bros.  Wagon  and  Carriage  Works,  409. 

Hunt,  George  S..  5.59. 

Hunt,  Franklin  W.,  305. 

Hunt,  Herbert,  471. 

Hunt,  William  L,  o88. 

Huntsinger,  Abraham,  709. 

Hutchins,  Isaac,   378,  380. 

Hurd,  Alanson  M.,  229.  319,  320. 

Hurd,  Orlando,  186,  323,  324. 

Hurlbut,   Harrris  E.,  217. 

Huron  Basin,  Saginaw  Bay,  10. 

Hurst,  Henry,  96. 

lachholtz,  John,  1000. 

Ice   Lobes,   Three   Great,   10;   Maumee   or   Erie,   IC; 

Saginaw,  10. 
Illinoia,  75. 

Illinois,  Indians.  28,  37. 
Illinois  Territory,  Formation   of,   103. 
Immanuel  Baptist  Church,  423. 
Imprisonment,    First    in    State 's    Prison,    from    St. 

Joseph  County,  196. 
Imprisonment   for  Debt,  98. 
Impromptu  Club,  460. 
Indian  Camps.  43. 

Independent  Order  of  Foresters,  462. 
Indiana   Avenue   Christian   Church,  424. 
Indiana  Boundary  Line,  94. 
Indiana  City,  321. 
Indiana  Club,  463. 
Indiana  Courier,  The,  470. 
Indiana  Foundry  Co.,  408. 
Indiana  Historical  Society,  111. 
Indiana  Lumber  and  Manufacturing  Co.,  408. 
Indiana,    Name    of,    108. 
Indiana   Eailway,   241. 
Indiana,  Southern  Boundary  of,  105. 
Indiana   Territory,  93. 


INDEX. 


XVI 1 


tnaiaiia    Tocsin,    347. 

ludian     Land    Titles,    88;    to    St.    Joseph    County 

Lands,   90. 
Indian  Titles,   155. 
Indians,   Christian,  604. 
Indians,  Eemoval  of,  607. 
Industrial   Era,   The,  470. 
Ingersoll,  Philo  F.,  835. 
Ingleright,  Andrew  J.,  985. 
Ingram,   Andrew,   191. 

Interurban   Eailways    (see   Street   Eailways;. 
Ipes.  Peter  W.,  349. 
Ireland,  David  A.,  389. 
Ireland,  D.  C,  347. 
Ireland,  John,  186,  196. 
Ireland.  Samuel  J.  H.,  323. 
Iron  Bridges,  233. 
Iroquois  Confederacy,  42,  109. 
Iroquois  Indians,  2i,  27,   29,  37,  47. 
Irvin,   Israel,    1028. 
Irving,   Washington,   126. 
Ivey,   Homer   P.,   981. 
Ivins,  Charles,  901. 

Jackson,  Charles  H.,  887. 

Jackson,   Charles  S.,  1081. 

Jackson  County.  104. 

Jackson,  Francis  M.,  198. 

Jackson,  Newton,  187. 

Jacobs,  Charles  P.,  202. 

Jahnke.  August  E.,  880. 

Jail,   195;    First   County,   206;    Second,    211;    Third, 

213;  Fourth,  215. 
Jakways,  William,  914. 
Jasouske,  .Joseph,   1142. 
Jay,  John,  82. 
Jefferson  County.  104. 
Jefferson,  Thomas,   32,  59,   61,  75,  76. 
Jennings,  James  E.,  937. 
Jennings,  Jesse  W.,  1085. 
Jennings,  Jonathan,  104. 
Jennings,  Samuel  E.,  1071. 
Jernegan,  Edward  A.,  505. 
Jernegan,  Jonathan  L.,  410. 
Jernegan,  Joseph  L.,  194,  196,  198,  416,  456. 
Jernegan,   Ealph  H.,   525. 
Jesse  Coppock  Post,  G.  A.  E.,  744. 
Johannes,  Peter,  422. 
Johnson,  Amasa,  202. 
Johnson,  Evan  C,  184,  358. 
Johnson,   Henry  W.,  414. 
Johnson   Hotel,   440. 
Johnson,  James  M.,  422. 
Johnson.  Lea  P.,   147. 

Johnson',  Peter,  135,  172,  196,  211,  356,  432,  434. 
Johnson,  William  S.,  77. 
Johnson,  Zachariah   M.,   184. 
Johnston,  Washington,  97. 
Joliet,  Louis,  21,  23. 
Jones,  Aaron,  183,  857. 
Jones,  Elias  D.,  316. 
Jones,  Gardner,  626,  679,  684. 
Jones,  John  E.,  96. 
Jones,  Vitus  G.,  514. 
Jordan,  David,  1076. 
Joseph  Bowen  Post,  G.  A.  E.,  744. 
Jubilees  at  Notre  Dame,  685. 
Judges,  92;   of  Circuit  Court,  187. 
Julian,   George  W.,   284. 
Jungkuntz,    Carl,    875. 


Juries,  of  First  Circuit  Court,  190. 

Jurors,  172. 

Jury,  Territorial,  96. 

Just,  A.  M.,  573. 

Justices  of  the  Peace,  93. 

Kalczynski,  George  W.  J.,  470,  505. 

Kaley,  Joseph,   393. 

Kaley  Park,  384. 

Kamm,  Adolph,  594. 

Kamm,  Schellinger  Co.,  594. 

Kane,  Elmer,  1021. 

Kankakee  Pond,  305. 

Kankakee  Eiver,  1,  10_,  25,  32,  41. 

Kankakee,  Early  Days  on,  136. 

Kaskaskia,  22,  42,  58,  59,  62,  83,  95;  Capture  of,  62. 

Kaskaskias,  37. 

Kauffman,  Horace  M.,  772. 

Kean,   Jotin,   78. 

Keedy,  John  H.,  359. 

Keller.  Frederick  W.,   186. 

Kelley,  Peter,  Sr.,  1134. 

Kellev,  W.  P.,  775. 

Kemble,  Fred  T.,  784. 

Kerr,   Miller   F.,    850. 

Kerr,  William  F.,  804. 

Keltner,  Josiah  G.,  846. 

Kerner,  Jacob  F.,  380. 

Kickapoo,  Indians,  21. 

Kiefer,  Charles  E.,  1074. 

Kimball,   Caleb,  375. 

Kimball,  Caleb  A.,  411,  500. 

Kime,   George,  1030. 

King,  Ben,   287. 

King,  S.   E.,  373. 

Kingston,   23. 

Kinzie,  John,  128. 

Kinzie,  Titus  E.,  186. 

Kirsch,  Jacob  P.  T.,  783. 

Kish,  Joseph,  863. 

Kitch,  John  W.,  521. 

Kizer,  W.  L.,  758. 

Klein,   Peter,   422. 

Klingel,  John,  446. 

Knights  of  Columbus,  462. 

Knights  of  Pythias,  South  Bend,  461. 

Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  462. 

Knoblock,  John  C,  187.    375,   407,  408. 

Knoblock,  Otto  M.,  316,  407,  453,  459,  583. 

Knox  County,  91;  104,  160. 

Kochanowski,  Paul,  848. 

Koener,  Andrew,   816. 

Koerth,   Adolph,   861. 

Koenig,   Cnarles,   424. 

Kollar,  Josiah   G.,  1078. 

Koontz,   Samuel,  Sr.,  954. 

Kowalski,  F.   H.,   866. 

Kownover,  William  C,  1089. 

Korpal,   Charles   V.,   808. 

Krause,    Charles,   856. 

Krieghbaum,  Charles  M.,  509. 

Kreighbaum.  Hiram  W.,  425. 

Kunstman,  Andrew,  555. 

Kuss,  Fred  W.,  807. 

Kurtz,   George   A.,   198. 

Kyser,  Nelson  IL,  365,  835. 

La  Coss,  Cnarles,  386. 

Laetare  Medal,  Notre  Dame,  680. 

La  Feber,  Walter  F.,  947. 


xvni 


INDEX. 


Lafayette  Hotel,  439,  440. 

Lafayette   Street   Sewer,   371. 

Lafortune,   Antoine,    129. 

LaGrange  County,  160. 

Laidlaw,   Edwin    C.,   927. 

Laing,  Samuel,   935. 

Lake  County,  160. 

Lake  Erie  and  Western  Eailroad,  239. 

Lake,   James,   869. 

Lake   Maxinkuckee,  8,  45,  47. 

Lake  Michigan,  Southern  Bend  of,  100.      » 

Lakes,  6;   of  St.  Joseph  County,  18. 

Lake  Shore  Eailroad,  236,  283,  632. 

Lakeville,   19,   280,  314. 

Lakeville  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,  735. 

Laline,  Jean,  129. 

La  Mai,  129. 

Lambert.  Francis  E.,  518. 

Lammedee,   Frederick  AV.,   1020. 

Lamport,  AVilliam  K.,  468. 

Lancaster,  S.  C,  925. 

Land   Patents,    157. 

Land  Sales,  First,  157. 

Lang,   Anna,   1149. 

Lang,   Frederick,   185. 

Lang,  Herman  F.,  860. 

Lang,   Mathias,   1149. 

Lang,  Otto  E.,  595. 

LaPierre,   A.   M.,   358. 

LaPierre,  Louis  S.,  536. 

LaPorte  County,  160. 

LaSalle,  18,  21,  23,  29,  57,  58,  95,  217,  291,  603. 

LaSalle  Avenue,  132. 

LaSalle  Paper  Co.,  408. 

LaSalle  Park,  384,  388,  389. 

Lasly,  John  D.,   162,  184. 

Lauth,   Peter,   578. 

Law  School,  Xotre  Dame,   648. 

Lawton,   Henry  W.,   389." 

Leclaire,  Antoine,  128. 

Lehman,   Noah,   182. 

Lederer,  .John  X.,  187,  215,  .584. 

Lee,  Eichard  H.,  78,  81. 

Leeper,   David  E.,  363,   432. 

Leeper  Island,  130. 

Leeper  Park,  131,  384,  389. 

Leeper,   Samuel,   389. 

Leer,  Delmar  C,  591. 

Leer,  Henry,  764. 

Leggett,  Joseph,  1008. 

Legislature,  First  of  Indiana,  100. 

Legras,   Col.  J.  M.  P.,  72. 

Lemennier,  Augustine,  652. 

Leonard,  John  W.,  931. 

Lerner,  John,    3  091. 

L'Etourneau.    Louis   J..   420. 

Leroy,  Myron  D.,  942. 

Leslie,   George  H.,  186. 

Leveque,   E.,    419. 

Lewinski.  Konstantine,  885. 

Lewis,  Henry  G.  W.,  408. 

Liberty  Township,  281. 

Library,  County,   158. 

Library,  Public,  South  Bend.  450,  4.55. 

Licenses,  Earlv  Business,  172. 

Light   Guards.' South  Bend,   751. 

Lilly,  Calvin,  172;  His  Hotel,  190;  199,  208,  226,  432. 

Lilly,  Father,  671. 

Lilly's  Tavern   (see  Calvin  Lilly),  433. 

Lincoln  Township,  290. 


Linden  Avenue  Christian   Church,  425. 

Lindley,  283,  311. 

Lindsay,   John  F.,   181. 

Lindsey,  John  T.,'  410. 

Lindt,  Harriet  L.,   552. 

Lineback,   Jonathan,   1114. 

Lister,   Sorden.   286,   361. 

Liston,  J.  A.,  191,  194,  456. 

Little  Lake,  19. 

Little  Turtle,  38,  102,  155. 

Lockwood,   Francis   W.,    530. 

Log  House,  The,  139;  First  Hewed,  146. 

Lohr,   Eugene  F.,  449. 

Long,  Andrew  H.,   184. 

Long,  Enos  E.,  526. 

Longenecker,  Zachary  T.,  1124. 

Longley,   William   H',   362,   407. 

Lontz,  Samuel  C,  587. 

Lonzo,  Joseph  C,  871. 

Loreto.  Church  of  Our  Lady  of,  703. 

Losantiville,   83. 

Lotteries,  98. 

Lotz,   Dumont,    449. 

Loughman,  George  W.,  183,  362. 

Louis  XIV.,  23. 

Louisiana,   32,  55. 

Lowell,   366. 

Lowell  Heights,  12,  14. 

Lowell  Heights  M.  E.  Church,  413. 

Lowry,  Franklin  E.,  1093. 

Lowrv,   Eobert,   196. 

Lucas,  Eobert  F.,  1152. 

Luers,   John   Henrv,   635. 

Lundy,  Harry  A.,  1152. 

Lutheran  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,  735. 

Lutheran    Church,    South    Bend,    424. 

Lydick,  H.  Wilson,  1065. 

Lynch,  William  F.,  637,  716. 

Lyon,  Eichard  H.,  285,  306,  315,  453,  468,  498. 

Lyons,  Joseph  A.,  640,  643. 

MacDonald,  Frank  E.,  592. 

Mack,  William,  411,   814. 

Mackibbin,  Stuart,  389,  449,  453,  1152. 

Mackinac.  57. 

Mackinac  Island,  21. 

Mackinaw,   125. 

Mackinaw  Company,  127. 

"Madison's  Debates,"  82. 

Madison,  James,  81,  82. 

Madison  Township,  289;  Eural  High  School,  290. 

Mahingans,  46. 

Main,  John,  812. 

Malloy,  Edward,  469. 

Mangiis,  Dayton  D.,  1094. 

Mangus,  Levi,  1013. 

Mann,  James  A.,  356. 

Manning,  Ulysses  G.,  461,  852. 

Manual  Labor  School,  630. 

Maple  Grove  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,   733. 

Maple  Grove  Church,  278. 

Maps,  Ancient,  38. 

Marble,  Orson,  1060. 

Marciniak,  E.   A.,  422. 

Marciniak,  Eoman,  577. 

Marker,  Jacob,  1117. 

Marquette,  .James,  20,  23,  24,  57,  217,  603. 

Marriage,  First,  in  Greene  Township,  145. 

Marsh,  Daniel  S.,  467. 


L\DEX. 


XIX 


"Marshall  Day,"   457. 

Marshal,  of  South  Bend,  358. 

Maryland,   81. 

Martin.  Fred  W.,  365,  832. 

Martindale,  John,  186. 

Mascouten,  Indians,   21;   Village   of,  27. 

Mason,   George,  61. 

Masonic  Lodges,  South  Bend,  461. 

Massachusetts,  Claims,   73,  81. 

Massey,  John,   356. 

Mather,  Joseph  H.,  196. 

Matthews,  Claude,  124,  198. 

Matthews,  George  W.,  181,  182,  216,  217,  412. 

Matthews,  Jonathan,  408. 

Matthews   Steam   Boiler  Works,   408. 

Maudlin,  Edward  L.,  899. 

Mauniee,  Kapids  of,  86. 

Maumee  River,  21,  40,  42,  58,  87. 

Maumee  Towns,  87. 

Maurer,  G.  Albert,  790. 

Mayr,  Frank,  387. 

Mazeppa  Hose  Co.  No.  5,  378. 

McAllister,  Elbert  W.,  538. 

McCartney's  Creek,  1. 

McCartney.  William,  191,  195,  295,  305,  306. 

McCarty, 'Charles  E.,  184,  955. 

McCarty,   Charles   E.,   184. 

McCarty,   Benjamin,    184. 

McClellan,  H.,   833. 

McCombs,  Lambert,  161,  830. 

McCoy,  Isaac,  301. 

McDonald,  Charles  A.^  453.  469,  504. 

McDonald,    Daniel,   48. 

McDonald,  S.   M.,  548. 

McDonald,  William,  1062. 

McEnderfer,   Allen,   1016. 

McEndarfer,  B.  F.,  995. 

McErlain  &  Elbe!  Cigar  Box  Manufacturers,  409. 

McHenry,   Arthur  C,  425. 

McHenry,  W.  K.,  591. 

Mcllvaine,  W.,  424. 

Melnerv.  William   A.,   365,  510. 

MeLelland,  John  T.,  185. 

McMiehael,  John  A.,  796. 

McMichael,   William  C,   182. 

McWeeny,  James,  365,  828. 

Medical   Society  of  Northern  Indiana,  455. 

Meighan,   John'  F.,   198,   364. 

Membre,   Zenobe,   25,   28. 

Memorial  Day,  745. 

Memorial  Hall,  Bishops',  681. 

Menominee  Village,  48,  51,  55. 

Merchants     National  Bank,  412. 

Merrifield,   George,  347. 

Merrifield,  Jacob.  451. 

Merritt,  A.  B.,  358. 

Mesnard.  Father,  20. 

Methodist   Episcopal    Church,   at    South   Bend.    213, 

•        297;   at  Mishawaka.  336. 

Methodist  Church.  South  Bend,  412. 

Metropotamia,  75. 

Mexican  War,  716,  731. 

Miami.  Indiana,  21,   47.  48,  84,   88;  Village   of,   18, 

27;  28,  37,  44,  309;  Treaty  with,  29;  38,  39. 
Miamis.  Eiver  of,  20,  21,  24,^25. 
Michael.  Walter,   799. 
Michigan   Air  Line   Railroad,   237. 
Michigan  Boundary  Line,  90. 
Michigan,   Southern   Boundary   of,    100. 


Michigan  Central  Railroad,  237. 

Michigan  Hotel,  434,  435. 

Michigan  Road,  156,  235.  351. 

Michigan  Street  M.  E.  Church,  413. 

Michigan  Territory  Formed,  100. 

Michigan  Township,  163,  172,  IVV,  272. 

Michigania,  75. 

Michilimackmac,  21,  23,  24,  42,  43,  57,  59. 

Middle  State,  The,  79. 

Mikesell,   Charles  W.,   1059. 

Milburn   Chapel,   413. 

Milburn,  (jeorge,  .343,  400,  717. 

Milburn  Wagon  Company,  325. 

Military   Company,   First   in   Civil  War,   717. 

Military  History,   711. 

Military  Organizations,   South  Bend,  463. 

Military  Posts,  French,  57. 

Militia,  93. 

Miller,  Aaron,   184. 

Miller,  Alfred  B.,  219,  467. 

Miller,  Allen  G.,  540. 

Miller,  Benjamin  F.,   184,  202,  358. 

Miller,  David  B.,  169,  819. 

Miller,  Frederick  A.,  468,  510. 

Miller,   Hiram,    185. 

Miller,  Isaac  N.,  187.  215,  751,  893. 

Miller,  Loren  C,  1065. 

Miller,  John   C,   184. 

Miller,  John  F.,  215,  720. 

Miller.   Joseph,   761. 

Miller,   Solomon,   185. 

Miller,  William,  215,  372,  374,  411. 

Miller,   William   C,   1080. 

Mills,  W.  F.,  530. 

Minims,  The,  at  Notre  Dame,  672. 

Mintle,   Henry   S.,   317. 

Miranda,  Wil'liam  F.,  976. 

Mishawaka.  City  of,  319;  Plat  of  Town,  321;  First 

Town  Incorporation,  323;  Business  Enterprises, 

323. 
Mishawaka  Democrat.  347. 
Mishawaka  Enterprise.  347. 
Mishawaka  Public  Utility  Company,  331. 
Mishawaka  Rapids,  229.  320. 

Mishawaka,  Seal  of,  349;  Officials,  349;  Census,  350. 
Mishawaka  Tocsin,  346. 
Mishawaka   Water  Works   Company,   331. 
Mishawaka  Woolen  Manufacturing  Company,  325. 
Missionaries,     Early,      126;      First,      of     Methodist 

Church,   297. 
Mississippi  River.  10,  21. 
Mitchell.   H.   F.,  534. 
Mitchell,  Joseph  A.   S.,   150,   198. 
Mitchigamias,   37. 
Mix.  Melville  W.,  331.  349,  487. 
Mizpah   Church,   424. 
Mochel,  Martin  J.,  1130. 
Modern  Woodmen,  463. 
Moench,  Louis  A.,  5/9. 
Mohawks,  37. 
Mohegans.  28,  37. 
Molloy,  Emma  F.,  709. 
Momence,  12. 

Momence  Rock,  Removal   of,   258. 
Montbrun,    Timothy    de,    73. 
Monroe,   James.   81. 
Monson,  Albert,  185.  358. 
Montgomery.  Hugh  T.,   1,  9,   184,  364. 
Montgomery.  John,    62. 


XX 


INDEX. 


Montreal,  41,  57,  58. 

Moon,   Calvin,  '451,  557. 

Moon,  George  E.,  934. 

Moon,  Solomon,  930. 

Moore,  David,  807. 

Moore,   jerry 'F.,   871. 

Moore,  John,   1100. 

Moore,  Maria,  1104. 

Moore,  Robert,  1103. 

Moore,  W.  S.,  795. 

Moraines,  9. 

Moreau,  Basil  A.,   612,   705. 

Morgan,  Henry  C,  763. 

Morrison  Hotel,  439. 

Morrissey,   Andrew,  694. 

Morse,  Abner,  305,  307. 

Morse,   E.   A.,  558." 

Morss,  Meltire  M.,  1068. 

Morss,   William   A.,   1062. 

Morton,  Oliver  P.,  716. 

Mossey,  Joseph  E.,  865. 

Mound  Builder,  22,  34,  44,  45,  283. 

Mt.  Olive  A.  M.  E.,  413. 

Mount  Pleasant,  18,  29,  45,  308. 

Mt.  Pleasant  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,  733. 

Mount  Zion  Baptist  Church,  423. 

Moyer,  Theodore  P.,  552. 

Mucha,    L.    M.,    1150. 

Mud  Lake,   19,   283. 

Mueller,  Frederick  W.,  590. 

Muessel,  Adolph  J.,  563. 

Muessel,  Edward,  562. 

Muessel,  George  C,  1157. 

Muessel,  Walter  G.,  563. 

Muessel,  William,  563. 

Munhall,  L.  W.,  425. 

Municipal  Code,  367,  375.  ' 

Municipal  Ownership,  372,  377. 

Murphy,  Frank  J..  827. 

Murray,  Charles  L.,  469,  709. 

Murray,   Charles   T.,  469. 

Muskingum,    77. 

Musquito  Glen,  233. 

Muster   Roll,    Original,    of    Co.    I,   Ninth   Regiment, 

718. 
Myers.  Cornelius  H.,  184,  536. 
Myers',   John   H.,   758. 
Myler,  Martha  E.,  834. 
Myler,  Robert,  183. 
Myler,   Town,   366. 

Napoleon,  59. 

Narragansetts,   37. 

Natchez,  58. 

National  Hotel,  439,  441. 

National  Union,   469. 

Navarre,  Pierre,   130,   295. 

Nave,  Pliny,  883. 

Navigation   of   St.   Joseph   River,   224. 

Neff.  Isaac  E.,  449. 

Neff,  Joseph  E.,  764. 

Neitzel,  Barnhart  H.,   828. 

Nelson,  James,   821. 

New   Carlisle,   301,  312. 

New  Carlisle  Collegiate  Institute,  313. 

New  Carlisle  Cemetery,   733. 

Newcomer,   William,   1017. 

Newcomer,  W.  F.,  1018. 

New  England  System  of  County  Government,   160. 


New  France,  58. 

New  Hampshire,  82. 

New  Jersey,  81. 

New   Jersey,   Indiana   and   Illinois   Railroad,   240. 

New  Orleans,  58. 

New  York,  Claims,  73,  81,  82. 

News,  The  Sunday,  470. 

Newspapers,  of  South  Bend,  463. 

Neyron,   Louis,   418,   604.    639, 

Niblack,  Arthur  C,  849. 

Nicar,  Edwin,  182,  365,  375,  378,  389,  569,  743,  751, 
753. 

Nicar,  Robert  B.,   185. 

Nicar,  Virginius,  779. 

Nicholson,  Meredith,   109. 

Nicoles,   Samuel   J.,   317,   957. 

Niedbalski,   Vincent,  881. 

Niezgodzki.  John  T.,  848. 

Niles,  Henry  G.,  408,  594. 

Niles,  John   B.,   196,   197. 

Ninth  Regiment,   717. 

Nixon,   James',    162. 

Noble,  Noah,  193,  195,  200. 

Norman  Eaay  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  745. 

North  Carolina,  Claims,  73,  81,  82, 

North  Liberty,  19,   281,  313. 

North  Liberty  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,  735. 

North  Liberty  Herald,  314. 

North  Liberty  News,  314. 

Northern  Indiana  Agricultural  Society,  269. 

Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society,  1,  36,  128,  131, 
146,  212,  215,  338,  341,  351,  386,  452,  453. 

Northwest    Company,    127. 

Northwest  Indianian,  314. 

"Northwestern  Pioneer  and  St.  Joseph's  Intelli- 
gencer,"  110,   211,  227. 

Norton,  Frank  A.,  451. 

Notre  Dame  Lakes,  14,  18,  40,  284,  603,  605. 

Notre  Dame  University,  20,  603,  612;  First  Build- 
ings, 621;  671. 

Notre  Dame  University,  Early  Years,  625;  in  the 
War,  635. 

Notre  Dame  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  745. 

Noyes,   Daniel,    198,   202. 

Nutwood,  216,  289,  312. 

O'Brien.  Patrick,  215,  362,  376,  402,  554. 

O'Brien' Varnish  Works,  402,  554. 

O'Connell,  Father,  684. 

Odd  Fellows,  South  Bend,  461. 

Oechtering,    Auguste   B.,    335. 

Ohio    Company,   77. 

Ohio    Line,    107. 

Ohio,  River,  10,  57. 

Old   Dominion.   70,   73. 

Old   Settlers,   19. 

Old   Settlers,   Reunions,   150. 

dinger,   John,   187. 

Olive   Chapel   Cemetery,   Soldiers   in,    733. 

Olive  Township,  273,  295;   Only  Fort  In,  300. 

Oliver   Chilled   Plow   Company,   230. 

Oliver  Chilled   Plow  Works.   371. 

Oliver  Hotel,  369;   First,  442;   New,  442,  443. 

Oliver,  James,  342.  343,  382,  393,  400,  481. 

Oliver,  Joseph  D.,  215,  401. 

Oliver  Opera  House,  459. 

Oliver   Plow  Works,   400. 

Oliver.  Robert,  91. 

One  Hundred  and  Fiftv-ninth  Inf.,   728. 


INDEX. 


XXI 


One  Hundred  and  Fifty-seventh  Inf.,  751. 

One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Inf.,  726, 

One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  Inf.,  728. 

Oneidas,   37. 

O'Neill,  William  P.,  347,  1154. 

Onondagas,   37. 

Orange  County,  104. 

Order  of  Patricians,  463. 

Ordinance   Boundary  Line,   107. 

Ordinance  of  1787,   75,  78,  80,  93;   Six  Articles  of, 

78. 
Oren.   William   H.,   185. 
Orphans'   Home,   220. 
Orr,  John  H.,  229,  320. 
Orr,   Joseph   G.,   363. 
Osborn,   Andrew  L.,   197. 
Osborn,  George  A.,  543. 
Ort,  Henry,  788. 
Osceola,  294.  309,   310. 
Ostrom,  C.  A.,  801. 
Ottawas,  37,  90. 
Ouiatanon,  Indians,  65. 
Ouiatanon,  Fort,  58. 
Ouiaton,   Village   of,   27     . 
Outagamies,  28,  46. 
Our  Lady  of  Peace,  707. 
Owen,  W.  L.,  536. 
Owls,  Order  of,  463. 

Packard,  Jasper,   727. 

Palestine.   3uO,   308. 

Palmer  Prairie  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,  733. 

Palmer,    Emberson,   1088. 

Palmer,  Orlando   H.,  426. 

Palmer  Prairie,  288. 

Palmer,  Solomon  W.,  184. 

Papczynski,  John   W.,   365,   872. 

Paper,  First  Made  in  South  Bend,  408. 

Parett,   John   H.,  936. 

Parke, 'Benjamin,  96,  97,   101. 

Park  Commissioners,  387. 

Park,  First  in  South  Bend,  386;  Story  of  a,  386. 

Parkman.  Francis,   22. 

Parkovash,  The,  43,  45,  47,  128,  129,  383. 

Parks,   Isaac   K.,   885. 

Parks  of  South  Bend,  383. 

Parks,  Norman  E.,  596. 

Parochial  School,  Lutheran,  424. 

Parrett,  E.  J.,  425. 

Parsons,  Samuel  H.,  77,  83. 

Partridge,  Joel  M.,  528,  744. 

Pattee,  Cvrus  E.,  522. 

Patteson,"^  William   H.,   182,   186,   357,  358. 

Paul,  John,  104. 

Paul,  Lewis,  952. 

Paul,  Professor,  671. 

Paxson.  Edward  E.,  547. 

Pearse,  Leonard  S.,  999. 

Pearse,   Wakefield   K,    1001. 

Peffley,  Ephraim  H.,   1039. 

Pelisipi,   75. 

Peninsular   Eanroad,   238. 

Pennsylvania,  81. 

Penn  Township  Cemeteries,  Soldiers  in,  734. 

Penn  Township,  273,   291. 

People's  Savings  Bank,  412. 

Peorias,   37. 

Peppermint  Industry,  291. 

Pequods,  37. 


Perkins,  Frank   G.,  492. 

Perkins  Wind  Mill   Company,  326,  492. 

Perley,   Samuel  S.,  387,  393,  561. 

Perrin,   Earl   E.,   780. 

Perrot,  Nicholas,   20,   29,  57. 

Perry   County,   104. 

Petit,  Benjamin  Marie,  52. 

Petit,  Father,  603. 

Pfeiffer,   Edward,  870. 

Philadelphia  Industrial  Association,  306. 

Phillips,  D.  G.,  197. 

Phillips,  Wihiam  H.,  938. 

Phillips,  W.  E.,  782. 

Philon.   Albert  J.,   793. 

Piano,  First  Brought  into  County,  342. 

Pickett,    Edwin,    186. 

Pidge,    Mrs.    E.    J.,    297, 

Pierson,  George,  196. 

Pigeon  Boost,   54. 

Pillory,  92,  98. 

"Pilot"  Steamboat,  232. 

Pinckney,   Charles,    77. 

Pineda,  Alonzo  de,  32, 

Pine,  Leighton,  372.  375,  402,  564,  751. 

Pine,  Milton  B.,  776. 

Pinhook,  307. 

Pioneer,  The,  etc.,  464. 

Place,  Dixon  W.,  187,  316. 

Place,  Ira  F.,  941. 

Plainfield,  300,  301,  308. 

Plank  Eoads,  235. 

Plat   of   Mishawaka,   321. 

Plat,  Original,   of  South  Bend,  352. 

Platz,  John,  837. 

Platz,  Noah  F.,  425. 

Pleasant  Lake,  19,  280. 

Plymouth,  164. 

Plymouth  Township,  274. 

Poehlman,  Godfrey  L.,  584. 

Pokagon,    Chief,    130. 

Pokagon,  Simon,  605. 

Pokagon 's  Village,  45,  47,  151,  605. 

Poike,  William,   236. 

Pol\-potamia,   75. 

Pomeroy,   Grove,   144. 

Pontiac,   64,  102. 

Pontiac's   War,   42. 

Poor,   Joshua,   977. 

Portage,   The,   20,   21,  45,   173,   175. 

Portage  of  the  Kankakee,  43. 

Portage  of  the  St.  Joseph,  24,  25,  26. 

Portage  Prairie,   18,  45,  383,  603] 

Portage    Township,    163,    176,    272,    273,   295. 

Portage  Village,  231,-  304. 

Porter   Cemetery,   Soldiers   in,   735. 

Porter  County,  160. 

Porter,  .John  E.,  190,  191. 

Port  Huron  &  Lake  Michigan  E.  E.,  238. 

Posey  County,   104. 

Posey,  Thomas,  103. 

Postal  Telegraph  Co.,  243. 

Postoffice,  at  Mishawaka,  321. 

Post  Printing   Co.,  471. 

Post,   The   South  Bend,   471. 

Pottawatomie   Park,   270,  315,   384. 

Pottawatomies,   28,    37,   38,   .39,  45,  55,   88,  90,   ]3i 

155,  135;  Eemoval  of,  48;  Village  of,  44. 
Pottawatomie  Trail,   47. 
Potter,  Jerome,  825. 


XXll 


INDEX. 


Pound,  169. 

Pourre,  Don  Eugenio,  43. 

Powhatans,    37. 

Presbyterian  Church,  Mishawaka,  337. 

Presbyterian    Cnurch,    South    Bend,   414. 

President  Judge,   187. 

Presidents  of  Notre  Dame,  695. 

Press,  of  South  Bend,  463. 

Price,   Benjamin   F.,   357,   358,  411. 

Price,    William    H.,    1056. 

Price's   Theatre,   213,   382. 

Primogeniture,   78. 

Probate  Court,  198;  First  Term,  199;  Seal,  200,  202; 

Second  Term,  200. 
Progress  Club,  460. 
Progress,  The,  645.  ' 

Prohibition  Alliance,  710. 
Prohibition  Party,  709. 
Prophet,  The,  102. 
Prophet's'  Town,  102. 
Protsman,  John  C,  349. 
Proud,  James,  921. 
Proud,  Hurtain,  903. 
Proudfit,   Louis,  928. 
Provoncille,  Alexis,   196. 
Public   Cisterns,   South  Bend,  371. 
Putnam,  Eufus,    77. 
Purucker,  A.  J.,  859. 
Pyle,   Daniel,   461. 

Quebec,  41,  57. 

Queen  City  of  St.  Joseph  Valley,  351. 

Quincy  Street  Baptist  Church,  423. 

Quindre,   Deneau,    129. 

Quirk,   Frank   J.,   959. 

Raccoon  Village,  45. 

Rafe,  F.   C,  882. 

Railroads  236;  Lake  Shore,  236;  Grand  Trunk, 
237;  Michigan  Air  Line,  237;  Michigan  Cen- 
tral, 237;  Port  Huron  &  Lake  Michigan,  238; 
Peninsular,  238;  Chicago  &  Lake  Huron,  238; 
,  Lake  Erie  &  Western,  239;  Baltimore  &  Ohio, 
239;  Vandalia,  239;  Three  I,  239;  Wabash, 
239;   N.   J._.  L   &  L,   240. 

Railroad    Accidents,    240. 

Randolph    County,   71,   100. 

Randolph,  John,    100. 

Randolph,  Thomas,   97. 

Ranstead,   Henry   B.,    911. 

Rape,    97. 

Rausch,  Fred,  424. 

Ray,  James  B.,  161,  193,  200. 

Ray,  Martin   M.,   194. 

Reading  Room  and  Library  Association,  South  Bend, 
459. 

Ream,   Charles,   815. 

Reaves,  John  M.,  1053. 

Reaves,  Peter  H.,  187,  215,  1044. 

Recorder,  County,  181,  182. 

Red   Men,   Order  of,  463. 

Reed,    Josiah    P.,    182. 

Reeves,   Charles   H.,    456. 

Reformed   Church,    South   Bend,    417. 

Register.  St.  Joseph  Valley,  197,  213,  218,  466. 

Reilly,  John,  92. 

Reiniiardt,    Benjamin   F.,   939. 

Relief  Hook   and   Ladder   Co..   378. 

Re-location  of  County  Seat,  173. 


Reminiscences,   140. 
Rennoe,  A.,  184,  535. 

Reservations,   Indian,   88. 

Revolutionary   War,  731. 

Revolutionary  War,   Two  Soldiers  of,  715. 
Reynolds,  Ed  B.,  509.     " 

Reynolds,  James,  904. 

Reynolds,  Mrs.   Jennette^  393. 
Rhode  Island,  81,  82. 

Ribourde,  Father  Gabriel  de  la,  25. 

Rice,  P.  J.,  425. 

Richard,  Gabriel,  605. 

Richter,  John  C,   198. 

Riddle,  Alexander,   1057. 

Riddle's    Lake,    19,    280,   314. 

Riddle,  W.   Harrison,   1051. 

Riley,  James  W.,  124,   716. 

Rilling,  James   H.,   424. 

Ritter,   Frank,    1136. 

River  Park    M.    E.    Church,    413. 

River  Park,   315. 

Riverview  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,  732. 

Rivers,  of  St.  Joseph  County,  Improvement  of, 
223;  Navigation  of,  224;  Electric  Power  Devel- 
opment,   230. 

Rixa,  Alexander,    184. 

Roach,  Martin  J.,  766. 

Road   District,    161. 

Roads,   234;   Vistula,  234. 

Roberts,  Hanford,    811. 

Roberts,     James   H.,   1140. 

Robertson,  John  D.,  196. 

Robinson,  Samuel  M.,   773. 

Robinson,  Schuyler  C,  184. 

Rocheblave,    Mr.,    62,    70. 

Rockhill,    William   D.,    187. 

Rockstroh,    George,    184. 

Roher,    Joseph,    169. 

Rogers,  Frank,'  854. 

Rogers,  Oliver  P.,  928. 

Roland,    Joshua,    92. 

Rollins,  Thomas  H.,  872. 

Romig,    Iden    S.,   461. 

Roosevelt,   Theodore,    70. 

Roper  Furniture  and  Carpet  Company,  332. 

Roper,  James  A.,  495. 

Rose,  David,   1063. 

Rose,  Rufus,    360. 

"Rose   Grade,"   369. 

Ross,  George   P.,   945. 

Ross,  Silas  A.,   1051. 

Ross,  William    O.,   194. 

Roster  of  Auten  Post,  736. 

Rostiser,   Louis  A.,   846. 

Roth,    John,    770. 

Round  Table  Club,  460. 

Routes  of  Travel,  20. 

Row,  Albert  O.,  802. 

Row,  A.ilham  C,  858. 

Royal  Arcanum,  463. 

Rudduck,  Isaac.  145. 

Rudduck,  James   H.,   1043. 

Rudduck,  John,   144. 

Rum   Village,   11,   34. 

Rupel,  Jacob,    144. 

Rupel,  Bazel,   841. 

Rupel,    Charles   O.,    1033. 

Rupel,  Chord    S.,    1043. 

Rupel,  David  E.,  968. 


INDEX. 


XXlll 


Eupel,  Dennis    W.,    973. 

Eupel,  E.  B.,  873. 

Eupel,  Elias,   600. 

Eupel,  Elisha  H.,   1086. 

Eupel,  Jacob,  316. 

Eupel,  John,  144. 

Eupel,  John  N.,  990. 

Eupel,  Osborn,   848. 

Eupel's  Lake,  19,  288. 

Eural   High    School,    290. 

Eush,  Leonard  B.,   184. 

Euss,  Charles,    870. 

Euss,  Marion  B.,  187,  215,  788. 

Eyder.  James    W.,    1053. 

St.  Bavo's  Church,  Mishawaka,  336,  575. 

St.  Casiniir's  Church,   420,    421. 

St.  Clair,  Arthur,  82,  83. 

St.  Clair  County,   100. 

St.  Edward's   Day,   643. 

St.  Hedwige's,    Mother    Church    of,    420,    421. 

St.  Ignace,   Point,  21,  57. 

St.  James    Episcopal     Church,    423. 

St.  Joseph  and  Southern  Eailroad,  239,  283. 

St.  Joseph's   Academy,  422. 

St.  Joseph  Beacon  and  Indiana  and  Michigan  In- 
telligencer, 244,  465. 

St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church,  417. 

St.  Joseph    County   Agricultural   Society,    269. 

St.  Joseph  County  Bar  Association,  456. 

St.  Joseph  County  Farmers  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  324. 

St.  Joseph  County  Federation,  Catholic  Societies, 
462. 

St.  Joseph  (  ounty   Medical   Society,   456. 

St.  Joseph  County  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  323. 

St.  Joseph  County,  Organization  of,  157;  attached 
territory,  158,  159;   Boundaries  of,   177. 

St.  Joseph  County   Eepublican,    317. 

St.  Joseph  County  Savings  Bank,  411. 

St.  Joseph  Fire    Company,    377. 

St.  Joseph's  Hospital  New,  431. 

St.  Joseph  Hotel,  438;  Second,  440;  The  Old,  441, 
442. 

St.  .Joseph  Iron  Works,  229,  319,   320,  323,   620. 

St.  Joseph  Loan  and  Trust  Co.,  412. 

St.  Joseph   Manual  Labor  Collegiate  Institute,  305. 

St.  Joseph  Manufacturing  Co.,  320. 

St.  Joseph  Eiver,  Navigation  of,  224;  Water  Power 
of,  229;  Electric  Power  from,  230;  First  Bridge 
Across,  320;  First  Dam  Across,  320,  357;  Origin 
of,  13;  24,  41,  58,  65. 

St.  Joseph's,  Settlement,  135. 

St.  Joseph's,  Station,  Big,  132;   Little,  132. 

St.  Joseph   Street,   433. 

St.  Joseph,   Town,   303. 

St.  Joseph  Valley  Medical    Society,   456. 

St.  Joseph  Valley  Eegister,  197,  213,  218. 

St.  Joseph's,   Village,    352.' 

St.  Louis,    58. 

St.  Mary's  Academy.  20,  431,  603,  633,  698;  The 
i^ew,  705;  in  the  Civil  War,  707. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  420,  421. 

St.  Marv's  of  the  Lakes,  603. 

St.  Patrick's   Church,   420,   421. 

St.  Paul's  Church,  393. 

St.  Paul's  Memorial  Church,  414. 

St.  Stanislaus'    Church,    420,    421. 

St.  Stephen's   Church,   420,    421. 

"St.  Vincennes,"  94,  95. 

Sacred  Heart  Church,  420,  421,  696. 


Sacs   and   Foxes,   37^   46. 

Sample  Street  Bridge,  233. 

Sample,  Samuel  C,  194,  195,  196,  198,  410. 

Sandilands,   Alexander,   323. 

Sanger,    S.   F.,   425. 

Saratoga,  75. 

Sargent,  Winthrop,  82,  84. 

Sarle,  Cora  D.,  809. 

Sault   de   St.   Marie,   20,  57. 

Schaefer,  W.  B.,   776. 

Schafer,  Charles    L.,    1099. 

Schafer,  David   B.   J.,   363,   599. 

Schafer,  David  J.,   184. 

Schafer,  Fred  K,,   836. 

Schellinger,  Nicholas,  595. 

Schenk,  William  C,  91. 

Scherer,  Joseph,  421,  573. 

Schiffer,  E.  A.,   781.' 

Schiffer,  Herman,   803. 

Schindler,  John  J.,  349,  497. 

Schmidt,  Joseph,-  786. 

Schock,  Harry   G-.,  511. 

Scholastic,  The  Notre  Dame,  645,  646. 

School  District,    161. 

School  Examiner,   451. 

School,   First   Catholic   for   Larger  Boys,   420. 

Schools,    in    South   Bend,    445. 

Schools   of   Mishawaka,   337. 

Schrader,   Charles    C,   992. 

Schutt,  Eoss  K.,  787. 

Scientist,   First   Church   of  Christ,   425. 

Scott,  James,  97. 

Seal   of   County,   170,   182. 

Seal  of  City  of  Mishawaka,  349. 

Seal,  of  Probate  Court,  200. 

Seal,  Circuit   Court,   194. 

Seaman,  J.  B.,  928. 

Seixas,  Theodore  J.,  411,  412. 

Seminary,  County,  168,  217,  424,  445,  446. 

Senecas,  37,  42. 

Service,    92. 

Seventeen  States,  From   Northwest  Territory,   75. 

Seventy-third    Inf.,    724. 

Seven    Years    War,   41. 

Sewers,  South  Bend,  370;  First  in  South  Bend,  370. 

Shafer,  Lemen,   1107. 

Shanklin,  Eobert,  539. 

Shaw,  David   A.,   797. 

Shawe,  Father  St.  Michael,  626,  683. 

Shawnees,   37. 

Shea,  John  G.,  22,  680. 

Shea,  Michael    C,    793. 

Shearer,  Frederick,  1143. 

Shearer,  William    H.,    1135. 

Sheerer,  C.   Henry,  185. 

Sheffield,  E.   S.,   358. 

Sheffield  Creek,   285. 

Sheffield  Mill,  285. 

Shenefield,  Berton  C,  1135. 

Sheneman,  Henry,  1024. 

Sheneman,  John   A.,  1010. 

Sheneman,  Washington    A.,    1015. 

Sheneman,  Zachariah,   1023. 

Sheridan    Hotel.    440. 

Sheriff,  The,  183. 

Sherland,   Matilda,    145,   146. 

Shetterlv,  Isaac,   1102. 

Shidler,'Adam  W.,  1097. 

Shimp,  .Tacob,  1089. 

Shimp',  .John   M.,   1092. 


XXIV 


INDEX. 


Shimp,  William  D.,  182. 

Shively,  Benjamin  F.,  135,  365,  471,  512,  751. 

Shortis,  Father,  626. 

Sibley,  A.  P.,  553. 

Sibley,  Irving   A.,   388,   873. 

Sibrel,  Irving,  380. 

Sidewalks,  South  Bend^  369. 

Siders,  John,  287. 

Siders'  Mill,  285. 

Siefer,  John,  1108. 

Siek,  Henry,   424. 

Singer    Sewing   Maeine   Co.,   402. 

Singler,  Frank   J.,   824. 

Singler,  John  M.,  822. 

Slaughterbeek,  Charley  L.,  1090. 

Slave   Case,  Our,  203. 

Slavery,   76,   77,   78,   79,   98;   as  Known  in  Indiana, 

202. 
Slick,  Thomas  J.,   877. 
Slick,  Thomas  W.,  198,  517. 
Slough,   Peter,  1106. 
Slusser,  Edward  M.,  1074. 
Small-pox,   in    South   Bend,   358. 
Smith,  Adam,  161. 
Smith,  Alfred,    878. 
Smith,   Alexander,   1082. 
Smith,  Barnev   C,    187,    215,   863. 
Smith,  Elias,'323." 
Smith,  G.    Scott,   860. 
Smith,  Henry    M.,    948. 
Smith,  Jonathan    J.,    1079. 
Smith,  Levi  A.,  1015. 
Smith,  Wm.,  380. 
Smith,  "\rilliam    D.,    183. 
Smith,  W.    H.,    88. 
Smith    and    Jackson    Lumber    and    Manufacturing 

Co.,   409. 
Snavley,   William,   358. 
Snethen,  Isaac  T.,  946. 
Snyder,  Amos,   1123. 
Snyder.  Jacob   C,   798. 
Societies,  Agricultural,  267. 
Societies  and  Clubs.  Mishawaka,  344. 
Societies  and  Clubs,  South  Bend,  452. 
Soils,  17. 

Sokel   Polski,   463. 

Soldier  Dead   from   Olive   Township,   733. 
Soldiers  in  Southern   Graves,  733. 
Soldiers  Monument,   390,  751,  756. 
Soldiers'  Monument  Association,  346,  751. 
Soldiers'  Eoll    of   Honor,    731. 
Sons  of  Herman,    463. 
Sons  of  Israel,    425. 
Sons  of  Temperance,  709. 
Sorin,  Edward.  419,  603,  652. 
South  Bend  and  Mishawaka  Eailwav,  241. 
South  Bend  Chilled  Plow  Co.,  407. 
South  Bend,  City   of,   351;   Names   Given   to   Town, 

351;  County  Seat,  355;  First  Incorporation,  356; 

Second    Incorporation,    357;    Incorporation    As 

City,  359;  Officers  of,  359. 
South  Bend,  Division  Into  Wards,  366;  Population, 

367. 
South  Bend  Families    Engaged    in    Manufacturing, 

408. 
South  Bend  Citv  Eailway.   240. 
South  Bend  Era\    The,    470. 
South  Bend  Evang.   Hung.   Prot.   Church,   424. 
South  Bend  Hydraulic  Company,   229. 


South  Bend  Inn,  433. 

South  Bend  Iron  Bed  Co.,  409. 

South  Bend  Iron  Works,   371. 

South  Bend  Manufacturing  Company,  229,  357,  401. 

South  Bend  National   Bank,   411. 

South  Bend  of   the   St.  Joseph,   156,   352,  357. 

South  Bend  Toy  Works,   407. 

South  Bend  Tribune,  751. 

South  Bena  Water  Works,  371. 

South  Bend  Watch  Co.,   409. 

South  Bend  Watch  Factory,  315. 

South  B?nd  Woolen    Co.,    407. 

South  Carolina,  Claims,  73,  81,  82. 

Soutiiern  Hospital.   The,   707. 

Southern  Michigan  Eailwav,  242. 

Southold,  351. 

Spain,  41,  43,  59,  86. 

Spanish-American  War,  732. 

Spanish   War  Veterans,   463. 

Spillard,  Daniel  J.,  421. 

Springbrook  Park,  241,  385. 

Springs,    6. 

Stace,  Arthur  J.,  186,   361. 

Stalev   Manufacturing   Co.,   407. 

Stancliff,  Samuel,  323. 

Standpipe,  No.  6,  378. 

Standpipe,  The   Star-seeking,   374. 

Standpipe    System,    372. 

Stanfield,  Flora  L.,  45S. 

Stanfield,  Howard    S.,    453. 

Stanfield,    Thomas   S.,    J47,    181,    197,    198,   223,    236, 

358,  410,  416,   453,  456,  712. 
Stanton,    Aaron,    169. 
Staples,  Alex.,  373,  374,  599. 
Staples,  Ealph,   184. 
Stark,   Samuel  W..  592. 
Starr,     Eliza  A.,  706. 
Starr,  William    B.,    453. 
Starved  Eock,   29,   38,  40.  41. 
State  Bank   of  Indiana,  409. 
State  Eoads,   235. 
Steele,  Emeline,   993. 
Steele,  John,   993. 
Steele,  P.   D.,   1032. 
Stegman,   Henry   C,   855. 
Stephenson,  A.   H.,   862. 
Stephenson,  Benjamin  F.,    736. 
Stephenson,  C.  B.,  556. 

Stephenson  Manufacturing   Company,  4CS. 
Stephenson  Underwear  Mills,  407. 
Steuben   County,   160. 
Stocker,  Peter,   809. 
Stocks,   92. 

Stoddard,   Charles  W..   684. 
Stoeckinger,   George  F.,   795. 
Stoecklev,   J.   A.,   529. 
Stoffel,   Nicholas   J.,   421. 
Stokes,  Milton  W..  186. 

Stoll,  John  B.,  150,  215,  392,  393,  469,  500. 
Stoltz.  Charles,  533. 

"Story   of  Fifty  Years,"  at   St.   Mary's,   698,  699. 
Storey,  Wilbur  F.,  347. 
Storms,   270. 
Stover,  Calista    S.,    774. 
Stover,  David,   773. 
Stover.  George   H.,   185. 
Stover.  J.  H..  424. 
Stover,  William  B.,  453. 
Stover,  William   C,  185. 


INDEX. 


XXV 


Strauz,  L.  V.,  534, 
Strata,.  17. 

Street  Improvemeut,  Primitive,  in*  Soutli  Bend,  369. 
Street  Kailways — Soutu  Bend  City,  24U;  South  Bend 
and  Misliawaka,  241;  Indiana,  241;  Chicago, 
South  Bend  &,  JMorthern  Indiana,  242;  Southern 
Michigan,  242;  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  and  South 
Bend,  243. 

Strope,  Levi  A.,  1121. 

Stuart,  William  E.,  197. 

Studebaker  Brothers   Manufacturing    Co.,    394,   397. 

Studebaker  Fountain,  385,  391,  393. 

Studebaker,    Clement,   187,   215,   202,   360,   378,   393, 
400,  414,  426,  477. 

Studebaker,  George   M.,   389,   751. 

Studebaker,  Henry,  478. 

Studebaker,  Jacob  F.,  480. 

Studebaker.  John  M.,  361,  375,  376,  389,  391,  479. 

Studebaker*  Mary  E.,  453. 

Studebaker   Park,   384. 

Studebaker,  Peter    E.,    481. 

Stueckle,  Gustav  A.,  364,  564. 

Stuer,   Charles  L.,   336,   574. 

Stull,  John,    145. 

Stull,  John  S.,  1087. 

Stull,  Samuel   C,  850. 

Stull,  William   H.,    600. 

Sulgrove,   Berry  E.,   109. 

Summary  of  Mishawaka  Enterprises,  347. 

Summary  of  South    Bend   Interests,    471. 

Summers,  Gabriel  K.,  778. 

Summit  Lake,  1,  45. 

Sumption,  Elisha,  451. 

Sumption.  George,  144. 

Sumption  Prairie,  47,  277. 

Sumption  Prairie  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,   735. 

Superintendent,  County  School,  451. 

Superior  General   Sorin,  643. 

Surveyor,    The,    185. 

Surveys,  First  in  County,  156;   Second,  156. 

Swanger,  John  Q.,  1148. 

Swank,  David  L.,   978. 

Swedish  Baptist  Church,  423. 

Swedish  Evaug.   Mission,  424. 

Sweet  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,  733. 

Sweet  Home,   311. 

Switzerland  County,  104. 

Swygart,    John    A.,    586. 

Sylvania,  75. 

Symmes,  John   C,  83. 

Talbot,   Joseph   E.,  198. 

Talon,  Intendant,  20,  57. 

Tamaronas,  37. 

Tannery,  First,  295. 

Tavern-keepers,  97. 

Taxation,  Exemptions  from,   171. 

Tax    Upon    Lands,    104. 

Tavlor,  Edmund  P.,  132,   184,  377. 

Taylor,  Francis  P.,  319. 

Taylor,  Lathrop  M.,  129,  132,  157,  161.  175,  181,  191, 
193.  195,  295,  351,  410,  453. 

Taylor,  Sarah    C,   453. 

Taylor,  Thaddeus  S.,  453. 

Taylor,  Waller,  97,  104. 

Teeumseh,   102,   614. 

Telegraphs  and  Telephones — Western  Union,  243; 
Postal,  243;  Central  Union,  243;  American  Tele- 
graph and  Telephone,   243;  Home,  244. 


Temperance  Movement,   709. 

Temperance  Society,  First,  709. 

Temple  Bethel,  425. 

Temple,  William   L.,   775. 

Temporary  Government  for  Northwest  Territory,  75. 

Ten    States,   from   Northwest   Territory,   75. 

Terre  Coupee,  First  Church,  297,  301. 

Terre  Couppe   Prairie,    13,   296. 

Terrill  and  Plainfield  Cemetery,  Solaiers  in,  734. 

Territory,  Attached  to  St.  Joseph  County,  158,  159. 

Thieme,  Traugott,  424,  578. 

Thomas,  Alexander  N.,   182,   361. 

Thomas,  Samuel   R.,   8/8. 

Thompson.  Maurice,  2,  35,  44. 

Thorpe,   Kose   H.,   344. 

Thorward,  Theodore,  565. 

Thrall,   William   C,   310. 

Three  I  Eailroad,  239,  281. 

Thursday  Club,  460. 

Tiffin,   Edward,    92. 

Times   Printing   Co.,   469. 

Times,  The   South  Bend,  468,  469. 

Tippecanoe  Eiver,  12,  126. 

Tippecanoe,  Battle  of,  97,   101,  102. 

Tipton,   General,   611. 

Tobacco's  Son,   64,  68. 

Todd,   Col.   John,   72. 

Toepp,  William,  771. 

Tohulka,    Herman   A.,   187,   215. 

Tong.  Lucius  G..   361,   386,  411,  412,  495,   638,  643, 

648. 
Tonti,  Henry  de,  23,  25,  27,   28,   32,  33. 
Topinabee,   130,   607. 
Total   Abstinence   Society,  678. 
Tornado,  Only  in  St.  Joseph  County,  232. 

Town    and    Township,    161. 
Town,   First   Incorporation,    323. 

Townships,  First  Division  of,  272;  Second  Division, 
273;  Third  Division,  273;   Present  Number,  275 
Townships,  First  of  St.  Joseph  County,  163. 

Townships,  Eeorganized,  176. 

Tovniships,  Two  Lost,  274. 

Towle,  Charles    G.,    187. 

Towle,  vjilman,    186,   187. 

Trail   Creek,   143,   156. 

Trails.  Indian,  43,  45. 

Traveler's  Eest,   438. 

Treatv  of  Greenville,   94,   103,   125. 

Treaty  of  Paris,    41,   58,   103. 

Treaty  of  Peace,  (1783),  71. 

Treasurer,   The,   184. 

Tribune,  The  South  Bend,  218,  468. 

Trinity  Presbyterian   Church,   417. 

Troeger,   Andrew,   470. 

Truax,  John   M.,   1130. 

Truax,  William  V.,  1143. 

Truss    Bridges,    233. 

Turner,  Anthony  W.,  961. 

Turner,  Thompson,   971. 

Turner.   Timothy  G.,   190,  306,  456,  470. 

Turner's   South  Bend  Directory,   371. 

Turnock,  Joseph,  184,  378,   729,    769. 

Turnverein,    463. 

Tuscarssas,  37. 

Tutt  Cemetery,    Soldiers    in,    733. 

Tutt,  Charles  M.,  184. 

Tutt,  Francis  E.,   187. 

Tuttle,-  Eichmond,    184. 

Twin  Branch,  14,  291. 


XXVI 


INDEX. 


3,  377. 


378. 


Twenty-first  Battery,   730. 
Twenty-ninth  Infantry,  720. 
Twigh-twees,   37,   48. 
Twin  Lakes,  45,  47,  49,  51,  283. 

Ulery,   Samuel,   802. 

Ullery  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,   733 

Ullery.  Ira   M.,'  838. 

Ullery,  John  C,  1144. 

Ullery,  Joseph  C.^  10^47. 

Underwood,  Israef,  184. 

Union  Hall,  433. 

Union  Hose  Company  Xo 

Union  Township,    280. 

United  Brethren,  First   Church,  425. 

Utley,  William,  344. 

Tail,   Thomas  D.,   186. 

Van  Bus-kirk  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in,  733. 

Vance,  David,  91. 

Vandalia  Eailroad,  239,  280. 

Vanden  Bosch,  James  Q.  C,  589. 

Vanderburgh,     Henrv.    91,    95. 

Van  Doren,    William    T.,   451. 

Van  Pelt,  Mrs.  Marion  B.,  338. 

Van  Pelt,  Corwin  B.,  387,  408. 

Van  Pelt,  Ryan    T..    544. 

Van  Eyper,  A.  N.,  904. 

Van  Eyper,  Mary  Z.,   904. 

Van  Valin.  George  W.,  1033. 

Varnum,  .lames  M.,  83. 

Varier,   James   A.,   184. 

Vermande,   John,   887. 

Vigo,   Francis,   65,   84. 

Vincennes.  42.  58,  59.  63,  78,  83,  100,  160. 

Vincennes  University,  98. 

Virginia,  59,   71,  81,"  82,  99. 

Virginia  System  of  County  Government,  160. 

Vistula  Avenue,   132. 

Vistula  Eoad,   234. 

Voelkers,  Jerrv.  866. 

Vogt,    Ed    F.,  ■  1059. 

Volunteer  Aid  Association,   717. 

Von  Barandy,  Oscar.  531. 

Vosburgh,   Grove,   963. 

Wabash  and   Erie  Canal,   21. 

Wabash  Eailroad,    239.    280,    281. 

Wabash  Eiver,  10,  21."  41,  42,   126,  135. 

Wade.   Alfred  B.,   724. 

Wagner,  .John  C,  572. 

Wair,   Harry,   527. 

Waldorf,  Benjamin   F.,   186. 

Walker.  John.    317. 

Walkerton,  291,  316. 

Walkerton  Cemetery,  Soldiers  in.  735. 

Walkerton  Independent,   317. 

Walkerton  Visitor,    317. 

Wall,    Benjamin,    438. 

Walsh.   Thomas   E..   671.    691,    710. 

Walter,  John  U.,   1115. 

Walters,  Newton  W.,  1052. 

Ward.  Andrew  J.,   184. 

Ward,  ^\ilbert.  363,  460,  513. 

Wards,  First  Three  of  South  Bend.  366. 

War  of  1812,   102,   731. 

War  of  1812.   Soldiers   of.   715. 

Warner,  William   S.,   798. 

Warren,  David  G.,  907. 


Warren  Township,  282. 

Warwick,  301,  311. 

Warwick  County,  104. 

Washington  Block,    437. 

Washington  County,  104. 

Washington,  George,  81,  83,  86. 

Washington  Hall,   635. 

Washingtonian   Movement.    The,   709. 

Washington  Township,  274. 

Waterfield,   A.  A.,  865. 

Water  Power,  of  St.   Joseph  Eiver,  229. 

Waterways,   9;   Ancient,  11. 

Water  Works  Bonds,  South  Bend,  373. 

Water  Works,  Trustees,    375. 

Watkins,  Adam  K.,  1081. 

Wayne,  Anthony,  38,  75,  86,  155. 

Wa.^Tie  Countv,'95,  100,  104. 

Weiaer,  Peter",   373. 

Webster,  Aaron  A.,  184. 

Wednesday  Club,   460. 

Weidler,  Charles,   1148. 

Weidler,  Valentine,  1116. 

Weir,   Morgan   H.,   197. 

Weiser,    William   A.,   546. 

Weldv,  Abraham,   1122. 

Weld'v,  John,   1122. 

Weldy,  Joseph  W.,  1122. 

Wells",  Flowing,  6. 

Wenger's  Creek,  14,  288. 

Wenger,  Aaron,  910. 

WeriA-inski.  Joseph   A.,    776. 

West,  Albert  W.,  466. 

West,  Scott,  184. 

Westlake,  Samuel  B.,  821. 

West   Troy.    316;    Burk's   Addition,   316. 

Westbury,  David  A.,  785. 

Western  Eeserve,    74. 

Western  State,  The,  v9. 

Western  Union  Telegraph  Company,  243. 

Westminster  Presbvterian  Church,  417. 

Wharton,  David  F.",   1045. 

Wharton,  James  G.,  1046. 

Wharton  Lake,  19,  277. 

Wheeler,   Alfred,    182,   467. 

Whipping,  92,  97,  98. 

White  Beaver,  25. 

White,  Daniel  A.,  187,  215. 

White,  James,    323. 

White  Hall,   216. 

Whiteman,   George  N.,   593. 

Whitmer,   Elmer  J.,   1075. 

Whitmore,  Charles,  881. 

Whitmore,  Mary  J.,  881. 

Whitten,  William    M.,   17,   186,    217,    223,    264,    266, 

360,    3  70,    387. 
Wickham,  William  A.,  535. 
Wilcox.   Benjamin.   372,   416,   449. 
Wilklow,  George   H.,   1148. 
Willett,  John   T.,   829. 
Williams,  B.  E.,  1157. 
Williams,  James    C.    187. 
Williams,  J.    E.,    782. 
Williams,  W.  Oliver.  826. 
Williamson,    X.   D.,   417. 
Williamsport,    308. 
Williard,    Amos,    800. 
Wills.   Emanuel  E.,   185,   777. 
Wilson,  Abraham,    357. 
Wilson,  James,  81. 


INDEX. 


XXVI 1 


Windsor   Hotel,    439. 

Winkler,  Bros.   Manufacturing   Co.,   408. 

Winkler,  F.  C,  408.  571. 

Witter,  Harry,  1110. 

Witter,  Majtin   M.,   1060. 

Woltman,  Casimir,  879. 

W.    C.    T.    U.,    710. 

Woman's  Literary  Club,  459. 

Women's  Belief   Corps.   463. 

Wommer,  John  M.,   935. 

Wood,  Aaron,   110. 

Wood,  Edward  J.,   202. 

Wood.  William  Field,  550. 

Wood,  William   F..   561. 

Woodland,  290,  311. 

Woodmen  of  the  World,  463. 

Woodward,  Del  M.,  1029. 

Woodward.  Don  J.,  197. 

Woodward,  Jerry  E.,  887. 

Woolman,   Granville,  298.  9!:2. 

Woolverton,  Jacob,  412,  493. 

Woolverton   Lake,   283. 

Worden,  James,  98. 

Worden,  Joseph,  373,  408. 

Worster,   Henry   B.,   1095. 

Worth   Literary   Club,   461. 

Wright,  John    K.,   185. 


Wright,  William  B.,  863. 
Wyandots,   42. 
Wyant,  William  T.,  591, 
Wyatt,  290,  311. 
Wyckoff,  James  W.,   1058. 
Wyman,  George,  393,  431, 
Wythe,   George,   61. 


585. 


Yates,  Abraham,   78. 
Yellow   Eiver,   12. 
Yenn,   Simon,    185,    792. 
Yerrick,  Benjamin  F.,  853. 
Yerrick,  Harry  L.,  787. 
Yoder,  Elmer   E.,  1035. 
Young  Hoosier  No.  4.  378. 
Y.  M.   C.   A.,  425. 
Y.  W.   C.   A.,   393,  430. 

Zahm,   John  A.,  648. 

Zeiger,  John,  1118. 

Zeitler,  Edward  A.,  1072. 

Zeitler,  John   V.,   1072. 

Zell,  Adam,  880. 

Zeltner,  John,  817. 

Zigler,   John   W.,   185,   349. 

Zigler,  Joseph  G.,  1112. 

Zion  Evangelical  Church.  424. 

Zubowicz,  Anthony,  422,'  573. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


A  list  of  the  principal  authorities  relied 
on  in  the  preparation  of  this  History : 

Constitution  of  the  United  States;  Acts 
of  Congress;  United  States  Supreme  Court 
Reports. 

Constitution  of  Indiana,  1816  and  1851 ; 
Acts  of  the  Legislature,  Revised  Statutes, 
1831,  1838,  1843,  1852  and  1881,  Gavin  & 
Hord's,  Davis'  and  Burns';  Indiana  Supreme 
Court  Reports. 

Laws  and  Ordinances  of  Virginia  and  of 
the  Northwest  Territory. 

Indiana  Geological  Reports;  Geological  Pa- 
pers by  Dr.  Hugh  T.  Montgomery,  Prof.  S. 
S.  Gorby,  Prof.  Willis  S.  Blatchley  and  Prof. 
Maurice  Thompson. 

Bancroft's  History  of  the  United  States; 
McMaster's  History  of  the  United  States. 

Dillon's  History  of  Indiana;  Dunn's  His- 
tory of  Indiana;    Smith's  History  of  Indiana. 

English's  Conquest  of  the  Nortlwest; 
Cauthorn  's  History  of  Vincennes ;  Parkman  's 
Discovery  of  the  Great  West;  Poole's  His- 
tory of  the  West;  Shea's  Discovery  and  Ex- 
ploration of  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Hennepin 's  Description  de  la  Louisiiane ; 
Drake's  American  Indians;  Beadle's  Unde- 
veloped West. 

Dyer's  Modern  Europe;  Winsor  &  Chan- 
ning's  America;  Landon's  Constitutional 
History  and  Government  of  the  United 
States;    Hart's  Formation  of  the  Union. 

Chapman's  History  of  St.  Joseph  County; 
Higgins  Belden's  Historical  Atlas  of  St.  Jo- 
seph County;  Parish's  Art  Work  of  South 
Bend  and  Vicinity;  Packard's  History  of 
La  Porte  County;  Daniels'  History  of  La 
Porte  County;  Cowles'  History  of  Berrien 
County,  Michigan ;  Brice  's  History  of  Fort 
Wayne;  King's  History  of  Ohio;  IMontague's 
History  of  Randolph  County,  Illinois; 
Nevin's  Black  Robes;  Irving 's  Astoria;  Me- 
moirs of  Elkhart  and  St.  Joseph  Counties; 
Indiana  Legislative  and  State  Manual;  Per- 
kins' Annals  of  the  West;  Roosevelt's  Win- 
ning of  the  West. 

Baker's  St.  Joseph-Kankakee  Portage; 
Bartlett's  Tales  of  Kankakee  Land:  Bart- 
lett  &  Lyon's  La  Salle  in  the  Valley  of  the 


St.  Joseph;  Charlevoix'  Travels  in  North 
America;  Thompson's  Stories  of  Indiana; 
McDonald's  Menominee;  Campbell's  Report 
on  the  Drainage  of  the  Kankakee;  Farmer's 
Map  of  the  Territory  of  Michigan. 

Records  of:  The  Board  of  Commissioners 
of  St.  Joseph  County;  the  St.  Joseph  Cir- 
cuit Court;  the  St.  Joseph  Probate  Court; 
the  St.  Joseph  Court  of  Common  Pleas;  the 
County  Recorder's  Office;  the  Boards  of 
Trustees  and  Common  Councils  of  South 
Bend  and  Mishawaka,  and  the  Annual  Pub- 
lications of  both  cities. 

Historical  Papers  by  David  R.  Deeper, 
Richard  H.  Lyon,  George  A.  Baker,  Charles 
Albert  McDonald,  Miss  Ethel  Montgomery, 
Mrs.  Esse  B.  Dakin,  Charles  Arthur  Carlisle, 
Ernest  P.  Bicknell,  Jacob  P.  Dunn.  Daniel 
McDonald,  Miller  Guy,  Arthur  Joseph  Stace. 

Reminiscences  of  Daniel  Greene,  Hugh  V. 
Compton,  Mrs.  Marion  B.  Van  Pelt,  Thomas 
S.  Stanfield,  Jasse  Haines.  Lucius  Hubbard, 
Mrs.  R.  J.  Pidge,  Granville  Woolman,  Wil- 
liam D.  Bulla,  John  Stull. 

Bartlett's  Dictionary  of  Americanisms; 
The  Century  Cyclopedia  of  Names. 

Dunn's  Father  Gibault;  Hodgin's  Nam- 
ing of  Indiana;  Dunn's  Hoosier;  Nicholson's 
Hoosiers;  Finley's  Hoosier 's  Nest;  Philothea. 

Newspapers,  periodicals  and  other  similar 
publications:  The  Northwestern  Pioneer: 
The  St.  Joseph  Beacon ;  The  St.  Joseph  Val- 
ley Register;  The  South  Bend  Times;  The 
South  Bend  Tribune;  The  South  Bend  Sun- 
day News;  The  New  Carlisle  Gazette;  The 
Indianapolis  Journal;  The  Indianapolis 
News ;  The  Indianapolis  Sentinel ;  the  Indian- 
apolis Star;  The  New  York  Catholic  Review; 
The  Christian  Advocate;  The  Baltimore  Mir- 
ror; The  Chicago  Herald:  The  Chicago  Trib- 
une ;  The  Cassopolis  Democrat ;  The  Waterloo 
Press;  The  Indianian ;  Douahue's  Maga- 
zine; Turner's  Gazetteer  of  the  St.  Jo.seph 
Valley;  Turner's  Annuals  and  Directories; 
South  Bend  City  Directories;  Intercollegiate 
Law  Journal;  The  Notre  Dame  Scholastic; 
The  Notre  Dame  Silver  Jubilee;  The  Notre 
Dame  Golden  Jubilee;  Alerding's  Diocese  of 
Fort  Wayne ;  A  Stoiy  of  Fifty  Years ;  The 
Brothers  of  the  Holy  Cross. 


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EXPLAINATION 

®     School  Houses 
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HISTORY  OF  ST.  JOSEPH  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  I. 


TOPOGRAPHY. 


I.    LOCATION  AND  GENERAL  FEATURES. 

St.  Joseph  County,  Indiana,  is  the  middle 
county  of  the  northernmost  tier  of  counties 
of  the  state.  To  the  east,  in  order,  are  the 
counties  of  Ellvhart,  LaGrange  and  Steuben ; 
to  the  west,  those  of  LaPorte,  Porter  and 
Lake.  On  the  south  are  the  counties  of 
Marshall  and  Starke ;  and  on  the  north  is 
Berrien  county,  in  the  state  of  Michigan.  The 
northern  part  of  the  county  is  in  the  valley 
of  the  St.  Joseph,  and  the  southern  part  in 
the  valley  of  the  Kankakee.  From  a  tiny 
lake  on  the  summit  between  the  two  valleys, 
and  within  the  corporate  limits  of  the  city  of 
South  Bend,  by  a  little  stream  known  as  Mc- 
Cartney's Creek,  the  waters  flow  to  the  north- 
Ward  and  into  the  St.  Joseph  River,  and  so 
finally  reach  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  From 
a  point  a  little  to  the  south  of  the  same  Sum- 
mit Lake,  sometimes  called  LaSalle  Lake,  and 
also  Stanfield  Lake,  the  waters  flow  to  the 
southward  and  form  the  source  of  the  Kanka- 
kee river,  and  so,  by  the  Illinois  and  the 
Mississippi,  reach  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Before 
reaching  South  Bend,  the  St.  Joseph  also 
flows  in  a  southwesterly  direction  through 
Michigan  and  Indiana.  At  South  Bend  the 
river  turns  abruptly  north,  and  flows  thence 
into  Lake  Michigan. 


n.     RELATION    OF    THE    ST.    JOSEPH    TO    THE 
KANKAKEE. 

In  a  learned  and  exceedingly  interesting 
paper  read  before  the  Northern  Indiana  His- 
torical Society,^  Dr.  Hugh  T.  Montgomery  of 
South  Bend  shows  very  clearly,  from  an  exam- 
ination of  the  geological  formations  extending 
from  Lake  Huron  and  Saginaw  Bay,  follow- 
ing the  valleys  of  the  St.  Joseph  and  Kanka- 
kee, that  those  two  great  valleys  were  orig- 
inally one ;  and  that,  at  a  remote  period,  the 
watei*s  of  Saginaw  Bay  flowed  through  south- 
western Michigan  and  northwestern  Indiana, 
reaching  the  Mississippi  by  way  of  the  Illinois 
River.  The  broad  flood  plain  marked  out  in 
geological  ages,  and  through  which  flowed  the 
mighty  stream,  called  by  Dr.  Montgomery  the 
Great  Kankakee,  may  still  be  traced  over  the 
whole  region  from  Saginaw  Bay  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi, passing  through  the  heart  of  St. 
Joseph  county. 

III.     THE   GLACIAL   DRIFT. 

With  the  exception  of  the  river  bottoms  and 

certain    high    and   rolling   ground   in,  places 

along  the  St.  Joseph  and  the  Kankakee,  the 

general  surface  of  St.  Joseph  county,  like  that 

of  the  adjacent  parts  of  Indiana  and  Michi- 

a.  "The  Glacial  Phenomenon  as  exhibited  in 
Northern  Indiana  and  Southern  Michigan." 


2- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


gan,  consists  of  level  or  prairie  lands ;  the  av- 
erage elevation  in  St.  Joseph  county  being 
about  875  feet  above  the  sea.  The  soil,  which  is 
exceedingly  fertile,  is  composed  chiefly  of 
sand  or  gravel,  clay  and  loam,  with  some 
muck  in  the  Kankakee  bottoms.  The  geo- 
logical formation  is  glacial  drift,  which  here 
lies  about  two  hundred  feet  in  thickness  over 
the  bed  rock. 

This  formation,  and  its  origin,  are  well 
described  by  Prof.  S.  S.  Gorby,  in  the  state 
geological  report  for  the  year  1886.  The 
northern  half  of  Indiana,  he  says,  consists  of 
a  generally  level  plain,  broken  slightly  by  oc- 
casional long,  low  and  broad  ridges  that  form 
the  di^ades  between  the  various  water  courses. 
Almost  the  whole  of  this  region  is  covered 
by  vast  accumulations  of  transported  mate- 
rial, consisting  of  sand,  gravel,  bowlders  and 
clay.  The  general  term  applied  to  this  ac- 
cimiulated  material  is  "drift,"  a  term  which 
well  indicates  its  origin.  Large  volumes  of 
flowing  water,  and  immense  masses  of  slowly 
moving  ice,  ar.e  recognized  as  the  agents  that 
transported  and  deposited  these  vast  accumu- 
lations of  drift.  The  uninterimpted  flow  of 
great  volumes  of  water,  and  the  continued 
movement  of  immense  masses  of  ice  through 
long  periods  of  time,  resulted  in  the  wearing 
away  of  large  portions  of  the  original  rocks. 
In  some  locations  the  erosions  have  amounted 
to  hundreds  of  feet.  Whatever  elevations  had 
previously  occurred  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  state  were  leveled  by  advancing  glaciers 
and  flowing  waters,  and  the  sites  of  ancient 
hills  and  mountains  are  now  covered  by 
accumulations  of  the  glacial  period. 

IV.      GLACIAL   ACTION    0\T:R    NORTHERN    INDIANA. 

In  the  same  volume  of  geological  reports 
the  gifted  Maurice  Thompson  has  given  us  a 
fascinating  story  of  the  glacial  deposits  of 
northern  Indiana.  From  his  account  we  eon- 
dense  the  following  statement,  indicating  the 
forces  that  brought  about  the  present  condi- 
tion of  the  surface  and  soils  of  St.  Joseph 


county,     and    showing    the     origin     of    our 
streams,  lakes  and  underground  waters. 

It  has  been  clearly  demonstrated,  says  Mr. 
Thompson,  that  ice  in  the  form  of  a  glacier, 
no  matter  how   rigid   it  may  appear,  has   a 
current  similar  to  that   of  water.     In  other 
words,    ice   will   form   a  solid   stream,    so   to 
speak,  which  will  slowly  but  steadily  creep 
down  an  inclined  plane,  and  if  this  ice-stream 
be  very  deep,  so  as  to  give  it  great  weight, 
it   will  overthrow,   grind  up  and  bear  away 
whatever   obstacle   opposes   it.      Glaciers   are 
formed  by  the  accumulation  of  snow,  which, 
by  pressure  and  crystalization,  is  turned  into 
ice.    Thus,  wherever  the  snowfall  in  winter  is 
greater  than  can  be  melted  in  summer,  the 
snow   grows   deeper   year   by   year   until    at 
length  by  its  own  weight,  and  by  partial  sur- 
face melting,  it  is  compressed  into  a  sheet  of 
ice   enormously   thick.      Now  if   the  surface 
upon  which  this  sheet  rests  is  inclined,  the 
ice  flows  and  we  have  a  glacier.     In  the  Alps 
there  are  glaciers  from  five  hundred  to  over 
six   hundred   feet   in   vertical   depth,   slowly 
flowing  down  the  mountain  sides.    But  it  does 
not   require   steep   mountain   slopes    for   the 
making  of  glaciers;    a  comparatively  gentle 
inclination  of  the  surface  of  the  ground  is 
sufficient  if  the  ice  be  thick  enough  and  other 
conditions  be  favorable  to  motion.     The  gen- 
eral form  of  a  glacier  is  that  of  a  wedge, 
the  edge  resting  on  the  lowest  point  of  the 
surface  occupied   and  the  thick  end  resting 
on  the  highest  point  of  the  same.     Of  course 
the  motion  of  a  glacial  stream  A^nll  be  in  some 
proportion  to  the  slope  of  this  surface,  but 
the  thickness  of  the  great  end  of  the  wedge 
must  have  much  to  do  with  the  force  of  the 
current. 

It  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  ice  of 
glaciers  is  not  identical  with  ice  frozen  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  nor  is  the  one  equiv- 
alent to  the  other.  Snow  compressed  into 
a  mass  of  glacier  ice  is  not  perfectly  crystal- 
line and  solid,  but  peculiarly  laminated  and 
porous  in  its  texture,  capable  of  absorbing 
at  times  a  great  quantity  of  water  through- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


out  its  body,  thus  admitting  of  expansion  by 
the  very  force  of  congelation.  ]\Ioreover,  the 
smallest  movement  of  this  sort  repeated,  at 
comparatively  long  intervals,  during  count- 
less centuries,  would  thrust  a  body  of  ice, 
no  matter  how  thick,  over  a  long  surface  dis- 
tance. Long  and  careful  study  of  the  phe- 
nomena of  existing  glaciers  has  rasulted  in 
establishing  not  only  the  flowing  motion  of 
ice,  but  many  of  the  effects  produced  thereby, 
one  of  the  most  notable  being  the  moraine 
matter  brought  down  to  the  glacier's  ter- 
minus, or  collected  along  its  sides.  These 
masses  of  moraine  matter  consist  of  worn  and 
striated  fragments  of  stone,  of  all  sizes,  from 
giant  bowlders  down  to  tiny  pebbles  and  in- 
finitesimal grains  of  sand,  together  with 
earthy  matter  of  great  variety.  A  body  of 
this  character  collected  at  the  foot  of  a  glacier 
is  called  a  terminal  moraine ;  if  at  the  glacier 's 
side  it  is  called  a  lateral  moraine. 

A  striking  and  easily  recognized  feature  of 
moraine  bowlders  and  pebbles,  of  whatever 
size,  is  the  peculiar  surface-planing  caused 
by  the  glacier  having  dragged  or  pushed 
them  over  other  stone  surfaces,  or  the  like. 
These  ground  and  scratched  faces,  once  seen 
and  fixed  in  the  memory,  serve  to  identify 
glacier  stones  wherever  found,  whether  the 
stones  be  bowlders,  pebbles  or  rocks  in  places 
over  which  the  glacier  has  passed.  Indeed, 
the  floor  upon  which  an  ice-river  has  flowed 
is  always  engraved  with  the  unmistakable 
sign  manual  of  the  glacier — fine  striae  paral- 
lel with  the  direction  of  the  current.  The 
movement  of  a  glacier  may,  and  often  does, 
load  the  ice-surface  with  stones,  dust  and 
other  detritus,  either  by  ploughing  under  the 
same,  or  by  receiving  them  as  they  fall  from 
the  slopes  on  the  side. 

At  the  close  of  what  geologists  call  the 
Tertiary  age,  there  came  a  great  change  in 
the  earth 's  atmospheric  temperature,  by  which 
a  large  part  of  the  northern  hemisphere  was 
subjected  to  a  frigidity  quite  as  great,  per- 
haps, as  that  which  now  exists  in  the  arctic 
regions.     This  polar  condition  crept  on  slowly 


until  at  length  the  desolation  of  almost  un- 
broken snow  and  ice  reigned  supreme.  Whax 
length  of  time  was  required  to  bring  about 
this  climatic  change  can  only  be  conjectured. 
Enough  evidence  appears,  however,  to  make 
it  quite  certain  that  a  sub-tropical  tempera- 
ture, and  a  faima  and  flora  supported  there- 
by, were  banished  from  our  hemisphere,  while 
a  boreal  winter  set  its  grip  of  ice  upon  every- 
thing. Snow  accumulated  year  by  year,  and 
centuiy  by  century,  until  its  own  weight 
compressed  the  mass  into  glaciers  of  scarcely 
imaginable  thickness  and  area,  and  beside 
which  the  ice-fields  of  Greenland  are  insig- 
nificant. As  the  winter  grew  colder  and 
colder,  the  summer  grew  feebler,  and  there  is 
plenty  of  evidence  showing  that  a  boreal 
fauna  and  flora  crept  far  southward  to  usurp 
the  places  of  those  animals  and  plants  that 
had  formerly  flourished  in  a  balmy  air  and  a 
wami,  kind  soil. 

Throughout  the  drift  area  the  physical  fea- 
tures vary  but  little.  Above  the  striated  floor- 
rocks,  the  worn  and  peculiarly  flattened  bowl- 
ders and  pebbles,  the  heaps  and  ridges  of  sand 
and  gravel,  and  the  vast  mass  of  bluish  clay, 
or  till,  accompany  the  glacial  matter  and 
make  almost  the  whole  of  its  bulk.  In  Amer- 
ica the  drift  lies  over  a  vast  irregular  area, 
as  yet  very  indefinitely  outlined  in  the  north, 
but  pretty  accurately  defined  along  the  south- 
ern boundary.  From  the  highlands  of  Can- 
ada an  enormous  glacier,  or  rather  series  of 
glaciers,  descended  into  the  region  south  of 
the  Great  Lakes,  overwhelming  with  moraine 
matter  a  large  part  of  the  United  States, 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  An  exam- 
ination of  this  drift  or  moraine  matter  shows 
it  to  consist,  in  a  large  degree,  of  silicious 
debris,  brought  from  a  region  of  granite, 
gneiss,  greenstone,  quartzite  and  various  other 
metamorphic  or  igneous  rocks  quite  foreign 
to  the  area  covered  by  tlie  mass.  Nor  is  it 
difficult  to  see,  in  a  general  way,  that  mucli 
of  this  matter  has  been  transported  from  the 
Canadian  highlands,  where  the  granitic  and 
other   crvstalline   rocks   are    found   in    place, 


4 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


their  surfaces  torn,  worn  and  shattered  by 
the  glacial  action. 

The  mass  of  matter,  very  appropriately 
named  Glacial  Drift,  which  is  probably  the 
most  important,  and  certainly  the  least  under- 
stood geological  feature  of  Indiana,  is  in  the 
form  of  an  irregular  wedge,  its  thick  end 
to  the  north,  its  edge,  or  thin  end,  to  the 
south.  Of  course  this  description  is  of  the 
most  general  nature,  but  we  must  bear  in 
mind  the  peculiar  shape  and  position  of  the 
mass  in  order  to  have  a  ready  understanding 
of  its  particular  features.  Taking  this  vast 
wedge  of  matter,  then,  and  beginning  our 
examination  in  the  neighborhood  of  its  south- 
ern limit,  or  edge,  we  find  it  more  or  less 
obscurely  outlined  and  its  constituent  parts 
passing  by  insensible  gradations  into  the  clays 
formed  of  decomposed  rocks.  Proceeding 
northward,  mere  superficial  observation  dis- 
covers that  the  drift  mass  grows  thicker  and 
an  occasional  bowlder  is  seen,  while  here  and 
there  a  bed  of  smooth  gravel  appears  along 
with  deposits  of  sand.  Upon  examination  the 
bowlders  prove  to  be  rounded,  scoured  and 
scratched  blocks  of  granite,  gneiss,  green- 
stone and  other  igneous  or  metamorphic  rocks, 
and  the  pebbles  of  the  gravel  are  simply 
minute  bowlders  of  the  same  materials.  The 
sand,  when  carefully  studied,  appears  to  be 
composed  mostly  of  particles  of  quartz,  feld- 
spar, mica  and  other  silicious  crystals,  evi- 
dently the  result  of  a  grinding  up  of  igneous 
rocks. 

Bluish  or  smoky  gray  colored  clay  is  next 
discovered  and  at  once  becomes  the  chief  com- 
ponent of  the  drift  mass,  growing  thicker, 
step  by  step,  as  we  go  northward,  save  where 
water  and  other  agents  have  thinned  or  re- 
moved it.  Another  very  notable  fact  is  the 
increase  in  the  number  of  bowlders  apace 
with  our  progress  toward  the  northern  end 
of  the  wedge.  This  gray-blue  clay,  or  bowl- 
der till,  is  a  mass  of  pulverized  rock  some- 
times quite  appreciably  calcareous,  but  often 
almost  wholly  silicious,  as  if  it  were  a  grist  of 
granite  rocks  ground  between  some  monstrous 


upper  and  nether  millstone  and  poured  out 
upon  the  surface  of  our  state.  From  middle 
Indiana  northward  ridges  and  hills  of  gravel 
and  sand,  and  vast  accumulations  of  bowlders, 
appear  at  irregular  intervals.  Sand,  heaped 
in  hillocks  and  eccentric  waves,  covers  a  large 
area  in  the  northern  ciuarter  of  the  state. 
Under  all  this,  however,  lies  the  bowlder  till, 
or  blue-gray  clay,  Avhich  grows  thicker  grad- 
ually, in  a  general  way,  as  we  approach  the 
northern  limit. 

Nearly  all  the  principal  valleys  of  Indiana 
lie  so  that  their  water-flow  is  from  northeast 
to  southwest,  and  are  trenches  cut  by  some 
agency,  not  only  through  the  drift  mass,  but 
often  through  parts  of  the  underlying  paleo- 
zoic rocks  as  well.  Leading  into  these  vallevs 
from  all  directions  smaller  streams  cut  the 
land  surface  into  irregular  areas,  and  expose 
very  interesting  sections  of  the  drift  mass. 
Along  most  of  the  water  courses,  large  and 
small,  the  glacial  materials  have  been  assorted 
at  certain  points  and  re-arranged  in  terraces 
of  stratified  sand,  gravel  and  water-worn  frag- 
ments of  stone.  In  the  northern  part  of  the 
state,  especially  between  Lake  Michigan  and 
the  southern  limits  of  the  Kankakee  and  Yel- 
low River  valleys,  the  bowlder  clay  has  a  large 
number  of  deep  basins  filled  with  water,  form- 
ing beautiful  little  lakes. 

Wherever  streams  of  water  have  worn  deep 
channels  into  the  drift,  and  wherever  w^ells 
have  been  sunk  into  or  through  the  same, 
there  have  been  disclosed  marked  peculiari- 
ties of  deposition.  In  cutting  through  the 
bowlder  clay,  which  is  usually  a  most  solid 
and  refractory  substance,  strata  or  intercal- 
ated beds  of  gravel  and  sand  are  found,  not 
in  persistent  sheets  but  usually  lenticular, 
that  is,  double  convex  lens  form,  or  in  some 
other  eccentric  form  of  deposition,  curiously 
gripped  in  the  surrounding  clay.  Some  of 
these  sand  and  gravel  masses  would  seem  of 
great  extent,  however,  serving  as  vast  sponges 
to  hold  the  water  caught  between  the  beds  of 
imper\nous  clay.  All  through  the  drift  mass 
bowlders  of  every  size,  from  tons  in  weight 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


to  pebbles  of  the  size  of  a  pea,  are  found,  hav- 
ing worn  faces  whose  striae  are  usually  par- 
allel to  their  longer  axes.  In  many  places 
the  deposits  are  curiously  curved  and  other- 
wise contorted,  a  condition  which  shows  very 
plainly  wherever  the  clay,  gravel  and  sand 
are  stratified  to  some  extent.  Bowlder  clay 
is  quite  variable  in  the  relative  proportion 
of  its  constituents.  While  many  sections  show 
homogeneous  gray  or  bluish  clay,  with  only 
here  and  there  pebbles  and  bowlders,  other 
sections  disclose  almost  every  degree  of  mix- 
ture between  pure  clay,  obscurely  stratified 
gravel  beds  and  so-called  bowlder  dykes.  The 
farther  we  go  north  in  Indiana,  speaking  with 
reference  to  a  general  average,  the  greater 
becomes  the  admixture  of  bowlders,  pebbles 
and  angular  fragments  of  rock  in  the  clay, 
especially  toward  its  surface,  and  the  more 
extended  become  the  intercalated  strata  of 
sand  and  gravel ;  while,  at  the  same  time, 
the  number  of  basins  containing  water  in- 
creases, both  at  the  surface  and  within  the 
mass.  The  drift  appears  in  places  to  be  parted 
by  a  stratum,  or  strata,  of  ancient  soil,  in 
which  are  found  vegetable  remains  more  or 
less  preserved,  consisting  of  tree-trunks, 
branches  and  roots,  belonging  to  what  have 
been  large  forest  trees. 

One  striking  feature  of  the  superficial  de- 
posits of  the  drift  is  the  situation  of  the 
cleanest  gravel  on  the  north  side  of  the  hills 
and  ridges.  In  fact,  it  is  a  rule,  with  com- 
paratively few  exceptions,  that  a  section 
dra^\'n  north  and  south  through  a  drift  hill 
will  disclose  the  coarse  gravel  and  bowlders 
heaped  in  a  more  or  less  w^edge-shaped  mass 
against  the  north  or  northeastern  side  of  the 
elevation,  the  rest  of  which  will  be  sand  and 
clay.  Furthermore,  beginning  with  the  north- 
most  line  of  the  section,  the  coarsest  part  of 
the  gravel  will  come  first,  and  its  pebbles 
will  grow  finer  as  you  pass  southward  across 
the  cutting  until  it  becomes  sand,  and  you 
find  the  clay  against  which  it  lies.  Of  couree 
this  is  not  always  the  case,  and  many  modifi- 
cations of  the  rule  will  be  discovered,  owing 


to  recent  or  comparatively  recent  erosions  and 
other  disturbances ;  but  every  observer  will 
admit  the  larger  fact  to  be  the  rule  itself. 
Even  where  conical  hills  or  knobs  of  gravel 
are  found,  as  is  often  the  case,  standing  quite 
isolated  on  our  level  table  lands,  a  section 
of  each  will  a-enerallv  show  a  gradation  in 
the  gravel,  the  pebbles  diminishing  in  size 
along  a  line  from  north  to  south,  or  from 
northeast  to  southwest,  the  south  side  passing 
into  sand. 

Between  practically  horizontal  sheets  of  the 
bowlder  clay  of  Indiana,  basins  or  under- 
ground lakes  of  fresh  water  exist  in  many 
places,  and  when  tapped  by  borings  the  water 
will  often  flow  as  an  artesian  fountain  above 
the  surface.  This  well-known  feature  is  the 
best  proof  of  the  impermeable  nature  of  the 
clay,  and  is  of  peculiar  interest  in  connection 
with  a  study  of  the  manner  in  which  our 
drift  has  been  deposited.  These  underground 
pockets  of  water  are,  as  a  i*ule,  similar  in 
every  way  to  the  smaU  deep  lakes  that  dot 
the  surface  of  northern  Indiana,  save  that 
the  subterranean  basins  have  been  filled  with 
sand  and  gravel  in  which  the  water  is  held, 
as  in  a  sponge.  Cross  sections  of  the  terraces 
along  our  rivers  show  a  simple  enough  re- 
arrangement of  drift  materials  caused  by  the 
action  of  the  water,  as  the  streams  gradually 
decreased  in  volume,  subsequent  to  the  with- 
drawal of  the  glaciers,  while  the  loess,  bluff 
or  lacustral  deposits  indicate  the  bottoms  of 
comparatively  recent  fresh  water  lakes  over 
a  large  area  of  our  state. 

The  cuttings  of  the  old  Louisville  and  New 
Albany  railroad,  from  New  Albany  on  the 
Ohio  river  to  Michigan  City  on  Lake  Michi- 
gan, give  a  key  to  many  of  the  most  inter- 
esting problems  connected  with  the  drift.  As 
we  follow  this  line  from  the  southern  to  the 
northern  border  of  the  state,  we  may  note 
how,  from  a  fringe  of  doubtful  glacial  debris, 
the  mass  of  superimposed  materials  thickens 
over  the  rocks  in  place,  until  at  length  the 
excavations  no  longer  reach  deep  enough  to 
sever  the  bowlder  clay.    It  requires  no  prae- 


6                                        HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY. 

ticed  eye  to  recognize  the  flat,   monotonous  consistently  with,  and,  so  to  speak,  parallel 
billows  of  the  glacial  table-lands  as  soon  as  with  the  great  glacial  movements, 
they  are  reached.     The  whole  country,  from  In  the  study  of   the  surface   and   subtev- 
within  thirty  miles  of  the  Ohio  river  to  the  raneous   waters   of   the   drift,   the   following 
valley  of  the  Kankakee,  presents  the  appear-  facts  are  readily  noted: 
ance  of  having  been  heaved  into   long  low  1st.    Springs  of  water  rising  vertically,  or 
waves ;  but  erosion,  in  fact,  and  not  upheaval,  practically   so,    from    drift    deposits    usually 
has  formed  this  rolling  surface,  and  each  bil-  come  from  a  great  depth,  and  are  more  or 
low  is  found  to  be  simply  a  barrier  of  drift  less  impregnated  with  the  salts  of  iron  and 
between  two  drainage  beds.    Another  feature  other  mineral  impurities, 
of  the  drift  is  not  easily  observable,  save  by  2nd.     Flowing    wells    whose    waters    come 
the  use  of  the  level  or  the  barometer.     It  is  from  natural  reservoirs  in  the  drift  clay  are 
a  series   of  waves  or  swells  of  the  surface,  usually  strongly  impregnated  with  iron  which 
made  on  a  grand  scale,   and  running,  in  a  oxidizes  upon  exposure  to  the  an*, 
general  way,  east  and  west  without  any  ap-  3rd.    Wells  bored  or  dug  in  the  drift,  and 
parent   reference   to   the   valleys   of   erosion,  whose  Avater  does  not  rise  in  the  bore,  are,  as 
These  waves  or  swells  are  due  to  what  may  a  rule,  comparatively  free  from  iron  and  other 
be  called  forward  or  backward  steps  of  the  mineral  impurities,  but  may  occasionally  con- 
glacier  or  glaciers  during  the  vacillations  of  tain  impurities  of  a  vegetable  origin, 
climate  between  the  beginning  and  the  end  In  connection  with  these  facts,  it  has  been 
of  the  ice  period.  observed  that,  in  certain  localities,  gas  gen- 
erated by  decomposing  vegetable  matter  has 
V.     LAKES  AND  SUBTERRANEOUS  WATERS.  ^ceu  met  with  in  the   drift.      This,   indeed, 

As  already  stated,  lenticular  beds  of  sand  Avould  be  expected  where  forests  lie  moulder- 

and  gravel,  strata  of  ancient  soil  and  pockets  ing  in  the  grip  of  the  clay.    But  the  sudden 

or  subterranean  basins  of  water,  are  found  exit  of  this  gas  when  reached  by  a  bore  shows 

hermetically  sealed   up   in   the   body   of   the  how  impervious,  even  to  the  subtilest  element, 

blue  bowlder  clay  of  the  drift.     These  fea-  is  the  bowlder  clay.     So  when  water  gushes 

tures  have  puzzled  the  minds  of  geologists  not  with  great  force  out  of  a  bore  we  know  that 

a  little,   and  by  some  they  have  been  con-  the  liquid  has  been  safely  sealed  in  the  clay 

sidered   inexplicable   in   connection   with   the  reservoir. 

glacial  theory.  At  first  glance  it  would  seem  The  question  has  been  asked,  how  can  it 
quite  impossible  to  account  for  a  stratum  of  be  that  a  glacier,  or  any  number  of  successive 
soft  black  muck  and  loam  found  intercalated  glaciers,  could  have  formed  in  the  body  of  its 
between  thick  beds  of  drift  clay,  especially  deposits  these  pouches  of  water,  these  strata 
when  this  soil  contains  roots,  branches  and  of  soil  and  vegetable  matter,  and  these  lens- 
even  trunks  of  trees  showing  little  evidence  of  shaped  intermediate  pockets  of  sand  and 
any  crushing  or  grinding  force  such  as  we  gravel?  The  most  usual,  and  withal,  the  most 
must  look  for  in  connection  with  the  glacial  plausible  answer  is  the  general  one  which  ac- 
action.  This  soil  and  muck,  deep  buried  counts  for  these  features  of  the  drift  by  as- 
under a  vast  mass  of  the  clay,  .and  resting  on  suming  that  there  have  been  many  advances 
another  mass  equally  thick,  cannot  be  the  and  retreats  of  the  great  ice-flood  over  the 
result  of  a  mere  accident,  but  must  be  due  area  of  our  glacial  deposits,  and  that  the  sort- 
to  some  law.  So,  with  regard  to  the  beds  ing  action  of  water,  the  glacial  movements  and 
of  sand  and  gravel  and  the  subterranean  lakes  their  attending  accidents, have  given  the  grand 
of  the  drift;  they  owe  their  origin  to  per-  mass  its  peculiarity  of  composition.  Such  in- 
fectly   explicable    and   normal   forces    acting  tense  and  prolonged  cold  as  would  attend  the 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


formation  of  ice  thick  enough  to  fill  the  con- 
ditions of  the  great  glacial  problem,  would 
freeze  the  crust  of  the  earth  to  the  solidity  of 
adamant  many  feet  deep.  We  are  not  left  to 
mere  reasoning  or  conjecture  in  this.  In 
many  northern  regions  the  earth  is  now 
frozen  to  a  great  and  unknown  depth.  It 
could  not  be  otherwise.  If  thirty  or  forty 
days  of  weather  with  the  temj)erature  vary- 
ing between  the  freezing  point  and  ten  de- 
grees below  zero  will  solidify  the  ground  to 
a  depth  of  two  feet,  as  is  often  the  case  now 
in  our  state,  how  deep  would  continuous 
boreal  winter  for  many  centuries  solidify  it? 
When  the  glacial  period  began  in  Indiana, 
no  tertiary  deposits  had  been  laid  down  upon 
our  carboniferous  rocks,  for  there  is  no  good 
evidence  of  the  tertiary  formations  here.  The 
fauna  of  the  carboniferoiLs  seas  consisted  of 
marine  forms,  and  in  a  large  degree  the 
genera  were  those  having  a  very  deep  water 
habitat.  As  the  sea  became  shallow,  at  length 
the  marine  life  disappeared.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  ice  age,  there  must  have  existed 
in  Indiana  the  broken  remnants,  so  to  speak, 
of  the  carboniferous  sea— a  sea  at  that  time 
full  of  sandy,  desolate  islands,  upon  which, 
in  places,  a  scant  vegetation  may  have  begun 
to  appear.  Far  northward,  the  mountains  of 
Canada  were  already  covered  with  snow,  and 
year  by  year  a  boreal  temperature  was  creep- 
ing southward,  on  account  of  a  far  with- 
drawal of  the  deep  seas  and  great  changes 
in  their  climate-controlling  currents.  It  is 
not  probable  that  those  Canadian  mountains 
were  very  high ;  indeed,  they  must  have  been 
low  enough  to  be  finally  overwhelmed  by  the 
awful  iaccumulations  of  snow  and  ice  north  of 
them,  for  it  is  plain  that  the  great  glacier 
flowed  over  them  instead  of  simply  running 
down  their  sides.  It  is  impossible  to  deter- 
mine how  often  the  ice  has  flowed  over  and 
retreated  from  the  area  now  covered  by  the 
drift,  but  there  is  the  best  evidence  that  the 
alterations  have  been  many,  and  between  a 
great  extreme  of  cold  on  the  one  hand  and 
a  sub-arctic  temperature  on  the  other.  In  other 


words,  while  the  frigidity  during  glacial 
action  was  incalculably  powerful,  the  inter- 
vals of  recession  were,  as  a  rule,  far  from 
tropical,  as  we  now  understand  the  word. 

Let  us  try  to  get  a  view  of  the  surface  con- 
dition of  our  drift  area  after  the  withdrawal 
of  the  first  great  glacial  agent.  The  high- 
lands of  Canada  have  been  largely  demol- 
ished, the  basins  of  the  lakes  have  been 
scooped  out  of  the  paleozoic  rocks  and  are 
filled  with  solid  masses  of  ice  covered  over 
with  glacial  debris,  and  the  surface  of  north- 
ern Indiana  is  covered  with  an  immense  drift 
deposit.  We  have  said  that  the  great  lake 
basins  were  left  full  of  solid  ice,  when  the 
glacier  had  retreated  far  northward,  and  that 
the  surface  of  this  ice  was  covered  with  a  coat- 
ing of  drift  material.  The  same  statement  is 
applicable  to  innumerable  small  basins  left 
in  the  glacial  clay,  just  such  basins,  in  fact,  as 
the  retreat  of  the  last  glacier  left  filled  with 
ice  and  covered  with  sand,  gravel  and  bowl- 
ders, and  which  latter  basins  are  now  the  beau- 
tiful little  lakes  of  northern  Indiana.  But 
how,  if  these  basins  were  solidly  filled  with 
ice,  did  they  come  to  be  covered  with  a  layer 
of  sand,  gravel  and  bowlders?  The  question 
is  easily  answered.  As  the  foot  of  the  great 
glacier  receded  northward  a  constant  flow  of 
water  was  caused  by  its  melting,  the  washing 
force  of  which  carried  forward  fine  sand  and 
gravel,  and  also  icebergs  loaded  with  morainic 
matter,  all  of  which  was  distributed  over  the 
surface  upon  which  the  water  flowed.  It  is 
apparent,  from  the  very  nature  of  things,  that 
a  vast  deep  basin,  in  the  frozen  crust  of  the 
earth,  filled  with  a  solid  lump  of  ice,  would 
be  very  slow  to  melt,  and  that  the  glacier 
overlying  it  w^ould  retreat  on  the  line  of  the 
basin's  rim  and  leave  a  great  toAver  of  ice,  in 
the  form  of  a  cone,  marking  the  site.  This 
cone  would  melt  down  to  the  basin's  level 
and  then  the  currents  from  the  still  retreating 
glacier  would  flow  across  it,  depositing  its 
sand,  gravel,  bowlders  and  rock  fragments. 
Then  we  have  the  following  conditions :  The 
crust  of  the  earth  is  frozen  to  a  profound 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


depth  below  the  ice  which  fills  the  lake  basins, 
while  upon  the  ice  is  deposited  a  thick  mass 
of  drift  material,  transported  there  by  water 
and  icebergs.  One  instantly  sees  how  great  a 
time  it  would  require  to  melt  a  vast  cake  of 
ice  under  such  conditions.  Indeed,  before 
this  melting  was  accomplished  the  glacier  re- 
turned and  flowed  over  the  whole  area  again. 
But  the  very  circumstances  which  caused  a 
return  of  the  glacier  necessarily  operated  to 
re-congeal  such  parts  of  the  drift  as  had  been 
thawed,  so  that  the  surface  over  which  the 
second  glacier  flowed  was  rendered  as  hard 
as  were  the  paleozoic  rocks  upon  whose  sur- 
face it  first  cut  its  lasting  autograph.  This 
mass  of  sand,  gravel  and  bowlder-clay,  frozen 
to  adamantine  solidity,  must  have  been  a  very 
refractory  substance  for  a  glacier  to  grind 
down.  Indeed,  the  second  glacier  had  a  more 
stubborn  material  to  overcome  than  had  the 
first.  So  we  can  readily  see  how  each  retreat 
of  the  glacier  left  deep  basins  full  of  ice  in 
the  surface  of  the  drift,  and  how  each  return 
of  the  glacier  buried  these  basins  of  ice  deep 
under  another  mass  of  clay.  Hence,  all 
through  the  grand  body  of  our  glacial  de- 
posits, we  find  the  hermetically  sealed  pockets 
of  water  which  represent  the  imprisoned  ice- 
cakes  now  melted  in  the  buried  basins.  The 
lenticular  beds  of  sand  and  strata  of  soil  and 
muck  are  to  be  accounted  for  upon  the  same 
grounds.  When  the  time  between  the  retreat 
and  the  return  of  the  glacier  was  long  enough, 
vegetation  was  generated  upon  favored  areas 
of  the  drift,  and  a  soil  was  formed  which,  if 
on  low  places,  w^as  covered  up  when  again  the 
glacier  appeared. 

In  order  to  illustrate  the  theory  above  set 
forth,  let  us  take  Lake  ]\Iaxinkuckee  as  an 
example  and  suppose  that  there  should  come 
a  return  of  the  great  glacier  from  the  direc- 
tion of  the  northeast.  We  nnist  remember 
that  before  this  could  happen  a  long  period 
of  intense  cold  would  have  to  prepare  the  way 
by  freezing  solid  all  the  lakes  and  rivers  and 
the  earth's  crust  to  a  great  depth.  Maxin- 
kuckee  would  be  congealed  from  surface  to 


bottom,  and  the  great  glacier,  creeping  down 
from  its  source,  and  scraping  and  ploughing 
the  granite-like,  frozen  surface  of  the  ground, 
would  bury  the  beautiful  little  lake  deep 
under  a  mighty  mass  of  moraine  clay,  sand, 
gra\'el  and  bowlders,  where  it  would  remain 
unmelted  until  the  temperature  of  the  sur- 
rounding earth  rose  above  freezing  point, 
when  it  would  slowly  turn  to  water  and  be- 
come, not  an  underground  lake,  but,  by  the 
processes  of  pressure  and  solution,  a  subter- 
raneous mass  of  so-called  water-bearing  clay 
or  water  sands. 

Evidently  there  were  long  spaces  of  time 
in  the  glacial  age  during  which  the  ice  neither 
advanced  nor  retreated,  but  was  held  in  ar- 
rest. No  doubt  when  an  advance  followed 
such  a  pause  the  glacier  overrode  its  hard 
frozen  terminal  moraine,  and  in  this  way  left 
large  masses  of  trees  and  other  matter  buried 
in  an  uncrushed  state,  for  at  every  step  we 
must  constantly  bear  in  mind  the  arctic  inten- 
sity of  the  cold  during  these  periods  of  accu- 
mulation. The  immense  volume  of  sand 
which  is  thrown  out  of  our  lakes,  even  the 
smaller  ones,  is  proof  of  the  fact  that,  during 
the  time  they  were  frozen  solid,  their  surface 
was  covered  with  a  coat  of  drift  which  sank 
when  the  ice  melted. 

But  the  question  arises :  Why  are  the 
waters  of  flowing  wells  and  deep  springs,  that 
have  their  reservoirs  in  the  drift,  nearly  al- 
ways impregnated  wdth  salts  of  iron  or  other 
mineral  impurities,  while  the  waters  of  wells 
that  do  not  flow  are  usually  comparatively 
pure  ?  The  answer  must  be  that  flowing  wells 
and  springs  presuppose,  in  a  general  way,  that 
their  reservoirs  are  fed  from  the  surface  by 
filtration  through  permeable  parts  of  the 
drift,  and  that  the  water  takes  up  the  iron 
and  other  minerals  from  the  material  through 
which  it  passes,  w^hile  the  water  in  wells  that 
are  unflowing  is  not  furnished  from  the  sur- 
face, or  any  higher  strata  of  sand  and  gravel, 
but  really  is  water  from  imprisoned  ice  melted 
in  the  body  of  the  drift  clay.  Of  course  not 
all  flowing  wells  are  iron  water,  nor  impreg- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


nated  to  a  great  degree  with  other  minerals ; 
but  that  is  the  rule.  The  fact  suggests  itself, 
in  this  connection,  that  all  the  porous  beds  of 
sand  and  gravel,  intercalated  between  masses 
of  the  drift  clay,  were  probably  full  of  water, 
in  a  frozen  state,  when  they  were  buried.  It 
must  not  be  understood,  however,  that  this 
explanation  is  sufficient  to  compass  all  the 
conditions  under  which  water  is  found  in  the 
drift,  but  it  does  seem  quite  applicable  to 
many  special  problems  in  that  connection 
which  heretofore  have  not  been  solved  satis- 
factorily. 

VI.      MORAINES  AND  WATERWAYS. 

The  foregoing  account,  showing  the  prob- 
able origin  of  our  lakes  and  underground 
waters,  as  also  of  the  solid  ingredients  of  the 
drift  upon  which  we  are  located,  is  applicable 
not  only  to  St.  Joseph  county  but  also  to  the 
greater  part  of  northern  Indiana.  To  Dr. 
Montgomery's  very  able  paper,  already  re- 
ferred to,  we  are  indebted  for  the  following 
review  of  the  action  of  the  last  glacier,  re- 
sulting in  the  existing  moraines,  hills,  rivers 
and  valleys  going  to  make  up  the  present  sur- 
face of  St.  Joseph  county. 

During  the  earlier  part  of  the  quater- 
nary geological  period,  as  Dr.  ]\Iontgom- 
ery  tells  us,  the  crust  of  the  earth  was 
subject  to  varied  and  wide-spread  oscillations, 
elevations  and  depressions.  Elevations  were 
most  marked  in  higher  latitudes,  and  on  our 
own  continent  through  the  north  central  part, 
comprising  Labrador,  the  Canadas  and  the 
great  lake  region.  These  oscillations  were 
attended  w^ith  great  changes  in  climate,  the 
elevated  regions  being  subject  to  extreme  cold. 
The  territories  immediately  north  of  us  were 
elevated  from  two  to  three  thousand  feet,  and 
from  continued  snowfall  during  a  long  period 
of  time  became  covered  with  ice  to  a  depth  of 
from  tive  to  ten  thousand  feet.  This  frozen 
mass  was  known  as  the  great  Continental  ice- 
sheet,  and  extended  south  near  Cincinnati  to  a 
point  a  few  miles  below  the  Ohio  river.  From 
this  point  the  lower  border  of  the  ice-sheet 


took  a  northeasterly  and  northwesterly  course. 
The  cause  of  the  great  glacial  epoch  is  not 
fully  understood.  But  we  know  that  even  in 
our  own  day,  the  surface  of  the  earth,  in 
places,  is  subject  to  slow  but  constant  changes 
in  elevation  and  depression;  and  it  is  clear 
that  the  elevation  referred  to  Avas  in  itself 
a  strong  factor  in  the  production  of  a  severer 
climate.  This  climatic  condition  was  favor- 
able to  continued  snows  which  lasted  through 
long  ages.  The  short  summer  suns  had  little 
effect  in  dissipating  the  snows,  but  was  suf- 
ficient to  reduce  the  vast  snow-field  to  glacial 
ice.  As  the  mass  began  to  pile  up  to  thou- 
sands of  feet  in  thickness,  the  known  glacial 
movements  began  and  the  great  ice  flow 
started  southward.  The  ice  mass  being  of 
great  Aveight,  and  frozen  solidly  to  the  sur- 
face upon  which  it  rested  in  its  slow  motion 
onward,  carried  or  dragged  everything  mov- 
able with  it,  and  scoured,  grooved  and  polished 
every  surface  over  which  it  passed,  leveling 
and  pushing  forward  all  loose  material  found 
in  its  pathway.  The  great  creases  or  channels 
in  the  surface  rock  produced  by  stream  ero- 
sion were  partly  obliterated  by  glacial  erosion 
and  partly  filled  up  by  glacial  rubbish.  As 
the  ice-sheet  approached  and  passed  into  the 
great  lakes  its  lower  margin  became  lobated 
and  each  lobe  took  a  course  largely  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  lake  valleys,  but  as  these  lobes 
emerged  they  began  to  coalesce,  forming 
again  an  almost  unbroken  front,  pushing  on- 
ward to  the  south  loaded  with  bowlders, 
gravel,  sand  and  clay.  As  the  ice-sheet  moved 
on  it  approached  a  warmer  climate  until  the 
loss  by  melting  at  the  south  equalled  the  pro- 
duction from  the  north  and  caused  the  ice 
border  to  remain  stationaiy  for  unknown 
years.  From  this  line  the  ice  yielded  up  its 
waters  which  rolled  onward  to  the  sea  through 
the  great  central  waterway,  the  Mississippi. 

Under  the  weight  of  the  ice,  thousands  of 
feet  in  thickness  and  extending  over  a  wide 
territory,  or  from  some  other  cause,  the  crust 
of  the  earth  began  to  settle,  and  a  depression 
from   twelve   to   fifteen  hundred   feet   below 


10 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


our  present  level  was  reached.  This  is  known 
as  the  Champlain  epoch.  As  a  consequence 
a  milder  climate  prevailed  and  the  ice  with- 
drew to  the  north,  leaving  its  load  of  earthy 
material  strewn  over  the  surface.  The  reces- 
sion was  slow  and  interrupted,  and  at  times 
stationary,  the  glacier  laying  down  moraine 
ridges  and  broken  ranges  of  hills,  until 
finally  the  ice  border  lay  north  of  the  great 
lakes.  The  melting  of  this  receding  mountain 
of  ice  produced  great  floods  and  mighty 
streams.  In  our  region  the  waters  were  car- 
ried to  the  south  by  four  great  channels,  the 
Ohio,  the  Wabash,  the  Kankakee  and  the  Des- 
plaines.  Any  of  these  streams  was  larger 
than  the  Mississippi  of  today.  The  flood 
plain  of  the  Mississippi  itself  was  then  formed 
as  we  now  find  it,  thirty  miles  in  breadth. 

The  time  which  elapsed  after  the  surface 
was  laid  down  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  first 
ice-sheet,  is  measured  by  so  long  a  period  of 
aerial  and  aqueous  erosion  that  hills  and 
ridges  were  leveled  and  the  lakes  filled  with 
sediment  and  vegetation.  During  this  Cham- 
plain  epoch,  or  period  of  depression,  the 
surface  abounded  in  shallow  pools,  swamps 
and  lagoons.  Drainage  was  slow  and  inter- 
rupted, with  a  general  inclination  to  a  level- 
ing of  the  surface.  The  great  gorges  and 
stream  channels  that  had  been  eroded  during 
the  period  of  elevation  were  filled  with  river 
drift.  Forests  again  covered  the  uplands  and 
peat  bogs  filled  the  depressions,  all  again  to 
be  crushed,  ground  and  scraped  from  the  sur- 
face by  the  last  ice  advance. 

VII.     THE    GREAT    KANKAKEE. 

Sec.  1. — Three  Great  Ice  Lobes. — We  now 
come  to  the  culmination  of  the  phj^sical  ener- 
gies which  gave  us  the  present  surface  con- 
tour of  St.  Joseph  county.  The  conditions 
necessary  to  produce  a  humid  atmosphere  and 
great  snowfalls  were  again  present.  Over  the 
regions  north  of  the  great  lakes  the  mass  of 
snow  and  ice  began  again  to  accumulate  until 
it  reached  thousands  of  feet  in  thickness,  and 
from  its  own  weight  began  to  move  as  a  te- 


nacious, semi-liquid  mass.  As  it  approached 
and  entered  the  great  lake  basins  its  onward 
movement  was  directed  largely  by  the  trend 
or  direction  of  their  basins.  The  Maumee  or 
Erie  lobe  took  a  west  southwest  course.  The 
lobe  passing  through  the  Huron  basin  made 
its  exit  in  part  from  the  southwest  margin 
through  that  part  of  the  basin  known  as  Sagi- 
naw Bay.  The  lobe  that  entered  the  Lake 
Michigan  basin  passed  almost  directly  south. 
When  we  speak  of  the  direction  of  the  several 
lobes  we  refer  to  their  axes,  as  the  ice  move- 
ment in  those  great  basins  was  forward  and 
to  either  side,  radiating  in  an  advance  direc- 
tion from  a  common  center.  The  Saginaw 
lobe  was  a  long  wedge-shaped  mass,  hemmed 
in  on  the  west  by  the  mighty  Michigan  lobe 
and  on  the  east  receiving  the  full  force  of 
the  Mamnee  or  Erie  mass.  A  part  of  the 
Saginaw  lobe  passed  out  at  the  foot  of  the 
basin  and  commingled  its  ice  and  load  of 
earth  and  bowlders  with  the  Erie  lobe.  From 
this  fact  we  find  drift  material  from  Lake 
Superior  and  the  northern  Huron  regions, 
such  as  drift  copper  and  porphyry  conglomer- 
ate, scattered  over  Indiana  and  Ohio.  This 
may  also  account  for  the  very  heavy  deposit 
of  drift  over  the  northeastern  counties  of  In- 
diana, Avhere  it  attains  a  depth  in  places  of 
from  four  to  five  hundred  feet. 

These  ice  tongues  or  lobes,  after  emerging 
from  their  basins  maintained  their  lobate 
characteristics,  yet  were  united  one  with  an- 
other. The  most  southerly  line  reached  by 
the  ice  during  this  last  movement  was  com- 
paratively but  a  few  miles  below  the  great 
lakes,  where  it  remained  for  a  long  period. 
The  ice  advancing  with  its  load  of  earthy 
refuse  from  the  north  melted  away  as  rapidly 
as  it  advanced  to  this  line  and  laid  down  its 
burden  of  accumulated  material,  forming 
great  ranges  of  hills  or  moraines,  both  termi- 
nal and  lateral,  definitely  marking  the  outline 
of  each  glacial  lobe.  After  the  summers  be- 
gan again  to  predominate  over  the  winters 
the  ice  gradually  withdrew  to  the  north  and 
disappeared  from  this  local  it  v.    North  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


11 


terminal  moraine  marking  the  farthest  ad- 
vance of  the  iee-sheet  will  be  found  almost 
all  of  our  small  inland  lakes,  the  distinguish- 
ing mark  of  beauty  of  this  locality.  The 
former  lakes  which  once  dotted  the  older 
glaciated  surface  had  long  before  been  carried 
away  by  erosion  or  filled  up  with  silt.  Before 
the  coming  of  this  last  ice  the  surface  soil  of 
Indiana  was  composed  of  clay  and  fine  sand, 
with  lime,  slate  and  sandstone  pebbles;  no 
granite  bowlders  or  pebbles  at  that  time  were 
present.  It  was  entirely  through  the  agency 
of  the  last  ice-sheet  that  they  were  carried 
from  the  north  and  spread  over  this  locality. 
The  Maumee  or  Erie  ice  lobe  advanced 
from  the  Lake  Erie  basin  in  a  southwesterly 
course,  and  the  border  of  the  lobe  entered 
Indiana  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Elkhart 
county  and  took  a  westerly  course  through 
the  northerly  part  of  Elkhart  and  St.  Joseph 
counties  to  a  point  about  five  miles  west  of 
South  Bend  Avhere  it  began  to  angle  to  the 
south  through  the  western  part  of  the  county 
and  continued  along  the  Avestern  borders  of 
Marshall  and  Fulton  counties  and  on  to  the 
Wabash  river  at  Logansport.  The  withdrawal 
of  the  ice-sheet  from  this  line  and  the  deposit- 
ing of  its  earthy  and  stony  contents  mark 
the  age  of  the  lofty  range  of  hills  lying  south 
of  Mishawaka  and  South  Bend.  To  the  west, 
the  Lake  Michigan  lobe  filled  its  basin  and  ex- 
tended east  from  thirty  to  forty  miles  beyond 
the  present  shore  line,  where  it  curved  south- 
west around  the  southeast  corner  of  the  lake. 
It  overlapped  the  northwest  corner  of  St.  Jo- 
seph county  and  approached  near  to  the  city 
limits  of  South  Bend.  The  highlands  along 
the  north  bank  of  the  Kankakee  valley,  Port- 
age Prairie  and  the  uplands  west  of  the  city 
of  Niles  mark  the  eastern  or  southeastern 
border  of  the  Michigan  ice  lobe.  The  Saginaw 
glacier  advanced  from  the  Huron  basin, 
pushed  south  between  the  Michigan  and 
Maumee  or  Erie  glaciers  and  reached  a  point 
one  mile  northeast  of  South  Bend,  its  moraine 
commencing  about  one  mile  east  of  Notre  Dame 
and  a  little  south,  forming  the  range  of  hills 


beginning  at  that  point  and  extending  in  a 
general  northeasterly  direction,  passing  near 
Dowagiac,  Decatur  and  Lawton,  Michigan, 
and  terminating  west  and  north  of  Saginaw 
Bay.  This  range  of  hills  marks  the  western 
and  part  of  the  southern  terminal  moraine 
of  the  Saginaw  glacier,  its  eastern  arm  and 
part  of  its  southern  arm  having  been  eroded 
and  washed  away  by  the  great  Kankakee 
river.  From  this  outline  of  the  glacial  bor- 
ders, it  will  be  noticed  that  the  city  of  South 
Bend  is  located  where  three  great  ice  lobes 
met,  the  Maiunee  or  Erie,  the  Saginaw  and 
the  Michigan.  These  great  lobes  here  marked 
their  existence  by  massive  accumulations, 
forming  rugged  and  permanent  ranges  of 
hills  and  uplands  which  fix  the  contour  of  the 
landscape  in  St.  Joseph  county  perhaps  for- 
ever. 

Sec.  2. — The  Ancient  Waterways. — This 
brings  us  to  the  ancient  waterways  of  our 
county.  The  melting  of  the  vast  fields  of  ice 
brought  on  great  floods  and  torrential 
streams.  South  Bend  and  St.  Joseph  county 
being  peculiarly  located  as  to  the  three 
glaciers,  were  also  peculiarly  located  as  to 
ancient  streams.  Where  the  busy  city  now 
lies  nestling  in  a  beautiful  valley,  partly  sur- 
rounded by  hills,  a  wonderful  river  once  flow- 
ed, a  stream  three  miles  wide  and  one  hun- 
dred feet  or  more  in  depth,  moving  from  east 
to  west.  From  the  north  also  a  great  tribu- 
tary, whose  mouth  was  three  miles  wide, 
emptied  its  waters  into  the  main  stream  with- 
in the  present  limits  of  the  city  of  South 
Bend.  If  a  man  could  have  stood  upon  the 
hilLs  of  Rum  Village,  just  south  of  the  city,  a 
vast  panorama  of  water  would  have  met  his 
gaze.  To  the  northeast,  a  flood  from  five  to 
six  miles  in  width  and  extending  up  the  val- 
ley as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  would  have 
been  seen,  passing  at  his  feet  and  rolling  on- 
ward to  the  southwest,  confined  only  by  the 
hills  on  the  north  and  on  the  south.  To  the 
northwest,  he  would  perceive  a  tributary 
stream  entering  the  great  flood,  three  miles  in 
width  and  limited  in  the  line  of  vision  onlj^ 


12 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


by  the  horizon.  And  if  a  man  today  should 
stand  on  the  same  hills  of  Rum  Village,  or  on 
those  to  the  south  of  the  city  of  Mishawaka,  or 
upon  Lowell  Heights,  or  upon  any  other  high- 
lands on  either  side  of  the  great  valley,  he 
could  still  see  the  broad  bed,  miles  in  width, 
through  which  the  ancient  river  once  flowed. 
The  great  stream  was  the  Kankakee  of  that 
day,  which  had  its  origin  at  the  foot  of  the 
Saginaw  glacier  and  received  its  tributaries 
from  the  Maumee  and  the  Michigan  glaciers. 
The  great  Kankakee  was  the  outlet  for  the 
waters  flowing  southwest  from  Lake  Huron, 
through  Saginaw  Bay.  We  know  that  this 
valley  served  as  a  waterway  during  the  with- 
drawal of  the  first  ice-sheet  from  the  fact  that 
its  channel  was  silted  up  like  all  other  valleys 
during  the  Champlain  epoch,  or  age  of  de- 
pression. It  was  never  re-excavated  to  any 
extent,  and  remains  today  a  filled  valley.  It 
is  probable  that  the  Kankakee  valley  also 
carried  the  waters  flowing  from  the  northeast 
during  the  advance  of  the  last  glacier;  but, 
soon  after  the  withdrawal  of  this  ice-sheet 
began,  the  waters  found  an  outlet  into  Lake 
Michigan,  leaving  the  Kankakee  valley  at  the 
point  where  South  Bend  now  stands,  and  pass- 
ing to  the  lake  through  the  large  tributary 
already  referred  to.  The  old  valley  of  tlie 
great  Kankakee  extends  from  a  point  in  Illi- 
nois where  the  present  Kankakee  and  the 
Desplaines  unite,  northeasterly  through  Illi- 
nois, Indiana  and  Michigan  to  the  watershed 
between  the  streams  flowing  into  Saginaw 
Bay  and  the  headwaters  of  the  present  St. 
Joseph  river.  The  St.  Joseph  now  flows  south- 
westerly through  this  old  Kankakee  channel  to 
South  Bend,  and  there  turns  abruptly  north 
and  reaches  Lake  Michigan  at  the  city  of  St. 
Joseph.  The  valley  of  the  Kankakee  was  the 
chief  outlet  to  Lake  Huron  during  glacial 
times,  as  the  Wabash  valley  was  Lake  Erie. 
The  flood  plain,  where  once  flowed  this  mighty 
Kankakee,  varies  in  width  from  three  miles 
at  its  narrowest  point,  which  is  one  mile  below 
South  Bend,  to  about  twenty  at  its  broadest, 
which  is  between  Porter  and  Lake  counties 


on  the  north  and  Newton  and  Jasper  on  the 
south.  The  southeasterly  bank  of  the  valley, 
from  about  six  miles  below  South  Bend  to  its 
source,  near  Saginaw  Bay,  is  from  fifty  to 
one  hunded  feet  high,  while  the  northwesterly 
bank,  from  South  Bend  to  the  same  point,  is 
generally  low  and  shelving.  From  South 
Bend  down  the  valley  to  the  Illinois  line, 
that  is,  from  the  point  where  the  great 
stream  emerged,  between  the  Maumee  and 
Michigan  moraines,  to  its  confluence  with  the 
Desplaines,  the  banks  are  low,  generally  not 
exceeding  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  in  height. 
On  the  southeasterly  side  of  the  old  channel 
will  be  found  quite  an  extensive  sandy  flood 
plain,  extending  from  the  border  of  the 
Maumee  moraine  southwestward.  covering  al- 
most the  entire  surface  of  Starke  county  to- 
gether with  the  northern  part  of  Pulaski, 
Jasper  and  Newton  counties.  On  the  north 
the  main  channel  largely  borders  on  the 
Michigan  moraines. 

The  great  width  of  the  stream  from  South 
Bend  to  the  eastern  part  of  Illinois  was  ow- 
ing to  three  causes : 

First.  The  surface  of  the  country  through 
which  this  part  of  the  stream  flowed  was  des- 
titute of  rugged  features. 

Second.  The  stream,  just  beyond  the  pres- 
ent Illinois  line,  crossed  the  arched  bed  rock 
which  extends  in  a  northwesterly  course  across 
Indiana  into  Illinois.  Near  the  present  site 
of  Momence,  Illinois,  this  rocky  ridge  pro- 
duced a  well  marked  rapids,  similar  to  that 
in  the  Ohio  river  near  Louisville,  which 
tended  to  dam  the  waters  and  cause  them  to 
overflow  a  wide  territory  above  and  causing 
this  region  to  appear  today  as  if  a  great  lake 
had  occupied  the  territory. 

Third.  At  the  present  site  of  South  Bend, 
the  Dowagiac,  a  tributary  one-third  the  size 
of  the  main  stream,  was  added  to  its  volume. 

The  principal  tributaries  of  the  great  Kan- 
kakee were  the  Elkhart  and  Yellow  rivers, 
draining  from  the  Maumee  glacier,  also  the 
Tippecanoe  at  the  point  where  it  enters  the 
southeast   corner    of  Starke  countv:  besides, 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


13 


the  stream  here  called  the  great  Dowagiac, 
now  represented  by  the  Dowagiac  creek, 
which  heads  south  of  Kalamazoo,  but  whose 
ancient  waters  probably  accumulated  far 
north  of  that  point,  gathering  from  the  slope 
of  the  eastern  lateral  moraine  of  the  Michi- 
gan glacial  lobe.  Those  waters  formed  a 
mighty  glacial  river,  flowing  south  to  a  point 
three  miles  north  of  Niles,  Michigan,  where 
it  received  a  tributary  which  had  opened  a 
way  through  the  lateral  Michigan  moraine 
and  discharged  its  waters  from  the  Michigan 
basin  before  these  waters  had  found  an  open- 
ing to  the  south  between  the  Michigan  ice- 
lobe  and  its  moraine.  The  great  Dowagiac, 
after  receiving  these  overflow  waters  from 
the  Lake  ^Michigan  basin,  continued  south 
and  emptied  into  the  Kankakee  at  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  city  of  South  Bend. 

The  old  channel  of  the  Dowagiac  where 
that  stream  emptied  into  the  Kankakee  is 
three  miles  wide,  with  well  defined  banks 
rising  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  feet  above 
tb(^  l)ed  of  the  valley,  which  had  been  cut  to 
bed  rock  and  silted  up  about  one  hundred 
and  twenty  feet,  leaving  the  above  mentioned 
banks  vet  remaininR-.  These  great  streams, 
the  Kankakee  and  the  Dowagiac,  existed  for 
long  periods  of  time.  They  conveyed  the 
glacial  waters  during  the  advance  of  the  ice- 
sheet,  also  during  the  period  that  it  stood 
at  its  most  advanced  point  and  during  its 
withdrawal,  until  the  Michigan  ice-lobe  had 
sufficiently  receded  to  allow  the  waters  along 
its  eastern  border  to  escape  through  the  Des- 
plaines  opening.  This  escape  by  the  Des- 
plaines  promoted  a  rapid  lowering  of  the 
watei*s  between  the  ice-lobe  and  its  lateral 
moraine  and  terminated  the  flow  of  waters 
from  the  Michigan  basin  into  the  Dowagiac 
river,  leaving  a  broad,  water-worn  plain  lead- 
ing from  the  Dowagiac  river  back  northwest- 
erly to  Lake  Michigan. 

Sec.  3. — Origin  op  the  St.  Joseph  River. 
— Here  began  a  system  of  river  robbing,  if 
we  may  call  it  so.  The  Dowagiac,  at  a  point 
just  below  Niles,  doubled  upon  itself  at  an 


angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  followed  the  aban- 
doned channel  of  its  former  tributary  and 
discharged  its  waters  into  Lake  Michigan; 
leaving  in  turn,  a  well  worn  channel  from 
three  to  four  miles  wide  and  thirteen  miles 
long  leading  to  the  great  trunk  stream,  or 
Kankakee,  at  South  Bend.  The  distance 
from  South  Bend,  the  point  where  the  Do- 
wagiac had  formerly  emptied  its  waters  into 
the  great  Kankakee,  to  St.  Joseph,  IMichigan, 
is  thirty-eight  miles,  with  a  fafl  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-one  feet.  From  South  Bend 
to  Momence,  Illinois,  the  distance  is  ninety- 
two  miles  with  a  fall  of  ninety-three 
feet.  It  can  be  readily  understood  that 
with  the  first  annual  flood  a  part  of  the 
waters  of  the  Kankakee  would  follow  the 
abandoned  Dowagiac  channel,  from  South 
Bend  to  Niles,  there  mingle  with  the  Dowag- 
iac in  its  new  route  and  pass  onward  into 
Lake  Michigan,  at  the  city  of  St.  Joseph. 
The  fall  over  the  new  route  being  three  and 
a  half  times  greater  than  over  the  old,  the 
new  channel  would  rapidly  cut  through  the 
old  river  deposit,  finally  taking  all  the  waters 
of  the  once  mighty  Kankakee,  and  leaving 
the  valley  from  South  Bend  to  the  Des- 
plaines  a  geological  monument  to  tell  of  the 
eternal  past. 

A  physical  force  which  most  likely  aided  in 
turning  the  current  of  the  Kankakee  into  the 
channel  of  the  Dowagiac,  and  so  forming  the 
stream  known  to  us  as  the  St.  Joseph,  re- 
sulted from  an  ice  gorge  formed  seven  miles 
below  South  Bend,  where  a  point  of  land  jut- 
ting out  from  the  Michigan  moraine,  and  now 
called  Crum's  Point,  extends  into  the  valley 
proper  two  miles  and  a  half  in  an  almost 
transverse  direction.  Just  below  this  point 
we  find  an  ancient  flood  plain  two  miles  wide 
which  was  supplied  with  overflow  water  from 
the  basin  of  Lake  Michigan,  but  which  over- 
flow entirely  subsided  when  the  waters  of  the 
lake  receded  from  the  rim  of  this  basin.  This 
valley,  extending  to  and  including  the  beauti- 
ful Terrc  Coupee  Prairie,  is  now  drained  by 
a  small  nieandering  stream  known  as  Grape- 


14 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


vine  creek,  the  remnant  of  a  once  mighty 
glacial  river.  Strong  and  pronounced  evi- 
dences of  an  ice  gorge  or  dam  having  formed 
at  Crum's  Point  and  extended  up  the  river 
to  the  mouth  of  the  old  Dowagiac  at  South 
Bend  are  yet  plainly  visible  from  the  scouring, 
leveling  and  erosion  of  morainic  hills  on  the 
south,  and  by  a  chain  of  lakes  and  lake  beds 
on  the  north,  the  latter  connected  by  a  gorge 
with  the  glacial  stream  aforesaid.  Evidences 
of  the  gorge  are  also  found  at  the  head  and 
north  of  the  ice  dam,  which  passed  well  up 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Dowagiac,  east  and 
north  of  which  the  Avaters  pouring  around  this 
dam  into  the  Dowagiac  valley  excavated  an  in- 
terrupted channel  or  chain  of  depressions. 
These  depressions  are  linear,  extending  from 
southeast  to  northwest,  being  from  one-fourth 
to  three-fourths  of  a  mile  long,  twenty  to 
forty  feet  deep  and  from  two  hundred  to 
four  hundred  yards  wide,  with  sharp  and 
well-defined  banks.  They  all  show  evidences 
of  having  been  filled  with  water  for  a  long 
period  of  time.  All  have  become  dry  except 
the  lower  two,  the  Notre  Dame  lakes,  which 
contain  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  of  water 
at  present.  This  channel  or  chain  of  depres- 
sions extends  from  near  Mishawaka,  north- 
westerly, to  a  point  on  the  St.  Joseph  river 
one  mile  north  of  South  Bend,  a  distance 
of  four  miles  and  a  half.  When  the  ice-dam 
gave  way  the  waters  abandoned  those  circuit- 
ous or  temporary  routes  and  returned  to  their 
former  channels;  only  the  smaller  part,  how- 
ever, continuing  down  the  old  Kankakee,  while 
the  larger  body  moved  along  the  new  route 
through  the  Dowagiac  channel  to  Lake  Michi- 
gan. The  fall  by  the  latter  way  being  three 
and  a  half  times  greater  than  by  the  former, 
a  channel  sufficient  to  carry  the  entire  body 
of  water  w^as  soon  eroded.  A  bluff  twelve 
to  fourteen  feet  high,  formed  at  firat  as  a 
sandbar  from  sediment  supplied  by  what  is 
now  known  as  the  Wenger  creek,  extended 
in  a  diagonal  direction  across  the  old  Kan- 
kakee bed  and  parallel  to  the  new  current 
until  it  reached  the  opposite  bank,  Avhen  the 


great  Kankakee  valley  was  sealed  forever,  and 
the  upper  stream  became  a  distinct  river,  the 
beautiful  St.  Joseph  as  we  know  it.  The  sand- 
bar or  bluff  referred  to,  and  which  thus  fin- 
ally sealed  up  the  valley  of  the  great  Kan- 
kakee, is  the  shelf  or  hill  extending  diagon- 
ally from  southeast  to  northwest,  through  the 
City  of  South  Bend,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
St.  Joseph.  Tippecanoe  place  is  built  on  the 
edge  of  this  bar,  which  was  well  known  to  our 
early  settlers  as  the  Bluff.  This  ridge,  while 
originally  built  up  as  a  sandbar  by  sediment 
from  the  creek,  was  increased  in  height  by 
erosion  as  the  new  St.  Joseph  cut  into  its 
bed. 

Long  before  those  great  stream  changes  had 
taken  place,  the  swift  current  of  the  Do- 
wagiac had  carried  down  large  quantities  of 
gravel,  and  as  the  gravel-laden  waters  came 
in  contact  with  the  waters  of  the  Kankakee 
the  velocity  of  the  former  was  checked  and 
the  gravel  was  laid  dow^n  on  the  west  bank 
where  the  current  remained  the  swiftest. 
This  gravel  bed  extends  north  of  the  city 
limits  of  South  Bend,  down  the  west  bank 
of  the  St.  Joseph,  a  distance  of  three  or  four 
miles,  and  is  about  one-half  mile  in  width. 
It  forms  the  eastern  slope  or  border  of  Port- 
age Prairie.  The  bed  has  been  sounded  in 
a  number  of  places  and  found  to  be  from 
forty  to  fifty  feet  in  depth,  and  all  smOoth, 
rounded,  water- worn  gravel;  placing  at  the 
city's  gates  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  finest 
road  gravel.  The  Dowagiac  hurling  its  great 
volume  of  water  against  the  current  of  the 
Kankakee,  also  had  the  effect  of  slowing  the 
latter  stream  and  causing  it  to  deposit  its 
heavier  material ;  which  we  find  stored  away 
in  the  form  of  acres  of  river  gravel  at  Twin 
Branch,  just  east  of  Mishawaka.  The  east 
side  of  the  Dowagiac  near  its  mouth  was 
much  more  obstructed  than  the  west,  and  con- 
sequently the  gravel  and  coarser  material 
were  slowly  laid  down  farther  above  and 
only  the  finer  material  was  carried  down  to 
the  mouth,  where  it  was  laid  down  in  great 
quantities  of  sand,  forming  Lowell  Heights. 


/^M"'-,  U.ax  ar,(i  rildfln/'' 


1909 


GEOLOGICAL  MAP  OF  ST.  JOSEPH  COUNTY,  INDIANA. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


17 


If  a  careful  examination  is  made  of  the  sand 
on  these  heights,  numerous  small  particles  of 
coal  will  be  found,  indicating  that  the  Sagi- 
naw glacier  had  cut  deep  into  the  surface 
and  uncovered  in  places  the  coal  fields  of 
Michigan  and  mingled  their  contents  with  the 
drift. 

The  great  Kankakee  river,  from  its  source 
near  Saginaw  Bay,  took  a  southwesterly 
course  to  its  junction  with  the  Desplaines, 
forming  with  the  latter  the  Illinois  river. 
When  the  waters  left  the  old  channel  at  the 
point  where  the  city  of  South  Bend  now 
stands  they  took  an  almost  due  northerly 
course,  thus  forming  a  great  bend  in  the  new 
river  and  giving  to  the  future  county  seat  of 
St.  Joseph  county  its  name.  Since  the  for- 
mation of  the  St.  Joseph  from  the  changes 
thus  made  in  the  Kankakee  and  the  Do- 
wagiac,  the  new  river  has  eroded  its  valleys 
from  fifty  to  sixty  feet  into  the  old  river  de- 
posits, but  has  not  yet  reached  their  base 
level.  The  Kankakee  valley  at  South  Bend, 
where  it  escapes  from  between  the  Maumee 
and  Michigan  moraines,  is  narrowed  to  three 
miles,  with  high,  rugged  banks  and  no  flood 
plain.  Five  miles  east  and  up  the  valley 
from  South  Bend,  it  reaches  a  width  of  six 
miles,  which  width  it  holds,  with  slight  varia- 
tion, until  it  arrives  at  the  rim  of  the  Saginaw 
basin.  This  end  of  the  valley  is  thoroughly 
drained  by  the  present  St.  Joseph  river. 
There  are  a  few  peat  bogs  and  marshes  lying 
back  from  the  river  where  the  valley  is  broad 
and  the  modern  channel  well  to  one  side. 
Otherwise  the  old  valley  above  South  Bend 
is  one  vast  level  sand-plain.  Below  South 
Bend,  where  the  old  valley  remains  silted  up 
and  there  is  no  sufficient  modern  channel  for 
complete  drainage,  the  spring  waters  escaping 
from  beneath  the  Michigan  moraine,  on  the 
west,  and  from  the  foot  of  the  Maumee,  on 
the  east,  and  also  bubbling  up  from  the  bed 
of  the  old  stream  itself,  as  reported  by  Mr. 
William  M.  Whitten,  when  engineer  in  charge 
of  the  rock  excavations  at  Momence,  have 
caused  a  vast  growth  of  peat  or  muck  over 

2 


the  entire  valley  proper.  Beneath  this  muck 
bed  which  extends  from  six  to  ten  feet  in 
depth,  is  found  fine  sand  and  river  gravel, 
as  shown  by  excavations  made  in  the  con- 
struction of  large  ditches,  twenty  to  sixty  feet 
in  width,  six  to  ten  feet  deep  and  now  ex- 
tending sixty  to  seventy  miles  below  South 
Bend.  Had  the  stream  not  changed  its  course 
at  South  Bend,  but  continued  down  the  orig- 
inal valley,  eroding  a  channel  or  partially 
clearing  the  old  silted  valley  to  a  depth  of 
from  fifty  to  sixty  feet,  as  the  waters  have 
done  through  their  new  course  down  the  St. 
Joseph,  there  would  have  been  no  "Kanka- 
kee Marsh,"  and  all  that  part  of  the  valley 
from  South  Bend  to  Momence  would  have 
been  a  vast  sandy  plain,  covered  with  timber 
and  in  general  appearance  similar  to  that 
part  of  the  valley  above  South  Bend. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Dr.  Montgomery, 
we  are  enabled  to  illustrate  the  foregoing 
geological  history  with  the  annexed  map  pre- 
pared by  him,  which  shows  the  moraines  and 
ancient  valleys  and  rivers,  with  the  result- 
ing configuration  of  St.  Joseph  county,  In- 
diana, and  vicinity. 

VIII.      ELEVATIONS,    STRATA    AND    SOILS. 

From  the  preceding  history  of  the  recent 
geological  formations  of  the  surface,  the 
general  character  of  the  soils,  clays,  gravels 
and  other  minerals  of  the  county,  as  well  as 
that  of  its  lakes  and  underground  waters,  is 
apparent.  There  is  not  an  outcrop  of  primi- 
tive rock  in  the  county,  the  entire  surface, 
as  we  have  seen,  being  covered  with  gla- 
cial drift  which  will  probably  average  two 
himdred  feet  in  depth.  The  only  place  in 
the  county  where  this  drift  has  been  pierced 
to  the  underlying  stratified  rock  is  at  South 
Bend,  where  in  boring  for  gas  and  oil  a  few 
years  ago,  the  drift  was  found  to  be  one 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  thick.  This,  how- 
ever, was  in  the  valley  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  seven  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet 
above  tide,  or  fully  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet   lower  than  the   uplands   in   the   south- 


18 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


eastern  part  of  the  county,  which  are  875  to 
900  feet  above  the  sea.  The  levels  of  the 
more  important  railway  stations  in  the  coun- 
ty show  the  following  altitudes  in  feet,  above 
tide:  Osceola,  736;  Mishawaka,  700  to  743; 
South  Bend,  708  to  726;  Notre  Dame,  710; 
Warren,  730;  Lakeville,  837;  Walkerton,  711. 
In  seeking-  for  natural  gas  and  oil  at  South 
Bend  three  wells  were  sunk  into  the  rock. 
The  following  is  the  result  of  the  borings  of 
one  of  these  wells,  as  given  in  the  18th  report 
of  the  state  geologist,  showing  the  depth  in 
feet  of  the  drift  and  of  the  several  layers 
of  rock  at  this  point,  down  to  the  Trenton 
rock:  Drift,  160:  Sub-carboniferous  and 
Devonian,  220;  Corniferous,  60;  Lower  Hei- 
derberg,  40;  Niagara,  640;  Clinton,  60  ( ?)  ; 
Hudson  River,  200;  Utica  shales,  200;  Tren- 
ton Limestone,  427.  Total  depth  of  well, 
2,027.     No  gas  or  oil. 

The  drift  over  about  one-half  of  the  county 
is  a  gravel  plain,  formed,  as  we  have  seen, 
by  the  outwash  from  the  ice-sheet.  In  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  county  the  outwash 
is  from  the  Michigan  moraine,  and  the  plain 
descends  from  800  feet  at  the  border  of  the 
moraine  to  725  at  the  Kankakee  flats.  In 
the  southwestern  part  of  the  county  the  out- 
wash  is  westward  from  the  moraine  of  the 
Maumee  lobe,  and  there  is  a  similar  descent 
from  the  moraine  to  the  Kankakee  valley. 
In  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county  there 
is  an  extensive  gravel  plain  along  the  St. 
Joseph  river.  The  southeastern  part  of  the 
county  is  occupied  by  a  till,  or  clay,  plain, 
which  borders  on  the  Maumee  moraine  on  the 
east. 

St.  Joseph  county  contains  an  area  of 
about  four  hundred  and  seventy-seven  square 
miles,  the  surface  of  which  is  diversified  by 
prairies,  marshes,  oak-openings  and  rolling 
timber  lands.  The  oak-openings  are  covered 
with  a  light  sandy  soil,  excellently  suited  to 
the  raising  of  small  fruits  and  vegetables. 
The  timber  lands  possess  a  subsoil  of  clay, 
covered  with  a  rich  dark  soil,  which  yields 
all  the   cereals  in  abundance.     The  prairies, 


both  old  and  young,  for  the  marshes  and 
beds  of  former  lakes  are  but  incipient  prai- 
ries, have  the  richest  and  most  productive 
soils,  and  are  unexcelled  for  the  raising  of 
all  farm  produce,  except  wheat,  which  winter- 
kills on  the  lowest  grounds.  No  prairies  in 
the  world  are  more  beautiful  or  fertile  than 
those  of  St.  Joseph  county.  The  finest  and 
largest  of  these  is  Terre  Coupee,  in  Olive 
township,  over  six  miles  in  length,  east  and 
west,  by  four  or  five  miles,  north  and  south. 
Others  are :  Portage  Prairie,  in  German  town- 
ship ;  Palmer  Prairie,  in  Center  township ; 
Siunption  Prairie,  in  Greene  township ;  ana 
Plarris  Prairie,  in  Harris  township.  The  flood 
valley  of  the  Kankakee  is  itself  a  prairie  of 
the  richest  and  fairest  promise,  though  as  yet 
not  fully  reclaimed.  No  more  varied,  richer 
or  more  beautiful  farm  lands  exist  anywhere 
than  in  this  good  county  of  St.  Joseph. 

IX.     LAKES    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 

The  lakes  of  St.  Joseph  county,  as  said  by 
Prof.  Blatchley,  in  his  reporc  as  state  geolo- 
gist for  the  year  1900.  are  small  in  size,  and 
most  of  them  rapidly  becoming  extinct.  De- 
posits of  marl  are  found  near  and  under 
many  of  them :  not  generally,  however,  of 
good  workable  area  and  thickness. 

Among  the  most  beautiful  and  noted  of  our 
lakes  are  Chain  and  Bass  lakes,  in  Warren 
township,  a  few  miles  west  of  South  Bend. 
The  marl  beds  in  and  around  these  lakes 
cover  nearly  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres. 
Their  sparkling  waters  have  always  been  fa- 
vorite resorts  for  boating  and  fishing.  They 
were  dear  to  the  Indian  long  before  the  com- 
ing of  the  white  man.  Near  by,  to  the  east  of 
these  lakes,  at  Mount  Pleasant,  on  Portage 
Prairie,  stood  the  historic  village  of  the 
Miamis,  famous  in  story  and  song,  where  the 
treaty  with  LaSalle  was  made  in  1681. 

The  Lakes  of  Notre  Dame,  already  men- 
tioned, lie  northwest  of  and  near  to  the  Uni- 
versity, and  about  two  miles  northeast  of 
South  Bend.  St.  Joseph's,  the  upper  lake, 
has  an  area  of  about  sixtv-five  acres,  and  a 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


19 


niaximuni  depth,  on  the  west  side,  of  twenty- 
five  feet.  The  water  area  of  St.  Mary's,  the 
lower  lake,  is  a  little  more  than  thirty  acres. 
The  two  lakes  are  separated  by  a  stretch  of 
low  ground  containing  ten  or  more  acres,  in 
the  midst  of  which  is  a  small  gravel  island 
rising  to  a  level  with  the  uplands  surround- 
ing the  lakes.  In  the  past  the  lowland  was 
covered  with  water,  and  there  was  but  one 
lake,  with  the  island  in  the  middle.  There 
is  a  marl  deposit  in  and  about  these  lakes 
which  is  of  especial  interest  from  the  circum- 
stance that  it  furnished  the  carbonate  of  lime 
material  for  the  first,  and  for  more  than 
twenty  years  the  only,  Portland  cement  fac- 
tory in  Indiana.  At  St.  Mary's  lake  the 
water  deepens  abruptly  and  close  to  the 
shore.  The  marl  extends  back  several  rods 
from  shore.  Under  both  lakes,  it  is  claimed 
that  the  marl  has  an  average  thickness  of 
more  than  thirty  feet. 

Clear  lake  and  Mud  lake  lie  on  and  just 
south  of  the  Michigan-Indiana  state  line, 
about  eight  miles  northw^est  of  South  Bend, 
the  northern  two-thirds  of  Clear  lake  being 
in  Michigan,  and  the  remainder  in  Warren 
township,  this  county.  .  There  is  no  workable 
marl  deposit  at  these  lakes.  Clear  lake  fur- 
nishes a  typical  example  of  a  lake  whose 
water  area  has  been  encroached  upon  by  de- 
caying vegetation  until  the  lake  has  become 
almost  extinct.  In  1880,  according  to  the 
testimony  of  persons  living  in  the  vicinity, 
the  entire  basin  of  the  lake,  eighty  acres  or 
more,  was  covered  with  water  to  a  depth  of 
twenty  to  thirty  feet.  There  was  then  no 
aquatic  vegetation  except  along  the  south 
shore.  Now  the  southern  half  is  a  vast  morass 
of  muck  and  spatterdock,  with  water  nowhere 
more  than  six  inches  in  depth.  The  western 
margin  for  one-third  the  distance  across  the 
lake  is  similarly  filled.  Many  floating  islands, 
or  moving  morasses  of  muck,  rise  nearly  to 
the  surface  in  other  parts  of  the  lake,  so 
that  its  clear  water  area  is  but  little  over 
fifteen  acres,  and  its  deepest  water  only  about 
twelve  feet.  A  fine  wooded  ridge,  with  a 
gravely  margin,  rises  twenty  or  more  feet 
hiyh   along  the  north   half  of   the   east  side. 


The  banks  on  the  northwest  are  lower,  while 
the  southern  shores  are  marshy.  Game  fish 
is  abundant.  The  high  banks  of  Clear  lake 
are  the  resort  of  numerous  pleasure  parties 
m  the  summer;  one  of  the  most  enjoyable 
being  the  annual  picnic  of  the  old  settlers  of 
St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  and  Berrien  coun- 
ty, Michigan. 

No  one  who  has  not  visited  a  lake  like  this 
can  realize  how  varied  the  kind  and  how 
abundant  the  individuals  of  plant  life  that 
can  flourish  in  water.  It  is  one  of  the  best 
examples  at  present  in  Indiana  of  a  dying 
lake, — an  incipient  marsh.  Here  one  can  see 
in  actual  progress  many  of  those  intermediate 
stages  and  processes  which  in  time  change  a 
body  of  fresh  water  into  a  body  of  land. 

The  northern  edge  of  the  basin  of  former 
Mud  lake  lies  south  of  the  basin  of  Clear 
lake  about  one-third  of  a  mile.  Its  former 
water  area  was  over  three  hundred  acres  and 
its  outline  very  irregular.  It  has  now  be- 
come a  vast  marsh,  with  not  more  than  Ihirty 
acres  of  water,  and  that  shallow  and  occupy- 
ing two  or  three  small  isolated  areas.  The 
vegetation,  however,  is  not  nearly  so  dense  or 
so  varied  as  that  at  Clear  lake. 

Goose  lake,  called  also  Sousley's  lake,  lies 
a  little  over  two  miles  north  of  the  to\\-n  of 
North  Liberty.  It  is  surrounded  by  low 
ground,  and  formerly  included  what  is  now 
called  Little  lake.  The  total  area,  including 
marsh  and  the  surface  of  both  lakes,  is  about 
four  hundred  acres.  Goose  lake  now  has  an 
area  of  forty  or  fifty  acres,  and  Little  lake 
about  thirty  acres.  Goose  lake  is  very  shal- 
low. Little  lake  somewhat  deeper.  The  sur- 
rounding bluffs  are  generally  rather  abrupt 
and  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  high.  There  is  an 
extensive  deposit  of  marl  in  and  about  the 
lakes,  but  it  is  deeply  covered  over  by  muck. 

Ivu{)ers  lake  is  a  small  body  of  water,  lying 
southeast  of  North  Liberty.  It  is  shallow  and 
mostly  surrounded  by  flat  marshy  land,  with 
beds  of  marl  beneath.  Other  small  bodies  of 
water  are  Pleasant  lake  and  Riddle's  lake, 
in  Union  township,  south  of  Lakeville:  Whar- 
ton lake  and  Duck  lake,  in  Greene  township; 
find  Fish  lake,  in  Warren  township. 


CHAPTER  II. 


EARLY   HISTORY. 


I.    MARQUETTE. 

See.  1. — First  Footprints. — The  annals  of 
St.  Joseph  county  reach  further  back  into  the 
shadowy  reahns  of  romance  and  tradition 
than  do  those  of  any  other  county  in  the 
state  of  Indiana.  The  landscape  of  this  coun- 
ty was  the  first  in  Indiana  to  be  looked  upon 
by  the  eye  of  the  white  man,  and  its  soil 
was  the  first  to  receive  the  impression  of  the 
white  man's  foot.  As  in  case  of  many  other 
localities  in  the  state,  it  is  not  a  question  alto- 
gether free  from  doubt  as  to  when  civilized 
man  first  walked  over  our  valleys  and  uplands 
and  gazed  upon  the  sparkling  waters  of  our 
lakes  and  rivers ;  yet,  while  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  the  evidence  is  slight,  neverthe- 
less it  is  the  opinion  of  many  of  the  most 
trustworthy  authorities  that  such  evidence  as 
we  have  is  sufficient  to  show  that  in  the 
month  of  May,  1675,  Father  James  Marquette, 
the  intrepid  Jesuit  missionary  explorer,  dur- 
ing his  last  illness  and  a  little  before  his 
death,  journeyed  up  the  winding  Kankakee 
to  a  point  a  little  below  the  limits  of  the 
present  city  of  South  Bend.  The  tradition 
is  that  his  faithful  Indians  carried  his  frail 
bark  and  guided  his  feeble  footsteps  from  that 
point  along  the  ancient  Portage,  to  the  St. 
Joseph,  then  the  River  of  the  Miamis,  upon 
whose  crystal  waters  he  floated  down  to  Lake 
Michigan.  It  seems  a  benediction  for  all  time 
that  this  saintly  hero  should  thus,  in  his 
last  hours  upon  earth,  have  passed  along  our 
rivers  and  walked  upon  our  soil,  drinking  of 


20 


the  sweet  waters  of  our  valleys  and  breathing 
the  airs  that  we  breathe.  As  he  moved  by 
the  well-worn  trail  across  the  highlands  of 
Portage  Prairie  he  must  have  looked  into  the 
valley  where  the  busy  city  of  South  Bend 
now  flourishes,  and  over  the  w^ooded  plains 
beyond  the  St.  Joseph  where  the  sun-lit 
towers  of  Notre  Dame  and  St.  Marj^'s  appear 
upon  the  distant  landscape.  Father  Marquette 
represented  in  himself  enterprise,  heroism, 
love  of  God  and  a  love  of  human  kind.  Are 
these  high  attributes,  so  strikingly  manifested 
by  our  people  to-day,  the  blessed  heritage  of 
that  far  off  day  ? 

Sec.  2. — Routes  of  Travel. — It  was  by  way 
of  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie  (The  Falls  of  St. 
Mary's  River)  and  the  straits  of  Mackinaw 
that  the  French  reached  the  Northwest  from 
Canada.  In  1641  the  first  Canadian  envoys 
met  the  western  Indians  at  the  Sault.  It  was 
not,  however,  until  1659  that  any  of  the  ad- 
venturous fur  traders  spent  a  winter  on  the 
shores  of  the  northern  lakes,  nor  till  1660 
that  the  devotion  of  the  missionaries,  led  by 
Father  ]\Iesnard,  caused  the  first  station  to 
be  established.  Five  years  later,  in  1665, 
Father  Claude  Allouez  built  the  earliest  of 
the  lasting  habitations  of  the  white  men 
among  the  kindly  and  hospitable  Indians  of 
the  northern  lakes.  In  1668,  came  Fathers 
Claude  Dablon  and  James  Marquette  and 
founded  the  mission  at  the  Sault.  Two  years 
afterwards,  in  1670,  Nicholas  Perrot,  as  agent 
for  Talon,  the  Intendant  of  Canada,  explored 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


21 


Lake  j\Iichig-an«  as  far  as  Chicago;  and  in 
1671  formal  possession  was  taken  of  tlie 
Northwest  by  French  officers  in  the  presence 
of  Indians  assembled  from  the  surrounding 
regions.  In  the  same  year  Marquette  gath- 
ered a  little  flock  of  listeners  at  Point  St. 
Ignace,  on  the  mainland  west  of  Mackinac 
Island.  In  1673,  two  years  after  the  found- 
ing of  the  mission  at  St.  Ignaee,  Marquette, 
with  the  sanction  and  active  aid  of  Talon,  the 
far-seeing  intendant  of  Canada,  began  prep- 
arations for  his  long  contemplated  exploration 
to  the  west  of  Lake  Michigan.  He  wished  to 
establish  missions  for  the  conversion  of  the 
Indians  living  along  the  borders  of  the  gTeat 
river  running  to  the  south,  the  existence  of 
which  was  reported  by  the  Indians  and  which 
was  believed  to  flow  either  into  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  or  into  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  gov- 
ernment sent  Louis  Joliet,  a  merchant  of 
Quebec,  and  five  boatmen  to  accompany  him. 
On  the  13th  of  May,  1673,  the  little  band 
of  seven  left  Michilimackinac  in  two  birch 
bark  canoes.  They  proceeded  across  the  head 
of  Lake  ^Michigan  into  and  through  Green 
Bay  and  thence  up  the  Fox  river  to  an  In- 
dian village  where  Father  Allouez  had 
preached  to  the  Miami,  Mascouten  and  Kick- 
apoo  tribes.  From  this  village  they  crossed 
the  portage  to  the  Wisconsin  river,  down 
which  they  floated  to  the  Mississippi,  which 
was  thus  discovered  June  17th,  1673.^ 

Another  route  to  the  west,  which  was  used 
by  the  Indians  and  by  the  early  explorers, 
was  from  the  stations  at  the  head  of  the 
lakes  down  by  the  west  shore  of  Lake  ]\Iiehi- 
gan  to  the  Chicago  river;  thence  up  that 
river  and  by  the  portage  to  the  Illinois  river, 
and  so  down  to  the  Mississippi.  A  third  route 
was  along  the  eastern  or  western  shore  of 
Lake  ^Michigan  to  the  mouth  of  the  River  of 
the  Miamis,  or  St.  Joseph,  and  up  that  river 
to  the  portage  at  South  Bend;    thence  down 

a.  For  a  time  known  as  Lake  of  the  Illinois, 
from  the  Indians  of  that  name,  and  also  as  the 
Lake  of  the  Dauphin,  in  honor  of  the  heir  to  the 
French  throne. 

b.  Perkins'  Annals  of  the  West,  St.  Louis,  1851. 


the  Kankakee  and  Illinois  to  the  Mississippi. 
It  is  said  that  there  is  a  southern  current 
along  the  west  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  and 
a  northern  current  along  the  east  shore ;  and, 
consequently,  that  the  voyage  down  the  lake 
and  to  the  west  was  usually  taken  by  the 
Chicago  portage,  while  the  return  journey 
from  the  Illinois  country  was  more  often 
taken  by  the  portage  of  the  Kankakee  and 
the  St.  Joseph. 

There  was  also  a  route  to  the  west  by  Lake 
Erie,  the  Maiunee  river  and  the  portage  to 
the  Wabash,  and  so  on  to  the  Ohio  and  the 
Mississippi.  It  is  believed  LaSalle  knew  of 
this  route  in  his  earlier  explorations  of  the 
west,  and  that  he  was  the  discoverer  of  the 
Ohio  and  the  Wabash.  This  :Maumee  route 
was,  however,  for  a  long  time  unsafe  by  rea- 
son of  the  incursions  of  the  Iroquois  from 
TSTew  York.  The  route  was  afterwards  adopted 
as  the  main  highway  of  civilized  commerce  to 
the  Southwest,  the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal 
having  been  constructed  over  the  old  portage. 
The  canal  fell  into  disuse  only  on  tlie  build- 
ing of  our  modern  railroads. 

After  the  discovery  of  the  upper  Missis- 
sippi by  Marquette,  in  1673,  and  his  return 
to  St.  Ignaee,  he  went  again  to  the  Illinois 
Indians,  at  their  urgent  solicitation,  and  es- 
tablished missions  among  them,  where  he 
toiled  until  the  failure  of  his  health,  in  1675. 
He  then  started  on  his  I'cturn  to  the  mission 
at  St.  Ignaee,  near  the  island  of  Mackinac, 
proceeding,  as  it  is  believed,  bv  the  more  easy 
and  direct  way  of  the  Kankakee  and  St.  Jo- 
seph, and  so  passing  through  the  whole  length 
of  our  county,  as  already  related.  After  en- 
tering Lake  ]\Iichigan  on  this  journey,  he  went 
along  the  eastern  shore  of  the  lake  as  far  as 
the  little  river  which  bears  his  name ;  on  the 
banks  of  which,  worn  out  with  his  labore,  he 
died,  May  18,  1675,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight 
years.  Two  years  afterwards  his  affectionate 
Indians  came  down  the  lake  in  a  fleet  of 
canoes  and  reverently  bore  his  body  to  his 
beloved  St.  Ignaee,  where  it  was  finally  laid 
to  rest,  and  where  a  suitable  monument  was 


22 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


erected  to  his  memory  on  the  two  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  discovery  of  the  upper 
Mississippi.  The  state  of  Wisconsin  has 
caused  the  statue  of  Marquette  to  be  placed 
in  the  Capitol  at  Washingrton  as  that  of  one 
of  the  great  men  of  the  West. 

Sec.  3.— Historical  Data. — While,  as  al- 
ready intimated,  the  writers  on  our  early  his- 
tory are  not  in  agreement  on  the  point,  yet 
there  is  good  authority,  as  there  are  also 
satisfactory  reasons,  in  support  of  the  per- 
sistent belief  that  the  great  discoverer  made 
his  last  journey  from  the  west  by  the  ancient 
route  through  our  own  county,  so  well  known 
to  his  devoted  Indian  friends,  and  w^hich  had 
been  used  by  Indian  and  Mound  Builder  for 
hundreds,  perhaps  thousands,  of  years,  in 
their  annual  journeys  between  the  Mississippi 
and  the  lakes.  This  is  the  opinion  of  the 
eminent  historian,  John  Gilmary  Shea,  who 
says  that  on  this  occasion  Marquette  "seems 
to  have  taken  the  way  by  the  St.  Joseph  river 
and  reached  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan."« 

Bishop  Brute  also,  who  in  1834  became  the 
first  bishop  of  Vineennes,  says  in  his  writings, 
as  quoted  by  Henry  S.  Cauthorn,  himself  an 
honored  member  of  an  old  Vineennes  family, 
that  "the  St.  Joseph  portage  was  used  by 
Father  Marquette  long  before  LaSalle  and 
Hennepin  passed  through  that  portage."  The 
saintly  bishop  further  says,  as  also  quoted 
in  ]\Ir.  Cauthorn 's  exceedingly  interesting  his- 
tory of  his  native  city,  that,  very  early  in 
their  missionary  career  in  the  Northwest, 
"Fathers  Marquette  and  Allouez  passed 
through  that  portage  on  their  way  to  the 
Oubasche  country."^  Bishop  Brute  was  a 
native  of  France ;  and  it  is  reasonable  to 
believe  that  during  the  years  while  he  was 

a.  "Discovery  and  exploration  of  the  Mississ- 
ippi Valley."  See  also  "The  St.  Joseph-Kankakee 
Portage,"  by  George  A.  Baker;  and  "La  Salle  in 
the  Valley  of  the  St.  Joseph,"  by  Charles  H. 
Bartlett  and  Richard  H.  Lyon.  And  see  Cowles' 
Hist.  Berrien  County,  Mich.,  1871,  p.  27. 

6.  Hon.  Henry  S.  Cauthorn,  former  speaker  of 
the  Indiana  House  of  Representatives.  History 
of  the  City  of  Vineennes,  p.  63. 


in  charge  of  the  diocese  of  Vineennes  he  be- 
came w^ell  acquainted  wdth   the   old   French 
families    of    the    city    and    the    neighboring 
towns,  and  with  their  histories  and  traditions ; 
and  that  he  also  familiarized  himself  with  the 
records   of  the   missions,   all   of   which   were 
written  in  his  native  language.    From  the  his- 
tory of  Father  Gibault,  the  friend  of  George 
Rogers  Clark,  we  know  that  the  missions  of 
Kaskaskia.   Cahokia  and  other  Illinois  settle- 
ments were  closely  associated  with  the  mission 
at  Vineennes.     Mr.   Cauthorn,  as  quoted  by 
William  H.  English,  tells  us  that  the  same 
missionaries  often  served  at  Kaskaskia  and 
Vineennes;     that    the    church    records    show 
many  intermarriages ;  and  that  there  was  fre- 
quent   intercommunication    between    the    two 
places.*    As  Marquette  w^as  himself  in  charge 
of  those  Illinois  mis.sions  during  the  last  years 
of  his  life,  we  can  well  understand  that  what 
Bishop  Brute  has  told  us  of  the  great  mis- 
sionary and  his  journey  has  in  it  something 
of  the  certainty  of  contemporary  history.   ]\Ir. 
Cauthorn,    former    speaker    of    the    Indiana 
house  of  representatives,  who  was  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  sons  of  the  old  city,  and 
who  gave  years  of  devoted  study  to  her  early 
histor^^,  says  that  "It  is  w^eU  known  that  he 
[^Marquette]   left  the  Jesuit  mission  at  Kas- 
kaskia  a  sick  and  worn   out  man   in   conse- 
quence of  his  labors  and  exposure,  to  return 
to  St.  Ignace,  a  few  days  after  Easter,  1675. 
On  this,  his  final  trip,  he  traveled  by  way  of 
the  St.  Joseph  portage."^     These  statements 
by  Bishop  Brute  and  Heniy  S.  Cauthorn,  who 
had  such  unequaled  opportunities  to  discover 
the   facts   of   our   early   French  history,    are 
entitled  to  the  greatest  respect.     So  also  is 
the  guarded  opinion  expressed  by  John  Gil- 
mary Shea.     AVith  the  exception  of  Francis 
Parkman,  if  indeed  Parkman  be  an  exception, 
there  is  no  historian  who,  from  painstaking 
research,  had  acquired  a  more  intimate  knowl- 
edge of  the  early  history  of  the  northwest,  or 

a.     William  H.  English,  Conquest  of  the  North- 
west, Vol.  1,  pp.   288-292. 

6,     Cauthorn   Hist.   Vineennes,   p.   65. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


28 


who  was  more  careful  in  his  statement  of 
facts,  than  Mr.  Shea.  It  seems,  then,  reason- 
able to  conclude  that  Marquette  crossed  our 
portage  in  1675,  and  that  he  was  therefore 
the  first  white  man  to  visit  the  territory  now 
comprising'  the  county  of  St.  Joseph. 

II.    LA  SALLE. 

Sec.  1. — Preparations.  —  IMarriuette  and 
Joliet  explored  the  Mississippi  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  to  a  point  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Arkansas ;  and  then  returned 
in  their  frail  canoes,  having  become  satisfied 
that  the  great  river  emptied  into  the  gulf  of 
Mexico.  The  report  of  this  achievement  fired 
the  imagination  of  the  people  of  all  Canada, 
and  of  France  itself.  Rene  Robert  Cavelier, 
Sieur  de  La  Salle,  a  native  of  Normandy,  had 
emigrated  to  Canada  from  France,  in  1666. 
In  1669  he  set  out  upon  a  tour  of  western 
exploration,  in  the  course  of  which  he  is  be- 
lieved to  have  discovered  the  Ohio  river  and 
to  liave  followed  its  course  down  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Wabash.  He  now  became  am- 
bitious to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  Marquette 
and  Joliet  and  to  perfect  the  discoveries  so 
well  begun  by  them.  He  went  to  Frontenac, 
then  governor-general  of  Canada,  and  laid 
before  him  his  plan  for  the  establishment  of 
a  French  empire  in  the  west  by  connecting 
Canada  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  by  a  series 
of  posts  and  forts  from  the  great  lakes  down 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi.  The  scheme 
was  worthy  the  mind  of  a  statesman  and  was 
at  once  accepted  by  Frontenac,  who  advised 
La  Salle  to  proceed  to  France  and  obtain  for 
his  pro.ject  the  sanction  and  patronage  of 
Louis  XIV,  then  king,  and  of  Colbert,  his 
minister  of  finance  and  marine.  Colbert  and 
the  king  approved  La  Salle's  plan  of  empire. 
He  was  made  a  chevalier  and  given  command 
of  the  then  frontier  post  of  Fort  Frontenac. 
This  fort,  named  after  the  governor-general, 
was  situated  near  the  east  end  of  Lake  On- 
tario, at  the  head  of  the  St.  Lawrence  river, 
on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Kingston. 
A  fort  had  alreadv  been  built  at  the  locality. 


but  had  fallen  into  neglect.  It  was  to  be  re- 
built by  La  Salle  and  made  the  base  of  his 
operations.  He  returned  from  France  in  high 
spirits  and  labored  until  the  close  of  1677  in 
the  rebuilding  and  strengthening  of  the  fort. 
He  then  went  to  France  again  and  obtained 
additional  favors  and  assistance  from  the  gov- 
ernment. On  September  loth,  1678,  La  Salle, 
with  his  lieutenant,  Henry  de  Tonti,  an  Ital- 
ian, and  thirty  men,  arrived  at  Quebec,  and 
in  a  few  days  proceeded  to  Fort  Frontenac. 
There  he  was  joined  by  Father  Louis  Henne- 
pin, who  was  to  become  the  principal  his- 
torian of  the  proposed  expedition,  and  who 
afterwards,  under  La  Salle's  direction,  be- 
came an  extensive  explorer  and  discoverer 
« 

himself. 

Sec.  2. — On  the  Great  Lakes. — On  No- 
vember 18th,  1678,La  Salle  embarked  in  a  lit- 
tle vessel,  to  cross  Lake  Ontario  from  Fronte- 
nac to  Niagara  Falls.  This  is  said  to  have  been 
the  first  ship  that  sailed  upon  this  inland  sea. 
The  winter  following  and  the  first  part  of  the 
year  1679  was  employed  in  the  fur  trade  with 
the  Indians  and  in  constructing  a  vessel  on 
Niagara  river.  This  vessel  was  named  the 
Griffin  and  was  the  first  to  navigate  the  upper 
lakes.  On  the  7th  of  AugiLst  they  set  sail, 
passed  through  Lake  Erie,  by  the  straits.  Lake 
St.  Clair  and  Lake  Huron,  to  ]\Iichilimaek- 
inac,  where  they  arrived  on  the  27th  of  tlie 
month.  A  fort  was  constructed  at  this  point, 
and  La  Salle  went  with  the  Griffin  to  Green 
Bay  for  a  load  of  pelts  gathered  there  for 
him  by  the  Indians.  The  vassel  was  sent  back 
to  Niagara  with  her  precious  cargo,  and  with 
instructions  to  exchange  the  furs  for  supplies 
needed  for  the  expedition. 

While  waiting  for  the  return  of  the  Griffin 
La  Salle  and  his  party  made  preparations  to 
proceed  to  the  south  end  of  the  lake  where 
he  i)roposed  to  erect  a  fort  and  fix  permanent 
headquarters.  The  canoes  were  divided  into 
two  fleets,  one  of  which  started  ahead  under 
La  Salle  himself,  while  the  other  was  to  follow 
under  command  of  Tonti.  The  meeting  place 
was  to  be  at  the  mouth  of  the  River  of  the 


24 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Miamis,  afterwards  named  the  St.  Joseph. 
Here,  after  establishing  a  strong  post  to  se- 
cure the  future  safety  of  the  enterprise,  they 
would  await  the  coming  of  the  Griffin.  La 
Salle,  coasting  the  western  and  southern 
shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  arrived  at  the  river 
on  November  1,  1679 ;  and  during  that  month 
built  his  fort  on  a  high  point  between  the 
lake  and  the  river,  where  the  city  of  St. 
Joseph  now  stands.  He  nained  the  post  Fort 
Miamis.  Tonti,  coming  by  the  eastern  shore 
of  the  lake,  arrived  towards  the  end  of  the 
month." 

Sec.  3. — The  Portage  of  the  St.  Joseph. 
— That  La  Salle  should  have  selected  the  route 
by  the  St.  Joseph  for  his  first  memorable 
expedition  to  the  west,  makes  it  evident  that 
this  route,  and  the  portage  by  the  Kankakee, 
were,  even  then,  wtII  known  to  the  French 
missionaries  and  explorers.  If  Marquette,  but 
a  little  more  than  three  years  previous,  had 
chosen  the  same  route  on  his  last  journey 
from  the  Mississippi,  it  is  not  hard  to  under- 
stand that  La  Salle  should  have  followed  his 
example.  The  building  of  the  fort,  even  be- 
fore sailing  up  the  river,  is  proof  of  La  Salle 's 
confidence  in  the  feasibility  of  reaching  the 
Mississippi  in  this  way.  He  must  have  had 
full  and  accurate  knowledge  of  the  St.  Joseph 
and  the  Kankakee  and  of  the  portage  connect- 
ing them.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Mar- 
quette, who  had  a  genius  for  geographical 
investigation  and  who  had  passed  the  last 
years  of  his  life  in  the  missions  to  the  Illinois 
Indians,  was  familiar  with  all  the  routes  from 

a.  The  point  where  La  Salle  built  his  fort  at 
the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  is  one  of  the 
rare  historic  spots  in  the  United  States.  This 
point  is  on  the  lake  bluff,  at  the  junction  of  a  deep 
ravine,  seventy  or  eighty  rods  southwesterly  from 
the  present  bank  of  the  river.  In  1902  the  Daugh- 
ters of  the  American  Revolution  marked  the  place 
with  a  gneiss  boulder  set  upon  a  granite  foun- 
dation. On  a  bronze  plate,  inserted  in  the  face 
of  the  boulder,  is  the  following  legend:  "This 
glacial  boulder,  found  in  the  bed  of  the  Saint 
Joseph  river,  was  erected,  in  1902,  by  the  Algon- 
quin Chapter,  Daughters-American  Revolution,  to 
commemorate  the  landing  of  Rene  Robert  Cavelier 
Sieur  de  La  Salle,  and  building  on  this  point  Fort 
Miamis,  1679." 


the  lakes  to  the  Mississippi,  including  this  by 
the  St.  Joseph-Kankakee  portage.  It  was  the 
discoveries  of  jNIarquette  that  fired  the  ambi- 
tion of  La  Salle.  The  missionary,  on  his  first 
voyage  to  the  west,  had  piloted  the  way  down 
the  Mississippi ;  and  now,  on  his  last  voyage 
from  the  west,  we  may  well  believe,  he  piloted 
the  way  up  the  Illinois  and  Kankakee,  across 
the  portage  and  down  the  St.  Joseph.  It  is 
not  a  little  remarkable  that  on  this  first  effort 
to  reach  the  great  river  La  Salle,  with  his  fleet 
of  frail  canoes,  should  have  crossed  from 
j\Iichilimackinac  to  the  west  coast  of  Lake 
Michigan,  passed  the  Green  Bay  route,  which 
]\Iarquette  had  first  followed,  passed  the  Chi- 
cago river  route,  by  which  JNIarquette  had 
returned  from  his  first  trip,  should  have 
coasted  the  southern  extremity  of  the  lake, 
and  even  turned  north  again  on  the  east  coast, 
until  he  reached  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river.  He  did  not  take  this  long  trip  around 
the  lake  without  cause.  If,  however,  he  be- 
lieved there  was  a  southern  current  on  the 
west  coast  and  a  northern  current  on  the 
east  coast ;  and,  particularly,  if  he  had  in- 
formation that  ]\Iarquette 's  last  and  easiest 
journey  was  by  the  St.  Joseph-Kankakee  port- 
age, the  reasons  for  his  choice  of  route  are 
perfectly  clear.  Marquette's  fame  and  his 
pathetic  death  were  fresh  in  the  minds  of  his 
religious  brethren  at  the  northern  end  of  the 
lake;  and  also  in  the  minds  of  those  Indians 
who  had  journeyed  with  him  in  his  last  ill- 
ness and  those  others  who  had  even  more 
recently  sought  out  his  grave  and  removed 
the  revered  body  to  St.  Ignace.  All  these 
Indians  were  known  to  La  Salle;  and  from 
them  he  certainly  knew  all  the  particulars 
concerning  the  whole  history,  and  particular- 
ly the  last  journey,  of  his  illustrious  prede- 
ceasor.  Going  up  the  St.  Joseph,  therefore, 
we  may  well  conclude.  La  Salle  was  but  re- 
tracing the  route  so  lately  taken  down  the 
river  by  Marquette. 

It  was  on  December  3rd,  1679,  that  the 
eventful  voyage  up  the  river  was  begun  by 
La  Salle  and  his  party,  leaving  a  small  garri- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


25 


son  to  defend  the  fort  and  to  await  the  return 
of  the  Griffin.  The  boat,  however,  did  not 
return,  nor  was  it  ever  heard  of  again.  The 
loss  of  his  ship  and  supplies  was  a  severe 
blow  to  the  hopes  of  La  Salle,  and  interfered 
greatly  with  the  success  of  his  plans.  But 
he  never  knew  discouragement.  The  fleet  up 
the  river  consisted  of  eight  canoes,  with  La 
Salle  in  command.  His  lieutenant  was  Tonti, 
who  had  served  in  the  French  army,  where 
he  had  lost  one  of  his  hands.  He  was  a  son 
of  the  distinguished  financier  who  gave  his 
name  to  the  tontine  system  of  life  insurance. 
Father  Louis  Hennepin  was  also  with  the 
party,  as  likewise  were  Fathers  Gabriel  de  la 
Ribourde  and  Zenobe  Membre.  As  guide  La 
Salle  had  brought  with  him  a  Mohegan 
Indian  named  Nika,  or  the  White  Beaver,  a 
most  faithful  follower.  There  were  about 
thirty  men  in  addition.* 


SCENE   ON   ST.   JOSEPH   RIVER  BELOW 
LA  SALLE  LANDING. 

% 

The  beautiful  St.  Joseph,  as  we  know  it,  was 
called  by  La  Salle  the  river  of  the  Miamis, 
from  the  great  Indian  tribe  which  then  occu- 
pied its  banks.  The  party  expected  to  reach 
the  portage  from  this  river  to  the  The-a-ki-ki 
(from    theak,    a    wolf),  a    name    insensibly 

a.  "The  St.  Joseph-Kankakee  Portage,"  the 
valuable  paper  already  referred  to,  read  before 
the  Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society  by  its 
secretary,  George  A.  Baker. 


changed  to  Kankakee.  This  portage  was 
known  to  be  seventy  or  seventy -five  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  the  river  of  the  Miamis;  but  it 
was  passed  without  discovery  by  the  fleet  of 
canoes.  The  Mohegan  guide  had  left  the 
boats  to  hunt  for  game  along  the  banks; 
and  without  his  aid  it  was  not  easy  to  discover 
the  old  passageway  up  the  high  banks  under 
the  trees,  particularly  when  covered  with  new 
fallen  snow.  The  point  where  the  trail  starts 
from  the  river  is  at  a  sharp  bend  of  the  stream 
to  the  west,  about  two  miles  below  the  present 
limits  of  the  city  of  South  Bend  and  within 
the  boundaries  of  River  View  Cemetery. 

In  Parkman's  "Discovery  of  the  Great 
West,"  the  missing  of  the  portage  and  the 
incidents  which  resulted  from  that  accident 
are  referred  to  as  follows:  "When  they  ap- 
proached the  site  of  the  present  village  of 
South  Bend,  they  looked  anxiously  along  the 
shore  on  their  right  to  find  the  portage  or 
path  leading  to  the  headquarters  of  the  Illi- 
nois. The  Mohegan  was  absent,  luuiting,  and, 
unaided  by  his  practiced  eye,  they  passed  the 
path  without  seeing  it.  La  Salle  landed  to 
search  the  woods.  Hours  passed,  and  he  did 
not  return.  Hennepin  and  Tonti  grew  un- 
easy, disembarked,  bivouacked,  ordered  guns 
to  be  fired,  and  sent  out  men  to  scout  the 
country.  Night  came,  but  not  their  lost 
leader.  Muffled  in  their  blankets  and  pow- 
dered by  the  thick  falling  snow-flakes,  they 
sat  ruefully  speculating  as  to  what  had  be- 
fallen him;  nor  was  it  until  four  o'clock  of 
the  next  afternoon  that  they  saw  him  ap- 
proaching along  the  margin  of  the  river.  His 
face  and  hands  were  besmirched  with  charcoal ; 
and  he  was  further  decorated  with  two  opos- 
sums, which  hung  from  his  belt,  and  which  he 
had  killed  with  a  stick  as  they  were  swinging 
head  downwards  from  the  bough  of  a  tree, 
after  the  fashion  of  that  singular  animal.  He 
had  missed  his  way  in  the  forest,  and  had  been 
forced  to  make  a  wide  circuit  around  the 
edge  of  a  swamp,  while  the  snow,  of  which 
the  air  was  full,  added  to  his  perplexities. 
Thus  he  pushed  on  through  the  rest  of  the 


26 


PIISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


day  and  the  greater  part  of  the  night,  till 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  reached 
the  river  again  and  fired  his  gun  as  a  signal 
to  his  party.  Hearing  no  answering  shot,  he 
pursued  his  way  along  the  bank,  when  he  pres- 
ently saw  the  gleam  of  a  fire  among  the  dense 
thickets  close  at  hand.  Not  doubting  that  he 
had  found  the  bivouac  of  his  party,  he 
hastened  to  the  spot.  To  his  surprise  no 
human  being  w^as  to  be  seen.  Under  a  tree 
beside  the  fire  was  a  heap  of  dry  grass  im- 
pressed with  the  form  of  a  man  who  must 
have  fled  but  a  moment  before,  for  his  couch 
was  still  warm.  ...  La  Salle  called 
out  in  several  Indian  languages;  but  there 
was  dead  silence  all  around.  He  then,  with 
admirable  coolness,  took  possession  of  the 
quarters  he  had  found,  shouting  to  their  in- 
visible proprietor  that  he  was  about  to  sleep 
in  his  bed ;  piled  a  barricade  of  bushes  around 
the  spot,  rekindled  the  dying  fire,  w^armed  his 
benumbed  hands,  stretched  himself  on  the 
dried  grass  and  slept  undisturbed  till  morn- 


ing. 


Father  Louis  Hennepin  has  left  us  a  detailed 
account  of  this  interesting  incident,  as  also 
some  observations  on  the  journey  up  the  St. 
Joseph,  across*  the  portage  and  down  the  Kan- 
kakee*: "We  embarked,"  says  his  narrative, 
"on  the  3rd  of  December  with  thirty  men  in 
eight  canoes  and  ascended  the  river  of  the 
Miamis,  taking  our  course  to  the  southeast 
for  about  twenty-five  leagues.^  We  could  not 
make  out  the  portage  which  we  were  to  take 
with  our  canoes  and  all  our  equipage  in  order 
to  go  and  embark  at  the  source  of  the  river, 
The-a-ki-ki,''  and  as  we  had  gone  higher  up  in 
a  canoe  without  discovering  the  place  where  we 

a.  "Description  de  la  Louisiane."  Translation 
by  Dr.  John  Gilmary  Shea. 

h.  The  French  league  was  about  three  miles. 
Charlevoix  estimates  the  distance  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river  to  Fort  St.  Joseph,  near  Niles,  at 
twenty  leagues,  sixty  miles,  which  is  very  nearly 
correct;  making  the  distance  by  the  river  from 
South  Bend  to  Lake  Michigan  between  seventy 
and  seventy-five  miles. 

c.  The  Kankakee,  which,  together  with  the 
Illinois,  was  called  by  La  Salle  the  Seignelay,  in 
honor  of  the  son  of  the  great  Colbert. 


were  to  march  by  land  to  take  the  other  river 
which  runs  by  the  Illinois,  we  halted  to  wait 
for  the  Sieur  de  La  Salle,  who  had  gone  ex- 
ploring on  land,  and  as  he  did  not  return  we 
did  not  know  what  course  to  pursue.    I  begged 
two  of  our  most  alert  men  to  penetrate  into 
the  woods  and  fire  off  their  guns,  so  as  to 
give  him  notice  of  the  spot  where  we  were 
waiting  for  him.     Two  others  ascended  the 
river,  but  to  no  purpose,  for  the  night  obliged 
them  to  retrace  their  steps.     The  next  day  I 
took  two  of  our  men  in  a  lightened  canoe, 
to  make  greater  expedition,  and  to  seek  him 
by  ascending  the  river,  but  in  vain;  and  at 
four   o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  perceived 
him  at   a  distance;  his  hands  and  face   all 
black  wdth  the  coals  and  wood  that  he  had 
lighted  during  the  night,  which  was  cold.    He 
had  two   animals'^   of  the   size   of   muskrats 
hanging  to  his  belt,  which  had  a  very  beauti- 
ful skin,  like  a  kind  of  ermine,  which  he  killed 
with  blow^s  of  a  stick  without  these  little  ani- 
mals taking  flight,  and  which  often  let  them- 
selves hang  by  the  tail  from  branches  of  trees ; 
and   as  they  were  very  fat  our  canoe  men 
feasted  on  them.    He  told  us  that  the  marshes 
that  he  met  with  obliged  him  to  make  a  wide 
sweep,  and  as  moreover  he  was  hindered  by 
the  snow,  which  was  falling  rapidly,  he  was 
unable  to  reach  the  bank  of  the  river  before 
two  o'clock  at  night.    He  fired  two  gun-shots 
to   notify   us,   and   no   one  having   answered 
him,  he  thought  the  canoes  had  gone  ahead 
of  him,  and  kept  on  his  way  along  and  up 
the^river.     After  marching  in  this  way  more 
than  three  hours  he  saw  fire  on  a  mound, 
which  he  ascended  brusquely,  and  after  calling 
two  or  three  times ;   but  instead  of  finding  us 
asleep,  as  he  expected,  he  saw  only  a  little 
fire   among   some   brush,   and   under   an    oak 
tree  the  spot  where   a  man   had  been   lying 
down  on  some  dry  herbs,  and  who  had  appar- 
ently gone  off  at  the  noise  which  he  had  heard. 
It  was  some  Indian.    .    .    .    He  called  to  him 
in  two  or  three  languages,  and  at  last,  to  show 
him  that  he  did  not  fear  him.  he  cried  that  he 
a.     Opossums. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


27 


was  going  to  sleep  in  his  place.  He  renewed 
the  fire,  and.  after  warming  himself  well,  he 
took  steps  to  guarantee  himself  against  sur- 
prise by  cutting  down  around  him  a  quantity 
of  bushes,  which,  falling  across  those  that  re- 
mained standing,  blocked  the  way  so  that  no 
one  could  approach  him  without  making  con- 
siderable noise  and  awakening  him.  He  then 
extinguished  his  fire  and  slept,  although  it 
snowed  all  night.  Father  Gabriel  and  I 
begged  the  Sieur  de  La  Salle  not  to  leave  his 
party  as  he  had  done,  showing  him  that  the 
whole  success  of  our  voyage  depended  on  his 
presence.  Our  Indian  had  remained  behind 
to  hunt,  and  not  finding  us  at  the  portage  he 
went  higher  up  and  came  to  tell  us  that  we 
would  have  to  descend  the  river.  All  our 
canoes  were  sent  with  him,  and  I  remained 
with  Sieur  de  La  Salle,  w^ho  was  very  much 
fatigued,  and  as  our  cabin  was  composed  only 
of  flag-mats,  it  took  fire  and  would  have  burnt 
us  had  I  not  promptly  thrown  off  the  mats, 
which  served  as  a  door  to  our  little  quarters, 
and  which  was  all  in  flames.  We  joined  our 
party  the  next  day  at  the  portage,  where 
Father  Gabriel  had  made  several  crosses 
(blazes)  on  the  trees  that  we  might  recognize 
it.  We  found  there  a  number  of  buffalo 
horns  and  the  carcasses  of  those  animals,  and 
some  canoes  that  the  Indians  had  made  of 
buffalo  skin  to  cross  the  river  with  their  load 
of  meat.  This  place  is  situated  on  the  edge 
of  a  great  plain,"  at  the  ejftremity  of  which, 
on  the  western  side,  is  a  village  of  Miamis, 
Mascoutens  and  Ouiaton  (Weas)  gathered  to- 
gether.^ The  river  Seignelay  (Kankakee), 
which  flows  to  the  Illinois,  rises  in  a  plain  in 
the  midst  of  much  boggy  land,  over  which  it 
is  not  easy  to  waUc.  This  river  is  only  a  league 
and  a  half  distant  from  that  of  the  Miamis, 
and  thus  we  transported  all  our  equipage  and 
our  canoes  by  a  road  which  we  marked  for 
the  benefit  of  thase  who  might  come  after  us, 

a.  Portage   Prairie. 

b.  This  village  was  located  on  the  prairie  at 
and  about  the  high  ground  now  known  as  Mount 
Pleasant.     See  note  on  p.  28,  following. 


after  leaving  at.  the  portage  of  the  Miamis 
river,  as  well  as  at  the  fort  which  we  had 
built  at  its  mouth,  letters,  which  were  hung 
on  the  trees  at  the  pass  to  serve  as  a  guide  to 
them  who  were  to  come  and  join  us  by  the 
barque,"  to  the  number  of  twenty-five.  The 
river  Seignelay  is  navigable  for  canoes  to 
within  a  hundred  paces  of  its  source,  and  it 
increases  to  such  an  extent  in  a  short  time 
that  it  is  almost  as  broad  and  deeper  than  the 
Marne.  It  takes  its  course  through  vast 
marshes,  where  it  winds  about  so,  though  its 
current  is  pretty  strong,  that  after  sailing  on 
it  for  a  whole  day  we  sometimes  found  that 
we  had  not  advanced  more  than  two  leagues 
in  a  straight  line.  As  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  marshes  full 
of  flags  and  alders.  For  more  than  forty 
leagues  of  the  way  we  could  not  have  found 
a  camping  ground,  except  for  some  hummocks 
of  frozen  earth  upon  which  we  slept  and  lit 
our  fire.  "^ 

Sec.  4. — At  the  Village  op  the  jMlvmis. — 
La  Salle  continued  his  voyage  down  the  Kan- 
kakee and  Illinois,  past  the  great  village  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  opposite  Starved 
Rock,  until,  on  January  4,  1680,  he  reached 
a  point  on  the  Illinois,  near  the  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Peoria,  where  on  a  bluflf  or 
rising  ground  he  erected  a  fort.  Owing  to 
anxiety  for  the  loss  of  the  Griffin  and  the  des- 
perate straits  to  which  he  w.is  tliereby' re- 
duced, he  named  the  fort  Crevecieur  (Broken 
Heart).  The  winter  wore  away,  and  with 
discontent  among  his  followei-s  aiul  danger 
from  the  Iroquois  of  New  Yoi'k.  who  were 
constantly  threatening  war  upon  the  friendly 
Illinois,  La  Salle  found  it  necessary  to  return 
to  Canada  for  additional  lu'lp.  lie  sent 
Father  Hennepin  with  a  small  \y.\v\y  In  ex- 
plore the  upper  Mississippi,  placed  Toiiti  in 
charge  of  the  little  garrison  of  Crevecffiur; 
and,  on  the  first  of  March,  1680,  started  on 

a.  The  barque  was  the  Griffin,  for  whose  safety 
La  Salle  still  had  hopes. 

h.  See  also  Thompson's  Stories  of  Tndinna.  pp. 
35-37. 


28 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


foot  on  his  journey  of  twelve  hundred  miles, 
taking  with  him  three  companions,  including 
the  faithful  Mohegan.  After  reaching  Can- 
ada he  found,  as  he  had  expected,  everything 
in  confusion;  the  Griffin  was  lost;  his  agents 
had  cheated  him,  and  his  creditors  had  seized 
upon  his  goods.  But  La  Salle  knew  neither 
fear  nor  despair,  and  by  midsummer  he  was 
on  his  way  to  rejoin  the  little  band  on  the 
Illinois.  His  ill  fortune,  however,  was  not 
ended.  On  arriving  at  his  posts  he  found 
them  deserted.  The  Iroquois  had  come  all 
the  way  from  New  York  to  harass  the  friendly 
Indians  of  the  prairies;  and  Tonti  and  his 
few  followers  had  with  difficulty  escaped 
north  tow^ard  the  lakes.  Bitterly  disappointed, 
but  Avith  hopes  not  yet  extinguished,  the  he- 
roic La  Salle,  in  January,  1681,  was  com- 
pelled to  return  to  Fort  Miamis,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  Joseph.f^ 

"There  was,"  says  Mr.  Dunn,  in  his  his- 
tory of  Indiana,''  "something  almost  touch- 
ing the  supernatural  in  the  courage  and  reso- 
lution of  La  Salle.  At  that  rude  fort  on  the 
bank  of  the  St.  Joseph,  in  the  discomforts  of 
a  severe  winter,  hundreds  of  miles  from  the 
French  settlements,  his  faithful  Tonti  carried 
captive,  killed,  or  a  fugitive,  he  knew  not 
which,  his  remaining  comrades  disheartened, 
his  colony  swept  from  the  face  of  the  earth, 
his  credit  shattered,  his  means  dissipated  by 
disasters  of  flood  and  field,  this  man  calmly 
reconstructed  his  plans  and  prepared  to  re- 
new his  enterprise  on  a  more  extended  basis 
than  before.  He  determined  to  refound  his 
colony  on  the  Illinois,  and  surround  it  with 
a  confederation  of  the  northwestern  tribas 
that  would  be  strong  enough  to  repel  any 
army  the  Iroquois  could  bring  against  it.  His 
first  converts  were  the  warriors  of  a  little 
band  of  Abenakis  and  Mohegans,  driven  from 
their  New  England  homes  in  ihe  border  wars 
of  the  English  colonists.     These  refugees  had 

a.    Perkins'  Annals  of  the  West. 

h.  "Indiana,  A  Redemption  from  Slavery," 
Jacob  P.  Dunn,  Jr.,  Sec'y  Indiana  Historical  So- 
ciety, pp.  26-28. 


found  no  resting  place  till  they  reached  the 
clear  Avaters  of  the  St.  Joseph.  They  gladly 
allied  themselves  to  the  white  chief  who  prom- 
ised to  interpose  the  strong  arm  of  the  French 
king  for  their  protection.  Scarcely  were  they 
won  when  a  Shawnee  chief,  from  a  village  on 
the  Ohio,  appeared  and  asked  protection  from 
the  Iroquois.  La  Salle  with  easy  confidence 
promised  what  was  asked:  'The  Chaonan- 
ous^'  are  too  distant ;  but  let  them  come  to  me 
at  the  Illinois  and  they  shall  be  safe.'  The 
chief  promised  to  join  him  in  the  succeeding 
autumn,  and  kept  his  word. 

' '  As  soon  as  the  weather  began  to  moderate 
La  Salle  started  west  on  foot,  wdth  twenty 
men,  to  seek  communication  with  the  Illinois, 
who  were  necessary  factors  in  his  plan.     The 
first   Indians  found  were  some   Outagamies, 
from  whom  he  received  the  glad  tidings  that 
Tonti  was  safe  with  the  Pottawatomies  near 
Green  Bay.     Soon  after  they  found  a  band 
of  Illinois,  to  whom  La  Salle,  after  making 
presents    and    lamenting    their    misfortunes, 
submitted  his  plan.    They  heard  him  with  sat- 
isfaction, and  departed  to  carry  the  proposal 
to  the  remainder  of  the  tribe.     Membre  says 
that  La  Salle  visited  other  tribes  at  this  time, 
but  he  does  not  name  them.    His  journey  was 
not  long,  for  early  in  the  spring  he  was  at 
Fort  Miamis,  and,  taking  with  him  ten  men, 
went  from  there  up  the  river  to  the  Miamis, 
at  the  village  above  the  portage.^     It  was  a 
propitious  season  for  approaching  them.     In 
the  late  conflict  they  had  remained  neutral, 
but  they  were  now  beginning  to  realize  that 
the  intentions  of  the  Iroquois  towards  them 
were  none  of  the  best.    They  had  murdered  a 
band  of  Miamis  the  preceding  summer,  and 
not  only  had  refused  to  make  reparation,  but 
also  had  stationed  parties  of  warriors  in  the 

a.     The  Shawnees. 

h.  This  great  Village  of  the  Miamis  was  located 
at  and  about  Mount  Pleasant,  west  of  the  site  of 
South  Bend.  The  territory  covered,  as  near  as 
can  be  determined,  extended  along  the  St.  Joseph 
about  two  miles,  from  the  Portage  to  Mosquito 
Glen,  and  west  to  Chain  Lakes  and  the  confines  of 
the  Kankakee.  The  visit  of  La  Salle  was  made  in 
May,  1681. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


29 


Miami  country,  who  assumed  the  air  of  con- 
querors and  held  up  to  contempt  the  power  of 
the  French.  La  Salle  found  one  of  these  bands 
of  Iroquois  at  the  village.  He  at  once  con- 
fronted them,  threatened  them  with  punish- 
ment for  their  attack  on  Tonti,  and  chal- 
lenged them  to  repeat  in  his  presence  their 
insults  to  the  French.  The  Iroquois  had  not 
forgotten  the  former  commander  of  Fort 
Frontenac,  and  in  his  presence  their  courage 
oozed  away.  During  the  following  night, 
much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  Miamis,  they 
stealthily  left  the  village.  With  so  much  of 
prestige,  and  by  the  aid  of  a  band  of  refugee 
Indians  from  the  east  who  were  wintering  at 
the  point  and  who  at  once  made  alliance  with 
La  Salle,  the  JNIiamis  were  easily  won.  On  the 
second  day  after  the  flight  of  the  Iroquois 
they  declared  their  determination  to  become 
brothers  of  the  Illinois  and  children  of  the 
French  king,  and  celebrated  the  new  order  of 
things  with  feasting  and  dances." 

The  scene  of  this  treaty  with  the  Miamis,  in 
their  famous  village  at  Mount  Pleasant  on 
Portage  Prairie,  one  of  the  most  important 
events  in  the  history  of  St.  Joseph  county,  is 
thus  graphically  described  in  "La  Salle  in 
the  Valley  of  the  St.  Joseph,"  by  Charles  H. 
Bartlett  and  Richard  H.  Lyon : 

"To  check  the  Iroquois  and  to  provide  for 
the  common  defense  of  the  native  inhabitants, 
La  Salle  sought  to  form  a  coalition  of  all  the 
western  tribes  and  to  move  the  principal 
bands  to  the  vicinity  of  Starved  Rock,«  on  the 
Illinois  river.  He  had  matured  such  a  plan 
while  spending  the  winter  at  his  stronghold. 
Fort  Miamis,  at  the  mouth  of  our  St.  Joseph 
river.  He  had  retreated  to  this  place  for  safety 
after  having  witnessed  the  desolation  of  the 
Illinois  town.  He  found  the  various  tribes 
favorable  to  such  a  plan  of  defense  against 
the  enemy  from  the  east;  but  its  permanent 
success  could  not  be  assured  until  he  had  won 

a.  "Fort  St.  Louis  was  located  on  what  was 
then  called  Le  Rocher,  now  Starved  Rock,  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Illinois  river,  opposite  the  town 
of  Utica."     Dunn's  History  of  Indiana,  p.  32. 


the  powerful  Miamis  to  the  support  of  the 
cause.  The  Iroquois,  however,  were  subtle 
enough  to  discover  what  was  going  on  and, 
anticipating  the  movements  of  the  French, 
they  laid  siege  to  the  hearts  of  the  JNIiamis 
with  such  success  as  to  strongly  incline  them 
toward  the  English.  At  this  critical  moment, 
La  Salle,  with  ten  companions,  visited  the 
town  of  the  Miamis  on  our  Portage  Prairie 
and  in  the  Chain  Lakes  region,  and  invited 
these  Indians  to  a  council.  They  consented  to 
hear  what  La  Salle  might  have  to  say.  They 
would  hold  a  council  at  the  lodge  of  their 
head  chief  on  a  certain  day  and  when  the  sun 
stood  at  a  certain  height  in  the  heavens. 

"This  chief  was  a  very  remarkable  man. 
Both  the  Jesuit  missionary.  Father  Dablon, 
and  also  Nicholas  Perrot,  the  most  famous  of 
all  voyageurs,  have  left  tributes  to  his  mem- 
ory. They  represent  him  a.s  kind-hearted  and 
gentlemanly  and  possessing  great  intellectual 
penetration.  So  just  and  wise  was  he  that  he 
was  held  in  great  esteem,  even  among  other 
tribes  more  or  less  hostile  to  the  Miamis,  as 
was  shown  in  the  delegations  which  such  tribes 
were  constantly  sending  to  consult  this  wilder- 
ness law-giver  concerning  their  own  affairs. 
Father  Dablon  says  that  he  was  a  savage  only 
in  name.  Yet  this  priest  was  probably  the 
first  white  man  that  the  chief  had  seen.  When 
the  hour  for  the  council  arrived  some  of  the 
mats  were  lifted  from  the  lodge  of  this  head 
chief  and  the  tent  poles  moved  to  one  side,  so 
that  the  people  might  see  the  council  and 
might  hear  the  discourse  nnd  imderstaiid  the 
nature  of  the  transactions  that  were  going 
forward.  The  prominent  warriors  of  Ihe  tribe 
were  arranged  in  a  semi-circle  on  either  side 
of  their  great  leader,  and  before  them  stood 
La  Salle  with  his  companions  around  him. 

"The  scene  was  one  well  worthy  the  brush  of 
some  great  artist.  The  little  prairie  over  whicli 
their  glances  swept  from  time  to  liiiH".  .iikI 
through  which  the  portage  path  Hk'Ii  ran.  is 
spoken  of  by  the  early  traveler  as  a  place  of 
oreat  beauty.     Its  eastern  margin  reaches  in 


30 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


one  spot  almost  to  the  landing  on  the  St. 
Joseph,  where  the  Frenchmen  had  drawn 
their  canoes  out  of  the  water,  and  after  rising 
by  gentle  swells  to  the  high  point  where  these 
lodges  of  the  Miamis  then  stood,  the  plain 
sinks  gradually  to  the  west.  .  .  .  From 
the  elevated  spot  at  the  center,  the  vision 
easily  includes  many  miles  along  the  charm- 
ing valley  of  the  St.  Joseph  on  the  east,  the 
tract  where  South  Bend  now  stands.     In  that 


LA  SALLE. 

day,  sylvan  avenues  replaced  our  streets  and 
gigantic  forest  trees  our  dwellings,  trees  that 
stood  far  apart  and  lifted  their  lowermost 
branches  thirty  to  forty  feet  from  the  ground. 
Beneath,  no  undergrowth  was  allowed  to  sur- 
vive, but  everywhere  was  spread  a  soft,  thick 
turf,  W'hile  here  and  there  in  the  park-like 
vistas  could  be  seen  the  antlered  buck  or  the 
does  with  their  fa^ois. 

' '  But  when  those  who  had  assembled  for  this 
council  turned  their  eyes  to  the  south  and  the 
west,  they  beheld  the  great  fens  and  marshes 
of  the  Kankakee  land  sweeping  far  away  with 
the  river's  onward  course  to  the  plains  of  Illi- 
nois and  the  Mississippi.  Glistening  pools 
everywhere  dotted  this  vast  area,  pools  that 
were  the  homes  of  countless  millions  of  water- 
fowls. Flocks  of  plover  and  snipe  swept 
around  the  borders  of  the  marsh  land,  while 


the  cranes  stood  in  a  row  in  the  shallow  water, 
or  rising  on  slow  and  ponderous  pinions,  tiled 
off  in  a  never  varying  line  toward  the  sky's 
silver  edge.  A  veritable  cloud  of  ducks  and 
geese  and  swans,  coming  in  from  the  swift 
cold  waters  of  the  St.  Joseph,  fell  into  the 
silent  pools  with  splash  and  clamor  and  con- 
fusion of  buffeting  wings.  The  unaccustomed 
eye  of  the  guest  in  this  Indian  encampment 
must  have  given  more  than  a  passing  glance 
to  this  endless  whirl  of  happy  life  that  flut- 
tered over  the  marshes.  But  the  red  skinned 
host  fixed  his  gaze  not  on  the  water  fowls,  not 
on  the  hundreds  of  hawks  that  patrolled  the 
vast  fields  of  wild  rice,  but  upon  the  great  war 
eagles  that  rose  on  slanting  pinions,  'climb- 
ing their  airy  spirals  to  the  clouds.'  Happy 
the  Indian  whose  brave  deeds  were  such  that 
his  tribe  would  allow  him  to  fasten  to  his  hair 
the  plumes  of  the  war  eagle.  Each  feather  is 
an  historical  record.  The  first  one  stands  for 
the  brave  act  in  which  this  hero  overcame  his 
people 's  foe  at  the  ford  near  the  portage  land- 
ing. The  next  marks  the  time  when  he  re- 
pulsed the  Kickapoos  that  lay  in  the  tall 
grasses  along  the  Kankakee  to  ambush  a 
]\Iiami  hiuiter.  And  this  third  feather  stands 
for  the  victory  which  he  won  when  the  young 
men  of  his  tribe  contended  with  the  Ottawas 
on  this  very  prairie  in  the  famous  ball  play. 
But  concerns  more  important  than  the  birds 
of  the  air  filled  the  mind  of  La  Salle  as  he 
turned  to  meet  the  glance  of  those  flashing 
eyes  that  alone  gave  aniination  to  the  dark 
and  rigid  features  of  those  men  of  the  wilder- 
ness. One  can  picture  in  his  fancy  the  stal- 
wart explorer,  with  pentrating  eye,  flowing 
hair  and  bronzed,  stern  visage,  standing  fear- 
less and  self-reliant  and  drawing  to  himself 
the  unflinching  gaze  of  those  solemn  auditors.. 
La  Salle,  at  the  height  of  his  strong  manhood, 
was  then  thirty-seven  .years  of  age  and  in  per- 
fect health.  He  was  of  powerful  mold,  but 
there  was  nothing  of  the  braggart ;  yet,  when 
it  became  necessary,  he  displayed  both  his 
physical    strength     and     his    mental     force. 


Neither    affrighted    bv 


goblins,   nor 


HISTORY    OP    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


31 


awed  by  threats,  he  was,  withal,  a  cultivated 
and  refined  gentleman,  and  could  shine  in  the 
palace  of  a  king  as  well  as  in  this  red  man's 
wigwam.  The  listening  warriors  w^ere  quickly 
moved  by  his  eloquence,  for  La  Salle  was 
deeply  skilled  in  the  forensic  arts  as  they 
held  sway  at  that  time  in  the  American 
forest.     .     .     . 

"We  are  sorry  that  our  ancestors  did  not 
understand  the  Indian.  We  wish  that  they 
could  have  understood  him  as  the  French  did, 
as  La  Salle  did.  The  latter  having  won  their 
hearts,  proceeded  to  show  them  at  this  council 
what  great  advantages  might  be  theirs,  if  they 
would  stand  under  the  banner  of  the  great 
king,  Louis  XIV.  'He  who  is  my  master,' 
said  he,  'and  the  master  of  all  this  country,  is 
a  mighty  chief  feared  by  the  whole  world ;  but 
he  loves  peace,  and  the  words  of  his  lips  are 
for  good  alone.  He  is  called  the  King  of 
France,  and  he  is  the  mightiest  of  the  chiefs 
beyond  the  great  water.  .  .  It  is  his  will 
that  you  should  obey  his  laws,  and  make  no 
war  without  leave  of  Onontio,*  who  com- 
mands in  his  name  at  Quebec  and  who  loves 
all  the  nations  alike,  because  such  is  the  will 
of  the  great  king.  You  ought,  then,  to  live 
at  peace  with  your  neighbors,  and  above  all 
with  the  Illinois.  You  have  had  causes  of 
quarrel  with  them;  but  their  defeat  has 
avenged  you.  Though  they  are  still  strong, 
they  wish  to  make  peace  with  you.  Be  con- 
tent with  the  glory  of  having  obliged  them 
to  ask  for  it.  You  have  an  interest  in  preserv- 
ing them :  since,  if  the  Iroquois  destroy  them, 
they  will  next  destroy  you.  ijet  us  all  obey 
the  great  king  and  live  together  in  peace  un- 
der his  protection.  Be  of  my  mind,  and  use 
these  guns  that  I  hJive  given  you,  not  to  make 
war,  but  only  to  hunt  and  to  defend  your- 
selves. ' 

"And  now,  to  confirm  his  words  and  to 
supply  them  with  a  token  of  his  pledge  to  be 
their  defender,  he  handed  to  their  chief  two 

a.  The  Indian  title  for  the  Governor-General 
of  Canada. 


belts  of  wampum."  The  chief  received  the 
tokens.  His  act  was  significant,  for  it  showed 
that  he  and  his  people  were  disposed  to  con- 
sider carefully  the  propositions  of  their 
French  guest.  The  chief  rfiade  no  further  re- 
ply, but  dissolved  the  council.  He  could 
make  no  further  reply  until  the  members  of 
the  tribe  had  been  given  an  opportunity  to 
express  their  preferences.  But  they  did  not 
deliberate  long  among  themselves,  for  it  was 
found  that  all  with  one  accord  called  loudly 
for  the  French  alliance.  So  the  following 
day  the  council  was  convened  again,  and  the 
chief  gave  the  tribe's  endorsement  of  a  treaty 
of  mutual  helpfulness  between  Miamis  and 
Frenchmen.  The  oration  of  the  chief  was  a 
series  of  metaphors  in  which  he  accepts  for 
his  people  the  protection  of  the  great  king, 
and  pledges  to  his  cause  the  'beaver  and  the 
lands  of  the  Miamis, '  and  themselves  individ- 
ually— body,  intellect  and  heart.  His  speech 
had  all  the  ecstacy  and  sincerity  of  a  lover's 
song.  And  the  Anglo-Saxon  must  admit  that 
it  was  greatly  to  the  credit  of  the  French  that 
their  empires  in  the  American  wil(l(M-iu\ss 
were  thus  wooed  and  won. ' ' 

Sec.  5. — Down  the  Mississippi. — After  his 
success  in  the  formation  of  his  Indian  con- 
federacy and  in  securing  the  agreement  of  the 
Miamis  and  other  Indians  of  Indiana.  ]\Iichi- 
gan,  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  to  remove  to  tlu' 
country  around  Starved  Rock,  where  Fort  St. 
Louis  under  command  of  Tonti  should  prove 
a  stronghold  for  their  j:)rotection  and  secure 
both  Indians  and  French  fi-om  the  incursions 
of  the  Iroquois,  La  Sjtllc.  with  renewed  confi- 
dence, went  forward  in  the  prosecution  of  his 
great  enterprise,  the  exploration  of  the  ^Nlissis- 
sippi  and  its  valley  down  to  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico, His  good  fortuni'  in  the  organization  of 
the  Indians  into  a  confederacy  friendly  to  the 
French  and  strong  enough  to  resist  the  Iro- 
quois, seemed  the  beginning  of  a  cliange  in 
the  fortunes  of  the  hard-tried  leader.  In 
June.   1(J81,  he  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting 

a.  Beads,  made  of  shells,  and  wrought  Into 
belts.     Used  as  money  or  for  ornament. 


32 


HISTORY    OP    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Tonti  at  ]\Iackinae.  From  there  he  went  to 
Fort  Frontenac  where  he  made  preparations 
for  his  new  expedition,  and  in  November  was 
back  at  Fort  Miamis.  About  the  middle  of 
December  all  things  were  ready.  They  did 
not  go  at  this  time  by  the  Kankakee,  but 
moved  along  the  south  shore  6t  Lake  Michigan 
to  the  Chicago  river,  up  which  they  sailed, 
crossed  the  portage  and  passed  down  the  Des 
Plaines  and  Illinois  to  Fort  Crevecoeur.  On 
February  6th,  1682,  they  were  on  the  banks 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  on  April  the  6th  they 
reached  the  mouth,  or  rather  the  three  mouths, 
of  the  great  river.  On  the  9th  of  April,  an 
elevated  spot  was  selected  on  the  bank,  in 
latitude  twenty-seven  degrees,  where  a  column 
and  a  cross  were  solemnly  set  up,  and  the 
whole  country  watered  by  the  Mississippi  and 
its  tributaries  was  taken  possession  of  for 
France  and  for  the  Christian  religion.'^  La 
Salle  called  the  country  Louisiana,  in  honor 
of  Louis  XIV.  of  France;  and  the  empire  so 
established  by  this  intrepid  explorer  con- 
tinued, with  one  interruption,  to  be  French 
territory  for  over  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years,  and  until  another  great  French  ruler. 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  to  prevent  the  rich  val- 
ley from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  English, 
conveyed  it,  in  1803,  to  the  American  repub- 
lic, during  the  presidency  of  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son. 

La  Salle  called  the  river  "Colbert  or 
Mississippi ; "  the  first  in  honor  of  his  friend 
and  patron,  the  great  French  statesman,  the 
second  being  the  Indian  Mesi-sepi,  or  great 
river.  Marquette  had  called  it  the  river  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception.  While  the  discov- 
eries made  by  ^Marquette  and  La  Salle  are 
those  that  have  been  fruitful  of  great  results 
to  our  country  and  to  the  world,  yet  the  river 
had  been  seen  by  white  men  many  years  be- 
fore either  Marquette  or  La  Salle.  In  1519, 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  was  discovered  by 
the  Spanish  explorer,  Alonzo  de  Pineda,  who 
called  it  the  Espiritu  Santo.    In  1528,  another 

a.     Perkins'  Annals  of  the  West,  pp.  41-44. 


Spaniard,  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  crossed  the  river 
near  its  mouth.  On  May  1,  1541.  Hernando  de 
Soto,  almost  as  great  a  man  as  La  Salle  him- 
self, in  his  expedition  from  Florida,  reached 
the  jNIississippi,  not  far  from  the  thirty-fifth 
parallel  of  latitude,  at  the  lower  Chickasaw 
bluft's,  a  little  below  the  present  city  of  Mem- 
phis."^  He  called  the  river  Rio  Grande,  mean- 
ing the  same  as  the  Indian  ]Mesi-sepi,  great 
river. 

In  1684,  La  Salle  led  another  expedition 
from  France.  This  final  venture  went  all  the 
way  by  sea,  sailing  directly  for  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi ;  the  intention  being  to  found 
a -colony  at  that  point.  In  this  voyage  the 
evil  fortune  of  La  Salle  seemed  to  return.  As 
he  had  missed  the  portage  of  the  Kankakee  in 
coming  up  the  St.  Joseph  with  his  fleet  of 
canoes,  in  1679,  so  now  his  ocean  fleet  missed 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  and  he  landed  at 
Mat-agorda  bay,  or  Bay  St.  Louis,  as  he 
called  it,  in  the  prasent  state  of  Texas.  Here 
they  built  a  fort  and  tried  to  discover  the 
' '  Hidden  River, ' '  as  they  called  the  Mississip- 
pi. Matters  grew  worse  from  month  to  month, 
until  in  ]\Iarch,  1687,  a  mutiny  broke  out  and 
many  of  La  Salle's  friends,  including  the 
faithful  Mohegan,  were  put  to  death.  On  the 
20th  of  the  month  he  was  hiuLself  stricken 
down.^  So  perished  the  discoverer  of  the 
lower  Mississippi  and  founder  of  Louisiana ;  a 
man  fitted  for  empire,  and  the  greatest,  per- 
haps, of  the  leaders  of  French  enterprise  in 
America. 

Sec.  6. — The  Passing  op  the  Portage. — In 
St.  Joseph  county,  local  interest  in  La  Salle 
centers  in  his  voyage  up  the  St.  Joseph  and 
over  the  portage,  in  1679;  and  in  his  treaty 
with  the  Miamis,  in  1681.  It  is  a  question 
how  far  he  w^ent  up  the  river  when  he  missed 
the  landing  at  the  portage  on  his  first  visit  to 
our  county.  "We  do  not  know,"  say  Bartlett 
and  Lyon,  in  their  historical  sketch  of  La 
Salle  in  the  Valley  of  the  St.  Joseph,  "how 


a.    Century  Cyclopedia. 
&.     The    Century    Cyclopedia    of    Names, 
kins'  Annals  of  the  West,  pp.  45-52. 


Per- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


33 


far  they  ascended  the  river  beyond  this  point 
[the  portage  landing]  before  their  mistake 
was  discovered.  It  is  fair  to  presume,  how- 
ever, that  they  could  not  have  continued  for 
any  great  distance  above  the  spot  known  as 
the  south  bend  of  the  river  [a  little  east  of  the 
present  Miami  street]  ;  for  they  must  soon 
have  discovered  that  beyond  this  place  the 
trend  of  the  river-bed  led  away  from  the 
region  of  the  Kankakee.  They  landed  and 
prepared  to  search  for  the  portage.  La  Salle 
in  his  eagerness  to  find  the  path,  set  forth 
alone.  And  here  the  unexpected  happened. 
He  was  soon  lost.  .  .  .  The  situation 
was  one  which  might  easily  confuse  any  ex- 
plorer. He  was  on  the  spot  where  the  very  tip 
end  of  the  Kankakee  valley  merges  into  that  of 
the  St.  Joseph.  Over  this  spot  the  water  of 
the  latter  river  once  ran,  when,  in  ancient  geo- 
logical times,  the  portion  of  our  river  above 
the  south  bend  was  a  continuation  of  the  val- 
ley of  the  Kankakee.*  La  Salle  was  looking 
for  a  ridge  which  should  divide  the  two  river 
velleys.  He  doubtless  supposed  that  the  hills 
to  the  south  of  the  present  road  between  South 
Bend  and  ]Mishawaka  [Vistula  Avenue], 
formed  that  ridge  and  strove  to  reach  their 
summit.  In  doing  so,  he  was  compelled  to 
pick  his  way  through  the  long,  swampy  tract 
lying  between  these  hills  and  the  St.  Joseph. 
The  view  from  the  highland  showed  him  the 
great  Kankakee  marsh  on  the  west.  But  in 
his  return  to  his  companions,  he  missed  the 
devious  path  by  which  he  had  come,  and  tried 
to  go  around  this  marshy  tract  extending  for 
several  miles  to  the  east.  Tonti  says  that  'he 
had  to  make  the  detour. '  In  doing  so  he  must 
have  gone  east  nearly  as  far  as  the  present  site 
of  the  village  of  Osceola.  Here  he  came  again 
to  the  banks  of  the  St.  Joseph. ' ' 

In  Hennepin's  account,  already  quoted,  we 
are  informed  that  it  was  two  o'clock  in  the 
night  when  La  Salle  reached  the  river.  He 
had  left  the  party  the  day  before,  and  con- 
sidering the  shortness  of  the  days  in  Decem- 

a.     See   Chapter   First,    Sub-Division  VII,   "The 
Great  Kankakee." 
3 


ber,  he  must  have  been  walking  for  ten  or 
twelve  hours  before  he  got  around  the  swampy 
grounds  which  are  now  the  rich  peppermint 
flats  above  Mishawaka.  Hennepin  tells  us, 
moreover,  that  after  La  Salle  had  reached  the 
river  and  fired  his  gun  to  notify  his  followers, 
and,  receiving  no  response,  he  thought  the 
canoes  had  gone  ahead  of  him ;  and  that  he 
then  kept  on  his  way  along  up  the  river, 
marching  more  than  three  hours  more  before 
he  saw  the  light  on  the  high  ground,  where  he 
believed  his  companions  were  asleep,  but 
which  was  an  Indian's  resting  place  in  which 
he  soon  after  went  to  sleep.  This  gives  us 
probably  fifteen  hours  of  travel  from  the  time 
La  Salle  left  the  canoes  at  the  south  bend  of 
the  river  until  he  settled  himself  to  sleep  in  the 
frightened  Indian's  bed  of  grass  and  leaves.  It 
would  seem  that,  allowing  for  the  difficulty  of 
walking  in  the  snow  and  for  all  other  delays 
and  obstructions,  this  fifteen  hours  of  con- 
tinuous walking  would  have  taken  La  Salle 
far  above  the  present  site  of  Osceola.  The 
next  morning  he  seems  to  have  changed  his 
mind  and  turned  down  the  river  to  find  his 
companions;  but  it  was  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  when  those  in  the  advance  saw  him 
coming  along  the  margin  of  the  river.  How 
high  up  the  river  was  this  point  of  meeting  is 
also  uncertain.  From  Hennepin's  account  it 
is  certain  that  it  was  far  above  the  portage, 
for  the  canoes  had  gone  up  beyond  the  south 
bend  of  the  river  before  La  Salle  left  llirm  to 
search  for  the  trail,  and  Hennepin  says  that 
next  day  he  took  a  lightened  canoe  and  as- 
cended the  river  to  seek  their  leader.  And 
after  they  had  found  him  and  the  IMohegan 
had  come  up  and  told  them  that  the  portage 
was  far  below,  and  they  had  sent  back  all 
their  canoes  with  the  Indian  to  wait  at  the 
portage,  Hennepin  says  that  he  staid  all  night 
with  La  Salle  "who  was  very  much  fatigued," 
and  that  on  the  next  day  they  went  down  the 
river  and  joined  the  rest  of  the  party  at  the 
portage.  Tonti  says  that  the  point  where  the 
Mohegan  found  the  party  was  two  leagues, 
that  is,  six  miles,  above  the  portage.    It  would 


34 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


appear,  therefore  that  the  point  where  La 
Salle  was  tirst  discovered  coming  down  the 
margin  of  the  river,  with  the  opossums  hang- 
ing from  his  belt,  must  have  been  not  lower 
than  within  the  present  limits  of  the  city  of 
Mishawaka,  while  the  night  before  was  spent 
by  him  at  least  as  high  up  as  the  site  of 
Osceola. 

III.       PRIMITIVE    INHABITANTS. 

Dr.  J\Iontgomery,«  in  speaking  of  the  time 
towards  the  close  of  the  last  ice  age,  when  the 
great  Kankakee  carried  its  waters  from  Sagi- 
naw Bay  down  the  valleys  of  the  St.  Joseph 
and  the  Kankakee  to  the  Mississippi,  tells  us 
that,  "If  a  man  could  have  stood  upon  the 
hills  of  Rum  Village,  a  vast  panorama  of 
water  would  have  met  his  gaze :  To  the  north- 
east, as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  a  stream 
from  five  to  six  miles  wide  and  a  hundred 
feet  in  depth,  passing  at  his  feet  and  rolling 
onward  to  the  southwest,  confined  only  by 
the  hills  on  the  north  and  on  the  south ;  and  to 
the  northwest  a  tributary  of  the  same  great 
stream  three  miles  wide  and  limited  in  the  line 
of  his  vision  only  by  the  horizon."  And  he 
adds:  "And  primitive  man  was  here."  This 
conclusion,  that  the  first  man  was  .already 
here,  is  read  by  the  learned  scientist  in  the 
records  of  our  rocks. 

Sec.  1. — The  Mound  Builders. — But  other 
and  more  easily  deciphered  records  are  found 
upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  all  over  the  region 
of  the  Mississippi  valley,  indicating  the 
presence,  at  a  comparatively  recent  period,  of 
a  highly  intelligent  race.  These  people,  for 
whom  we  have  no  name,  but  who  are  vaguely 
included  under  the  general  term  of  ]\Iound 
Builders,  have  left  evidences  of  extensive 
works  in  the  vicinity  of  our  great  rivers  and 
their  tributaries.  These  works  are  of  three 
kinds:  Mounds;  square  and  circular  enclos- 
ures ;  and  raised  embankments  of  various 
forms.  The  absence  of  remains  of  buildings 
is  explained  by  the  circumstance  that  timber 

a.  "The  Glacial  Phenomenon,  etc.,"  cited  in 
Chapter  I. 


was  here  abundant,  and  would  therefore  be 
chosen  for  building  instead  of  stone.  The 
Mound  Builders  are  believed  to  be  the  same 
people  who  have  left  buildings  of  stone  in 
New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Mexico  and  various 
parts  of  Central  and  South  America.  The 
stone  structures  of  those  countries  remain, 
but  the  wooden  buildings  of  our  own  region 
would  leave  no  trace  after  a  few  hundred 
years.  These  mysterious  people  disappeared 
from  our  country  ages  ago.  Nature  does  not 
give  a  forest  growth  at  once  to  abandoned 
fields ;  a  preparatory  growth  of  shrubs  and 
softer  timber  comes  first.  But  forest  trees 
have  been  found  upon  the  summit  of  these 
mounds  which  show,  by  annual  rings  and 
other  signs,  at  least  six  hundred  years  of 
growth.  There  could  be  no  better  proof  of 
the  great  antiquity  of  these  mounds.  The 
Mound  Builders  occupied  the  country,  at  least 
the  southern  part  of  it,  where  their  popula- 
tion was  densest,  for  a  very  long  time.  This 
is  shown  by  the  extent  of  their  remains,  by 
their  workings  in  the  copper  mines  of  the 
Lake  Superior  region,  and  by  many  other 
proofs.  At  the  south  they  were  at  peace ; 
but  as  they  advanced  northward  they  came 
more  and  more  into  contact  with  the  wild 
tribes,  before  whom  they  finally  retired  again 
towards  the  southern  countries  from  which 
they  had  come. 

In  the  Lake  Superior  region  have  been 
found,  as  already  intimated,  the  copper  mines 
worked  by  these  ancient  people.  In  one  of 
these  mines  there  was  discovei*ed  an  immense 
block  of  copper  weighing  nearly  six  tons.  It 
had  been  left  in  the  process  of  removal  to 
the  top  of  the  mine,  nearly  thirty  feet  above, 
and  was  supported  on  logs  of  wood  which 
were  partly  petrified.  The  stone  and  copper 
tools  used  by  the  miners  were  discovered 
lying  about  as  they  had  been  left  by  their 
owTiers  ages  ago.  At  the  mouth  of  this  mine 
are  piles  of  earth  thrown  out  in  digging  the 
mine ;  and  out  of  these  embankments  trees  are 


HISTOKY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


35 


^rowing'    which    are    nearly    four    hundred 
yeare  old."^ 

As  said  by  ^laurice  Thompson,  in  his  de- 
lightful Stories  of  Indiana,  it  is  hard  to  realize 
now  what  the  face  of  the  land  looked  like 
fifty  or  sixty  years  ag'o,  even  when  old  people 
most   graphically   describe   it   from   memory. 
Still  more  difficult  do  we  find  it  when  we  try 
to  look  back  to  the  far-off  time  when  the  first 
human    footprints    were    made    in    Indiana. 
We  might  naturally  suppose  that  these  first 
visitors  were   Indians,   but  we   do  not  know 
that    this    conjecture    is    anywhere    near    the 
truth.    What  we  do  know  is  tnat  strange  and 
interesting  traces  of  hmnan  activities,  dating 
back   probably   many   centuries,    are   clearly 
marked   in   almost   every  region.      These   are 
mostly  earthworks  of  various  forms — ^mounds, 
embankments,    and    curious    garden-like    ar- 
rangements of  soil  beds  with  walks  between. 
In  some  places  beds  or  heaps  of  shells,  broken 
and  charred  bones  of  fish,  birds  and  quad- 
rupeds, suggest   camping  spots  where   cook- 
ing and  feasting  went  on  for  years.    And  al- 
most always  in  connection  with  these  mounds 
and  the  like  are  found  human  bones,  curious 
copper   and   stone   and   pottery    implements, 
and  the  crude  ornaments  worn  by  the  people. 
They   had    for    arms   bows    and    arrows    and 
spears,    and    used    stone    axes    and    knives; 
while   the   women   sewed   with  flint  needles. 
They  were  hunters,  fishermen  and  warriors. 

It  is  said  that  the  Indians  found  here  when 
white  men  first  arrived  had  a  va^ie  tradition 
that  their  distant  ancestors  came  from  far 
towards  the  setting  sun.  probably  the  south- 
west. These  first  men  liked  to  dwell  beside 
running  streams,  where  they  could  build 
earthworks,  on  high,  well-drained  land  over- 
looking the  course  of  the  w^ater  and  command- 
ing a  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  Some 
of  the  most  beautiful  landscapes  in  Indiana 
lie  round  about  these  sites  of  ancient  encamp- 
ments.    Doubtless  the  Mound  Builders  were 

o.  The  Undeveloped  West,  by  J.  H.  Beadle,  as 
cited  in  Northrop's  Four  Centuries  of  Progress, 
p.  18. 


expert    canoemen    and    used    the    streams    as 
highways  of  travel   and  as  base   lines  from 
which  to  make  explorations  and  hunting  ex- 
cursions;  for   almost  every  water   course   in 
Indiana  then  navigable  for  canoes  has  here 
and  there  along  its  banks  traces  of  the  Mound 
Builders'    art.      The   implements    of   copper, 
of  stone  and  of  pottery  found  imbedded  in 
the  mounds  show  the  effect  of  patient  and 
quite    accurate    work.      Arrowheads    of   flint 
were  sometimes  so  neatly  finished  that  they 
are  marvels  of  symmetry  even  when  compared 
with   like   heads  made   of  steel   by   the   best 
workmen  of  Europe  for  archers  in  the  time 
when  the  bowmen  of  England  were  the  finest 
soldiers    in   the   world.      Stone   mortars    and 
pestles  for  pounding  grain  and  the  kernels  of 
nuts  and  acorns  into  meal  served  them   in- 
stead of  mills.     For  knives  they  had  sharp 
stones  and  keen-edged  blades  of  bone.     It  is 
evident  that  the  Mound  Builders  depended 
mostly  upon  spears  and  bows  and  arrows  for 
killing  game.     If  we  knew  the  form  of  their 
bows  it  would  aid  us  greatly  in  finding  out 
more  about  their  character  as  men ;  for  among 
the      wildwood      hunters,      before      firearms 
reached  them,  the  bow  was  the  best  sign  of 
their  condition.     Short,  weak  bows  stood  for 
an  inferior  people;  long  and  strong  bows  in- 
dicated a  stalwart  race  of  men.     But  many 
of  the  arrowheads  found  in  the  mounds  are 
large    and   heavy,    fitted    for   use   only    with 
powerful  bows ;  and  the  axes  and  spear  points 
were  ponderous  weapons  suggestive  of  great 
muscular  force  in  those  who  used  them. 

From  the  northernmost  part  of  the  state 
down  to  the  Ohio  river  the  INIonnd  Builders 
had  their  fortifications,  and  the  same  may 
be  said  of  the  whole  country  on  down  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  In  many  places  stone  walls 
were  built  instead  of  earthworks,  the  masonry 
being  regular  and  strong,  but  laid  without 
mortar.  We  have  noted  that  the  mounds 
were  almost  invariably  built  on  high  points 
of  ground  overlooking  considerable  areas  of 
surrounding  countrv.  This  choice  may  have 
been  a  measure  of  precaution  against  the  ap- 


36 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


proach  of  enemies,  but  there  was  a  more 
urgent  and  natural  reason  for  it.  In  those 
early  days  Indiana's  territory  was  almost  as 
much  water  as  dry  land.  During  a  great  part 
of  the  year  nearly  all  the  low,  flat  lands  were 
too  wet  for  camping  purposes,  and  in  times 
of  long-continued  rain  even  the  animals  were 
all  forced  by  the  water  to  take  refuge  on  the 
high  places.  How  easy  it  was  then  for  the 
Mound  Builders  to  go  in  their  light  canoes 
to  the  grounds  thus  surrounded  by  water  and 
take  all  the  game  they  needed.  No  doubt  the 
floods  often  drove  whole  herds  of  deer,  flocks 
of  wild  turkeys,  and  even  many  bears  and 
pimias,  wild  cats  and  wolves  up  to  the  very 
walls  of  the  encampments.  And  this  may  be 
why  such  vast  numbers  of  arrowheads  are  to 
this  day  found  on  the  high  grounds. 

A  great  many  signs  point  to  the  south  and 
southwest  as  the  direction  whence  the  first 
inhabitants  reached  Indiana.  Sometimes  lit- 
tle things  are  more  significant  than  large 
ones,  and  the  fact  that  some  of  the  arrow- 
heads and  stone  ornaments  found  in  and 
around  our  ancient  earthworks  are  made  of 
certain  kinds  of  stone  not  appearing  any- 
where this  side  of  Tennessee,  speaks  almost 
as  clearly  as  written  legend  of  the  route  by 
which  their  owners  came  to  this  region.  Some 
historians  have  thought  that  the  Mound 
Builders  were  a  race  greatly  superior  to  the 
Indians  found  here  by  the  whites,  and  have 
tried  to  show,  by  remains  left  here  by  that 
vanished  people,  that  they  were  advanced  in 
intelligence.  Others  maintain  that  the  Mound 
Builders  were  but  ordinary  Indians,  the  an- 
cestors of  tribes  still  in  existence  when  the 
French  missionaries  and  traders  came  to  this 
region. <* 

While  no  remains  of  great  magnitude,  left 
by  the  Mound  Builders,  are  found  in  St. 
Joseph  county,  yet  indications  of  the  presence 
of  those  mysterious  people  are  discovered  in 
many  places  in  and  near  the  valleys  of  the 
St.  Joseph  and  the  Kankakee. 

a.  Thompson's  Stories  of  Indiana,  pp.  15-20. 
See  also  Smith's  Hist.  Indiana,  Vol.  1,  pp.  41-61. 


Near  New  Carlisle,  on  the  borders  of  Terre 
Coupee  Prairie,  and  at  various  other  points 
such  remains  are  discovered.  The  most  re- 
markable of  these  are  three  large  mounds  and 
two  small  ones,  found  in  Warren  township, 
on  the  northwest  bank  of  the  furthest  south 
of  the  group  of  Chain  lakes,  just  south  of 
the  Lake  Shore  railroad  tracks.  These 
mounds  have  supplied  some  of  the  finest  of 
the  copper  axes  in  the  collections  of  the 
Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society  and 
other  collections;  while  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
mounds  are  the  usual  cloth-marked  frag- 
ments of  pottery  and  broken  stone  imple- 
ments indicating  the  presence  of  that  old  race 
Avhose  remains  are  so  conspicuous  throughout 
the  valley  of  the  Kankakee  and  the  Illinois. 

Across  Portage  Prairie,  by  the  portage  or 
pathway  from  the  St.  Joseph  to  the  Kankakee, 
the  Mound  Builders,  like  the  Indian  tribes 
that  came  after  them,  carried  on  the  com- 
merce that  went  from  the  lakes  to  the  gulf 
in  those  far  off  years.  Old  residents  who  yet 
remain  with  us  remember  this  pathway  as 
deep  and  straight,  so  deep  in  places  that  a 
man  on  horseback  could  abnost  touch  the 
level  ground  on  either  side  with  his  foot.  It  is 
not  difficult  to  understand  why  this  pathway, 
this  ancient  trail  from  the  St.  Joseph  to  the 
Kankakee,  should  have  been  straight  and 
deep ;  caused  as  it  was  by  one  dusky  traveler 
and  burden  bearer,  moving,  man  after  man, 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  predecessor,  and  by  the 
moccasined  foot  pressing  the  soil  deeper  and 
deeper,  year  after  year  and  age  after  age. 

Unnumbered  centuries  and  countless  hosts 
knew  the  trend  of  this  ancient  highway ;  ages 
when  the  hosts  of  the  lower  Mississippi  and 
the  gulf,  and  the  regions  to  the  south,  sought 
the  copper  mines  of  the  upper  lake  region. 
Not  only  in  the  mounds  throughout  the  great 
valley  and  the  gulf  region,  but  also  in  the 
oldest  of  the  Peruvian  tombs,  are  found  im- 
plements and  tokens  made  from  Lake  Su- 
perior copper.  And  we  maj^  not  doubt  that 
the  traffic  which  these  facts  imply  was  itself, 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


37 


in  part,  responsible  for  the  depth  of  this  path 
across  our  Portage  Prairie." 

Sec.  2. — Our  Miamis  and  Pott  aw  atomies. 
— But  the  earth  records  of  the  Mound 
Builders  are  almost  as  unsatisfactory  in  the 
reading  as  are  the  records  of  the  rocks  which 
tell  us  of  the  presence  of  man  in  the  geologi- 
cal ages ;  and  we  turn  with  relief  to  the  some- 
what scanty  written  records, — letters,  jour- 
nals and  reports  of  missionaries,  fur  traders, 
explorers  and  adventurers, — who  tell  us  of  the 
people  that  occupied  these  regions  when  they 
first  became  known  to  civilized  man. 

When  La  Salle  reached  the  St.  Joseph,  in 
1679,  he  found  the  country  in  the  possession 
of  the  Miami  Indians,  and  he  gave  the  name 
of  that  tribe  to  the  river.  Mr.  Dunn  says 
that,  "The  main  body  of  the  Miamis  proper, 
whom  the  English  called  Twigh-twees,  were 
located  in  1680  on  the  St.  Joseph  of  Lake 
]\Iicliigan,  a  little  above  the  site  of  South 
Bend."^  This  was  the  Miami  village  at 
Mount  Pleasant  on  Portage  Prairie.  The 
Miamis  were  a  tribe  of  the  great  Algonquin 
nation.  This  nation  formerly  occupied  the 
territory  now  comprized  in  the  New  England 
states,  eastern  New  York  and  Pennsylvania, 
New  Jersey,  Delaware,  Maryland,  Virginia, 
parts  of  North  Carolina.  Kentucky  and  Ten- 
nessee, and  nearly  all  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illi- 
nois, Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota. 
There  were  no  less  than  eleven  or  twelve 
tribes  of  the  Algonquin  nation :  Ottawas, 
Chippewas,  Sacs  and  Foxes,  Miamis,  Potta- 
watomies,  Shawnees,  Powhatans,  Delawares, 
Mohegans,  Naragansetts  and  Pequods;  all 
speaking  different  dialects  of  the  same  speech. 
The  Algonquins  were  the  most  extensive  and 
powerful  of  the  Indian  nations.  Their  bitter 
enemies  were  the  Iroquois,  who  occupied 
western  Canada  and  New  York  and  the 
country  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie.  The 
nation  of  the  Iroquois  was  divided  into  five 
tribes:    Senecas,  Cayugas,  Onondagas,  Onei- 

a.  Bartlett  and  Lyon's  "La  Salle  in  the  St. 
Joseph  Valley,"  pp.  52,   64. 

b.  Hist.  Indiana,  p.  22. 


das  and  Mohawks.  Several  years  after  La 
Salle's  visit,  in  1722,  they  admitted  into  their 
confederacy  the  Tuscarosas,  who  had  some 
time  previously  emigrated  to  New  York  from 
the  Carolinas.  The  Iroquois  are  therefore 
known  in  history  at  first  as  the  Five  Nations, 
and  afterwards  as  the  Six  Nations.  They 
were  perhaps  the  most  highly  accomplished 
and  the  bravest  of  the  northern  Indian  na- 
tions. They  are  known  to  our  state  only  by 
their  warlike  incursions  from  the  east,  and 
their  attacks  upon  different  tribes  of  their 
hereditary  enemies,  the  Algonquins.  At  La 
Salle's  coming  there  was  almost  constant  war 
between  the  Iroquois  and  a  confederacy  of 
tribes,  who  called  themselves  Illinois,  that  is, 
real  men,  or  manly  fighters.  The  Illinois, 
properly  speaking,  did  not  constitute  a  tribe, 
but  a  confederacy:  Kaskaskias,  Cahokias, 
Tamaronas,  Peorias  and  Mitchigamias.  The 
last  tribe,,  which  is  said  to  have  come  from 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  gave  its  name  to  Lake 
Michigan,  formerly  called,  from  the  con- 
federacy. Lake  Illinois.  The  Illinois  con- 
federacy was  formed  to  resist  the  incursions 
of  the  Iroquois,  but  was  scarcely  a  match  for 
the  latter.  This  enmity  of  the  two  great  con- 
federacies was  at  first  a  chief  obstacle  to  the 
success  of  La  Salle's  explorations.  The  Iro- 
quois were  allies  of  the  English,  while  their 
ancient  enemies,  the  Algonquins,  were  almost 
always  on  good  terms  with  the  French.  The 
country  to  the  south  of  the  lakes  was  there- 
fore unsafe  ground  for  the  French,  wlio  were 
consequently  compelled  to  make  their  ap- 
proaches by  the  lakes  from  the  north."  But 
even  the  Indiana  and  Illinois  territory  was 
invaded  by  the  terrible  Iroquois ;  and  the  less 
warlike  and  less  united  Algonquins  seemed 
unable  to  resist  them.  It  was  for  this  reason 
that  La  Salle  determined  to  form  a  powerful 
and  well  united  confederacy  which  should 
take  the  place  of  the  inefficient  Illinois  con- 
federacy, and  so  protect  both  the  French 
posts  and  missions  and  the  western   Indians 

a.    Parkman's    Discovery    of    Great    West,    p. 
17,  n. 


38 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


themselves  from  their  eastern  foes.  In  this 
he  succeeded,  as  we  have  seen.  The  jNIiamis 
,of  our  valley,  and  indeed  of  all  northern  In- 
diana, were  at  first  timid  about  joining 
against  the  dreaded  Iroquois,  but  they  were 
finally  persuaded  by  the  argimients  and  the 
eloquence  of  La  Salle.  The  result  was  that 
the  Miamis  and  all  other  Indians  left  north- 
ern Tndiana  and  went  to  reside  in  the  Illinois 
country,  around  Starved  Rock,  joining  the 
great  confederacy  of  Algonquins  formed  at 
that  point  by  La  Salle.  In  speaking  of  two 
ancient  maps,  dra^^^l  about  1684,  Mr.  Dunn" 
says :  ' '  On  neither  map  is  there  any  mark 
of  an  Indian  village  or  French  post  within 
the  limits  of  Indiana,  although  all  other 
known  villages  and  posts  are  marked.  The 
reason  was  that  there  were  no  Indians  resid- 
ing in  Indiana.  They  had  all  removed  to  the 
Illinois.  So  far  as  has  yet  been  discovered, 
none  of  them  returned  before  the  opening  of 
the  eighteenth  century." 

Soon  after  La  Salle's  death  his  confederacy 
began  to  dissolve.  The  French,  however,  were 
then  better  able  to  protect  themselves,  and 
the  Iroquois  generally  found  enough  to  oc- 
cupy their  attention  in  the  east.  Of  the  tribes 
gathered  by  La  Salle  at  Starved  Rock,  some 
returned  to  their  former  abode,  while  others 
sought  new  habitations.  The  Pottawatomies 
who  had  come  from  the  Green  Bay  country, 
in  Wisconsin,^  took  possession  of  the  southern 
shores  of  Lake  ^Michigan  and  the  adjacent 
territories  now  known  as  southwestern  Michi- 
gan, northwestern  Indiana  and  northeastern 
Illinois.  The  Indians  known  to  the  early 
English  speaking  inhabitants  of  St.  Joseph 
county  were  therefore  chiefly  Pottawatomies. 
With  them  were  mingled  some  Miamis.  Chip- 
pewas  and  others.  The  great  body  of  the 
jNIiamis,  however,  went  farther  south  and  east 
in  Indiana  and  into  Ohio,  their  chief  settle- 
ments in  Indiana  being  on  the  Wabash  and 

c.     Hist.  Indiana,  p.  34. 

b.  Dunn's  Hist.  Indiana,  p.  27.  And  see  speech 
of  Hon.  Daniel  McDonald,  in  Division  VI  of  this 
chapter. 


near  the  head  waters  of  the  Maumee,  where 
the  city  of  Fort  Wayne  now  stands.  But  the 
Miamis  always  considered  themselves  the 
rightful  owners  of  all  the  territory  included 
within  the  state  of  Indiana,  as  well  as  a  large 
part  of  the  adjacent  sections  of  Ohio,  Illinois 
and  ^Michigan. 

More  than  a  hundred  years  after  the  death 
of  La  Salle,  the  renowned  i\Iish-i-kin-ak-wa, 
or  Little  Turtle,  the  greatest  of  the  Miamis, 
at  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  in  1795,  said  to 
General  Anthony  Wayne :  "I  hope  you  will 
pay  attention  to  what  I  will  now  say  to  you. 
I  wish  to  inform  you  where  your  younger 
brothers,  the  Miamis,  live.  .  .  .  You 
have  pointed  out  to  us  the  boundary  line  be- 
tween the  Indians  and  the  United. States;  but 
I  now  take  the  liberty  to  inform  you  that 
that  line  cuts  off  from  the  Indians  a  large 
portion  of  country  which  has  been  enjoyed  by 
my  forefathers  from  time  immemorial,  with- 
out molestation  or  dispute.  The  print  of  my 
ancestors'  houses  are  everywhere  to  be  seen 
in  this  portion.  ...  It  is  well  known 
by  all  my  brothers  present,  ihat  my  fore- 
father kindled  the  first  fire  at  Detroit;  from 
thence  he  extended  his  lines  to  the  headwaters 
of  the  Scioto;  from  thence,  to  its  mouth; 
from  thence,  doAvn  the  Ohio,  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Wabash;  and  from  thence,  to  Chicago,  on 
Lake  Michigan. ' ' 

Dillon  informs  us  that,  "In  the  early  part 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  perhaps  for  a 
long  period  before  that  time,  the  Miamis 
dwelt  in  small  villages,  at  varioiis  suitable 
places  within  the  boundaries  of  their  large 
territory.  Some  of  these  villages  were  found 
on  the  banks  of  the  Scioto — a  few  were  situ- 
ated in  the  vicinity  of  the  headwaters  of  the 
great  Miami — ^some  stood  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  ]\Iaumee — others  on  the  St.  Joseph  of 
Lake  ^Michigan — and  many  were  found  on 
the  borders  of  the  Wabash,  and  on  some  of 
the  principal  tributaries  of  that  river.  The 
villages  which  stood  on  the  banks  of  the  St. 
Joseph  of  Lake  Michigan,  those  which  lay 
about   the   headwaters   of   the   ]\Iaumee,    and 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


39 


those  which  stood  on  the  borders  of  the  Wa- 
bash, were  often  visited  by  Christian  mission- 
aries and  by  fur  traders,  before  the  middle 
of  the  eighteenth  century."* 

It  is  plain,  therefore,  that  our  Pottawato- 
mies  occupied  the  valleys  of  the  St.  Joseph 
and  Kankakee  by  grace  of  the  Miamis. 
"Branches  of  the  Pottawatomie,  Shawnee, 
Delaware  and  Kickapoo  tribes,"  says  Dillon, 
"were,  at  different  periods  of  time,  permitted 
to  enter,  and  reside  at  various  places,  within 
the  boundaries  of  the  large  territory  which 
was  claimed  by  the  Miamis."^  Indeed  it  was 
not  at  all  uncommon  for  bands  of  different 
Algonquin  tribes  to  dwell  in  peace  within  one 
another's  territory.  Such  a  band  of  the 
Miamis  themselves  lived  in  Wisconsin  with 
the  Kickapoos  and  Mascoutins.'^ 

IV.    FORT  ST.  Joseph's. 

Sec.  1. — TiiE  French  Po^ver. — While  the 
famous  post  kno^^^l  as  Fort  St.  Joseph  was 
not  located  within  the  limits  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  and  not  even  within  the  limits  of  the 
State  of  Indiana,  yet  for  nearly  a  hundred 
years  the  history  of  that  post  was  the  history 
of  the  valley  to  which  it  gave  its  name,  and 
no  history  of  our  county  could  be  complete 
without  giving  some  attention  to  the  old  fort. 

On  the  west  bank  of  the  St.  Joseph,  about 
sixty  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
measured  by  the  windings  of  the  stream,  the 
]\Iiamis  retained  a  noted  fishing  village  which 
had  been  located  at  this  point  long  before  the 
white  man's  day.  "The  town,"  says  Mr. 
Bartlett  in  his  charming  volume.  Tales  of 
Kankakee  Land,  "was  there  when  La  Salle 
invaded  the  region,  and  doubtless  the  spot  had 
been  held  by  many  races  through  many  ages 
past ;  for  this  part  of  the  stream  was  one  of 
the  famous  fLshing  grounds."^'  Across  the 
river,  and  not  far  from  the  east  bank,  at- 
tracted no  doubt  by  the  same  cause,  the  Potta- 

a.  Dillon,  Hist.  Indiana,  pp.  5,  6. 

Ti.  lb.,  p.  14. 

c.  Dunn's  Indiana,  pp.   6,  22. 

d.  Tales  of  Kankakee  Land,  p.  158. 


watomies,  probably  soon  after  coming  into  the 
valley,  established  a  village  of  their  own. 
These  towns  were  located  about  a  mile  above 
the  present  city  of  Niles  and  ten  or  twelve 
miles  below  South  Bend."  Here,  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  river,  was  established,  at  a  very 
early  date,  the  mission  of  St.  Joseph.  It 
would  seem  that  this  mission  was  founded  by 
Father  AUouez,  the  same  zealous  missionary 
who,  in  1665,  had  established  at  the  Falls  of 
St.  Maiy  (Sault  Ste.  Marie)  the  firet  perma- 
nent mission  in  the  northwest.  In  1673,  as 
already  noted,  when  ]Marquette  was  on  his 
way  to  the  discovery  of  the  upper  Mississippi, 
he  came  to  an  Indian  village  on  the  Fox  river 
where  Father  Allouez  had  preached  to  the 
^liamis,  Mascoutins  and  Kickapoos  of  the 
Green  Bay  country.^  It  is  also  known  that 
in  1670,  1671  and  1672,  Allouez  and  Dablon 
traversed  the  whole  region  along  the  western 
and  southern  shores  of  Lake  Michigan;''  and 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  on  such  a  jour- 
ney the  missionaries  would  visit  the  famous 
fishing  village  of  the  Miamis. 

In  Nevin's  "Black  Robes,  or  Sketches  of 
Missions  and  Ministers  in  the  Wilderness  and 
on  the  Border,"  it  is  said  that  the  fii-st  at- 
tempt at  establishing  a  mission  at  this  point 
was  made  in  1675 ;  and  that  the  design  was 
permanently  accomplished  in  1()80.  when 
Allouez  and  Dablon,  having  coasted  Lake 
]Michigan  from  Green  Bay,  entei-ed  the  St. 
Joseph  and  proceeded  up  the  i-iver  until  they 
reached  this  yioint.  ITci-c.  adds  llic  writci-. 
on  the  east  hank  of  tlu'  rivci-.  rises  a  semi- 
circular blufl'.  at  the  base  of  which,  and 
through  the  soil  of  the  niaishy  h'veh  runs  a 
hi-ook  into  the  St.  Joseph.  On  this  blntV 
Allouez  huilt  a  chapel,  aiul  neai-by  a  log 
•  cabin  for  his  own  accommodation.  This  mis- 
sion cared  not  only  for  the  T^lianiis  across  the 

a.  Mr.  Dunn's  Hist.  Indiana,  in  a  note  at  page 
26,  says  that  an  itinerary  in  the  Haldiniand  Col- 
lection fixes  this  point  at  twelve  miles  below  the 
South  Bend  Portage.  This  might  be  nearly  cor- 
rect, measuring  by  the  windings  of  the  river. 

b.  Perkins'  Annals   of  the  West,  p.  30. 

c.  Dillon,  Hist.  Indiana,  pp.  2,  12. 


40 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


river,  but,  in  the  course  of  the  next  few  years, 
watched  over  all  the  Pottawatomies  and  other 
tribes  on  both  sides  of  the  stream,  including 
those  around  the  Notre  Dame  lakes  and  along 
the   banlvs   of   the   Kankakee.  .  Bartlett   and 
Lyon   say   that   "It   does,    indeed,    seem   not 
unlikely    that    Allouez,   who    was    with    the 
Miami  Indians  in  1672,  should  have  followed 
them  from  their  Wisconsin  home  when  they 
migrated   to    this  valley.      He   was   certainly 
here  at  a  later  datej  devoting  the  closing  years 
of  his  life  to  the  work  of  the  mission  on  the 
St.  Joseph,  where  he  died  in  1690. "«     The 
same  authors,  in  another  connection,  say  that " 
about   seven    thousand   Miamis   left   the    St. 
Joseph   valley    after   the   treaty    on    Portage 
Prairie   with  La   Salle,   and  joined   that   ex- 
plorer's    confederacy     on     the     Illinois,     at 
Starved  Rock;  and  that  when  La  Salle  lost 
his  life  in  Texas,  and  Tonti  retired  from  the 
Illinois    country,    "Father    Allouez    brought 
back  a  remnant  of  these  people  to  their  old 
home  on  the  St.  Joseph."'^ 

On  the  same  high  bluff  on  which  the  mis- 
sion of  St.  Joseph's  was  established,  but  how 
soon  after  or  by  whom  is  not  certainly  known, 
a  fort  was  erected,  which  took  its  name  from 
the  mission,  being  called  Fort  St.  Joseph's. 
This  fort  was  thereafter  the  chief  stronghold 
of  the  French  in  this  vicinity;  and  the  post 
was  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  important 
in  French  America.  It  was  the  center  of  the 
fur  trade  and  other  commerce  of  the  St. 
Joseph  and  Kankakee  valleys.  Here  came 
French  and  Indians  from  all  the  surrounding 
country;  and  to  this  point  expeditions  were 
sent  up  the  river  from  Lake  Michigan,  and 
from  here  they  passed  on  to  the  south,  across 
the  portage  and  down  the  Kankakee,  to  the 
Illinois  country.  The  center  of  missionary 
effort  among  the  Pottawatomies,  Miamis  and 
other  tribes ;  the  center  of  commerce ;  and  the 
strong  arm  of  French  authority;  the  mission 
and  post  at  St.  Joseph 's  long  continued  to  be 

a.     La  Salle   in   the  Valley  of  the   St.   Joseph, 
p.  7. 
1).     lb.,  p.  89,  note. 


one  of  the  best  known  of  the  French  stations 
in  the  northwest.  Fort  Miamis,  established 
by  La  Salle  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  fell  into 
disuse  after  he  left  the  valley,  and  Fort  St. 
Joseph  took  its  place." 

Some  have  conjectured  that  it  was  La  Salle 
himself  who,  attracted  by  the  unfailing  sup- 
ply of  food  at  this  fishing  place,  and  by  the 
opportunities  for  traffic  in  the  Indian  village 
across  the  river,  built  his  second  fort  at  this 
point. ^  It  is  more  probable,  however,  that 
Fort  St.  Joseph's  was  built  later,  and  after 
the  establishment  of  the  mission  by  Allouez; 
although  the  idea  of  a  fort  at  this  point  might 
well  have  occurred  to  the  far-seeing  mind  of 
La  Salle,  as  he  passed  up  and  down  the 
river.c  The  better  opinion  is  that  the  military 
post  was  established  here  in  1697.^^  But  what- 
ever may  have  been  the  origin  of  the  old  fort, 
it  is  one  of  the  historical  certainties  of  this 
region,  that  Fort  Miamis,  built  by  La  Salle 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  ceased  to  be  oc- 
cupied after  he  left  the  valley;  while,  on  the 
high  bluff  between  South  Bend  and  Niles, 
Fort  St.  Joseph's  took  its  place,  and  became, 
and  for  nearly  a  hundred  years  remained,  the 
stronghold  of  the  French  and  their  secure 
asylum  in  the  surrounding  wilderness.^ 

With  the  change  from  Fort  Miamis  to  Fort 
St.  Joseph's,  the  river  also  changed  its  name. 
The  mission  gave  its  name  to  the  fort,  and 
the  fort  to  the  river.  It  was  no  longer  called 
the  river  of  the  Miamis,  but  the  river  St. 
Joseph.  To  distinguish  it  from  the  small  St. 
Joseph,  which,  with  the  St.  Mary 's,  near  Fort 
Wayne,  forms  the  Maumee,  our  river  was  for 
a  time  called  the  Big  St.  Joseph's,  the  St. 
Joseph's  of  the  Lakes,  or  the  St.  Joseph's  of 
Lake  Michigan.  In  time,  however,  it  became 
known,  simply  as  the  St.  Joseph.  From  the 
river  the  name  passed  to  the  valley,  and  from 

a.  Baker,  St.  Joseph-Kankakee  Portage,  p.  42, 
note. 

b.  Bartlett,  Tales  of  Kankakee  Land,  p.  159. 

c.  Dunn,    Hist.   Indiana,   p.   26,   note. 

d.  Baker,  St.  Joseph-Kankakee  Portage,  p.  43, 
note. 

e.  Bartlett,  Tales  of  Kankakee  Land,  p.  160. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


41 


the  river  and  the  valley  came  the  name  of 
our  county,  as  also  the  familiar  title  of  our 
county  seat,  the  Queen  City  of  the  St.  Joseph 
valley, — all  from  the  pious  name  given  to 
the  ancient  mission  of  St.  Joseph's  by  its 
founder,  the  simple-minded  and  zealous  Al- 
louez.  So,  too,  not  only  the  name  but  the 
civilization  of  the  beautiful  valley  dates  from 
the  Mission  of  St.  Joseph's. 

Two  objects  chiefly  seemed  to  engage  the 
attention  of  the  French  at  Fort  St.  Joseph's: 
The  centralizing  of  the  labors  of  the  sur- 
rounding missions;  and  the  protection  of  the 
fur  trade  with  the  tribes  of  the  northwest. 
While  the  fort  was  strong,  yet  there  was  com- 
paratively little  resort  to  force  or  intimida- 
tion. The  French  understood  the  Indians 
and  lived  on  friendly  terms  with  them.  Not 
until  the  year  1730  is  there  any  record  of 
important  military  operations.  In  that  year 
an  expedition  went  up  the  river  and  over  the 
portage  by  the  Kankakee  to  punish  the  Out- 
agamies  at  StarVed  Rock  for  outrages  com- 
mitted against  the  Pottawatomies  and  other 
peaceful  tribes.  This  successful  operation 
appears  to  have  been  conducted  in  conjunc- 
tion with  another  from  post  Vincennes 
against  the  barberous  Outagamies. 

Sec.  2. — -British  Supremacy. — But  the 
comparative  peace  which  had  happily  pre- 
vailed from  the  days  of  Marquette  and  Al- 
louez  and  La  Salle  was  brought  to  a  rude 
termination  by  the  Seven  Years'  War, — the 
French  and  English  war,  as  it  was  called  in 
America.  This  conflict  had  long  been  brew- 
ing :  it  was  a  struggle  of  giant  powers  for  the 
possession  of  a  continent.  On  May  18,  1756, 
war  was  declared;  and  on  September  17, 
1759,  after  the  deaths  of  Wolfe  and  Mont- 
calm, Quebec  passed  from  France  to  Britain. 
A  little  less  than  one  year  afterwards,  on 
September  8,  1760,  Montreal  was  surrendered. 
With  jMontreal  went  all  Canada,  which,  in 
the  articles  of  capitulation,  was  said  "to  ex- 
tend to  the  crest  of  lands  dividing  branches 
of  Lakes  Erie  and  Michigan  from  those  of  the 
Miami    [the    Big    Miami,    flowing    into    the 


Ohio],  the  Wabash  and  the  Illinois  rivers."" 
For  nearly  two  years  and  a  half,  or  until 
the  treaty  of  Paris,  that  provision  in  the  ar- 
ticles of  capitulation  made  the  boundary  be- 
tween the  British  and  French  possessions  in 
the  northwest  a  very  irregular  line.  The 
lands  drained  by  the  ^laumee  and  the  St. 
Joseph  became  British  territory;  those 
drained  by  the  Wabash  and  the  Kankakee  re- 
mained French.  The  northeast  part  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  including  the  greater  part  of 
South  Bend  and  all  of  jMishawaka,  ceased 
forever  to  be  French.  The  boundary  ran  ir- 
regularly along  the  summit  dividing  the 
waters  of  the  St.  Joseph  from  those  of  the 
Kankakee.  This  took  the  present  townships 
of  Clay  and  Harris,  and  the  greater  part  of 
German,  Portage  and  Penn,  within  the 
British  line;  while  the  rest  of  the  county  re- 
mained French  territory.  Under  the  terms 
of  the  capitulation  of  ^Montreal,  Detroit  was 
taken  over  in  the  fall,  1760;  but  Fort  St. 
Joseph's  and  the  other  frontier  posts  were 
not  garrisoned  with  British  troops  until  the 
spring  of  1761,  and  some  of  them  even  later. 
By  the  treaty  of  Paris,  which  was  signed 
February  10,  1763,  the  British  boundaries 
were  extended  to  the  ]\Iississippi.  The  line 
drawn  through  that  river  from  its  source  to 
its  mouth  was  made  the  boundary  between  the 
two  nations,  except  that  the  city  and  island 
of  New  Orleans  were  to  remain  with  France. 
Thereafter  the  province  of  Louisiana  was  con- 
fined to  the  territory  west  of  the  Mississippi. 
Spain  was  a  party  to  the  treaty  of  Paris,  and 
in  that  treaty  ceded  the  Floridas  to  Great 
Britain.  By  way  of  compensation  for  this 
loss,  France,  by  a  private  agreeincnt.  made 
over  to  Spain,  New  Orleans  and  what  re- 
mained to  her  of  Louisiana.^  Thus  Spain, 
for  a  time,  came  into  the  history  of  the  j\Iis- 
sissippi  valley,  and,  incidentally,  as  we  shall 
see,  into  the  history  of  our  own  valley  of  the 
St.  Joseph. 

a.     Bancroft,    Hist.    U.    S..    Vol.    2.    pp.    522-24. 
Smith,  Hist.  Ind.,  Vol.  1,  Chap.  7. 

h.     Dyer's  Hist.  Modern  Europe,  Book  6,  Chap.  C. 


42 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Sec.  3. PoNTiAc's  War. — The  discomfiture 

of  France  and  the  transfer  of  the  northwest 
territory  to   Great  Britain  brought  about  a 
state  of  sullen  displeasure  in  the  minds  of 
the  Indians,  who  had  lived  so  long  on  friendly 
terms  with  the  French.     Accordingly,  in  the 
early  part  of  1763,  Pontiac,  the  distinguished 
chief  of  the  Ottawas,  formed  a  confederacy 
to  expel  the  English  from  their  newly   ac- 
quired territory.     The  Ottawa  chief  was  by 
birth  a  Catawba,  but  being  captured  in  war 
by  the  Ottawas  was  adopted  by  that  tribe. 
By  his  wisdom  and  bravery  he  became  not 
only  the  chief  of  the  Ottawas,  but  the  leader 
of   the   whole   Algonquin   nation.      The    con- 
federacy   formed    by    Pontiac,    one    of    the 
strongest  and  best  ever  organized  by  the  In- 
dian race,  was  composed  not  only  of  all  the 
Algonquin    tribes,    but    embraced    also    the 
Wyandots  and  .the  Senecas,  the  latter  being 
one  of  the  Iroquois  confederacy,  so  long  at 
enmity  with  the  Algonquins.     Pontiac 's  plan 
was  to  take  all  the  English  forts  at  the  same 
time,    by   a    similar   stratagem.      A   body   of 
picked    men    was    to    visit    each    post    in    a 
friendly  manner  during  the  mouth  of  May, 
1763,   and  then,   while  the  men   and  officers 
were  off  their  guard,  make  a  sudden  attack 
and  capture  the  garrison.     The  plan  might 
have  succeeded  if  it  had  not  been   for  the 
treachery  of  an  Indian  girl  at  Detroit,  who 
disclosed  Pontiac 's  design  to  Major  Gladwin, 
the  commander  of  that  post.    Major  Gladwin 
immediately  sent  a  message  to  warn  the  com- 
mander   at    Fort    Pitt,    formerly,    Fort    Du 
Quesne,    where    the    city    of    Pittsburg    now 
stands.     The  well  conceived  stratagem  there- 
fore failed  at  those  two  posts.     All  the  other 
forts,   however,   were  taken   by   the    Indians. 
Sandusky  was  captured  May  16;  St.  Joseph's, 
May    25;    Miami    (Fort    Wayne),    May    27; 
Ouiatanoii    (Lafayette),  June  1;  and  Michil- 
limackinac,    June    2.      Pontiac 's    war    lasted 
through  1763   and   1764,   during  Avhich  time 
his  will  was  law  from  the  lakes  to  the  Ohio 
and  the  Mississippi,  except  at  Fort  Pitt  and 
Detroit;  but  the  failure  to  capture  those  tw^o 


strong  posts  was  fatal  to  his  enterprise.  His 
powerful  confederacy  became  dissipated  by 
degrees ;  and  the  mighty  chief  of  the  Ottawas 
retired  to  the  Illinois  country,  near  St.  Louis, 
where  in  1769.  he  was  basely  assassinated  by 
a  Kaskaskia  Indian,  prompted  by  a  reward 
for  his  murder  by  Amherst,  the  British  com- 
mander. 

Fort   St.   Joseph's   was   again   an   English 
post." 

Sec.  4. — George  Rogers  Clark  and  Fort 
St.  Joseph's. — The  British  occupancy  of  the 
northwest  was  not  again  disturbed  until  after 
the  opening  of  the  American  revolution.  But 
on  July  4,  1778,  George  Rogers  Clark  acting 
under  a  commission  from  Patrick  Henry, 
then  governor  of  Virginia,  captured  Kaskas- 
kia, and  soon  after  took  possession  of  Cahokia 
and  other  villages  situated  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Mississippi,  a  little  below  where  St. 
Louis  now  stands.  A  few  days  later,  through 
the  good  offices  of  Father  Gibault,  then  in 
charge  of  Kaskaskia  and  the  adjacent  mis- 
sions, the  inhabitants  of  Viucennes  joyfully 
raised  the  American  flag  and  proclaimed 
themselves  citizens  of  the  new  republic.  The 
French  people  in  the  west  had  no  love  for 
the  British;  and  when  they  learned  of  the 
assistance  given  to  Washington  by  La  Fayette 
and  that  France  herself  was  aiding  the 
American  cause,  they  were  glad  to  take  the 
first  opportunity  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of 
their  ancient  enemies. 

The  British,  however,  were  not  disposed  to 
yield  possession  of  this  rich  territory  without 
a  struggle.  Towards  the  end  of  the  same 
vear  a  strong  force  was  sent  from  Detroit, 
by  way  of  the  Maumee  and  the  Wabash,  and 
on  December  17.  1778,  Vincennes  was  re- 
taken from  the  little  garrison  of  Virginians. 
Although  it  was  mid-winter.  Col.  Clark  pre- 
pared at  once  to  re-capture  the  fort;  and,  on 
February  24,  1779,  after  a  most  heroic  march 
from    Kaskaskia,    the    post    on    the    Wabash 

a.  Dunn's  Hist.  Indiana,  69.  Poole's  Hist.  The 
West,  Vol.  6,  Chap.  9. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


43 


passed  forever  into  possession  of  the  Ameri- 
cans. 

During  the  summer  of  1779,  Clark  made 
preparations  to  take  Detroit  and  the  remain- 
ing- British  posts  in  the  western  country,  in- 
chiding  Fort  St.  Joseph's.  He  tells  us,  in  the 
Memoir  which  he  has  left  of  his  conquest  of 
the  northwest,  and  which  Mr.  William  H. 
English  has  pri"nted  in  full  ni  his  valuable 
history  and  life  of  George  Rogers  Clark,  that 
the  British  sent  an  expedition  from  Michili- 
mackinac,  to  proceed  by  way  of  Fort  St. 
Joseph's  and  the  portage  of  the  Kankakee,  for 
the  purpose  of  driving  the  American  traders 
out  of  the  Illinois  country ;  but  that  on  arriv- 
ing at  the  fort  they  were  deserted  by  their 
Indian  allies,  and  becoming  alarmed  with- 
drew to  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  sent  back 
to  Michilimackinac  for  help.  When  the  troops 
came  down  the  lake  to  the  assistance  of  the 
expedition  and  saw  the  camp  at  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  Joseph  (probably  on  the  site  of 
La  Salle's  old  Fort  JMiamis),  they  mistook 
their  friends  for  Americans  and  hastily  with- 
drew, believing  that  Fort  St.  Joseph's  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans.  Clark, 
however,  found  himself  unable  to  raise  a  force 
sufficient  to  proceed  against  the  northern 
forts,  and,  for  the  time.  Fort  St.  Joseph's  and 
the  other  northern  posts  continued  in  posses- 
sion of  the  British." 

Sec.  5. — Taken  by  the  Spaniards. — But 
the  romantic  story  of  Fort  St.  Joseph's  had 
yet  another  episode.  Early  in  1779,  war  had 
again  broken  out  between  Spain  and  England. 
Louisiana  still  continued  in  possession  of  the 
Spaniards,  and  they  had  a  strong  military 
post  at  St.  Louis.  Mr.  English  in  his  life  of 
George  Rogers  Clark  says  that:  "General 
Clark's  possession  of  the  Illinois  and  Wabash 
country  was  not  only  good  as  against  the 
British,  but  also  as  against  the  Spaniards, 
and  there  is  scarcely  a  doubt  that  the  latter 
would  have  seized  the  French  towns,  antl 
occupied  the  territory,  if  it  had  not  already 

a.  See  Vol.  1,  English's  Conquest  of  the  North- 
west, pp.  552-4. 


been  in  actual  American  possession."  And 
he  adds:  "The  Spaniards  did  make  a  raid,  to 
that  end,  in  the  winter  of  1780-81,  and  cap- 
tured Fort  St.  Joseph's;  but  they  made  no  at- 
tempt to  hold  the  country. "«  This  Spanish 
expedition  left  St.  Louis  January  2,  1781, 
under  command  of  Don  Eugenio  Pourre,  the 
detachment  consisting  of  sixty-five  soldiers 
and  sixty  Indians.''  They  marched  rapidly 
across  the  frozen  lands  of  Illinois  and  north- 
western Indiana,  and  surrounded  Fort  St. 
Joseph  before  there  was  any  intimation  of 
their  approach.  The  garrison  was  easily  over- 
come, and  the  Spaniards  took  formal  posses- 
sion of  the  post  and  its  dependencies,  in  the 
name  of  the  king  of  Spain.  The  valley  of  the 
St.  Joseph,  including  the  territory  of  our  own 
county,  thus  for  a  time  became  a  part  of  the 
dominion  of  Spain.  Not  desiring  to  occupy 
the  fort,  the  Spaniards  burned  it  to  the 
gTound  and  returned  to  St.  Louis.  Spain 
afterwards  made  a  vain  attempt  to  found,  on 
this  capture,  a  claim  to  a  large  tcrritoiy  cast 
of  the  Mississippi.  It  is  interesting  to  ob- 
serve that  this  victory  of  the  little  Spanish 
army  from  St.  Louis  marks  the  extreme 
northern  limit  in  the  new  world  of  the  power 
of  Spain,  whose  flag  then  floated  from  the 
valley  of  the  St.  Joseph  to  the  Straits  of 
Magellan.  The  old  fort  was  never  rebuilt: 
and  soon  after,  on  the  establishment  of 
American  indejiendence.  the  soil  on  which  it 
stood,  together  with  that  of  all  tlie  iioii Invest, 
was,  by  reason  of  the  victories  ol'  (leorge 
Rogers  Clark,  acknowledged  as  a  part  of  the 
territory  of  the  young  republic.  So  passed 
Fort  St.  Joseph's,  a  little  over  a  hundred 
years  aftei'  the  founding  of  the  mission  of 
AUouez  upon  tlie  hanks  of  our  beautiful 
river.'' 

V.      THE  PARKOVASH,  INDIAN  CAMPS  ANI1  Tl.WU.S. 

While  the  banks  of  the  Kankakee  arc  low 
and  the  soil  dark  and  rich:  tlu'  banks  of  the 

a.    11).  Vol.  IT,  pp.  764-5. 

h.     See  Chap.  3,  siibcl.  2,  of  this  work. 

c.  Dunn,  Hist.  Indiana,  p.  160.  Dillon,  Hist. 
Indiana,  p.  173.  Bartlett,  Tales  of  Kankakee 
Land,   pp.  183-4. 


44 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


St.  Joseph  are  high  and  the  soil  dry  and 
gravelly.  Accordingly,  the  growth  of  timber 
along  the  St.  Joseph  was  not  ''thick  woods," 
but  the  trees  stood  well  apart,  as  in  a  great 
natural  park.  The  Indian  custom  of  keeping 
the  underbrush  and  leaves  annually  burned 
away  added  to  the  park-like  appearance  of 
the  lands.  The  expressive  phrase  "oak  open- 
ings" well  describes  the  fine  vistas  through 
the  ancient  forests  that  decorated  the  banks 
on  either  side  of  the  beautiful  river.  Added 
to  the  beauty  and  shade  of  the  woodlands,  the 
waters  of  the  St.  Joseph  were  always,  as  they 
are  today,  clear  and  cool,  while  refreshing 
springs  bubbled  up  everywhere  under  the 
high  banks  or  trickled  down  their  face  to 
the  stream  below.  It  is  little  wonder  there- 
fore that  this  ideal  solitude  was  dear  not  only 
to  the  redman,  but  also  to  the  birds  of  the 
air  and  the  four-footed  creatures  that  roamed 
the  wilderness.  Here  came  the  elk  and  the 
deer ;  but,  more  than  all,  this  was  the  favorite 
haunt  of  the  buffalo,  the  great  wild  oxen  and 
cows  that  came  into  the  cool  shadows  from 
the  hot  sun  of  the  prairies,  to  browse  on  the 
fresh  grass  and  drink  of  the  sweet  waters. 
From  the  mouth  of  the  river,  on  either  side, 
and  far  up  beyond  the  limits  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  extended  this  magnificent  park-like 
buffalo  range.  So  accustomed  were  the  early 
French  hunters  and  traders  to  see  the  buft'alo 
cows  come  with  their  calves  for  rest  and  re- 
freshment to  these  pleasant  haunts  along  the 
St.  Joseph,  that  they  gave  to  the  place  the 
picturesque  appellation  of  Pare  aux  Vaches 
(literally,  park  of  the  cows),  a  term  changed 
in  the  spelling  by  our  early  settlers  to  parko- 
vash.  The  term  "parkovash"  has  been  usu- 
ally, no  doubt  properly,  confined  in  applica- 
tion to  the  plain  along  the  eastern  bank  of 
the  river  above  and  below  the  cities  of  South 
Bend  and  Mishawaka." 

Sec.  1. — Camps  and  Fishing  Resorts. — 
Fort   St.   Joseph's  was  in  the  heart  of  the 

a.  Baker,  The  St.  Joseph-Kankakee  Portage, 
p.  6.  Bartlett  and  Lyon,  La  Salle  in  the  Valley 
of  the  St.  Joseph,  p.  40. 


Parkovash ;  and  into  and  through  these  beauti- 
ful woodlands  along  the  eastern  and  northern 
banks  of  the  river  came  every  trail  from  the 
surrounding  wilderness.  Here  the  bands  set 
up  their  wigwams,  and  here  the  council  fires 
arose.  Hard  by,  on  some  open  spot  or  high- 
land, stood  a  village  of  Miamis  or  of  Potta- 
watomies.  For  in  this  valley  as  elsewhere, 
as  said  by  Maurice  Thompson,  the  villages,  or 
rather  camps,  of  the  Indians  were  usually 
situated,  as  were  those  of  the  Mound  Builders, 
on  highlands  close  to  a  stream,  pond  or  lake 
where  plenty  of  water  could  easily  be  had.* 

Favorite  fishing  places  were,  of  course,  an 
additional  attraction.  Such  was  the  location 
in  the  river  at  Fort  St.  Joseph's;  where,  on 
one  side  of  the  stream,  was  the  ancient  vil- 
lage of  the  Miamis,  and,  on  the  other,  the 
village  of  the  Pottawatomies.  "Here,"  says 
Mr.  Bartlett,  "at  a  place  where  the  waters 
were  shallow,  the  aborigines  had  paved  a  strip 
of  the  river's  bed  from  shore  to  shore  with 
great  slabs  of  limestone.  Just  who  they  were 
that  labored  at  this  task,  or  when  they  toiled, 
no  one  will  ever  know.  These  slabs  of  lime- 
stone are  a  characteristic  of  the  surrounding 
glacial  hills.  The  purpose  of  dragging  the 
huge,  flat  stones  into  the  river  and  disposing 
them  so  as  to  form  a  paved  path  through  the 
waters  was  an  important  one,  since  thereby 
the  people  might  more  easily  take  the  great 
fish  with  which  the  river  at  certain  seasons 
was  fairly  alive.  The  canoes  were  accustomed 
to  go  up  stream  some  miles,  and  then,  descend- 
ing in  an  open  line  that  reached  from  bank 
to  bank,  so  agitated  the  waters  as  to  drive 
before  them  the  finny  game.  Companions, 
who  in  the  meantime  had  taken  their  sta- 
tions at  frequent  intervals  across  the  lime- 
stone floor,  stood  with  uplifted  spears  await- 
ing the  moment  when  the  form  of  the  rolling 
sturgeon  or  the  catfish  or  the  swift  pickerel 
or  the  quick-darting  pike  should  be  outlined 
against  the  underlying  pavement.  Those  who 
sometimes  witnessed  these  operations  have  left 
the  record  that  when  the  spearmen  were  at 

a.     Stories  of  Indiana,  p.  29. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


45 


work,  the  boats  went  frequently  to  the  shore 
and  were  often  weighted  down  to  the  water's 
edge  with  the  burden  of  fishes.  It  was  noth- 
ing strange,  therefore,  that  just  above  this 
renowned  fishing-place  a  great  Indian  village 
should  have  survived  from  remote  times  down 
to  a  period  within  the  memory  of  men  now 
living."* 

After  the  Miamis  went  east  and  south,  to 
the  vicinity  of  the  Maumee  and  the  Wabash, 
the  Pottawatomies  were  left  in  sole  possession 
of  the  valleys  of  the  St.  Joseph  and  the 
Kankakee;  but,  while  these  Indians  came 
every  year  in  great  numbers  by  way  of  the 
St.  Joseph  portage,  with  their  furs,  maple 
sugar,  baskets  and  trinkets,  to  the  markets  at 
the  trading  posts  down  the  river,  yet  no  large 
villages  of  the  tribe  were  to  be  found  within 
the  limits  of  St.  Joseph  county.  Pokagon's 
village  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  St.  Joseph, 
two  miles  north  of  the  St.  Joseph  county  line, 
near  Bertrand,  and  there  was  a  small  band 
settled  about  a  mile  or  two  southwest  of  the 
site  of  South  Bend,  at  a  place  called  Raccoon 
village ;  but  the  main  body  of  the  Pottawato- 
mies was  farther  south,  in  Marshall  county, 
around  Twin  Lakes  and  Lake  Maxinkuckee, 
and  in  Fulton  county.  Accordingly,  while  the 
roving  Indian  was  constantly  on  the  trails 
throughout  all  this  region,  hunting,  fishing, 
or  going  to  or  from  the  trading  stations,  yet 
his  more  permanent  abode  was  in  the  villages 
to  the  south,  and  when  finally  he  came  to  be 
removed  to  the  west,  the  gathering  places  for 
the  beginning  of  his  long  journey  to  the  lands 
beyond  the  Mississippi  were,  in  general,  with- 
out the  confines  of  St.  Joseph  county.  And 
while  of  course  many  redmen  had  their  fixed 
abode  within  the  limits  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
yet  the  romantic  Parkovash,  the  prairies,  the 
woodlands  and  the  streams  were  for  visiting, 
for  sightseeing  and  for  hunting  and  trading, 
rather  than  for  permanent  dwelling  places. 

Sec.  2. — Trails  and  Traces. — And  so  it 
came  to  be  that  into  and  through  the  fair 
Parkovash  ran  those  numerous  traveled  ways, 

a.     Tales  of  Kankakee  Land,  pp.  158-9. 


out  of  the  surrounding  wilderness.  When 
whitemen  first  came  into  the  Indian  country 
they  found  everywhere  those  well  marked 
pathways,  trodden  by  human  and  pony  feet, 
but  not  by  buffaloes  or  other  animals.  To 
these  pathways  was  given  the  name  of  trails, 
and  sometimes  that  of  traces.  The  word  trail, 
as  often  used  by  hunters  and  frontiersmen, 
denoted  the  slight  trace  left  where  an  animal 
or  a  man  had  passed  but  once,  and  to  follow 
such  a  trail  was  no  easy  matter ;  but  the  term 
was  also  used  to  denote  a  well  worn  narrow 
pathway  that  might  have  been  trodden  hun- 
dreds or  thousands  of  times.  These  trails 
have  in  many  instances  been  adopted  as  the 
lines  of  permanent  roads  by  the  civilized  suc- 
cessors of  the  roving  Indians  and  their  ancient 
predecessors,  the  Mound  Builders.  This  use 
of  the  trails  for  our  modern  highways  re- 
sulted from  convenience  and  long  continued 
custom;  for  traders,  travelers,  scouting  par- 
ties and  frontiersmen  passed  along  these  trails 
for  many  years  before  the  wagons  of  the 
pioneers  widened  them  out  with  their  Avheels, 
and  before  the  civil  authorities  finally  fixed 
them  as  legal  public  highways." 

The  most  noted  of  these  trails  was  that 
of  the  Portage,  already  referred  to,  extending 
from  La  Salle's  landing,  at  a  sharp  western 
bend  of  the  St.  Joseph,  thence  across  to  the 
headwaters  of  the  Kankakee,  a  little  to  the 
west  and  south  of  the  blue  sheet  of  water, 
sometimes  known  as  La  Salle's  and  sometimes 
as  Stanfield  lake,  but  perhaps  even  still  more 
appropriately  called  Summit  lake,  because  lo- 
cated almost  on  the  line  of  the  watershed 
between  the  St.  Joseph  and  the  Kankakee. 
This  famous  trail  was  used  chiefly  for  the 
carrying  of  boats  from  one  river  to  the  other ; 
and  therefore  came  to  be  named  the  Portage, 
from  the  French  word  porter,  to  carry.  The 
beautiful  prairie  over  which  the  ])ortage 
passed  was  naturally  called  Portage  Prairie. 

Other  trails  seem  to  have  led  from  the  St. 
Joseph,  over  the  prairie  to  the  IMiami  village 
at  Mount  Pleasant,  and  to  Chain  lakes,  near- 

a.     Ball,  Hist.  Northwestern  Indiana,  pp.  76-78. 


46 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


by,  and  thenee  on  to  Crum's  Point  and  other 
places  along  the  Kankakee. 

See.  3. — Chari^voix  on  Portage  Prairie. 
— It  was  while  encamped  on  one  of  these 
trails,  September  17,  1721,  that  the  celebrated 
traveler  and  missionary,  Father  Charlevoix, 
wrote  his  very  interesting  letter  to  a  friend 
in  France  descriptive  of  our  Portage  Prairie, 
as  he  then  found  it.  The  visit  to  this  county 
at  that  early  date  of  so  distinguished  a  char- 
acter as  Charlevoix  is  of  itself  of  sufficient 
historical  interest  to  justify  the  making  of 
an  extract  from  his  letter  written  on  that  oc- 
casion. The  letter  also  serves  to  throw  light 
on  many  points  already  touched  upon  in  this 
chapter.     The  extract  is  as  follows : 

"I  believe  I  gave  you  to  understand  in  my 
last  letter  that  I  had  two  routes  to  choose 
from  in  going  to  the  Illinois.  The  first  was  to 
return  to  Lake  jNIichigan,  follow  along  its 
southern  course  and  enter  the  little  Chicago 
river.  After  ascending  that  river  five  or  six 
leagues,  one  passes  into  the  Illinois  by  two 
portages,  the  longer  of  which  is  five  quarter 
leagues;  but  as  that  river  is  only  a  brook  at 
the  point,  I  was  warned  that  at  this  season 
I  should  not  find  in  it  enough  water  for  my 
boat,  and  therefore  I  took  the  other  route 
[by  the  St.  Joseph],  which,  indeed,  has  also 
its  inconveniences,  and  is  not  nearly  so  agree- 
able, but  is  surer.  Yesterday  I  left  the  fort 
of  St.  Joseph  river  [Fort  St.  Joseph's],  and 
ascended  that  river  about  six  leagues.  I  dis- 
embarked on  the  right,  walked  five  quarter 
leagues,  first  following  the  edge  of  the  water 
and  then  crossing  the  fields  into  a  great  prai- 
rie, all  sprinkled  with  little  tufts  of  woodland 
which  have  a  very  beautiful  effect.  It  is  called 
Ox-Head  Prairie,  because  there  was  found 
there,  as  they  say,  the  head  of  an  ox  of 
monstrous  size.  Why  may  there  not  have  been 
giants    among   these    animals    also?'*      I    en- 

a.  This  "ox-head"  was  perhaps  that  of  an  un- 
usually large  buffalo.  More  likely,  however,  it 
was  the  head  of  a  mastadon  or  of  a  mammoth, 
many  of  the  remains  of  both  being  found  at  dif- 
ferent places  in  the  county,  particularly  in  the 
miry  stretches  of  the  Kankakee  bottoms.  See 
note  to  Bartlett  and  Lyon's  La  Salle  in  the  Valley 
of  the  St.  Joseph,  p.  37. 


camped  in  an  exceedingly  beautiful  place 
called  the  Fort  of  the  Foxes,  because  the  Fox 
Indians  [the  Outagamies]  had  a  village  there 
not  long  ago,  fortified  in  their  way.  This 
morning  I  went  a  league  farther  into  the 
prairie,  my  feet  almost  constantly  in  the 
water,  and  then  found  a  sort  of  pond,  which 
communicates  with  several  others  of  different 
sizes,  the  largest  of  'which  is  only  a  hundred 
paces  in  circuit.  These  are  the  sources  of 
a  river  called  the  Theakiki,  which  our  Cana- 
dians here  corrupted  into  Kiakiki  [Kanka- 
kee] .  Theak  means  wolf,  I  do  not  remember 
in  what  language ;  but  this  river  bears  that 
name  because  the  Mahingans,  who  are  also 
called  the  Wolves,  formerly  took  refuge  there. 
We  put  our  boat,  which  two  men  had  carried, 
up  to  this  point,  into  the  second  of  these 
sources,  and  embarked;  but  we  had  scarcely 
enough  water  to  keep  afloat.  Ten  men  in  two 
days  could  make  a  straight  and  navigable 
canal  which  would  save  much  trouble,  besides 
ten  or  twelve  leagues  of  travel,  and  it  is 
necessary  continually  to  turn  so  sharply  that 
at  each  instant  one  is  in  danger  of  breaking 
his  boat  [a  bark  canoe],  as  has  just  happened 
to  us.""  It  is  an  interesting  circumstance 
to  note  in  this  connection  that  the  canal,  or 
ditch,  suggested  by  Father  Charlevoix  in 
1721.  nearly  two  hundred  years  ago,  has  re- 
cently been  dug,  and  the  Kankakee  straight- 
ened and  shortened,  accordingly,  as  he  said  it 
could  be;  though  it  has  taken  the  labor  of 
more  than  ten  men  for  two  days  to  do  it. 

Sec.  4. — Other  Trails.— Next  in  impor- 
tance to  the  Portage  trail  was  the  Great  Sauk 
Trail.  To  the  travel  and  commerce  of  the 
wilderness,  between  the  east  and  the  west, 
this  trail  was  what  our  great  trunk  lines  of 
railroad  are  now  to  the  travel  and  commerce, 
between  the  same  distant  localities.  The  Sauk 
Trail  received  its  name  from  the  Sac  tribe 
of  Indians.  The  Sacs  and  Foxes  used  it  in 
their  journey ings  from  Canada  and  other 
eastern  points  to  their  homes  in  the  far  north- 

o.     CTharlevoix's  Travels  in  North  America,  Vol. 
6,  pp.   103-5. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


47 


west.  The  trail  started  near  the  site  of  De- 
troit, followed  the  high  ridges  across  Michi- 
gan, crossed  the  St.  Joseph  river  at  Bertrand, 
six  miles  north  of  South  Bend,  and  then  ran 
westerly,  crossing  the  northwest  part  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  over  Warren  and  Olive  town- 
ships, passing  through  Terre  Coupee,  and 
then,  by  Hudson  lake,  formerly  called  Lake 
du  Chemin,  through  the  county  of  La  Porte, 
and  on  to  the  site  of  Chicago  and  beyond  to 
the  Illinois  and  northwestern  country.  This 
was  the  path  taken  by  the  Iroquois  of  New 
York,  in  their  raids  against  the  Miamis,  Il- 
linois and  other  western  tribes.  A  multitude 
of  smaller  trails  ran  into  and  out  from  this 
great  thoroughfare.  A  well-know^n  Potta- 
watomie town,  called  the  village  of  Pokagon, 
after  the  wise  chief  of  that  name,  stood  on 
the  Avest  side  of  the  St.  Joseph,  just  south 
of  the  Sauk  trail.  For  fifty  years  and  more 
the  Sauk  trail  has  been  called  the  Chicago 
Road,  this  name  having  been  given  to  the  old 
trail  after  the  national  government  had 
smoothed  and  straightened  its  course  from 
Detroit  to  Chicago." 

The  Dragoon  trace  was  a  well-worn  trail 
leading  from  Fort  Wayne  to  Chicago. 
Through  this  county  it  passed  under  the  hills 
above  Misha"\vaka  and  came  into  what  is  now 
South  Bend  over  the  line  of  Vistula  avenue, 
passing  to  the  west  until  it  united  with  the 
Sauk  trail.  Near  the  extreme  south  bend  of 
the  St.  Joseph  river,  by  what  has  been  known 
as  the  Turkey  Creek  road,  now  Miami  street, 
another  trail  left  the  Dragoon  trace  and 
passed  on  southeasterly  through  the  coimty. 
South  ^Michigan  street,  a  part  of  the  old 
IMichigan  road,  marks  the  line  of  yet  another 
southern  trail,  reaching  to  the  Pottawatomie 
habitations  at  Twin  lakes.  Lake  Maxinkuckee 
and  other  points  in  Marshall  county;  while 
still  another  trail  went  out  southwesterly  over 
the  line  of  Sumption  Prairie  road.  Along  the 
east  side  of  the  St.  Joseph,  from  its  mouth 

a.  George  A.  Baker,  in  The  Indianian,  Vol.  IV., 
p.  344.  Bartlett,  Tales  of  Kankakee  Land,  p.  223. 
Ball,  Hist.  Northwestern  Indiana,  p.  77. 


almost  to  its  source,  ran  a  well-marked  trail, 
connecting  at  Bertrand  with  the  Sauk  trail, 
and  receiving  from  place  to  place  all  the  minor 
trails  that  entered  the  Parkovash.  Indeed 
every  stream  had  its  trail  on  either  side ;  for 
although  the  canoe  glided  along  the  water, 
yet  the  chief  travel  of  the  wilderness  was 
along  the  trails,  on  foot  or  on  the  backs  of 
the  precious  ponies. 

Another  trail,  and  the  last  that  need  be 
mentioned,  was  the  Pottawatomie  trail,  which 
followed  the  Kankakee  from  the  Illinois  coun- 
try, crossed  the  St.  Joseph  near  the  site  of 
South  Bend,  one  branch  joining  with  the  trail 
along  the  river  down  to  Fort  St.  Joseph's,  and 
another  continuing  along  what  is  now  South 
Bend  avenue  and  the  Edwardsburg  road,  and 
connecting  at  Edwardsburg  with  the  great 
Sauk  trail.  As  South  Bend  avenue  and  the 
Edwardsburg  road  mark  this  trail  east  of  the 
St.  Joseph,  the  Crum's  Point  road  marks  it 
on  the  west. 

Throughout  its  course  the  Indian  trail  was 
at  first  simply  a  pathw^ay,  which  in  time  de- 
veloped into  a  well  trodden  highway.  This 
pathway  "never  crossed  over  a  hill  which  it 
might  go  around;  it  crept  through  the  hol- 
lows, avoiding,  however,  with  greatest  care, 
those  conditions  in  which  a  moccasin  could 
not  be  kept  drj'  and  clean ;  it  clung  to  the 
shadows  of  the  big  timber-belts,  and,  when 
an  arm  of  the  prairie  intervened,  sought  to 
traverse  such  a  place  of  possible  danger  by 
the  route  which  was  shortest  and  least  ex- 
posed. At  every  step  the  ancient  path  tells 
the  story  of  wilderness  fears.  Yet  the  pre- 
cincts of  this  venerable  avenue  of  the  old  life 
had  also  their  own  peculiar  delights.  A  warm 
and  sheltered  path  in  the  winter-time,  its  fra- 
grant airs  were  cool  and  soft  in  the  siunmer 
days.  .  .  .  And  then  to  the  Pottawatomie 
this,  above  all  others,  was  the  ancient  high- 
way of  his  people.  Along  its  course  he  saw 
the  war-parties  filing  away  to  find  the  enemy 
in  distant  lands  and  among  strange  peoples. 
And  he  heard  the  forest  walls  of  the  old 
path  re-echo  the  exultant  cry  of  the  returning 


48 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


band,  saw  the  unhappy  captives  schooling 
their  hearts  to  a  stoic's  cahn,  or  following 
with  proud  disdain  in  the  footsteps  of  their 
conquerors,  or  nursing  thoughts  of  grim 
vengeance  by  glaring  scowls  and  vain  mutter- 
ings.  At  such  an  hour  the  Pottawatomie, 
standing  by  the  path  of  his  fathers,  rejoiced 
to  know  that  the  name  of  his  people  was 
terrible  in  the  land  of  the  enemy.  The  old 
men  loved  to  wander  along  this  path  and  re- 
hearse the  stories  of  the  past,  and  tell  of  the 
times  when  they  with  their  people,  in  tumul- 
tuous throng,  hurried  home  from  the  chase. '  '"^ 

VI.    THE  REMOVAL  OP  THE  POTTAWATOMIES, 

The  last  fact  of  importance  in  the  history 
of  the  Indians  of  St.  Joseph  county  is  the 
This  pathetic  story  has  been  so  well  told  by 
removal  of  the  Pottawatomies  to  the  west. 
Marshall  county  in  the  general  assembly  of 
1905  and  1907,  and  the  story  as  told  by  him 
is  crowded  with  such  a  wealth  of  historical 
facts,  that  we  cannot  do  better  than  give  in 
full  his  admirable  and  eloquent  speech,  de- 
livered in  the  House  of  Representatives,  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1905.  Mr.  McDonald  is  one  of  the 
best  informed  men  in  Indiana  on  the  early 
history  of  this  section  of  the  state ;  and,  as 
shown  by  his  address,  his  heart  was  in  his 
subject.     The  address  is  as  follows: 

Address  of  Representative  Daniel  McDon- 
ald of  Plymouth,  delivered  in  the  House  of 
Representatives,  Indianapolis,  Friday,  Febru- 
ary S,  1905,  on  the  bill  to  erect  a  monmnent 
to  the  Pottawatomie  Indians  at  Twin  Lakes, 
Marshall  county,  published  by  direction  of 
the  House  of  Representatives. 

The  bill  to  erect  a  monument  to  the  mem- 
ory of  the  Pottawatomie  Indians  at  Menom- 
inee village,  in  Marshall  county,  being  under 
consideration.  Representative  Daniel  McDon- 
ald said : 

Mr.  Speaker  and  Gentlemen  of  the  House  of 
Representatives  : 

In  order  that  a  fair  understanding  may  be 
had  in  regard  to  the  subject  matter  embraced 
in  this  bill,  I  desire  to  submit  the  following: 

The  question  of  the  extinguishment  of  the 

a.    Bartlett,  Tales  of  Kankakee  Land,  83. 


Indian  titles  to  the  lands  of  the 
Pottawatomie  Indians  in  northern  Indiana 
and  southern  ^Michigan,  and  their  removal  to 
a  reservation  to  be  provided  for  them  west 
of  the  Missouri  river,  was  one  of  the  most 
important  and  delicate  questions  the  govern- 
ment had  to  deal  with  in  the  early  settlement 
of  this  part  of  the  Northwest  Territory.  Gen- 
eral treaties  were  made  from  1820  to  1830 
between  the  government  agents  and  the  chiefs 
and  headmen  of  the  Pottawatomies  by  which 
large  tracts  of  land  were  ceded  to  the  gov- 
ernment, and  numerous  reservations  made  to 
various  bands  of  Pottawatomie  Indians  in 
northern  Indiana  and  southern  Michigan. 
Later  these  reservations  were  ceded  back  by 
treaty  by  the  Indians  for  a  stipulated  amount, 
and  in  all  the  treaties  it  was  provided  that 
the  Indians  should  remove  to  the  reservation 
west  of  the  Missouri  river  within  two  years 
from  the  date  thereof.  The  dates  of  these 
treaties  were  about  all  in  the  years  1835  and 
in  1836,  the  last  date  for  removal  expiring 
about  the  first  of  August,  1838. 

The  territory  now  included  within  the 
boundaries  of  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Michigan, 
which  was  the  home  of  the  Pottawatomie  In- 
dians for  many  years  prior  to  the  time  they 
were  removed  to  the '  reservation  west  of  the 
Missouri  river,  was  in  the  early  days  of  the 
history  of  America  owned  and  occupied  by 
the  Miami  Indians,  originally  kno^^^l  as  the 
Twightwees.  It  was  claimed  by  France  from 
the  time  of  the  discovery  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi  river  by  La  Salle,  in  1682,  to 
1763,  when  it  was  relinquished  by  treaty  to 
the  government  of  England  and  held  by  it 
until  1779  as  a  part  of  her  colonial  possessions 
in  North  America.  The  state  of  Virginia  ex- 
tended its  jurisdiction  over  it  until  1783  when 
it  became  by  treaty  of  peace  and  by  cession 
from  Virginia  the  property  of  the  United 
States.  In  1787  an  ordinance  was  passed  by 
Congress  creating  the  territory  northwest  of 
the  river  Ohio,  which  embraced  the  territory 
of  the  states  above  mentioned. 

The  Pottawa.tomie  tribe  of  Indians,  the 
owners  and  inhabitants  of  the  territory  now 
comprising  northern  Indiana,  belonged  to  the 
great  Algonquin  family,  and  were  related  by 
ties  of  consanguinity  to  the  Ojibways,  Chip- 
pewas  and  Ottawas.  The  first  trace  we  have 
of  them  locates  their  territory  in  the  Lake 
Superior  region  on  the  islands  near  the  en- 
trance of  Green  bay,  holding  the  country 
from  the  latter  point  to  the  headwaters  of  the 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


49 


great  lakes.  Subsequently  they  adopted  into 
their  tribe  many  of  the  Ottawas  from  Upper 
Canada. 

About  1817  it  was  estimated  that  there  were 
in  the  region  north  of  the  AVabash  river  and 
south  of  Lake  ]\Iichigan  something  more  than 
two  thousand  Pottawatomies.  They  were  lo- 
cated in  villages  on  the  Tippecanoe ;  Kanka- 
kee; Iroquois;  Yellow  river;  St.  Joseph 
of  Lake  Michigan ;  the  Elkhart ;  INIaumee 
or  ^liamis  of  the  Lake ;  the  St.  Jo- 
seph emptying  into  it;  the  St.  Marys; 
Twin  lakes ;  Maxinkuckee ;  and  Lake  Ke- 
wanna.  At  that  time  they  had  no  uniform 
abiding  place  of  residence.  During  the  fall, 
winter  and  part  of  the  spring  they  were  scat- 
tered in  the  woods  hunting  and  fishing.  Their 
wigwams  were  made  of  poles  stuck  in  the 
ground  and  tied  together  with  strips  of  bark, 
slender  hickory  withes  or  raw  hide  strings. 
They  were  covered  with  bark  or  a  kind  of 
mat  made  of  flagweeds.  There  was  an  occa- 
sional rude  hut  made  of  logs  or  poles,  but 
nearly  all  the  dwellings  were  wigwams  hastily 
put  up  as  here  diseribed.  They  raised  some 
corn,  but  lived  principally  on  wild  game,  fish, 
fruits,  nuts,  and  roots  and  were  clothed  with 
blankets  and  untanned  skins. 

From  the  date  of  the  treaty  of  peace  at 
Greenville  in  1795  to  1832,  all  the  lands  in 
possession  of  the  Pottawatomie  and  Miami 
Indians  were  ceded  to  the  United  States. 
Nearly  all  the  titles  to  the  lands  in  this  part 
of  the  country  reserved  for  various  bands  by 
the  treaty  of  1832  were  extinguished  by 
United  States  Commissioner  Abel  C.  Pepper, 
who  seems  to  have  been  well  fitted  for  the 
difficult  task  assigned  him. 

In  1831  the  legislature  of  Indiana  passed 
a  joint  resolution  requesting  an  appropriation 
by  Congress  for  the. purpose  of  the  extinguish- 
ment of  the  remaining  titles  of  lands  held  by 
the  Indians  within  the  state.  The  appropria- 
tion was  made  and  three'  citizens — Jonathan 
Jennings,  first  governor  of  Indiana;  John  W. 
Davis  and  Marks  Crume — were  appointed  by 
the  secretary  of  war  to  carry  into  effect  the 
law  authorizing  the  appropriation.  The  com- 
missioners assembled  with  the  several  Indian 
chiefs  concerned  at  a  place  called  Chippe- 
wayning  on  the  Tippecanoe  river  where  the 
Michigan  road  crosses  that  stream  two  or  three 
miles  north  of  Rochester  and  sixteen  miles 
south  of  Plymouth,  where  they  concluded  a 
treaty  October  27,  1832,  by  which  the  chiefs 
and  warriors  of  the  Pottawatomies  of  Indiana 


and  Michigan  territory  ceded  to  the  United 
States  their  title  and  interest  to  all  the  lands 
in  Indiana,  Michigan,  and  in  Illinois  south  of 
Grand  river.  From  this  general  treaty  a  large 
number  of  small  individual  reservations  were 
made.  Among  them  was  a  reservation  of  two 
sections  to  Naswagee,  and  one  section  to 
Quashqua,  both  on  the  east  shore  of  Lake 
^Maxinkuckee,  and  twenty-two  sections  to  Me- 
nominee, Pepinawa,  Nataka,  and  Macataw- 
maaw,  adjoining  the  town  of  Plymouth  on  the 
west  and  extending  south  to  Twin  Lakes,  a 
short  distance  north  of  Lake  ilaxinkuckee ; 
several  sections  in  the  vicinity  to  Aubenaube 
and  other  chiefs  making  in  all  160  sections. 
These  reservations  were  all  ceded  back  to  the 
government  between  1834  and  1837,  mostly 
under  treaties  negotiated  by  Abel  C.  Pepper. 
All  of  these  treaties  contained  the  following: 

"Article  3.— The  United  States  further 
agrees  to  convey  by  patent  to  the  Pottawato- 
mies of  Indiana  a  tract  of  country  on  the 
Osage  river,  southwest  of  the  Missouri  river, 
sufficient  in  extent  and  adapted  to  their  wants 
and  habits,  remove  them  to  the  same,  furnish 
them  with  one  year's  subsistence  after  their 
arrival  there,  and  pay  the  expenses  of  the 
treaty,  and  the  delegation  now  in  this  city." 

The  first  removal  under  these  treaties  took 
place  in  July,  1837,  and  within  the  two  years 
from  the  date  of  these  treaties  to  August. 
1837.  all  had  gone  peaceably,  or  had  been 
removed  without  force,  except  IMenominee  cind 
his  band,  whose  village  w^as  on  the  north  bank 
of  Twin  lakes.  On  the  6th  of  August.  1838, 
the  time  stipulated  in  the  treaties  for  the  In- 
dians to  emigrate  having  expired,  and  Menom- 
inee and  his  band  declining  to  go,  a  council 
was  held  at  his  village,  at  which  Col.  Abel  C. 
Pepper,  agent  of  the  Govei-nment.  was  present, 
and  most  of  the  chiefs  in  that  i)art  of  the  coun- 
try, as  also  many  white  residents  of  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  treaty  was  read  where- 
in it  was  shown  that  in  ceding  their  lands  the 
Indians  had  agreed  to  remove  to  the  western 
reservation  within  the  time  specified  and  that 
the  date  was  then  at  hand  when  they  must  go. 
It  was  plain  to  those  present  who  were  fa- 
miliar with  the  Indian  character  that  there 
was  great  dissatisfaction  among  them  and  a 
si)irit  of  rebellion  growing  which  if  not  soon 
suppressed  would  probably  lead  to  serious 
results.  The  leader  and  principal  spokesman 
for  the  Indians  was  Menominee.  By  the 
treaty  of  1832  twenty-two  sections  of  land 
had    been   reserved   to   him    and   three   other 


50 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


chiefs,  viz.,  Pepinawa,  Xataka  and  Macataw- 
maaw.  The  last  three  named  chiefs  entered 
into  a  treaty,  with  Col.  Abel  C.  Pepper  on 
behalf  of  the  government  August  5,  1836, 
by  which  they  ceded  all  their  interest  in  the 
reservation  above  described  for  which  the  gov- 
ernment paid  them  $14,080  in  specie,  and  they 
agreed  to  remove  to  the  country  west  of  the 
Missouri  river  provided  for  them  within  two 
years  from  the  date  of  the  treaty.  Chief 
Menominee  refused  to  sign  the  treaty  and  per- 
sistently declined  to  release  to  the  government 
his  interest  in  the  reservation.  When  Col. 
Pepper  had  made  his  final  appeal  and  all  had 
had  their  say,  Menominee  arose  to  his  feet, 
and,  drawing  his  costly  blanket  around  him, 
through  an  interpreter 'he  addressed  the  coun- 
cil as  follows: 

"Members  of  the  Council — The  President 
does  not  know  the  truth.  He,  like  me,  has 
been  imposed  upon.  He  does  not  know  that 
you  have  made  my  young  chiefs  drunk  and 
got  their  consent  and  pretended  to  get  mine.  ' 
He  does  not  know  that  I  have  refused  to  sell 
my  lands  and  still  refuse.  He  would  not  by 
force  drive  me  from  my  home,  the  graves  of 
my  tribe,  and  my  children  who  have  gone  to 
the  Great  Spirit,  nor  allow  you  to  tell  me 
your  braves  will  take  me  tied  like  a  dog  if 
he  knew  the  truth.  My  brothers,  the  Presi- 
dent is  .iust,  but  he  listens  to  the  word  of 
young  chiefs  who  have  lied;  and  when  he 
knows  the  truth  he  will  leave  me  to  my  own. 
I  have  not  sold  my  lands.  I  will  not  sell 
them.  I  have  not  signed  any  treaty  and  will 
not  sign  any.  I  am  not  going  to  leave  my 
lands,  and  I  don't  want  to  hear  anything 
more  about  it." 

Describing  the  scene,  one  who  was  present 
said:  "Amid  the  applause  of  the  chiefs  he 
sat  down.  Spoken  in  the  peculiar  style  of 
the  Indian  orator — although  repeated  by  an 
interpreter — with  an  eloquence  of  which  Lo- 
gan would  have  been  proud,  his  presence  the 
personification  of  dignity,  it  presented  one  of 
those  rare  occasions  of  which  history  gives  but 
few  instances,  and  on  the  man  of  true  appre- 
ciation would  have  made  a  most  profound 
impression." 

Considerable  time  was  spent  in  trying  to 
persuade  IMenominee  and  his  following  to  ac- 
cept the  inevitable  and  remove  peaceably  to 
the  reservation  provided  for  them,  and  that 
if  they  did  not,  the  government  would  be 
compelled  to  remove  them  by  force.  Without 
accomplishing  anything,  however,  the  council 


disbanded.  ]\Ienominee  was  a  wise  and  ex- 
perienced chief,  and  he  knew  the  final  con- 
summation was  near  at  hand.  As  soon  as  the 
council  had  disbanded  the  began  at  once  to 
fire  the  hearts  of  his  followers,  with  a  deter- 
mination to  resist  the  government  officers  in 
their  evident  intention  to  remove  them,  peace- 
ably if  they  could,  forcibly  if  they  must.  The 
consequence  was  the  Indians  became  desper- 
ate, intoxicating  liquors  were  drank  to  excess ; 
threats  of  violence  were  freely  made,  and  the 
white  settlers  in  the  immediate  neighborhood 
became  greatly  alarmed  for  the  safety  of 
themselves  and  families.  In  this  alarming 
condition  of  affairs,  a  number  of  white  settlers 
of  Marshall  county,  early  in  August,  1838, 
petitioned  the  governor  of  Indiana  for  pro- 
tection against  what  they  believed  would  re- 
sult in  the  certain  destruction  of  their  lives 
and  property.  In  his  message  to  the  legisla- 
ture December  4,  1838,  Governor  David  Wal- 
lace said: 

"By  the  conditions  of  the  late  treaty  with 
the  Pottawatomie  Indians  in  Indiana,  the  time 
stipulated  for  their  departure  to  the  west  of 
the  Missouri  expired  on  the  6th  of  August 
last.  As  this  trying  moment  approached  a 
strong  disposition  was  manifested  by  many  of 
the  most  influential  among  them  to  disregard 
the  treaty  entirely,  and  to  cling  to  the  homes 
and  graves  of  their  fathers  at  all  hazards.  In 
consequence  of  such  a  determination  on  their 
part,  a  collision  of  the  most  serious  character 
was  likely  to  ensue  between  them  and  the  sur- 
rounding settlers.  Apprehensive  of  such  a 
result,  and  with  a  view  to  prevent  it,  the 
citizens  of  Marshall  county,  early  in  the  month 
of  August,  forwarded  to  the  executive  a  peti- 
tion praying  that  an  armed  force  might  be 
immediately  sent  to  their  protection.  On  re- 
ceipt of  this  petition  I  i-epaired  as  speedily 
as  circumstances  would  permit  to  the  scene 
of  difficulty  in  order  to  satisfy  myself  by  a 
personal  examination  whether  their  fears  were 
justifiable  or  not.  On  my  return  to  Logans- 
port  a  formal  requisition  awaited  me  from 
the  Indian  agent.  Col.  A.  C.  Pepper,  for  one 
hundred  armed  volunteers  to  be  placed  under 
the  command  of  some  competent  citizen  of  the 
state,  whose  duty  it  should  be  to  preserve  the 
peace  and  to  arrest  the  growing  spirit  of  hos- 
tility displayed  by  the  Indians.  The  requisi- 
tion was  instantly  granted.  I  appointed  the 
Hon.  John  Tipton  to  this  command  and  gave 
him  authority  to  raise  the  necessary  number 
of  volunteers.    He  promptly  and  patriotically 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


51 


accepted  the  appointment,  and,  although  sick- 
ness and  disease  prevailed  to  an  alarming  ex- 
tent throughout  northern  Indiana,  yet  such 
was  the  spirit  and  patriotism  of  the  people 
there  that  in  about  forty-eight  hours  after 
the  requisition  was  authorized  the  requisite 
force  was  not  only  mustered,  but  was  trans- 
ported into  the  midst  of  the  Indians  before 
they  were  aware  of  its  approach  or  before 
even  they  could  possibly  take  steps  to  resist 
or  repel  it.  The  rapidity  of  the  movement, 
the  known  decision  and  energy  of  General 
Tipton,  backed  by  his  intimate  acquaintance 
and  popularity  with  the  Indians,  whom  it 
was  his  business  to  quiet,  accomplished  every- 
thing desired.  The  refractory  became  com- 
placent; opposition  to  removal  ceased,  and 
the  whole  tribe,  with  a  few  exceptions  amount- 
ing to  between  800  and  900,  volimtarily  pre- 
pared to  emigrate.  General  Tipton  and  the 
volunteers  accompanied  them  as  far  as  Dan- 
ville, Illinois,  administering  to  them  on  the 
way  whatever  comfort  and  relief  humanity 
required.  There  they  were  delivered  over  to 
the  care  of  Judge  Polke  and  the  United  States 
removing  agents.  Copies  of  all  the  communi- 
cations and  reports  made  to  the  executive  by 
General  Tipton  while  in  the  discharge  of  this 
duty  I  lay  before  you,  from  which  I  feel  as- 
sured you  will  discover  with  myself  that  much 
credit  and  many  thanks  are  due  not  only  to 
him  but  to  all  who  assisted  him  in  bringing  so 
delicate  an  alfair  to  so  happy  and  successful 
a  termination." 

David  Wallace  served  as  governor  of  In- 
diana from  1837  to  1840.  The  most  important 
act  of  his  administration  was  his  order  to  re- 
move the  remaining  Pottawatomie  Indians  as 
set  forth  in  his  message  herein  quoted.  After 
his  term  as  governor  expired,  he  was  subse- 
quently elected  to  Congress.  He  was  made  a 
member  of  the  committee  on  ways  and  means, 
and  in  that  committee  gave  the  casting  vote 
in  favor  of  assisting  with  a  donation  to  Pro- 
fessor Morse  to  develop  the  magnetic  tele- 
graph. This  vote  was  ridiculed  by  his  po- 
litical opponents  and  cost  him  many  votes  the 
last  time  he  ran  for  Congress.  But  he  lived 
to  see  the  telegraph  established  in  nearly  all 
the  countries  of  the  world  and  the  wisdom 
of  his  action  acknowledged  bj'  all. 

General  Tipton  recruited  and  organized  the 
company  of  soldiers  authorized  by  Governor 
Wallace*^  immediately  after  the  requisition  was 
made.  These  recruits  were  nearly  all  from 
Cass  county,  at  .Logansport,  and  in  the  vicin- 


ity. They  started  from  Logansport  the  latter 
part  of  August,  marching  along  the  Michigan 
road  through  Rochester,  across  Tippecanoe 
river,  and  then  along  the  old  Indian  trail 
northwestward  until  they  came  to  Menominee 
village  at  Twin  lakes,  five  miles  southwest 
from  Plymouth.  A  great  many  of  the  white 
settlers  in  the  neighborhood  turned  out  to 
welcome  the  soldiers  and  to  render  such  as- 
sistance as  might  be  necessary.  The  Indians 
were  surrounded  before  they  realized  that  the 
soldiers  had  been  sent  to  remove  them.  Such 
arms  as  they  had  were  taken  from  them  and 
preparations  at  once  commenced  for  the  start- 
ing of  the  caravan.  Squads  of  soldiers  were 
sent  out  in  every  direction  for  the  purpose  of 
capturing  the  straggling  bands  encamped  in 
various  places  in  the  county,  and  such  others 
as  might  be  found  hunting  and  fishing  in 
the  neighborhood.  Several  days  were  occu- 
pied in  getting  everything  in  readiness.  The 
names  of  heads  of  families,  and  other  Indians 
were  registered,  and  when  the  list  was  com- 
pleted it  showed  a  total  of  859. 

On  the  day  prior  to  the  exodus  a  meeting 
of  the  Indians  was  held  at  the  little  grave- 
yard, a  short  distance  from  the  village,  at 
which  a  final  farewell  of  the  dead  was  taken 
by  those  who  were  to  leave  the  following 
morning,  never  to  return.  Addresses  were 
made  by  the  chiefs  present  and  several  white 
settlers.  (An  address  of  some  length  was  de- 
livered by  Myron  H.  Norton  of  Laporte  which 
was  afterwards  printed,  but  unfortunately  no 
copies  of  it  can  now  be  found.)  The  scene 
is  said  to  have  been  affecting  in  the  extreme. 
Weeping  and  wailing,  which  was  confined  to 
a  few  at  first,  became  general,  and  until  they 
were  finally  induced  to  disperse,  it  looked  as 
though  a  riot  would  surely  ensue.  In  solemn 
reverence  they  turned  their  weeping  eyes  from 
the  sleeping  dead  never  to  look  upon  the 
graves  of  their  kindred  again. 

The  Indian  chapel  which  was  used  as  Gen- 
eral Tipton's  headquarters  while  preparing 
for  the  removal  was  situated  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  middle  Twin  lake  about  twenty 
rods  west  of  the  Vandalia  railroad.  It  was 
erected  by  Rev.  Stephen  Theodore  Badin, 
the  first  Catholic  priest  ordained  in  the 
United  States.  He  was  born  at  Orleans, 
France,  in  1768,  ordained  May  23,  1793, 
and  died  at  Cincinnati,  April,  19,  1853. 
The  chapel  was  erected  about  1830  and 
was  built  of  hewn  logs  and  covered 
with  clH])boai-ds.     It  was  about  30  by  40  feet, 


52 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH .  COUNTY. 


the  west  half  being  two  stories  high.  There 
was  a  hallway  through  the  center.  The  room 
for  the  missionary  was  over  the  west  end  of 
the  chapel  which  was  reached  from  below  by 
means  of  a  rustic  ladder.  The  furniture  was 
of  the  most  primitive  kind;  and  the  food, 
corn,  and  wild  meat  and  such  fruits  and 
vegetables  as  were  suitable  to  eat  during  the 
summer  season.  The  chapel  was  torn  down 
many  years  ago.  Bishop  Brute,  of  Vincennes, 
under  whose  supervision  this  mission  was 
established,  writes  as  follows  in  regard  to  the 
Indians,  their  village  and  chapel: 

"A  large  number  of  their  huts  are  built 
around  their  chapel,  which  is  constructed  of 
logs  with  the  bark  on  with  a  cross  erected 
behind  and  rising  above  it,  and  filled  with 
rudely  made  benches.  The  Indians  begin  and 
end  their  work  without  hammer,  saw  or  nails, 
the  ax  being  their  only  implement,  and  bits 
of  skin  or  bark  serving  to  fasten  the  pieces 
together.  The  room  of  the  missionary  is  over 
the  chapel,  the  floor  of  the  one  forming  the 
ceiling  of  the  other.  A  ladder  in  the  corner 
leads  to  it,  and  his  furniture  consists,  as  did 
the  prophets,  of  a  table  and  chair,  and  a  bed. 
or  rather  a  hammock  swung  on  ropes.  Around 
the  room  are  his  books,  and  the  trunks  which 
contain  the  articles  used  in  his  chapel,  as  vs'ell 
as  his  own  apparel.  He  spends  his  life  with 
his  good  people,  sharing  their  corn  and  meat, 
with  water  for  his  drink,  and  tea  made  from 
the  herbs  of  his  little  garden.  He  abjures 
all  spirits,  as  all  Catholic  Indians  are  for- 
l)idden  to  touch  that  which  is  the  bane  of 
their  race  and  he  would  encourage  them  with 
his  example.  I  attended  at  the  evening  cate- 
chism, prayers  and  canticles,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing said  mass,  at  which  a  large  number  at- 
tended." 

At  the  time  the  arrangements  for  the  re- 
moval were  being  perfected.  Father  Benjamin 
Marie  Petit  was  the  missionary  in  charge  of 
the  chapel.  He  was  about  twenty-five  years 
old,  and  had  been  born  and  reared  in  France. 
This  ardent  youthful  spirit  evinced  an  in- 
tense enthusiasm  from  first  to  last  in  the  work 
of  his  chosen  field,  and  in  an  outburst  of 
fervency  he  tells  something  of  his  feelings  and 
of  his  ministrations:  "How  I  love  these  chil- 
dren of  mine,  and  what  pleasure  it  is  for  me 
to  find  myself  among  them.  There  are  now 
from  1,000  to  1.200  Christians.  Could  you 
see  the  little  children  when  I  enter  a  cabin 
crowding  around  me  and  climbing  on  my 
knees — the    father    and    mother    making    the 


sign  of  the  cross  in  pious  recollection,  and 
then  coming  with  a  confiding  smile  on  their 
faces  to  shake  hands  with  me — you  could  not 
but  love  them  as  I  do."  Of  the  chapel  exer- 
cises he  gave  the  following  interesting  ac- 
count :  "At  sunrise  the  first  peal  was  rung ; 
then  you  might  see  the  savages  moving  along 
the  paths  of  the  forest  and  the  borders  of  the 
lakes.  When  they  were  assembled  the  second 
peal  was  rung.  The  catechist  then,  in  an  ani- 
mated manner,  gave  the  substance  of  the  ser- 
mon preached  the  evening  before ;  a  chapter 
of  the  catechism  was  read  and  morning 
prayers  were  recited.  I  then  said  mass,  the 
congregation  singing  hymns  the  while,  after 
which  I  preached,  my  sermon  being  trans- 
lated by  a  respectable  French  lady,  seventy- 
two  years  old,  who  had  devoted  herself  to  the 
missions  in  the  capacity  of  interpreter.  The 
sermon  was  followed  by  a  pater  and  ave ;  after 
which  the  congregation  sang  a  hymn  to  Our 
Lady,  and  quietly  dispersed.  The  next  thing 
was  confession  which  lasted  till  evening,  and 
sometimes  was  resumed  after  supper.  At  sun- 
set the  natives  again  assembled  for  catechism, 
followed  by  an  exortation  and  evening  prayers 
which  finished  with  a  hymn  to  Our  Lady.  I 
then  gave  them  my  benediction — the  benedic- 
tion of  poor  Benjamin.  In  the  first  three 
weeks  of  my  pastorate  I  baptised  eighteen 
adults  and  blessed  nine  marriages." 

About  this  time  officers  and  soldiers  arrived 
at  the  chapel  and  village  to  arrange  for  the 
departure  of  the  Indians.  Father  Petit  again 
wrote  as  follows : 

' '  One  morning  I  said  mass  and  immediately 
afterward  we  began  removing  all  the  orna- 
ments from  my  dear  little  church.  At  the 
moment  of  my  departure  I  assembled  all  my 
children  to  speak  to  them  for  the  last  time.  I 
wept,  and  my  auditors  sobbed  aloud.  It  was 
indeed  a  heartrending  sight,  and  over  our  dy- 
ing mission  we  prayed  for  the  success  of  those 
they  would  establish  in  the  new  hunting 
grounds.     We  then  with  one  accord  sang: 

"  'O.  Virgin,  we  place  our  confidence  in 
Thee. ' 

"It  was  often  interrupted  by  sobs  and  but 
few  voices  were  able  to  finish  it.  I  then  left 
them." 

When  General  Tipton  and  his  soldiers  had 
arranged  everything  in  readiness  to  move,  the 
teepees,  wigwams  and  cabins  were  torn  down 
and  destroyed  and  Menominee  village  had  the 
appearance  of  having  been  swept  by  a  hurri- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


53 


cane.  Early  on  the  morning  of  September  4, 
1S38.  orders  were  given  to  move,  and  at  once 
nearly  one  thousand  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren, with  broken  hearts  and  tearful  eyes  took 
up  the  line  of  march  to  their  far  western 
home. 

General  Tipton  accompanied  the  Indians  as 
far  as  Sandusky  Point,  Illinois,  at  which  place 
the  caravan  arrived  on  September  18,  1838. 
two  weeks  after  the  departure  from  Twin 
lakes.  From  that  point  he  made  a  lengthy 
report  to  Governor  Wallace,  giving  a  histori- 
cal sketch  of  the  occurrences  that  led  up  to 
the  removal,  together  with  a  copy  of  his  daily 
journal  in  which  is  shown  in  detail  all  that 
occurred  during  the  time  he  had  charge  of 
the  caravan.  The  report  is  too  lengthy  for 
insertion  here  in  full,  and  only  brief  extracts 
can  be  given.     He  says: 

"The  arrival  of  the  volunteers  in  the  In- 
dian village  Avas  the  first  intimation  they  had 
of  the  movement  of  men  with  arms.  Many  of 
the  Indian  men  were  assembled  near  the 
chapel  when  we  arrived  and  were  not  per- 
mitted to  leave  camp  or  separate  until  matters 
were  amicably  settled  and  they  had  agreed  to 
give  peaceable  possession  of  the  land  sold  by 
them." 

As  has  been  stated  heretofore,  Menominee, 
the  principal  chief  in  the  owaiership  of  the 
reservation  which  bore  his  name,  never  signed 
the  treaty  executed  by  the  three  chiefs  asso- 
ciated with  him  in  the  reservation,  viz.,  Pe- 
pina.wa,  Xataka  and  ]\Iackatawmaaw.  The 
reason  he  did  not  sign  this  treaty  was  because 
he  knew  from  past  experience  that  the  amount 
of  money  received  from  the  government  by 
these  chiefs  would  all  be  spent  for  whisky 
and  riotous  living  before  the  two  years  ex- 
pired stipulated  by  the  treaty  that  they 
should  remove  to  the  west.  His  worst  fears 
were  fully  realized.  The  $14,080  the  govern- 
ment paid  them  to  sign  the  treaty  had  all  been 
squandered  for  spirituous  liquors  and  trinkets 
of  one  kind  or  another  purchased  at  enor- 
mous prices  from  the  white  traders  that  gath- 
ered about  them  like  crows  about  a  dead  car- 
cass until  their  money  was  all  gone.  J\Ienom- 
inee  declined  to  sign  the  treaty,  and  never  did 
sign  it,  but  there  was  at  no  time  any  danger 
of  an  uprising.  The  Pottawatomies  as  a  tribe 
were  always  friendly  with  the  white  settlers, 
and  in  northern  Indiana  never  caused  any 
disturbance  except  in  individual  cases  where 
they  were  driven  into  it  by  white  traders  and 
other  designing   persons  who  sold  and  gave 


them  whisky  for  the  purpose  of  getting  them 
drunk  and  robbing  them  of  their  lands  and 
annuities  paid  them  by  the  government. 

At  the  time  of  the  removal  none  of  these 
Indians  were  armed  for  defense  or  warfare, 
and  had  only  a  few  rifles  which  they  had 
purchased  from  the  white  traders  at  exorbi- 
tant prices,  and  the  bows  and  arrows  for 
killing  game  for  food.  Menominee,  the  head 
of  the  band,  was  a  religious  man.  and  an 
exhorter.  He  taught  his  followers  to  avoid 
the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors;  not  to  cheat, 
or  murder,  or  lie,  or  steal,  or  quarrel  with 
one  another,  or  the  white  settlers,  although 
they  might  have  ample  provocation,  but  to 
live  in  peace  with  all  men.  They  were  com- 
pletely under  his  control,  and  that  of  their 
priest.  Father  Petit.  No  trouble  ever  occurred 
between  them  and  the  whites  except  that  re- 
lated by  General  Tipton  in  his  report  to  Gov- 
ernor Wallace,  as  follows : 

"On  the  5th  of  last  month,  the  day  on 
which  the  Indians  were  to  have  left  the  res- 
ervation, the  whites  demanded  possession 
which  they — the  Indians — absolutely  refused. 
Quarrels  ensued  and  between  the  15th  and 
20th  the  Indians  chopped  the  door  of  one 
of  the  settlers — :\Ir.  Watters — and  threatened 
his  life.  This  was  followed  by  the  burning 
of  ten  or  twelve  Indian  cabins  which  produced 
a  state  of  feeling  bordering  on  hostilities. 

Having  made  a  thorough  and  exhaustive 
investigation  of  this  subject  a  few  years  ago 
when  many  of  the  settlers  were  still  living 
and  several  who  were  there  at  the  time  and 
participated  in  the  removal  and  knew  all 
about  the  circumstances  leading  up  to  the  re- 
moval, it  is  but  the  truth  to  say  that  the  origin 
of  the  trouble  was  not  with  the  Indians,  but 
with  Mr.  Watters,  who  had  settled  in  the 
reservation,  without  authority,  a  few  months 
previous,  and  desired  the  Indians  to  leave  so 
he  could  preempt  160  acres  of  the  reservation 
under  the  laws  of  Congress  passed  in  June 
of  that  year.  He  was  the  disturbing  element, 
and  set  about  deliberately  to  work  up  the  dis- 
turbance so  that  the  Governor  would  be  com- 
pelled to  remove  them.  The  infomiation  on 
which  Governor  Wallace  based  his  action  was 
that  received  from  ]\Ir.  Watters  and  a  few 
other  white  settlers  in  the  vicinity  that  al- 
lowed him  to  be  the  spokesman.  The  Indians 
were  not  consulted  and  had  no  say  in  the 
matter. 

Further  along  in  his  report  General  Tipton, 
speaking  of  the  Indians,  said: 


54- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


"Most  of  them  appeared  willing  to  go. 
Three  of  their  principal  men,  however,  ex- 
pressed a  wish  to  be  governed  by  the  advice 
of  their  priest  (Mr.  Petit,  a  Catholic  gentle- 
man), who. had  resided  with  them  up  to  the 
time  of  the  commencement  of  the  quarrel  be- 
tween the  Indians  and  the  whites,  when  he 
left  Twin  lakes  and  retired  to  South  Bend 
[Notre  Dame].  I  addressed  a  letter  inviting 
him  to  join  the  emigration  and  go  west.  He 
accepted  the  invitation  and  I  am  happy  to 
inform  you  that  he  joined  us  two  days  ago 
and  is  going  west  with  the  Indians.  It  is  but 
justice  to  him  to  say  that  he  has  both  by 
example  and  precept,  produced  a  very  favor- 
able change  in  the  morals  and  industry  of 
the  Indians;  that  his  untiring  zeal  in  the 
cause  of  civilization  has  been  and  will  con- 
tinue to  be  eventually  beneficial  to  these  un- 
fortunate Pottawatomies,  when  they  reach 
their  new  abode." 

On  the  16th  of  September  Father  Petit  re- ' 
joined  his  flock  near  Danville,  Illinois.  He 
found  them  moving  onward,  enveloped"  in 
clouds  of  dust,  and  surrounded  by  the  sol- 
diers who  hurried  on  their  march.  Behind 
came  the  wagons  in  w^hich  were  crowded  to- 
gether the  sick,  the  women  and  the  children. 
The  scene  as  described  by  Father  Petit  was 
one  of  the  most  mournful  description;  the 
children  overcome  by  heat  were  reduced  to 
a  wretched  state  of  languor  and  exhaustion. 
By  this  time  General  Tipton  had  begun  to 
understand  something  of  Father  Petit 's  worth, 
and  treated  him  with  marked  respect.  The 
chiefs  who  had  hitherto  been  treated  as  pris- 
oners of  war  were  released  at  the  priest's 
request  and  took  their  places  with  the  rest 
of  the  tribe.  First  went  the  flag  of  the 
United  States  borne  by  a  dragoon ;  after 
which  came  the  baggage ;  then  the  vehicle 
occupied  by  the  native  chiefs ;  next  followed 
the  main  body  of  the  emigrants,  men,  women 
and  children,  mounted  on  horses,  marching  "in 
file  after  Indian  fashion,  while  all  along  the 
flanks  of  the  multitude  might  be  seen  dragoons 
and  volunteers  urging  on  unwilling  stragglers, 
often  with  the  most  violent  words  and 
gestures.  The  sick  were  in  their  wagons 
under  an  awning  of  canvas,  which,  however, 
far  from  protecting  them  from  the  stifling 
heat  and  dust,  only  deprived  them  of  air.  The 
interior  was  like  an  oven,  and  many  conse- 
quently died.  Six  miles  from  Danville,  Il- 
linois, there  was  a  halt  for  two  days.  "When 
we  quitted  the  spot,"  Father  Petit  said,  "we 


left  six  graves  under  the  shadow  of  the 
cross."  Order  had  been  so  thoroughly  re- 
stored through  the  presence  of  the  good  priest 
that  the  troops  now  retired  and  Father  Petit 
was  left  with  the  civil  authorities  to  conduct 
the  emigrants  to  their  destination.  Having 
seen  the  emigrants  safely  landed  on  their  res- 
ervation on  the  Osage  river  southwest  of  the 
Missouri  river,  such  as  had  not  died  and 
escaped  on  the  way,  Father  Petit  started  on 
the  return  trip.  At  St.  Louis  he  was  taken 
sick  from  fatigue  and  malarial  fever  and  died. 
His  remains  were  afterward  removed  to  Notre 
Dame,  Indiana,  where  they  lie  buried  beneath 
a  beautiful  chapel  at  that  place. 

Of  the  onward  journey  after  leaving  San- 
dusky Point,  Illinois,  where  the  caravan  was 
placed  in  charge  of  Judge  Polke,  we  have  only 
the  general  statement  that  150  persons  were 
lost  on  the  whole  way  by  death  and  desertion. 
"What  amount  of  suffering  fell  to  the  lot  of 
these  poor  Indians  every  day  of  this  horrible 
journey,  no  tongue  can  tell.  Hundreds  of 
them  were  daily  burning  with  the  terrible 
malarial  fever  so  universally  prevalent  during 
the  warm  part  of  1838.  These  hundreds  were 
crowded  into  common  rough  wagons  and  com- 
pelled to  bear  the  downpouring  rays  of  a 
sultry  sun,  and  the  only  beverage  to  quench 
the  prevailing  thirst  was  dipped  from  some 
mud  stream  just  drying  up.  The  food  was 
composed  of  beef  and  flour  cooked  as  might 
be  while  encamped  for  the  night.  Alas,  how 
these  poor  little  dusky  infants  must  have  suf- 
fered. No  wonder  that  their  little  graves 
marked  the  daily  journey. 

In  the  southern  part  of  Indiana,  the  legisla- 
ture two  years  ago  authorized  the  erection  of 
a  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  pioneers 
of  that  section  of  the  state  who  were  massa- 
cred by  the  Shawnee  Indians  during  the 
period  of  the  War  of  1812  with  England.  The 
massacre  was  cruel  and  inhuman  and  without 
excuse,  but  in  the  history  of  that  most  de- 
plorable event,  the  Indian  side  of  the  question 
that  led  up  to  the  culmination  of  the  dispute 
has  never  been  written.  The  monument  at 
Pigeon  Eoost,  while  it  commemorates  the  mem- 
ory of  the  murdered  dead,  also  perpetuates 
the  worst  feature  in  the  Indian  character. 

On  the  other  hand  the  state,  through  its 
legislature,  is  now  asked  to  authorize  the  erec- 
tion of  a  monument  to  mark  the  dawn  of  civ- 
ilization in  northern  Indiana;  the  rebuilding 
of  the  first  house  of  Christian  worship  in  the 
entire    great   northwest,    east    of   the   Pacific 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


DO 


coast,  and  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the 
Pottawatomie  Indians,  the  owners  and  first 
inhabitants  of  the  country  north  of  the  Wa- 
bash river,  and  south  of  the  lakes,  whose  writ- 
ton  liistory  is  entirely  the  work  of  the  white 
people,  the  g'overnment  agents,  traders,  and 
schemers  who  wrote  from  the  white  man's 
selfish  and  prejudiced  standpoint.  I  stand 
here  to-day,  in  this  magnificent  presence,  to 
plead  for  the  Pottawatomie  Indians;  to  give 
their  side  of  the  story  which  has  never  before 
been  told.  As  I  stand  here  to-day  I  wish  you 
to  imagine  that  the  spirit  of  the  good  Indian 
Menominee  has  come  back  after  nearly  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  to  tell  you  the  truth  in 
regard  to  the  cruel  and  inhuman  manner  in 
which  he  and  his  tribe  were  treated  by  the 
government  agents  who  dispossessed  him  of 
his  property  against  his  will,  without  com- 
pensation, and  forced  him  and  his  people  into 
captivity  beyond  the  great  Missouri,  where  he 
was  never  heard  of  again  and  where  he  un- 
doubtedly died  of  a  broken  heart. 

They  are  now  all  gone — not  one  is  left  to 
tell  the  story.  But  whether  the  legislature 
authorizes  the  erection  of  this  monument  or 
uot^the  Pottawatomie  Indians  will  not  be  for- 
gotten. Their  memory  has  been  preserved, 
and  will  continue  to  be  perpetuated  for  all 
time  to  come  in  the  rivers,  lakes  and  various 
localities  bearing  their  names.  Aubenaube 
and  Kewanna,  and  Tiosa,  in  Fulton  county, 
perpetuate  the  names  of  noted  Indian  chiefs; 
and  the  beautiful  Tippecanoe,  with  its  rip- 
pling waters  Of  blue ;  and  the  picturesque 
Manitou,  and  the  lovely  Maxinkuckee,  the  St. 
Joseph,  and  especially  the  famous  Wabash, 
where 
"  'Round   my   Indiana  homestead  wave   the 

cornfields, 
In  the  distance  loom  the  woodlands  clear  and 

cool ; 
It  was  there  I  spent  my  days  of  early  child- 
hood— 
It  was  there  I  learned  the  love  of  nature's 

school. 
I  can  hear  my  mother's  voice  call  from  the 

doorway 
As  she  stood  there  years  ago   and  watched 

for  me; 
I    can   hear   the   birds   sing   sweetly   in   the 

spring-time. 
On  the  banks  of  the  Wabash,  far  away. 

Oh,  the  moon  is  fair  tonight  along  the  Wa- 
bash. 


From  the  fields  there  comes  the  breath  of 
new-mown  hay. 
Through  the  sycamores  the  candle-lights  are 
gleaming 
On  the  banks  of  the  Wabash,  far  away. ' ' 

All   these   names   will   perpetuate   for   all 
time  to  come  the  memory  of  the  Pottawatomie 
Indians,  the  first  owners  and  inhabitants  of 
all  the  beautiful  country  north  of  the  Wabash 
river  and  south  of  the  great  lakes. 
"The  Indians  all  have  passed  away, 
That  noble  race  and  brave. 
Their  light  canoes  have  vanished 

From  off  the  crested  wave. 
Amid  the  forest  where  they  roamed 

There  rings  no  hunter's  shout — 
But  their  name  is  on  your  waters — 
You  can  not  wash  it  out." 

While  the  house  of  representatives  showed 
its  appreciation  of  the  eloquence  of  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald by  ordering  his  address  published  in 
pamphlet  form  (the  only  address  of  the  ses- 
sion so  honored),  yet  the  members  were  not 
prepared  to  pass  his  bill  for  the  erection  of 
the  modest  memorial  which  he  requested.  It 
is  gratifying,  however,  to  know  that  Mr. 
McDonald  was .  returned  to  the  general  as- 
sembly for  the  session  of  1907,  and  that  his 
bill  was  re-introduced  during  that  session  and 
became  a  law  by  the  approval  of  the  gov- 
ernor, March  12,  1907.  The  memorial  to  the 
great  Menominee  will  be  no  less  a  monument 
to  the  noble  heart  and  wise  head  of  his  advo- 
cate and  defender,  the  Hon;  Daniel  MeDon- 
ald.« 

In  1840,  Alexis  Coquillard,  the  first  white 
man  to  establish  a  trading  post  on  the  site 
of  the  city  of  South  Bend,  was  commissioned 
by  the  general  government  to  remove  certain 
bands  of  Pottawatomies  who  still  remained 
in  St.  Joseph  county.  They  had  agreed  to  go 
peaceably  with,  "the  Pottawatomie  Chief,"  as 
Mr.  Coquillard  was  called  by  the  Indians, 
who  had  much  admiration  and  affection  for 
this  distinguished  pioneer.  These  last  Indians 
were    removed    by    Mr.    Coquillard    without 

a.  For  the  act  as  passed  by  the  general  as- 
sembly and  signed  by  the  governor,  see  Acts 
1907,  p.  623. 


56 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


trouble,  and  in  a  most  humane  manner.  There 
was  in  this  case  none  of  the  sadness  and  suf- 
fering so  graphically  described  by  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald in  the  former  case, — ^the  Ooquillard 
removal  being  all  in  wagons.  The  only  re- 
grettable circumstance  connected  with  this  last 
Indian  emigration  is  the  fact  that  Alexis 
Ooquillard  was  defrauded  by  his  partner,  a 
man  named  Alverson.  who  appropriated  to 
himself  the  large  sum  of  money,  $40,000  and 
over,  which  the  general  government  had  ap- 
propriated and  paid  for  this  important  serv- 
ice. The  defalcation  of  his  partner,  for  a 
time,  weighed  heavily  upon  the  spirits  and 
fortunes  of  Mr.  Ooquillard,  but  only  for  a 
time.      The    same    indomitable    energies    that 


made  his  fortunes  restored  them.  He  was  a 
fine  type  of  those  business  men  that  followed 
him,  men  who  refused  to  be  suppressed  by 
adverse  circumstances  and  who  have  made 
the  business  enterprises  of  St.  Joseph  county 
known  to  the  people  of  the  world. 

With  this  last  removal  of  the  primitive 
inhabitants,  but  two  or  three  Pottawatomie 
families  were  left  in  St.  Joseph  county,  and 
now  there  is  not  an  Indian  of  full  blood 
where  once  the  race  was  in  absolute  posses- 
sion. As  said  by  Mr.  McDonald,  in  closing 
his  notable  speech  in  the  state  house  at  In- 
dianapolis: "They  are  now  all  gone — not  one 
is  left  to  tell  the  story." 


CHAPTER  111. 


THE   STATE  OF  INDIANA. 


I.      THE    FRENCH    ERA. 

Sec.  1. — Nature    of    the    French    Occu- 
pancy.— Not  taking  into  account  the  nomadic 
occupancy  of  the  Indians  or  of  others  who 
may  have  preceded  them,  the  first  people  to 
exercise    governmental    authority   within   the 
limits  of  the  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio 
river  were  the  French.     In  1641,  just  a  hun- 
dred years  after  Hernando  de  Soto  had  pene- 
trated to  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi,  in  the 
south,  the  first  conference  of  the  French  with 
the  Indians  of  the  northwest  took  place  at  the 
Sault    Ste.    Marie,    between    Lake    Superior 
and  Lake  Huron :  but  it  was  not  until  1660 
that  a  mission  was  established  in  that  locality. 
In  1665  Allouez  renewed  in  that  region  the 
work  of  Father  Mesnard.     In  1668,   Fathers 
]\Iarquette  and  Dablon  were  laboring  at  the 
same  place ;  and  in  1670,  Talon,  the  intendant, 
or     governor-general,    of     Canada,    sent    out 
Nicholas  Perrot,  who  explored  Lake  Michigan 
as  far  as  Chicago.     It  was  in  1671,  after  the 
establishment  of  those  missions  and  the  mak- 
ing of  those  explorations,  that  the  French  took 
formal  possession   of  the  northwest;  and  in 
the  same  year  jMarquette  established  the  noted 
mission  at  St.  Ignace,  on  the  main  land  near 
the  island  of  Mackinac.  Two  years  afterwards 
INIarquette   passed   over   Lake   Michigan   and 
northern  Wisconsin,  and   on  June  17,   1673, 
discovered   the    Mississippi,    down   which   he 
sailed  to  a  point  below  where  de  Soto  had 
reached  the  river  in  1541.«    During  the  years 

a.     Perkins'  Annals  of  the  West,  pp.  28-33.    Ban- 
croft, Hist.  U.  S.,  Vol.  III. 


1670,  1671  and  1672,  Allouez  and  Dablon  con- 
tinued their  missions  to  the  Indians  and  made 
explorations  through  eastern  Wisconsin, 
northeastern  Illinois,  northern  Indiana  and 
southwestern  Michigan."  It  seems  well  estab- 
lished also  that  as  early  as  1669,  La  Salle  went 
south  from  Canada  through  the  eastern  part 
of  the  northwest  territory  until  he  discovered 
the  Ohio  river,  down  which  he  voyaged  as  far 
at  least  as  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash,  if  not 
to  the  Mississippi  itself.  The  earliest  claims 
made  by  France  to  the  country  west  of  the 
Alleghenies  and  south  to  the  Spanish  posses- 
sions and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  were  based  upon 
these  explorations  and  discoveries  of  La 
Salle,''  as  also  those  made  by  Marquette, 
Allouez  and  others  about  the  great  lakes. 

On  April  9.  1682,  La  Salle,  after  having 
sailed  down  the  Mississippi  and  discovered  its 
outlets  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  solemnly  took 
possession,  in  the  name  of  France,  of  all  the 
territories  drained  by  the  great  river  and  its^ 
tributaries,  which  domain  he  called  Louisiana, 
in  honor  of  Louis  XIV,  then  King  of  France. 
Thereafter  the  territory  claimed  by  the 
French  extended  from  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence, by  way  of  the  great  lakes  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi, to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Following 
out  La  Salle 's  plan  of  empire,  the  government 
of  France  established  military  posts  within 
supporting  distance  of  one  another  through- 
out this  vast  region.  Besides  Quebec,  Mon- 
treal and  Frontenac,  there  were  forts  at  the 
Sault    Ste.  Marie,    Michilimackinae    (Macki- 


57 


a.     Dillon,   Hist.   Indiana,   pp.  2-3. 
h.    Dunn,  Hist.  Indiana,  pp.  5-14. 


58 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


naw)  ;  Detroit:  DuQuesne  (Pittsburg)  ;  Chi- 
cago; Miamis  (at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph, 
afterwards  abandoned  for  Fort  St.  Joseph's, 
near  Xiles)  ;  Fort  WajTie;  Ouiatanon  (near 
La  Fayette);  Vineennes;  Kaskaskia;  Fort 
Chartres;  St.  Louis;  Natchez;  New  Orleans; 
and  numerous  smaller  posts. 

See.  2.— Canada  and  Louisiana. — The 
upper  part  of  this  great  territory  of  French 
America,  was  called  Canada,  and  sometimes 
New  France ;  the  lower  part  retained  the 
name  Louisiana.  The  boundary  between  Can- 
ada and  Louisiana  was  not  well  defined,  nor 
did  it  always  remain  the  same.  The  country 
west  of  the  Mississippi  was  always  referred 
to  as  a  part  of  Louisiana,  as  was  also  the 
country  east  of  that  river  and  south  of  a  line 
through  Terre  Haute.*  Vineennes,  accord- 
ingly, was  at  all  times  included  in  Louisiana; 
while  Detroit,  Chicago,  Fort  St.  Joseph's, 
Fort  Wayne  and  other  posts  situated  on 
waters  flowing  into  the  great  lakes  were  re- 
garded as  being  within  the  limits  of  Canada. 
As  to  territory  north  of  Terre  Haute,  but 
drained  by  the  "Wabash,  Illinois  and  other 
rivers  flowing  into  the  Ohio  or  IMississippi, 
there  was  little  uniformity.  In  the  articles  of 
capitulation  of  Montreal,  as  Ave  have  already 
seen,  when,  on  September  18,  1760,  all  Can- 
ada was  surrendered  to  Great  Britain,  it  was 
agreed  that  the  limits  of  Canada  included  all 
territory  drained  into  the  great  lakes.^  This 
statement  in  the  articles  left  all  the  territory 
now  embraced  in  Indiana  within  the  domain 
of  Louisiana,  except  only  a  small  and  irreg- 
ularly bounded  part  in  the  north,  drained  by 
^he  St.  Joseph  and  the  Maumee  rivers.  Ac- 
cordingly, by  the  terms  of  the  capitulation  so 
much  of  St.  Joseph  county  as  is  embraced 
within  the  St.  Joseph  valley  w^as  regarded  as  a 
part  of  Canada  and  became  British  territory, 
while  the  rest  of  the  county,  being  within  the 
valley  of  the  Kankakee,  remained  a  part  of 
Louisiana,  and  continued  to  be  French  terri- 

a.     Dillon,  Hist.  Indiana,  pp.  23-25.    Dunn,  Hist. 
Indiana,  p.  58. 

h.     See  Chapter  II.,  Division  V.,   p.   4.3. 


tory,  until,  by  the  treaty  of  Paris,  February 
10.  1763,  the  whole  country  east  of  the  ]\Iiss- 
issippi  passed  to  Great  Britain. 

The  respective  governments  of  Canada  and 
Louisiana  were  almost  as  uncertain  as  was 
the  boundary  between  them.  At  times  the 
governments  of  the  two  provinces  were  quite 
distinct,  but  more  often  Louisiana  was  subject 
to  the  superior  rights  of  Canada,  or  New 
France. 

While  the  many  posts  from  Quebec  to  New 
Orleans,  and  from  Michilimackinac,  on  the 
north,  to  DuQuesne,  on  the  east,  and  St.  Louis 
on  the  west,  commanding  the  waters  and  the 
valleys  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  great  lakes, 
the  Maumee,  the  St.  Joseph,  the  Illinois,  the 
Wabash,  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi,  consti- 
tuted the  framework  of  a  mighty  French  em- 
pire, according  to  the  fine  scheme  of  La  Salle ; 
yet  when  the  transfer  of  Canada  and  eastern 
Louisiana  was  made  to  Great  Britain,  in  1763, 
it  w^as  indeed  but  the  framework  of  an  empire. 
Outside  the  several  forts,  and  excepting  the 
districts  near  Quebec  and  Montreal,  the 
French  inhabitants  of  the  immense  region 
were  exceedingly  few  in  number.  In  the  ter- 
ritory northwest  of  the  Ohio  the  chief  of  the 
small  centers  of  population  M'ere  at  Michili- 
mackinac, Detroit  and  Chicago,  on  the  great 
lakes ;  Kaskaskia  and  Fort  Chartres,  on  the 
Mississippi;  Vineennes,  on  the  Wabash;  and 
Fort  Wayne,  on  the  Maumee. 

II.       THE  BRITISH  AND  SPANISH  ERA. 

From  the  capitulation  of  Montreal,  Septem- 
ber 8, 1760,  and  the  treaty  of  Paris,  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  Seven  Years'  War,  February 
10,  1763,  until  the  beginning  of  the  American 
revolution,  the  country  northwest  of  the  Ohio 
continued  to  be,  nominally  at  least,  a  part  of 
the  British  dominions.  In  1778  and  1779,  the 
expedition  from  Virginia  and  Kentucky, 
under  George  Rogers  Clark,  resulted  in  the 
capture  of  Kaskaskia  and  Vineennes  and  the 
conquest  of  the  southern  part  of  this  terri- 
tory; and,  in  1781,  the  Spanish  expedition 
from  St.  Louis  resulted  in  the  capture  of  Fort 
St.  Joseph's,  and  the  claim  by  the  Spaniards 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY, 


59 


to  the  northern  part  of  the  territory.  It  was 
not,  however,  until  the  treaty  of  peace  recog- 
nizing the  independence  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  September  3,  1783,  that  the 
claims  of  Great  Britain,  as  well  as  those  of 
Spain,  were  altogether  finally  extinguished. 

The  fifteen  years  of  uninterrupted  British 
occupancy,  from  the  treaty  of  Paris  to  the 
capture  of  Kaskaskia,  was  merely  occupancy, 
and  nothing  more.  The  forts  taken  over  from 
the  French  were  garrisoned  by  British  troops ; 
but  the  population  remained  practically  what 
it  had  been  under  the  French  rule.  The  gar- 
risons, too,  with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of 
those  at  ^Nlichilimackinac,  Detroit,  Fort  Pitt, 
were  feeble,  barely  sufficient  to  hold  the  coun- 
try and  protect  the  scattered  posts  from  the 
Indians. 

The  Spanish  expedition  from  St.  Louis,  in 
1781,  found  it  an  easy  matter  to  capture  Fort 
St.  Joseph's,  the  English  garrison  being  quite 
insignificant,  and  not  at  all  prepared  to  re- 
sist an  attack  in  force  by  regular  troops.  The 
Spaniards  themselves  made  no  pretense  to 
hold  the  country ;  but  were  content  to  destroy 
the  old  fort,  and  so  remove  all  semblance  of 
British  authority  in  the  north,  while  setting 
up  a  visionary  claim  of  their  own.*^ 

Indeed,  neither  British  nor  Spanish  author- 
ity was  ever  much  more  than  nominal  in 
northwestern  Indiana. 

For  forty  years  after  the  secret  treaty  of 
1763,  Louisiana  was  Spanish.  In  1801,  by 
another  secret  treaty,  it  passed  again  to 
France,  but  remained  outwardly  under  Span- 
ish rule  until  the  transfer  to  the  United  States 
by  Napoleon,  in  1803,  during  the  presidency 
of  Jefferson.  Other  conditions  might  have 
made  the  capture  of  Fort  St.  Joseph's,  in 
1781.  of  national  importance.  But  Clark  had 
taken  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes,  the  southern 
part  of  the  great  northwest  was  in  American 
hands,  and  the  American  revolution  was  suc- 
cessful. The  picturesque  Spanish  expedition 
across  Illinois  and  Indiana  was  but  an  epi- 
sode, and  left  no  trace  in  our  history. 

a.     See  Chapt.  II.,  subd.  4. 


III.       GEORGE    ROGERS    CLARK. 

Sec.  1.— Clark  in  Kentucky. — The  history 
of  Indiana,  proper,  as  the  state  now  exists, 
begins  with  the  expedition  of  George  Rogers 
Clark,  and  his  capture  of  Kaskaskia,  July  4, 
1778.  This  begining  was  an  auspicious  one, 
•occurring  two  years,  to  a  day,  after  the  sign- 
ing of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  But 
the  infant  nation  was  yet  in  the  struggle  for 
existence;  and  comparatively  few  persons 
then  realized,  indeed  to  this  day  many  fail  to 
realize,  how  important  to  the  nation,  and  to 
the  world,  was  this  daring  enterprise  of  the 
young  Virginian,  "The  Hannibal  of  the 
West." 

It  is  well  to  keep  in  mind  that  the  con- 
quest of  the  northwest  was  not  made  under 
the  authority  of  the  United  States,  but  under 
that  of  the  state  of  Virginia.  This  great  com- 
monwealth was  not  only  the  mother  of  presi- 
dents, but  the  mother  of  states.  West  Vir- 
ginia, Kentucky,  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  part  of  Minnesota 
were  at  one  time  included  in  the  territory  of 
the  great  state  of  Virginia,  and  were  all 
directly  subject  to  her  laws  and  government. 

Kentucky,  during  the  period  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, was  occupied  by  sparse  settlements  of 
emigrants  from  Virginia,  surrounded  by  hos- 
tile Indians  and  exposed  to  attack  from  the 
British  posts  at  Detroit,  Vincennes,  Kaskaskia 
and  other  points.  The  people  looked  for  pro- 
tection to  the  home  government  of  Virginia; 
but  the  settlements  of  Kentucky  were  far  re- 
moved from  their  friends  in  Virginia,  and  all 
the  forces  of  the  state  were  strained  to  the 
utmost  in  aiding  the  other  colonies  in  the  dis- 
tressing war  then  waged  with  Great  Britain. 

Among  the  Vii-ginians  who  went  to  the 
assistance  of  their  brethren  in  Kentuckj^  was 
George  Rogers  Clark ;  and  he  very  early  made 
up  his  mind  that  the  best  way  to  protect  the 
people  of  that  "dark  and  bloody  ground"  was 
to  wrest  the  country  north  of  the  Ohio  from 
the  English,  who  were  constantly  inciting  the 
Indians  against  the  feeble  settlements  south 


60 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


of  the  river,  and  who  might  at  any  time  send 
an  expedition  from  Detroit  to  capture  the 
Kentucky  posts  and  thus  also  be  enabled  to 
attack  Virginia,  Pennsylvania  and  the  Caro- 
linas  from  the  west,  while  other  British  troops 
attacked  them  from  the  east.  The  necessity 
of  capturing  Vincennes,  Kaskaskia  and  De- 
troit seemed  to  Clark  to  be  most  urgent,  not- 
withstanding the  great  difficulty  of  the  enter- 
prise, and  the  slender  assistance  which  he 
could  hope  to  receive.  He  determined,  there- 
fore, to  return  to  Virginia  and  present  the 
matter  to  Patrick  Henry,  then  governor  of  the 
state,  the  man  whose  eloquence  had  roused 
the  enthusiasm  of  the  colonists  to  declare 
their  independence  of  Great  Britain. 

Sec.  2. — His  Appeal  to  Virginia. — Mr. 
English,  in  his  History  of  the  Conquest  of  the 
Northwest,  presents  the  situation  as  it  took 
place  on  Clark's  return  substantially  as  fol- 
lows :  Clark 's  stay  in  the  Kentucky  country 
in  1777,  had  still  further  endeared  him  to  the 
inhabitants,  who  now  looked  upon  him  as  the 
leader  upon  whom  they  could  rely  with  great- 
est safety.  They  instinctively  felt  that  his 
active  spirit  was  not  likely  to  remain  quiet  in 
these  dangerous  times;  and,  Clark  says,  that 
when  he  was  about  to  leave  for  Virginia,  in 
the  fall,  every  eye  seemed  to  be  turned  on 
him  in  expectation  that  he  was  going  to  under- 
take some  enterprise  that  would  benefit  them. 
There  were  some,  however,  who  thought  he 
contemplated  entering  service  in  the  revolu- 
tionary army  of  Virginia,  in  the  east,  and 
feared  he  would  never  return  to  the  Kentucky 
frontier.  ' '  I  left  them  with  reluctance, ' '  said 
he,  "promising  them  that  I  would  certainly 
return  to  their  assistance,  which  I  had  prede- 
termined." This  was  on  the  1st  of  October, 
1777. 

He  had  carefully  looked  over  the  western 
field  and  determined  that  he  could  best  serve 
his  country  by  leading  a  force  against  the 
enemy's  posts  in  the  Illinois  and  on  the  Wa- 
bash. The  authority  to  do  it,  and  the  men 
and  means  necessary  to  make  it  a  success, 
could  only  come  from  the  home  government  of 


Virginia.  To  that  he  now  directed  his  atten- 
tion, with  his  usual  caution,  good  judgment 
and  energy'.  He  went  to  Williamsburg,  still 
the  capital  of  the  state,  and  there,  at  first, 
quietly  employed  himself  in  settling  the  ac- 
counts of  the  Kentucky  militia,  which  shows 
that  he  had  been  in  military  authority  in  the 
Kentucky  country;  but  he  was,  in  fact,  all 
the  time  feeling  his  way  to  the  development 
of  his  great  plan  of  striking  the  British  posts 
northwest  of  the  Ohio  river.  Events  in  the 
east  about  this  time  proved  favorable  to  the 
adoption  of  his  plans.  The  capture  of  the 
British  army  under  Burgoyne  had  greatly  en- 
couraged the  Americans,  and  they  were  feel- 
ing more  as  if  they  might  be  able  to  carry  the 
war  into  the  enemy's  country.  Clark  talked 
confidently  upon  the  subject  to  a  few  discreet 
friends,  but  it  was  about  two  months  after 
his  arrival  in  Virginia  before  he  ventured  to 
lay  his  plans  before  the  governor  of  the  state. 
The  eventful  day  was  the  10th  of  December, 
1777,  when  he  first  presented  the  matter  to  the 
great  governor,  Patrick  Henry.  They  were 
not  strangers  to  each  other.  The  grand  old 
patriot  gave  eager  attention  to  the  youthful 
Virginian,  but  the  plans  now  presented  were 
vastly  greater  in  importance  then  those  he  had 
presented  the  previous  year  in  relation  to  giv- 
ing the  settlers  in  Kentucky  a  government 
and  the  stations  gunpowder.  In  Clark's  Me- 
moir, he  says :  "At  first  he  seemed  to  be  fond 
of  it ;  but  to  detach  a  party  at  so  great  a  dis- 
tance, although  the  service  performed  might 
be  of  great  utility,  appeared  daring  and  haz- 
ardous, as  nothing  but  secrecy  could  give  suc- 
cess to  the  enterprise.  To  lay  the  matter 
before  the  assembly,  then  sitting,  would  be 
dangerous,  as  it  would  soon  be  known  through- 
out the  frontiers,  and  probably  the  first  pris- 
oner taken  by  the  Indians  would  give  the 
alarm,  which  would  end  in  the  certain  destruc- 
tion of  the  party."  Henry's  great  mind,  no 
doubt,  grasped  not  only  the  danger  the  invad- 
ing party  might  be  involved  in,  but  the  vast 
benefit  it  might  be  to  the  future  of  the  coun- 
try if  the  campaign  should  prove  successful. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


61 


He  realized  that  it  was  a  matter  of  the  gravest 
importance,  and  required  the  earnest  and 
careful  consideration  of  the  wisest  and  most 
discreet  men  in  the  state.  lie  invited  as  his 
confidential  counsellors  and  advisers  upon  this 
memorable  occasion  three  men  who  fully 
came  up  to  the  requirement,  namely  Thomas 
Jefferson.  George  Wythe  and.  George  Mason. 
Seldom  in  the  annals  of  military  affairs  has  a 
stronger  body  of  men  assembled  to  consider 
the  expediency  of  a  campaign  than  was 
assembled  on  this  occasion.  Patrick  Henry, 
Thomas  Jeff'ei-son,  George  Wythe,  George 
Mason  and  George  Rogers  Clark — five  men 
who  made  an  honorable  impress  upon  the  age 
in  which  they  lived,  and  who  may  justly  be 
ranked  with  the  fii*st  men  of  their  time, 
indeed,  of  any  time. 

These  distinguished  gentlemen  were  in  con- 
sultation upon  the  subject  of  the  contem- 
plated campaign  for  several  weeks,  and  Clark 
records  in  his  Memoir  that  every  enquiry  was 
made  into  his  proposed  plan  of  operations, 
and  particularly  that  of  retreat,  in  case  of 
misfortune,  across  the  Mississippi  into  the 
Spanish  territory.  Friday,  January  2,  1778, 
seems  to  have  been  the  day  the  proposed 
"expedition  against  Kaskaskia"  was  formally 
communicated  bv  the  governor  to  the  council 
and  approved — the  same  to  be  set  on  foot 
"with  as  little  delay  and  as  much  secrecy  as 
possible."  This  action  of  the  governor  and 
privy  council  was  under  a  law  of  the  Virginia 
legislature,  passed  by  the  General  Assembly 
then  in  session,  authorizing  the  governor,  with 
the  advice  of  the  privy  council,  to  organize  an 
expedition,  to  march  against  and  attack  any 
of  our  western  enemies,  and  give  the  neces- 
sary orders  for  the  expedition.  Clark  says 
this  law  was  passed  to  enable  the  governor  to 
order  the  Illinois  campaign,  but  that  when  it 
passed  but  few  in  the  house  knew  the  real 
intent  of  it.* 

Sec.  3. — Secret  Preparations. — On  Janu- 

a.  Conquest  of  the  country  northwest  of  the 
River  Ohio,  Vol.  1,  pp.  86-93.  The  text  slightly 
condensed  and  abbreviated. 


ary  4,  1778,  Clark,  having  received  his  instruc- 
tions from  the  governor,  together  with  £1,200 
to  defray  expenses,  set  out  to  collect  troops 
and  supplies  for  the  most  brilliant  enterprise 
in  American  history,  following  the  conquest 
of  Mexico  by  Cortez.  On  February  1st,  he 
arrived  at  Red  Stone,  now^  Brownsville,  Penn- 
sylvania. He  tells  us  in  his  Memoir  that  he 
found  much  opposition  to  the  enterprise  in 
the  Pittsburg  country.  The  Pennsylvanians 
seemed  opposed  to  the  raising  of  troops  for 
the  use  of  Virginia.  "As  my  real  instruc- 
tions," he  continues,  "were  kept  concealed, 
and  only  an  instrument  from  the  governor 
was  made  public,  wherein  I  was  authorized  to 
raise  men  for  the  defense  of  Kentucky,  many 
gentlemen  of  both  parties  conceived  it  to  be 
injurious  to  the  public  interest  to  draw  off 
men  at  so  critical  a  moment  for  the  defense 
of  a  few  detached  inhabitants,  who  had  better 
be  removed,  etc."  After  collecting  a  part  of 
his  troops  and  leaving  instructions  for  further 
enlistments,  Clark  took  his  stores  at  Pittsburg 
and  Wheeling  and  proceeded  cautiously  down 
the  river.  He  occupied  a  small  island  at  the 
Falls  of  the  Ohio,  afterwards  called  Corn 
Island,  opposite  the  present  city  of  LouLsville, 
where  he  arrived  May  27,  1788,  and  here  for 
the  first  time,  he  made  know  to  his  officers 
and  men  the  nature  of  his  design  and  the 
secret  instructions  received  from  the  governor 
of  Virginia.  "Almost  every  gentleman,"  he 
says,  "warmly  espoused  the  enterprise,  and 
plainly  saw  the  utility  of  it,  and  supposed 
they  saw  the  salvation  of  Kentucky  nlniosl  in 
their  reach ;  but  some  repined  that  we  were 
not  strong  enough  to  put  it  beyond  all  doubt. 
The  soldiery,  in  general,  debated  on  the  sub- 
ject, but  determined  to  follow  their  officers: 
some  were  alarmed  at  the  tliought  of  being 
taken  at  so  great  a  distance  into  the  enemy's 
country,  that  if  they  should  have  success  in 
the  first  instance  they  might  be  attacked  in 
their-  ]K)sts  without  a  possibility  of  getting 
succoi-  oi-  making  their  retreat."  There  were 
some  desertions  at  this  time.  l)ut  Clark  reso- 
lutely pursued  aiid  punished  the  guilty  par- 


62 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


ties,  as  everything  now  depended  on  the 
observance  of  the  most  rigid  discipline. 

Sec.  4. — Capture  of  Kaskaskia. — On  June 
24,  1778,  they  left  Corn  Island.  The  force 
consisted  of  four  companies,  commanded  by 
Captains  John  Montgomery,  Joseph  Bowman, 
Leonard  Helm  and  William  Harrod.  The 
total  number  of  men  was  about  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five,  besides  the  officers."  The 
force  being  so  small  Clark  found  it  necessary 
to  alter  his  plans.  In  his  jNIemoir,  he  says 
that,  "As  Post  St.  Vincennes  at  this  time  was 
a  town  of  considerable  force,  consisting  of 
near  four  hundred  militia,  with  an  Indian 
town  adjoining,  and  great  numbers  continu- 
ally in  the  neighborhood,  I  had  thought  of 
attacking  it  first,  but  now  found  that  I  coula 
by  no  means  venture  near  it.  I  resolved  to 
begin  my  career  in  the  Illinois  where  there 
were  more  inhabitants,  but  scattered  in  differ- 
ent villages,  and  less  danger  of  being  immedi- 
ately overpowered  by  the  Indians ;  in  case  of 
necessity,  we  could  probably  make  our  retreat 
to  the  Spanish  side  of  the  Mississippi,  but  if 
successful,  we  might  pave  our  way  to  the  pos- 
session of  Post  Vincennes." 

As  Clark  intended  to  leave  the  Ohio  at  Fort 
Massac,  three  leagues,  or  nine  miles  below  the 
Tennessee,  he  landed. at  a  small  island  in  the 
mouth  of  that  river  to  prepare  for  the  march 
overland  to  the  British  posts.  Here  they  sur- 
prised a  party  of  huntsmen  coming  up  the 
river,  who  proved  to  be  Americans  recently 
engaged  in  hunting  in  the  country  about  Kas- 
kaskia. They  willingly  agreed  to  join  the 
expedition  and  gave  much  needed  information 
of  conditions  in  and  around  the  forts.  On 
the  evening  of  July  4,  1778,  after  a  trying 
march  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles,-  the 
little  army  arrived  within  a  few  miles  of  the 
town  of  Kaskaskia,  and  soon  after  dark  com- 
pletely surprised  the  fort  and  captured  its 
garrison,  without  striking  a  blow.  The  com- 
mander, or  commandant,  as  he  was  called  by 
the  French,  a  ]Mr.  Roeheblave,  was  himself  a 

a.  English,  Conquest  of  the  Northwest,  Vol.  1, 
p.  153. 


Frenchman,  though  serving  as  a  British 
officer,  and  was  exceedingly  chagrined 
at  the  clever  manner  in  which  he  had 
been  overcome  by  Col.  Clark.  The  French 
inhabitants  proved  to  be  exceedingly 
friendly.  They  took  the  oath  of  al- 
legiance and  joyfully  proclaimed  themselves 
American  citizens  as  soon  as  they  learned  of 
the  good  intentions  of  Clark,  and  particularly 
after  being  informed  that  the  French  govern- 
ment had  entered  into  a  treaty  with  the 
Americans  and  was  even  then  aiding  them  in 
their  war  for  independence  against  the  Eng- 
lish, for  whom  indeed  the  French  in  America 
never  had  any  good  will.  The  surrounding 
villages  were  soon  taken,  chiefly  through  the 
aid  of  the  French  citizens  of  Kaskaskia. 

The  principal  of  these  smaller  towns  on  the 
Mississippi  was  Cahokia,  twenty  leagues  or 
sixty  miles  north  of  Kaskaskia,  a  little  below 
and  nearly  opposite  the  site  of  the  present 
city  of  St.  Louis. 

It  was  formerly  called  Cohos,  and  is  claimed 
to  have  been  the  first  white  settlement  on  the 
Mississippi.  It  was  probably  settled  about 
the  year  1700.'*  This  town,  hardly  of  less  con- 
sequence than  Kaskaskia  itself,  was  captured 
from  the  British  without  a  struggle  by  a  force 
of  Americans  and  French  under  Major  Bow- 
man, formerly  Captain  Joseph  Bowman. 

Col.  Clark  took  the  most  discreet  measures 
to  win  the  good  will  of  the  French  people  and 
to  make  the  new  government  popular.  He 
tells  us  in  his  Memoir  that  he  inquired  par- 
ticularly into  the  manner  the  people  had  been 
governed  by  the  English,  and  much-  to  his 
satisfaction  found  that  the  government  had 
generally  been  as  severe  as  under  militia  law. 
"I  was  determined."  he  says,  "to  make  an 
advantage  of  it.  and  took  every  step  in  my 
power  to  cause  the  people  to  feel  the  blessings 
enjoyed  by  an  American  citizen,  which  I  soon 
discovered  enabled  me  to  support,  from  their 
own  choice,  almost  a  supreme  authority  over 

a.  English,  Conquest  of  the  Northwest,  Vol.  1, 
p.  197.  See  also  Montague's  Hist.  Randolph 
County,  Illinois. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


63 


them.  I  caused  a  court  of  civil  judication 
to  be  established  at  Kahokia.  elected  by  the 
people.  Major  Bowman,  to  the  surprise  of  the 
people,  held  a  poll  for  a  magistracy,  and  was 
elected  and  acted  as  judge  of  the  court.  After 
this  similar  courts  were  established  in  the 
towns  of  Kaskaskia  and  St.  Vincent  [Vincen- 
nes].  There  was  an  appeal  to  myself  in  cer- 
tain cases,  and  I  believe  that  no  people  ever 
had  their  business  done  more  to  their  satisfac- 
tion than  they  had  through  the  means  of  these 
regulations  for  a  considerable  time. ' ' 

The  old  court  house  in  Cahokia,  w^here 
]\Iajor  Bowman  sat  as  judge  after  his  election 
in  1778  was  a  log  building,  capable  of  holding 
not  more  than  one  hundred  persons.  It  was 
built  by  the  French  in  1716,  and  was  used  at 
first  as  a  court  house  and  afterwards  also  as 
a  school  house.  It  was  the  first  building 
erected  and  used  as  a  court  house  within 
the  limits  of  the  state  of  Illinois,  and  perhaps 
of  all  the  northwest.  The  venerable  structure 
of  logs  has  been  preserved  to  this  day,  and  in 
the  early  part  of  the  year  1906,  was  pur- 
chased for  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  and 
moved  to  Jackson  Park  in  that  city.  On  De- 
cember 1,  1906,  the  judges  of  the  new  munici- 
pal court  of  Chicago  met  and  took  the  oath 
of  office,  and  the  court  was  duly  organized, 
within  the  walls  of  this  historic  court  house. 
The  following  observations  made  by  Chief 
Justice  Olson  on  that  occasion  are  of  historical 
interest  in  this  connection. 

' '  The  little  settlement  of  Cahokia  in  Illinois 
was  one  of  the  forest  points  of  France,  by 
which  that  nation  attempted  to  intrench  her- 
self in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  One  of 
the  relics  of  this  lost  empire  of  France  is  this 
court  house,  which  has  been  removed  from 
the  ancient  hamlet  to  this  city  in  the  hope  that 
it  may  be  an  incentive  to  our  youth  to  pursue 
the  absorbing  story  of  the  trials,  vicissitudes 
and  triumphs  of  the  early  explorers  and  set- 
tlers of  Illinois. 

"A  British  commandant  took  possession  of 
the  country  of  Illinois  in  1765.  and,  in  the 
examination  of  the  Cahokia  court  documents. 


it  appears  that  courts  of  justice  with  officers 
of  record  held  forth  even  before  the  arrival 
of  George  Rogers  Clark  and  his  Virginians. 
In  the  village  where  this  court  stood,  Clark 
met  the  representatives  of  everj^  tribe  between 
the  great  lakes  and  the  Mississippi.  The 
judges  who  first  sat  at  this  old  bench  were 
electe'd  by  the  people  in  the  first  election  held 
on  the  soil  of  Illinois  in  the  autumn  of  1778. 

"We  who  are  about  to  assume  judicial 
office  in  a  court  recently  established  by  the 
people  are  proud  to  accept  our  commissions 
in  this. building  where  the  first  court  in  the 
^Mississippi  valley  Avas  held  as  the  result  of 
the  first  popular  election  on  Illinois  soil." 

Sec.  5. — Father  Gibault  and  Vincennes. 
— ^The  posts  on  the  Mississippi  being  now  well 
in  hand,  Clark  turned  his  attention  to  the 
capture  of  the  town  of  Vincennes.  "I  found 
it  to  be, ' '  he  says,  ' '  a  place  of  infinite  import- 
ance to  us.  To  gain  it  was  now  my  object, 
but,  sensible  that  all  the  forces  we  had,  joined 
by  every  man  in  Kentucky,  would  not  be  able 
to  approach  it,  I  resolved  on  other  measures 
than  that  of  arms." 

Mr.  English  says  that  the  population  of 
Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,  Vincennes  and  the  other 
towns  on  the  Mississippi  and  the  Wabash 
"were  almost  entirely  of  French  extraction, 
at  the  time  of  Clark's  advent,  and  the  uni- 
versal dislike  of  English  rule  still  existed,  and 
greatly  facilitated  his  operations."^  And  he 
adds  that  "Father  Gibault  was  the  embodi- 
ment of  this  sentiment,  and  the  man  of  all 
others  who  could  make  it  effective  in  recon- 
ciling the  inhabitants  to  the  change  of  rul- 
ers. '  '^ 

Clark  himself  tells  us  in  his  Memoir  that 
"the  priest  was  inclined  to  the  American 
interest  previous  to  our  arrival  in  the  coun- 
try;" and  that  "he  had  great  influence  over 

a.  Conquest  of  the  Northwest,  Vol.  1,  p.  199. 

b.  lb.  See  also  Address  of  the  Rev.  Pierre 
Gibault,  "The  Patriot  Priest  of  the  Northwest," 
delivered  before  the  Illinois  State  Historical  So- 
ciety by  the  Hon.  Jacob  P.  Dunn,  secretary  of  the 
Indiana  State  Historical  Society,  at  Springfield, 
111.,  Jan.  26,  1905. 


64 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  people  at  this  period,  and  Post  Vincennes 
was  under  his  jurisdiction.  I  made  no  doubt 
of  his  integrity  to  us.  I  sent  for  him  and  had 
a  long  conference  with  him  on  the  subject  of 
Post  Vincennes.  In  answer  to  all  my  queries 
he  informed  me  that  he  did  not  think  it  worth 
my  while  to  cause  any  military  preparation  to 
be  made  at  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  for  the  attack 
of  Post  Vincennes,  although  the  place  was 
strong  and  a  great  number  of  Indians  in  its 
neighborhood,  who,  to  his  knowledge,  were 
generally  at  war ;  that  Governor  Abbott  had, 
a  few  weeks  before,  left  the  place  on  some 
business  to  Detroit ;  that  he  expected  that 
when  the  inhabitants  were  fully  acquainted 
with  what  had  passed  at  the  Illinois,  and  the 
present  happiness  of  their  friends,  and  made 
fully  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the  war, 
their  sentiments  would  greatly  change ;  that 
he  knew  that  his  appearance  there  would  have 
great  weight,  even  among  the  savages;  that 
if  it  was  agreeable  to  me  he  would  take  this 
business  on  himself,  and  had  no  doubt  of  his 
being  able  to  bring  that  place  over  to  the 
American  interest  without  my  being  at  the 
trouble  of  marching  against  it ;  that  his  busi- 
ness being  altogether  spiritual,  he  wished  that 
another  person  might  be  charged  with  the 
temporal  part  of  the  embassy,  but  that  he 
would  privately  direct  the  whole,  and  he 
named  Doctor  Lafont  as  his  associate." 

Father  Gibault's  plan  was  perfectly  agree- 
able to  what  Clark  had  been  secretly  aiming 
at.  The  party  set  out  on  July  1-1,  1778,  and 
arrived  safe  at  Vincennes,  where,  after  a  day 
or  two  spent  in  explaining  matters,  the  people 
acceded  to  the  proposal  and  took  the  oath  of 
allegiance.  "An  officer,"  says  Clark,  "was 
elected,  the  fort  immediately  garrisoif|||i^^and 
the  American  tlag  displayed,  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  the  Indians,  and  everything  settled 
beyond  our  most  sanguine  hopes.  The  people 
began  to  put  on  a  new  face  and  to  talk  in  a 
different  style,  and  to  act  as  perfect  freemen. 
With  a  garrison  of  their  own,  with  the  United 
States  at  their  elbow,  their  langiiage  to  the 
Indians  was  immediately  altered.  They  began 


as  citizens  of  the  state,  and  informed  the 
Indians  that  their  old  father  the  King  of 
France,  was  come  to  life  again,  had  joined  the 
big  knife,  and  was  mad  at  them  for  fighting 
for  the  English ;  that  they  would  advise  them 
to  make  peace  with  the  Americans  as  soon  as 
they  could,  otherwise  they  might  expect  the 
land  to  be  very  bloody,  etc.  The  Indians 
began  to  think  seriously.  Throughout  the 
country  this  was  now  the  kind  of  language 
they  generally  got  from  their  ancient  friends 
of  the  Wabash  and  Illinois.  Through  the 
means  of  their  correspondence  spreading 
among  the  nations,  our  batteries  now  began  to 
play  in  a  proper  channel.  Mr.  Gibault  and 
party,  accompanied  by  several  gentlemen  of 
Post  Vincennes,  returned  to  Kaskaskia  about 
the  first  of  August  with  the  joyful  news." 

Thus,  through  the  wise  management  of  "The 
Patriot  Priest  of  the  Northwest, ' '  and  Avithout 
the  shedding  of  one  drop  of  blood,  the  import- 
ant town  of  Post  Vincennes  came  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  United  States, — the  first 
spot  on  Indiana  soil  over  which  floated  the 
American  flag.  About  the  middle  of  August 
Captain  Leonard  Helm  was  sent  by  Clark  to 
take  command  of  the  town,  with  instructions 
to  maintain  the  g:ood  will  of  the  people  and  to 
win  over  the  Indian  tribes.  An  Indian  chief, 
called  the  Tobacco's  Son,  a  Peankeshaw. 
resided  at  this  time  in  an  Indian  villag'e  west 
of  the  Wabash  and  not  far  from  Vincennes. 
"This  man,"  says  Clark,  "was  called  by  the 
Indians  'The  Grand  Door  to  the  Wabash,'  as 
the  great  Pontiac  had  been  to  that  of  the  St. 
Joseph ;  and,  as  nothing  of  consequence  was 
to  be  undertaken  by  the  league  on  the  Wabash 
without  his  assent,  I  discovered  that  to  win 
him  was  an  object  of  great  importance." 
Clark,  accordingly,  had  sent  friendly  messages 
to  the  chief  by  Father  Gibault,  which  were 
returned  in  the  same  spirit ;  and  like  compli- 
ments were  again  sent  by  Captain  Helm. 
"Tobacco's  Son,"  says  Clark,  "proved  a  zeal- 
ous friend  to  the  day  of  his  death,  which  hap- 
pened two  years  after  this,  when  he  desired 
to  be  buried  among  the  Americans.     His  body 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


65 


was  conveyed  to  the  garrison  of  Cahokia  and 
buried  with  the  honors  of  war.  He  appeared 
in  all  his  conduct  as  if  he  had  the  American 
interest  much  at  heart." 

"In  a  short  time,"  continues  Clark's  Me- 
moir, ' '  almost  the  whole  of  the  various  tribes 
of  the  different  nations  on  the  Wabash,  as 
high  as  the  Ouiatanon,  came  to  St.  Vincennes 
and  followed  the  example  of  their  grand 
chief ;  and  as  expresses  were  continually  pass- 
ing between  Captain  Helm  and  myself  the 
whole  time  of  these  treaties,  the  business  was 
settled  perfectly  to  my  satisfaction,  and 
greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  public.  The 
British  interest  daily  lost  ground  in  this 
quarter,  and  in  a  short  time  our  influence 
reached  the  Indians  on  the  river  St.  Joseph 
and  the  border  of  Lake  Michigan."  And  he 
adds  that  the  French  gentlemen  at  the  differ- 
ent posts  engaged  warmly  in  the  American  in- 
terests, and  in  promoting  treaties  of  peace  and 
good  will  with  all  the  Indian  tribes ;  so  that, 
as  he  tells  us,  "in  a  short  time  from  this  we 
could  send  a  single  soldier  through  any  part 
of  the  AVabash  and  Illinois  country,  for  the 
whole  of  those  Indians  came  to  treat,  either 
at  Cahokia  or  St.  Vincennes,  in  course  of  the 
fall." 

Sec.  6. — Cl.\.rk's  Winter  Campaign. — This 
pleasant  situation  was  to  be  rudely  disturbed 
as  the  early  winter  came  on.  At  first  there 
was  a  vague  rumor  that  there  was  active 
preparation  going  on  for  a  British  expedition 
from  Detroit,  intended  to  retake  Vincennes 
and  all  the  other  posts  in  possession  of  Clark, 
and  even  to  invade  and  conquer  Kentucky. 
Clark  could  get  no  definite  news  from  Vin- 
cennes; his  messengers  being  captured  by 
English  scouting  parties,  as  it  afterwards 
turned  out.  Indeed  Clark  himself  was  nearly 
taken  by  one  of  these  parties.  It  was  not 
until  January  29,  1779,  that  he  first  learned 
the  true  state  of  affairs  from  Francis  Vigo,  a 
Spanish  merchant  who  had  been  at  Vincennes. 
This  gentleman,  whose  patriotism  was  after- 
ward remembered  by  giving  his  honored  name 
to    the    county    of    Vigo,  Indiana,  informed 

5 


Clark  that  in  the  previous  December,  a  British 
force  under  Governor  Hamilton  had  come 
from  Detroit  and  captured  Vincennes;  after 
which  Hamilton,  thinking  the  season  too  far 
advanced  to  take  the  posts  on  the  Mississippi, 
sent  some  of  his  men  to  watch  the  Ohio,  and 
disbanded  others,  giving  orders  that  all 
should  meet  again  in  the  spring  to  drive 
Clark's  forces  out  of  the  Illinois  and  also  to 
attack  the  Kentucky  settlements. 

"We  now  viewed  ourselves,"  says  Clark, 
"in  a  very  critical  situation — in  a  manner  cut 
off  from  any  intercourse  between  us  and  the 
United  States.  We  knew  that  Governor  Ham- 
ilton, in  the  spring,  by  a  junction  of  his  north- 
ern and  southern  Indians,  which  he  had  pre- 
pared for.  would  be  at  the  head  of  such  a  force 
that  nothing  in  this  quarter,  could  withstand 
his  arms ;  that  Kentucky  must  immediately 
fall,  and  well  if  the  desolation  would  end 
there.  If  we  could  immediately  make  our  way 
good  to  Kentucky,  we  were  convinced  that 
before  we  could  raise  a  force  sufficient  to  save 
that  country  it  would  be  too  late,  as  all  the 
men  in  it,  joined  by  the  troops  we  had,  would 
not  be  sufficient,  and  to  get  timely  succor  from 
the  interior  frontiers  w^as  out  of  the  question. 
We  saw  but  one  alternate,  which  was  to  attack 
the  enemy  in  their  quarters.  If  we  were 
fortunate,  it  would  save  the  whole ;  if  other- 
wise, it  would  be  nothing  more  than  what 
would  certainly  be  the  consequence  if  we 
should  not  make  the  attempt.  Encouraged 
by  the  idea  of  the  greatness  of  the  consequen- 
ces that  would  attend  our  success — the  season 
of  the  year  being  also  favorable — as  the 
enemy  could  not  suppose  that  we  should  be  so 
mad  as  to  attempt  to  march  eighty  leagues 
through  a  drowned  country  in  the  depths  of 
winter;  that  they  would  be  off  their  guard 
and  probably  would  not  think  it  worth  while 
to  keep  out  spies;  that,  probably,  if  we  could 
make  our  way  good,  we  might  surprise  them, 
and  if  we  fell  through,  the  country  would  not 
be  in  a  worse  situation  than  if  we  had  not 
made  the  attempt.  These,  and  many  other 
similar  reasons,  induced  us  to  resolve  to  at- 


66 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


tempt  the  enterprise,  which  met  with  the 
approbation  of  every  individual  belonging 
tons." 

Orders  to  begin  preparations  were  immedi- 
ately issued,  and  all  were  executed  with  cheer- 
fulness by  the  inhabitants.  Every  man  was 
provided  with  whatever  was  needed  to  with- 
stand the  coldest  weather.  On  February  5, 
1779,  after  listening  to  a  patriotic  address  by 
Father  Gibault  and  receiving  his  blessing, 
Clark  moved  forward,  with  his  army  of  one 
hundred  and  seventy  men,  almost  exactly  the 
number  with  which  he  took  Kaskaskia  on  the 
preceding  Fourth  of  July.  "Insensibly,"  he 
says,  "and  without  a  murmur,  were  those 
men  led  on  to  the  banks  of  the  Little 
Wabash,"  which  we  reached  on  the  13th, 
through  incredible  difficulties,  far  surpassing 
anything  that  any  of  us  had  ever  experi- 
enced." On  February  17th,  they  reached  the 
Embarrass  river,  but  finding  they  could  not 
cross  it  they  moved  down  the  bank  of  that 
river  to  its  junction  with  the  Wabash  proper, 
which  they  reached  on  the  18th,  at  a  point 
seven  or  eight  miles  below  Vincennes.  Here 
they  expected  to  find  the  "Willing,"  a  boat, 
or  galley,  as  Clark  called  it,  sent  down  the 
Mississippi  before  they  left  Kaskaskia,  and 
which  was  to  go  up  the  Ohio  and  the  Wabash 
and  take  them  up  to  the  neighborhood  of  the 
post;  but  the  galley  was  delayed  and  did  not 
arrive  at  Vincennes  until  February  27th,  three 
days  after  the  capture  of  the  place.  The 
march  for  five  days  from  the  Little  Wabash, 
and  by  the  Embarrass,  to  the  banks  of  the 
main  Wabash,  almost  constantly  through 
water  and  that  in  the  month  of  February, 
was  one  of  almost  incredible  hardship.  Yet 
those  days  were  as  nothing  to  the  five  days 
that  w^ere  to  come." 

Clark's  original  intention  seems  to  have 
been  to  cross  the  Embarrass  river  near  the 
site  of  the  present  town  of  Lawrenceville,  and, 
with  the  help  of  his  galley,  attack  the  post 
from  the  front.  He  was  now  compelled  to 
adopt   a   plan   similar    to   that   followed   by 

a.     An  Illinois  branch  of  the  Wabash. 


another  great  general  nearly  a  hundred  years 
later.  As  Grant  went  down  the  Mississippi 
and  crossed  the  river  to  the  rear  of  Vicksburg, 
and  so  captured  that  stronghold,  so  now  Clark 
by  the  aid  of  hastily  constructed  rafts,  crossed 
the  Wabash,  marched  up  to  the  east  of  Vin- 
cennes and  thus  took  the  town  from  the  Brit- 
ish. Both  exploits  are  among  the  most  notable 
in  all  history.  That  Clark  was  able  to  hold 
his  little  baud  together  on  this  march  through 
the  cold  waters  up  the  east  side  of  the  Wabash 
often  knee  deep  or  waist  deep  and  even  more, 
seems  almost  past  belief.  Only  men  of  the 
greatest  resolution  and  inured  to  hardships  of 
frontier  life  could  have  held  out  during  the 
terrible  ordeal.  Indeed  some  of  the  volun- 
teers did  for  a  time  begin  to  despair.  Clark 
informs  us  that  toward  the  end  some  of  them 
talked  of  returning.  "But  my  situation,"  he 
says,  "was  now  such  that  I  was  past  all  un- 
easiness. I  laughed  at  them,  without  persuad- 
ing or  ordering  them  to  desist  from  any  such 
attempt,  but  told  them  that  I  would  be  glad  if 
they  would  go  out  and  kill  some  deer.  They 
went,  confused  with  such  conduct.  My  own 
troops  I  knew  had  no  idea  of  abandoning  an 
enterprise  from  want  of  provisions,  while 
there  were  plenty  of  good  horses  in  their  pos- 
session ;  and  I  knew  that,  w^ithout  any  vio- 
lence, the  volunteers  could  be  detained  for  a- 
few  days,  in  the  course  of  which  time  our 
fate  would  be  known.  I  conducted  myself  in 
such  a  manner  that  caused  the  whole  to  believe 
that  I  had  no  doubt  of  success,  which  kept 
their  spirits  up." 

In  the  absence  of  any  news  of  his  galley 
coming  up  the  Wabash,  for  which  he  still  had 
hopes,  Clark  had  canoes  constructed  to  aid  in 
the  passage  through  the  waters.  Two  of  these 
water  marches,  as  related  by  the  intrepid 
and  resourceful  commander,  will  illustrate 
the  extraordinary  situations  through  which 
they  passed: 

' '  The  last  day 's  march  through  the  water, ' ' 
says  Clark,  "was  far  superior  to  anything  the 
Frenchman  had  an  idea  of.  They  were  back- 
ward in  speaking,  said  that  the  nearest  land  to 


HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.  67 

us  was  a  small  league  called  the  sugar  camp,  imagined  by  a  person  who  could  possess  my 
or  the  bank  of  the  river.  A  canoe  was  sent  affections  for  them  at  that  time.  I  concluded 
off  and  returned  without  finding  that  we  by  informing  them  that  surmounting  the 
could  pass.  I  went  in  her  myself  and  sounded  plain  that  was  then  in  full  view,  and  reaching 
the  w^ter ;  found  it  deep  as  to  my  neck.  I  the  opposite  woods,  would  put  an  end  to  their 
returned  with  a  design  to  have  the  men  trans-  fatigue ;  that  in  a  few  hours  they  would  have 
ported  on  board  the  canoes  to  the  sugar  camp,  a  sight  of  their  long  wished  for  object,  and 
wliieh  I  knew  would  spend  the  whole  day  and  immediately  stepped  into  the  water  without 
ensuing  night,  as  the  vessels  would  pass  but  waiting  for  a  reply.  A  huzza  took  place.  We 
slowly  through  the  bushes.  The  loss  of  so  generally  marched  through  the  water  in  a 
much  time  to  men  half  starved  was  a  matter  line ;  it  was  much  easiest.  Before  a  third 
of  consequence.  I  would  have  given  now  a  entered,  I  halted,  and,  further  to  prove  the 
great  deal  for  a  day's  provision  or  for  one  of  men,  having  some  suspicion  of  three  or  four, 
our  horses.  I  returned  but  slowly  to  the  I  hallooed  to  Major  Bowman,  ordering  him  to 
troops,  giving  myself  time  to  think.  On  our  fall  in  the  rear  with  twenty-five  men  and  put 
arrival  all  ran  to  hear  what  was  the  report,  to  death  any  man  who  refused  to  march,  as  we 
Every  eye  was  fixed  on  me.  I  unfortunately  wished  to  have  no  such  person  among  us.  The 
spoke  in  a  serious  manner  to  one  of  the  officers,  whole  gave  a  cry  of  approbation  that  it  was 
The  whole  were  alarmed  without  knowing  what  right,  and  on  we  went.  This  was  the  most 
I  said.  They  ran  from  one  to  another,  bewail-  trying  of  all  the  difficulties  we  had  experi- 
ing  their  situation.  I  \aewed  their  confusion  enced.  I  generally  kept  fifteen  or  twenty  of 
for  about  one  minute,  whispered  to  those  near  the  strongest  men  next  myself,  and  judged 
me  to  do  as  I  did,  inunediately  put  some  water  from  my  own  feelings  what  must  be  that  of 
in  my  hand,  poured  on  powder,  blackened  my  others.  Getting  about  the  middle  of  the  plain, 
face,  gave  the  war  whoop  and  marched  into  the  water  about  knee  deep,  I  found  myself 
the  water,  without  saying  a  word.  The  party  sensibly  failing,  and  as  there  were  no  trees 
gazed  and  fell  in,  one  after  another,  without  nor  bushes  for  the  men  to  support  themselves 
saying  a  word,  like  a  flock  of  sheep.  I  ordered  by,  I  doubted  that  many  of  the  most  weak 
those  near  me  to  begin  a  favorite  song  of  would  be  drowned.  I  ordered  the  canoes  to 
theirs.  It  soon  passed  through  the  line  and  make  the  land,  discharge  their  loading,  and 
the  whole  went  on  cheerfully.  I  now  intended  play  backward  and  forward,  with  all  dili- 
to  have  them  transported  across  the  deepest  genee,  and  pick  up  the  men,  and  to  encourage 
part  of  the  water,  but  when  about  waist  deep  the  party.  .  .  .  The  men  exerted  them- 
one  of  the  men  informed  me  that  he  thought  selves  almost  beyond  their  abilities — the  weak 
he  felt  a  path — a  path  is  very  easily  dis-  holding  by  the  stronger,  and  frequently  one 
covered  under  water  by  the  feet.  We  ex-  with  two  others'  help,  and  this  was  of  infinite 
amined  and  found  it  so,  and  concluded  that  it  advantage  to  the  weak.  The  water  never  got 
kept  on  the  highest  ground,  which  it  did,  and,  shallower,  but  continued  deepening — even 
by  taking  pains  to  follow  it,  we  got  to  our  when  getting  to  the  woods,  where  the  men  ex- 
sugar  camp  without  the  least  difficulty.  pected  to  land.  The  water  was  up  to  my 
' '  This  was  the  coldest  night  we  had.  The  shoulders,  but  gaining  the  woods  was  of  great 
ice,  in  the  morning,  was  from  one-half  to  consequence.  All  the  low  men,  and  the  weakly, 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick  near  the  shores  hung  to  the  trees  and  floated  on  the  old  logs 
and  in  still  waters.  The  morning  was  the  until  they  were  taken  off  by  the  canoes.  The 
finest  we  had  on  our  march.  A  little  after  strong  and  tall  got  ashore  and  built  fires, 
sunrise  I  lectured  the  whole.  What  I  said  Many  would  reach  the  shore,  and  fall  Avith 
to    them,    I    forget,    but    it    may    be    easily  thoii-  bodit^s  hnlf  in  the  water,  not  being  able 


68 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


to  support  themselves  without  it.  This  was  a 
delightful,  dry  spot  of  ground,  of  about  ten 
acres.  We  soon  found  that  the  fires  answered 
no  purpose,  but  that  two  strong  men  taking 
a  weaker  one  by  the  arms  was  the  only  way  to 
recover  him,  and,  being  a  delightful  day,  it 
soon  did.  But,  fortunately,  as  if  designed  by 
Providence,  a  canoe  of  Indian  squaws  and 
children  was  coming  up  to  town,  and  took 
through  part  of  this  plain  as  a  nighway.  It 
was  discovered  by  our  canoes  as  they  were  out 
after  the  men.  They  gave  chase  and  took  the 
Indian  canoe,  on  board  of  which  was  near 
half  a  quarter  of  a  buffalo,  some  corn,  tallow, 
kettles,  etc.  This  was  a  grand  prize  and  was 
invaluable.  Broth  was  immediately  made  and 
served  out  to  the  most  weakly  with  great  care ; 
most  of  the  whole  got  a  little,  but  a  great 
many  gave  their  part  to  the  weakly,  jocosely 
saying  something  cheering  to  their  comrades. 
This  little  refreshment  and  fine  weather,  by 
the  afternoon,  gave  new  life  to  the  whole." 

The  danger  from  the  waters  was  now  past, 
but  the  danger  from  the  living  enemy  was  at 
hand.  Clark's  narrative,  from  which  we  can 
make  only  brief  extracts,  now  continues : 
"Crossing  a  narrow,  deep  lake  in  the  canoes 
and  marching  some  distance,  we  came  to  a 
copse  of  timber  caller  the  Warrior's  Island. 
We  were  now  in  full  view  of  the  fort  and 
town,  not  a  shrub  between  us,  at  about  two 
miles'  distance.  Every  man  now  feasted  his 
eyes  and  forgot  that  he  had  suffered  anything, 
saying  that  all  that  had  passed  was  owing  to 
good  policy  and  nothing  but  what  a  man  could 
bear,  and  that  a  soldier  had  no  right  to  think, 
etc.,  passing  from  one  extreme  to  another, 
which  is  common  in  such  cases.  It  was  now 
we  had  to  display  our  abilities.  The  plain 
between  us  and  the  town  was  not  a  perfect 
level.  The  sunken  grounds  were  covered  with 
water  full  of  ducks.  We  observed  several 
men  out  on  horseback,  shooting  at  them, 
within  half  a  mile  of  us,  and  sent  out  as  many 
of  our  active  young  Frenchmen  to  decoy  and 
take  one  of  these  men  prisoner  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  not  to  alarm  the  others,  which  they  did. 


The  information  we  got  from  this  person  M^as 
similar  to  that  which  we  got  from  those  we 
took  on  the  river,  except  that  of  the  British 
having  that  evening  completed  the  wall  of  the 
fort,  etc.,  and  that  there  were  a  good  many 
Indians  in  town.  Our  situation  was  now 
truly  critical — no  possibility  of  retreating  in 
case  of  defeat — and  in  full  view  of  a  town 
that  had,  at  this  time,  upwards  of  six  hundred 
men  in  it,  troops,  inhabitants  and  Indians. 
The  crew  of  the  galley,  though  not  fifty  men, 
would  have  been  now  a  reinforcement  of 
immense  magnitude  to  our  little  army  (if  I 
may  so  call  it)  ;  but  w^e  would  not  think  of 
them.  We  were  now  in  the  situation  that  I 
had  labored  to  get  ourselves  in.  The  idea  of 
being  made  prisoner  was  foreign  to  almost 
eveiy  man,  as  they  expected  nothing  but  tor- 
ture from  the  savages  if  they  fell  into  their 
hands.  Our  fate  was  now  to  be  determined, 
probably  in  a  few  hours.  We  knew  that  noth- 
ing but  the  most  daring  conduct  would  insure 
success.  I  knew  that  a  number  of  the  inhab- 
itants wished  us  well;  that  many  were  luke- 
warm in  the  interest  of  either;  and  I  also 
learned  that  the  grand  chief,  the  Tobacco's 
Son,  had,  but  a  few  days  before,  openly 
declared,  in  council  with  the  British,  that  he 
was  a  brother  and  friend  to  the  big  knives." 
Clark  now  took  a  bold  course.  It  was  all 
that  could  save  him  or  bring  success  to  his 
enterprise.  He  sent  a  placard  to  the  inhabit- 
ants, by  the  hand  of  the  prisoner  just  taken, 
announcing  his  presence  and  that  he  was  pre- 
pared to  take  the  fort  that  night.  He  called 
upon  the  people  to  remain  in  their  homes; 
that  those  who  were  friends  to  the  English 
King  should  at  once  betake  themselves  to  the 
fort;  and  any  persons  found  in  the  streets 
would  be  treated  as  enemies,  and  punished 
accordingly.  One  object  in  sending  in  this 
proclamation  was  to  give  out  the  idea  that 
this  was  an  army  from  Kentucky;  for  the 
people  would  not  believe  it  possible  that  it 
could  be  Clark  or  that  he  should  have  been 
able  to  march  across  the  country  from  Kaskas- 
kia.     That  w^as  the  effect,  the  people  believed 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


69 


that  the  message  came  from  some  Kentucky 
officer  who  made  use  of  Clark's  name.  "A 
little  before  sunset,"  says  Clark,  "we  moved 
and  displayed  ourselves  in  full  view  of  the 
town,  crowds  gazing  at  us.  We  were  flinging 
ourselves  into  certain  destruction — or  success ; 
there  was  no  midway  thought  of.  We  had 
but  little  to  say  to  our  men,  except  inculcating 
an  idea  of  the  necessity  of  obedience,  etc.  We 
knew  they  did  not  want  encouraging,  and  that 
anything  might  be  attempted  with  them  that 
was  possible  for  such  a  number — perfectly 
cool,  under  proper  subordination,  pleased  with 
the  prospect  before  them,  and  much  attached 
to  their  officers.  They  all  declared  that  they 
were  convinced  that  an  implicit  obedience  to 
orders  was  the  only  thing  that  would  ensure 
success,  and  hoped  that  no  mercy  would  be 
shown  the  person  who  should  violate  them, 
but  should  be  immediately  put  to  death.  Such 
language  as  this  from  soldiers  to  persons  in 
our  station  must  have  been  exceedingly  agree- 
able. We  moved  on  slowly  in  full  view  of  the 
town;  but,  as  it  was  a  point  of  some  conse- 
quence to  us  to  make  ourselves  appear  as  for- 
midable as  possible,  we,  in  leaving  the  covert 
that  we  were  in,  marched  and  countermarched 
in  such  a  manner  that  we  appeared  numer- 
ous. ' ' 

The  Virginians  directed  their  march  in  such 
a  manner,  in  and  out  from  the  cover  of  the 
hills,  so  that  it  was  dark  while  they  were  yet 
a  mile  from  the  town.  It  turned  out  that, 
partly  through  fear  of  Clark's  threat,  and 
partly  through  love  of  the  American  cause, 
not  an  inhabitant  of  the  town  gave  notice  to 
the  garrison  of  the  presence  of  the  little  army 
of  patriots.  The  British  garrison  felt-  abso- 
lutely at  their  ease  and  were  in  total  ignorance 
of  Clark's  presence,  until  the  Americans  fired 
upon  the  fort.  Even  then  it  was  thought  to 
be  some  wild  shooting  by  drunken  Indians. 
The  persistence  of  Clark's  attack,  however, 
soon  brought  Governor  Hamilton,  the  British 
commander,  to  realize  that  his  fort  was  besieg- 
ed by  what  he,  too,  believed  to  be  a  formid- 
able    army.       The  fighting  continued  all  the 


night  of  the  23rd ;  and  on  February  24,  1779, 
after  some  negotiations,  the  fort  was  surren- 
dered. The  terms  of  this  surrender,  as  dic- 
tated by  Clark  himself,  are  in  these  words : 

"1.  Lieutenant-Governor  Hamilton  en- 
gages to  deliver  up  to  Colonel  Clark  Fort 
Sackville,  as  it  is  at  present,  with  all  the 
stores,  etc. 

' '  2.  The  garrison  are  to  deliver  themselves 
as  prisoners  of  war  and  march  out,  with  their 
arms  and  accoutrements,  etc. 

' '  3.  The  garrison  to  be  delivered  up  at  ten 
o'clock  tomorrow. 

"4.  Three  days'  time  to  be  allowed  the 
garrison  to  settle  their  accounts  with  the 
inhabitants  and  traders  of  this  place. 

"5.  The  officers  of  the  garrison  to  be 
allowed  their  necessary  baggage,  etc. 

"Signed  at  Post  St.  Vincent,  24th,  Febru- 
ary, 1779. 

' '  Agreed  for  the  following  reasons :  The 
remoteness  from  succor;  the  state  and  quan- 
tity of  provisions,  etc. ;  unanimity  of  officers 
and  men  in  its  expediency ;  the  honorable 
terms  allowed;  and,  lastly,  the  confidence  in 
a  generous  enemy. 

"(Signed) 

"HENRY  HAMILTON, 
"Lieutenant-Governor  and  Superintendent." 

So  signal  a  victory,  with  such  slender 
means  and  in  the  face  of  such  formidable 
obstacles  of  nature,  and  against  so  strong  a 
force  and  so  well  fortified  a  post,  places  George 
Rogers  Clark  and  his  army  of  Virginians 
and  Frenchmen  in  the  foremost  ranks  of  all 
heroes. 

Clark's  history  from  the  day  of  his  first 
broaching  his  plan  to  Patrick  Henry;  his  re- 
cruiting an  army  in  the  wilds  of  Virginia, 
Pennsylvania  and  Kentucky ;  his  march  across 
southern  Illinois,  from  the  Ohio  to  the  capture 
of  Kaskaskia  and  the  other  British  posts  on 
the  Mississippi ;  his  winning  the  confidence 
and  affection  of  the  French  inhabitants ;  his 
securing  the  good  will  of  the  Indians,  and  his 
noble  conduct  in  his  refusal  to  allow  them  to 
participate  with  him  in  the  war,  even  when  he 
sorely  needed  help  ;  his  trust  in  Father  Gibault 
in  the  first  taking  of  Vincennes;  but,  above 
all.  his  march  in  mid-winter,  with  his  Franco- 
Virginian  heroes,  through  leagues  and  leagues 


70 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


of   water-covered   plains;    and    the   brilliant 
close  which  resulted  in  the  conquest  from  the 
power  of  Britain  of  the  great  northwest,  now 
the  heart  of  the  republic,— reads  more  like  a 
chapter    from    knight    errant   romance    than 
from  sober,  modern  American  history.  Strang- 
est of  all,  however,  is  the  apparent  neglect  of 
this  great  episode  in  our  history  by  Americans 
themselves.     It  is  only  recently  that  we  have 
come  to  realize  how  great  a  debt  of  gratitude 
we  owe  to  this  young  Virginian,  who  is  worthy 
to  stand  by  the  side  of  the  other  great  men 
of  the  Revolution  from  his  own  great  state, — 
George      Washington,      Thomas      Jefferson, 
Patrick  Henry  and  their  illustrious  compatri- 
ots.   Without  George  Rogers  Clark  we  should 
have   no   Indiana,  no   St.  Joseph   county,   to 
write  about ;  and  it  is  to  our  credit  as  a  state 
that  there  has  been  such  a  revival  of  the  fame 
of  this  great  man.     His  statue  stands  at  the 
base    of    our    noble    soldier's   monument    at 
Indianapolis,  placed  there  February  25,  1895, 
as  that  of  our  most  fitting  representative  of 
the    Revolutionary  period ;   and,    finally,  the 
hand  and  heart  and  brain  of  an  Indianian, 
our  own  William   H.   English,  has  lovingly 
picked  up  every  thread  of  Clark's  history  and 
woven  it  into  an  inspiring  story  of  heroes,  to 
be  read  of  all  time. 

Other  great  men  also  have  spoken  in  fitting 
terms  of  this  savior  of  the  west ;  and  we  close 
our  reference  to  him  with  this  fitting  eulogy 
taken  from  President  Roosevelt's  "The  Win- 
ning of  the  West ' ' : 

"Much  credit  belongs  to  Clark's  men,  but 
most  belongs  to  their  leader.  The  boldness  of 
his  plan  and  the  resolute  skill  with  which  he 
followed  it  out,  his  perseverance  through  the 
intense  hardships  of  the  mid-winter  march, 
the  address  with  which  he  kept  the  French 
and  Indians  neutral,  and  the  masterful  way 
in  which  he  controlled  his  own  troops,  together 
with  the  ability  and  courage  he  displayed  in 
the  actual  attack,  combined  to  make  his  feat 
the  most  memorable  of  all  the  deeds  done  west 
of  the  Alleghanies  in  the  revolutionary  war. 
It   was   likewise   the   most   important  in   its 


results,  for,  had  he  been  defeated,  we  would 
not  only  have  lost  the  Illinois,  but  in  all  prob- 
ability Kentucky  also." 

IV.      THE  COUNTY  OF  ILLINOIS. 

gee.   1. — First  Measures  Taken  by  Vir- 
ginia.— The  victories  of  George  Rogers  Clark 
added    enormously   to  the    territory   subject 
to  the  control  of  the  old  dominion  of  Virginia. 
Her  authority  now  extended  from  her  own 
Atlantic  Coast,  by  way  of  Kentucky  and  the 
northwest,  to  the  extreme  western  limits   of 
Lake  Superior  and  the  headwaters  of  the  Miss- 
issippi.    That  the  people  of  Virginia  appre- 
ciated the  glory  of  the  achievements  of  their 
own  officei-s  and  men  may  weU  be  believed. 
Soon  after  the  capture  of  Kaskaskia,  Clark 
sent  a  party  with  dispatches  to  Virginia,  and 
with  them  went  Mr.  Rochblave,  the  British 
commander  of  the  fort.     "The  arrival  of  the 
party  in  Virginia,"  says  Mr.  English,"  "with 
this  prominent  representative  of  the  king  in 
the   Illinois  country  as  a  prisoner,   and  the 
startling  news  that  all  the  British  posts  and 
towns  on  the  Mississippi,  from  Kaskaskia  to 
Cahokia,  had  been  captured  and  were  in  pos- 
session  of    the  Virginia  troops,   created  the 
most  intense  excitement  everywhere.     It  was 
indeed  a  most  important  event  to  the  whole 
country,  and  particularly  to  the  Old  Domin- 
ion, for  these  were  her  troops,  led  by  Colonel 
Clark,  one  of  her  favorite  sons.    As  the  news 
spread,  pride  and  gratitude  took  possession  of 
every   patriotic  heart,   and  words   of   praise 
were  upon  every  lip.    The  governor,  evidently 
greatly  elated  at  the  joyful  news,  communi- 
cated it  to  the  Virginia  delegates  in  congress 
by  letter,  dated  November  16,  1778." 

"When  the  legislature  met,"  says  Mr.  Eng- 
lish, "the  popular  feeling  w^as  embodied  in 
formal  legislation."  On  November  23,  1778, 
resolutions  were  adopted  giving  thanks  to 
' '  Colonel  Clark  and  the  brave  ofdcers  and  men 
under  his  command,  for  their  extraordinary 
resolution  and  perseverance,  in  so  hazardous 

a.     Conquest  of  the  Northwest,  Vol.  1,  p.  245. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


71 


au  enterprise,  and  for  their  important  services 
thereby  rendered  to  their  country." 

Mr.  English  also  tells  us,  in  the  same  con- 
nection, that  the  legislature  of  Virginia 
"realized  the  necessity  of  extending  more 
effective  civil  government  over  the  conquered 
Illinois  country,  and  promptly  passed  an  act 
organizing  it  into  'the  county  of  Illinois.'  " 
Except  in  saying  that  the  legislature 
''promptly"  passed  the  act,  Mr.  English  does 
not  indicate  the  date  of  its  passage.  Dillon 
says  that  it  was  passed  "in  October,  1778. "« 
In  Smith's  history  of  Indiana,  the  same  state- 
ment is  made.^  In  a  history  of  Randolph 
county,  Illinois,  in  which  county  Kaskaskia  is 
situated,  the  writer  also  says  that  the  act 
creating  the  county  of  Illinois  was  passed  "in 
October,  1778.  "'-■  As  however  the  letter  of 
Patrick  Henry,  governor  of  Virginia,  an- 
nouncing to  the  delegates  in  congress  from 
that  state  the  news  of  Clark's  success,  was 
dated  November  16,  1778,  and  the  resolution 
of  thanks  to  Clark  and  his  command  by  the 
legislature  of  Virginia  was  adopted  Novem- 
ber 23,  1778,  it  would  seem  that  Mr.  English's 
statement,  that  the  act  of  the  Virginia  legis- 
lature organizing  the  county  of  Illinois  was 
passed  "promptly,"  must  be  taken  to  mean 
that  it  was  passed  soon  after  the  governor 
had  announced  the  good  news  to  the  delegates 
in  congress  and  the  legislature  had  voted  its 
thanks  to  Clark.  Plainly,  the  act  for  the 
organization  into  a  county  of  this  vast  terri- 
tory, now  embracing  five  great  states  of  the 
union,  was  a  more  deliberative  measure  then 
the  impulsive  and  patriotic  communication  to 
the  delegates  in  congress  or  the  voting  by  the 
legislature  of  thanks  to  the  conquerors.  The 
document  is  printed  in  full,  but  without  date, 
in  Mr.  English's  great  work.  It  is  expressly 
stated  in  the  act  itself,  that  it  was  passed  to 
establish  "some  temporary  form  of  govern- 
ment." and  that  it  was  to  be  in  force  "for 
and  during  the  term  of  twelve  months,  and 

a.     Hist.   Indiana,  p.  136. 
&.     Hist.  Indiana,  Vol.  1,  p.  97. 
c.     Hist.   Randolph   County,  111.,   by  B.   J.   Mon- 
tague, p.  30. 


from  thence  to  the  end  of  the  next  session  of 
assembly,  and  no  longer."  The  duration  of 
the  act  was  however'  afterwards  extended, 
by  the  general  assembly. 

Sec.  2. — Nature  of  the  County  Govern- 
ment.— This  "temporary  form  of  govern- 
ment," established  by  the  legislature  of  Vir- 
ginia for  the  county  of  Illinois,  is  worthy  of 
particular  attention  as  being  the  first  govern- 
ment set  up  under  American  authority  for 
the  territory  now  comprising  the  five  states 
of  the  northwest.  It  is  probably  true  that,  at 
least  for  some  time,  no  part  of  the  county  of 
St.  Joseph,  and,  indeed,  no  part  of  the  St. 
Joseph  valley,  was  actually  subject  to  the 
provisions  of  this  government  organized  under 
Virginia  auspices;  for,  it  is  to  be  remembered, 
that,  at  the  time  of  the  passing  of  that  act, 
the  British  flag  still  floated  over  Fort  St. 
Joseph ;  and  it  was  more  than  two  years  later 
when  the  Spaniards  from  St.  Louis  took  and 
destroyed  the  old  fort.  Yet,  as  Virginia  con- 
tinued to  hold  and  govern  the  county  of 
Illinois  for  some  time  after  the  treaty  of  peace 
with  Great  Britain,  there  was,  in  fact,  an 
interval,  following  the  date  when  England 
and  Spain  were  forced  to  yield  their  shadowy 
claims,  and  preceding  the  date  of  the  cession, 
to  the  United  States  by  Virginia ;  and,  during 
this  period,  that  is,  from  the  treaty  of  peace, 
September  3,  1783,  to  the  deed  of  cession, 
March  1,  1784,  St.  Joseph  county  was  within 
the  -wide  limits  of  the  county  of  Illinois,  and, 
as  such  was  a  part  of  the  dominion  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  subject  to  its  laws  and  government, 
made  so  by  the  victories  of  George  Rogers 
Clark,  and  asserted  by  the  act  organizing  the 
county  of  Illinois. 

Two  paragraphs  of  the  act  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  show  the  general  character  of  this 
first  form  of  free  government  applicable  to 
the  soil  of  St.  Joseph  county;  'even  though 
we  know  that  there  were  then,  almost  to  a 
certainty,  no  white  inhabitants  in  St.  Joseph 
county,  or  indeed  in  this  part  of  the  state, 
to  whom  the  law  could  apply.  The  act  of 
Ihe  Virginia  assembly  provided: 


72 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


' '  That  all  the  citizens  of  this  commonwealth 
who  are  already  settled,  or  shall  hereafter 
settle,  on  the- western  side  of  the  Ohio  afore- 
said, shall  be  included  in  a  distinct  county, 
which  shall  be  called  Illinois  county;  and 
that  the  governor  of  this  commonwealth,  with. 
the  advice  of  the  council,  may  appoint  a 
county  lieutenant  or  commandant-in-chief  in 
that  county,  during  pleasure,  who  shall  ap- 
point and  commission  so  many  deputy  com- 
mandants, militia  officers  and  commissaries, 
as  he  shall  think  proper  in  the  different 
districts,  during  pleasure.  aU  of  whom,  before 
they  enter  into  office,  shall  take  the  oath  of 
fidelity  to  this  commonwealth  and  the  oath 
of  office,  according  to  the  form  of  their  own 
religion,  which  the  inhabitants  shall  fully, 
and  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  enjoy  to- 
gether with  all  their  civil  rights  and  property. 

And  all  civil  officers  to  which  said  inhabit- 
ants have  been  accustomed,  necessary  for  the 
preservation  of  peace  and  the  administration 
of  justice,  shall  be  chosen  by  a  majority  of 
the  citizens  in  their  respective  districts,  to  be 
convened  for  that  purpose  by  the  county 
lieutenant  or  commandant,  or  his  deputy,  and 
shall  be  commissioned  by  the  said  county  lieu- 
tenant or  commandant-in-chief,  and  be  paid 
for  their  services  in  the  same  manner  as  such 
expenses  have  been  heretofore  borne,  levied 
and  paid  in  that  county;  which  said  civil  of- 
ficers, after  taking  the  oaths  as  above  pre- 
scribed, shall  exercise  their  several  jurisdic- 
tions and  conduct  themselves  agreeable  to 
the  laws  w^hich  the  present  settlers  are  now 
accustomed  to." 

Colonel  John  Todd  of  Kentucky  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  governor  of  Virginia,  and  re- 
ceived his  instructions,  December  12.  1778,  as 
the  first  county  lieutenant  of  the  county  of 
Illinois,  but  did  not  arrive  at  Kaskaskia  until 
June  15,  1779,  when  he  proceeded  to  put  in 
operation  the  civil  government  established  for 
the  county  by  the  legislature  of  Virginia. 
The  instructions  received  from  the  governor 
by  the  county  lieutenant  w^ere,  as  might  be 
expected,  coming  as  they  did  from  the  liberty- 


loving  Patrick  Henry,  quite  in  accord  with 
the  spirit  of  the  act  organizing  the  county. 
One  paragraph  from  these  instructions  will 
show  the  liberal  character  of  the  free  institu- 
tions under  which  the  government  of  our 
northwast  started  into  existence : 

"And  I  know  no  better  general  direction  to 
give  than  this, ' '  wrote  Governor  Henry,  ' '  that 
you  consider  yourself  as  at  the  head  of  the 
civil  department,  and  as  such  having  the  com- 
mand of  the  militia  who  are  not  to  be  under 
the  command  of  the  military,  until  ordered 
out  by  the  civil  authority  and  act  in  conjunc- 
tion with  them.  You  are  on  all  occasions  to 
inculcate  on  the  people  the  value  of  liberty 
and  the  difference  between  the  state  of  free 
citizens  of  this  commonwealth  and  that 
slavery  to  which  Illinois  was  destined.  A  free 
and  equal  representation  may  be  expected  by 
them  in  a  little  time,  together  with  all  the  im- 
provements in  jurisprudence  and  policy  which 
the  other  parts  of  the  state  enjoy. ' ' 

One  of  the  earliest  and  most  important  acts 
of  the  county  lieutenant  affecting  the  terri- 
tory now  constituting  the  state  of  Indiana  was 
the  establishment  at  Vincennes,  in  June,  1779, 
of  a  court  of  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction. 
This  court  was  composed  of  several  magis- 
trates, presided  over  by  Colonel  J.  M.  P. 
Legras,  commandant  of  the  post.  For  three 
years  Colonel  Todd  continued  to  administer 
the  affairs  of  the  county  of  Illinois, — a  terri- 
tory so  vast  that  it  is  now  divided  into  five 
great  states,  and  these  states  subdivided  into 
no  less'  than  four  hundred  and  thirty-four 
counties.  In  1782,  he  w^ent  to  Virginia  on 
business  connected  with  the  county,  and  on 
his  return  through  Kentucky  met  with  his 
old  companion  Daniel  Boone  whom  he  accom- 
panied in  an  expedition  against  the  Indians. 
During  the  course  of  this  expedition  Colonel 
Todd  was  killed  at  the  noted  battle  of  Blue 
Licks. 

As  an  indication  of  the  equal  place  to  which 
the  French  inhabitants  had  attained  in  the 
new  government  and  the  confidence  reposed 
in  them  as  American  citizens,  it  is  interesting 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


73 


to  note  that  the  successor  of  Colonel  Todd  in 
the  high  office  of  county  lieutenant  was 
Timothy  de  Montbrun,  a  Frenchman.  This 
was  a  fitting  recognition  of  the  faithful  peo- 
ple who  had  received  and  stood  by  Colonel 
Clark  so  patriotically,  and  who  formed  so 
efficient  a  part  of  the  brave  army  that  im- 
mortalized itself  in  the  capture  of  Vincennes."^ 
Sec.  3. — Claims  M.vde  by  Other  States. — 
Virginia  was  not  the  only  state  that  made  in- 
dividual claim  to  large  parts  of  the  western 
country.  Connecticut,  ]\Iassachusetts,  New 
York,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina  and 
other  states  also  had  their  claims.  Connecti- 
cut claimed  the  territory  west  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, to  the  ^Mississippi,  from  latitude  forty- 
•  one  degrees  to  latitude  forty-two  degrees  and 
two  minutes  north;  while  Massachusetts 
claimed  the  strip  north  of  the  Connecticut 
claim,  to  latitude  forty-three  degrees  and 
thirty  minutes.  The  claims  of  Connecticut 
and  Massachusetts  overlapped  and  of  course 
conflicted  with  the  Virginia  claim,  which  last 
included  the  whole  northwest.  It  is  not  easy 
at  this  day  to  appreciate  the  grounds  of  the 
claims  made  by  the  two  New  England  states. 
Those  claims  seem  to  have  been  based  upon 
the  theory  that  no  western  bounds  had  been 
fixed  for  those  commonwealths  in  the  royal 
charters  originally  establishing  the  colonies 
and  defining  their  limits,  and  consequently, 
that  these  states,  to  their  full  width  north 
and  south,  reached  to  the  west  without 
limit, — even  to  the  Pacific  ocean,  if  there 
should  be  any  American  territory  extending 
so  far.  We  may  note,  as  a  matter  of  local 
interest,  that  St.  Joseph  county  is  included 
wholly  within  the  bounds  of  the  Connecticut 
claim;  so  that  the  soil  of  our  county  was  at 
the  same  time  claimed  by  Virginia  and  by 
Connecticut.  It  is  but  the  simple  truth  to 
say,  in  the  calm  light  of  history,  that  it  now 
appears  very  clear  that  the  claim  of  Virginia 
is  the  only  one  that  had  any  substantial  foun- 

a.  Conquest  of  the  Northwest,  Vol.  1,  pp.  248- 
252,  Vol.  2,  p.  1037.  Montague,  Hist.  Randolph 
County,  111.,  pp.  30-31. 


dation  in  fact  or  in  right  reason.  The  Old 
Dominion,  single-handed,  under  direction  of 
her  governor,  Patrick  Henry,  with  the  sage 
counsel  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  George  Mason 
and  other  wise  and  far-seeing  statesmen,  com- 
missioned the  young  Virginian,  George  Rogers 
Clark,  who  with  his  little  army  of  Virginians, 
Pennsylvanians,  Kentuekians  and  Frenchmen, 
won  from  British  power  this  splendid  north- 
west. Had  Clark  not  made  that  mid-winter 
march  through  the  icy  waters  of  Illinois  and 
Indiana,  and  met  and  conquered  Hamilton  at 
Vincennes,  it  may  be  doubted  whether  there 
would  now  be  any  northwest  for  us,  and 
whether  the  western  boundaries  of  the  nation 
would  not  be  the  Alleghanies,  or  at  most  the 
Ohio,  rather  than  the  great  lakes.  Great 
Britain  retained  Canada  at  the  treaty  of 
peace ;  but  without  Clark  Canada  would  have 
extended  at  least  to  the  Ohio  and  the  Missis- 
sippi. And,  afterwards,  without  our  bound- 
ary on  the  Mississippi;  what  likelihood  is 
there  that  we  should  have  obtained  Louisiana 
from  Napoleon? 

Sec.  4. — Cession  by  Virginia.— The  Vir- 
ginia claim,  then,  was  good  as  against  that  of 
any  other  state.  But  the  question  became 
broader.  Was  it  good  as  against  all  the  states, 
against  the  Union  itself?  The  people  of  the 
whole  republic,  and,  finally,  even  the  people 
of  Virginia  themselves,  felt  that  this  great 
northwest  was  too  vast  to  be  the  property  of 
any  state ;  that  while  it  had  been  won  solely 
by  the  wisdom  and  valor  of  Virginia,  yet  that 
it  was  won  by  her  while  aiding  in  waging  war 
against  the  common  enemy.  In  the  treaty  of 
peace  it  was  the  nation  that  was  recognized; 
and  when  the  great  lakes  were  made  the 
northern  boundary,  it  was  the  boundary  of 
the  American  Union,  and  not  that  of  any 
state,  that  was  recognized.  Very  early,  there- 
fore, Virginia  began  to  feel  that,  in  the  in- 
terests of  harmon}^  and  the  general  welfare 
of  the  common  county  which  that  great  state 
had  done  so  much  to  establish,  she  ought  to 
yield  her  undoubted  rights  to  the  general 
good;  that  while  her  claims  were  superior  to 


t'i 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


those  of  any  other  state,  yet  that  they  should 
be  yielded  as  her  imperial  gift  to  the  United 
States  itself. 

Accordingly,  by  an  act  of  the  general  as- 
sembly of  Virginia,  passed  December  20,  1783, 
but  a  little  over  three  months  after  the  ack- 
nowledgment of  the  independence  of  the 
United  States,  the  delegates  of  Virginia  in 
the  congress  of  the  United  States  were  author- 
ized and  empowered,  for  and  on  behalf  of  the 
state  of  Virginia,  "to  convey,  transfer,  assign 
and  make  over  to  the  United  States  in  con- 
gress assembled,  for  the  benefit  of  the  said 
states,  all  right,  title  and  claim,  as  well  of  soil 
as  jurisdiction,  which  this  commonwealth  hath 
to  the  territory  or  tract  of  country,  within 
the  limits  of  the  Virginia  charter,  situate, 
lying  and  being  to  the  northwest  of  the  river 
Ohio." 

One  of  the  conditions  of  the  act  of  cession 
was:  "That  the  territory  so  ceded  shall  be 
laid  out  and  formed  into  states,  containing 
suitable  extent  of  territory,  not  less  than  one 
hundred,  nor  more  than  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  square,  or  as  near  thereto  as  cir- 
cumstances will  admit ;  and  that  the  states  so 
formed  shall  be  distinct  republican  states,  and 
admitted  members  of  the  federal  union,  hav- 
ing the  same  rig-hts  of  sovereignty,  freedom 
and  independence  as  the  other  states." 

Another  condition  was :  ' '  That  the  French 
and  Canadian  inhabitants  and  other  settlers 
of  the  Kaskaskias,  St.  Vincents,  and  the  neigh- 
boring villages,  who  have  professed  them- 
selves citizens  of  Virginia,  shall  have  their 
possessions  and  titles  confirmed  to  them,  and 
be  protected  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  rights 
and  liberties." 

It  was  further  provided  that  all  the  lands 
within  the  territory  so  ceded  to  the  United 
States,  except  those  disposed  of  in  bounties  to 
the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  American  army, 
including  Clark  and  his  command,  and  lands 
reserved  for  certain  other  purposes  named  in 
the  act  of  cession,  "shall  be  considered  as  a 
common  fund  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  such 


of  the  United  States  as  have  become,  or  shall 
become,  members  of  the  confederation  or 
federal  alliance  of  said  states,  Virginia  inclu- 
sive, according  to  their  usual  respective  pro- 
portions in  the  general  charge  and  expendi- 
ture, and  shall  be  faithfully  and  bona  fide 
disposed  of  for  that  purpose,  and  for  no  other 
use  or  purpose  whatsoever. ' ' 

When  we  remember  that  the  constitution  of 
the  United  States  was  not  yet  written,  and 
that  the  several  states,  but  loosely  joined 
under  the  articles  of  confederation,  were  still 
almost  independent  sovereignties,  the  gener- 
ous character  of  the  order  surrendering  this 
great  territory  to  the  equal  ownership  of  all 
the  states  of  the  Union  will  be  more  apparent. 
The  Deed  of  Cession,  so  authorized  by  the 
Virginia  assembly  was  duly  executed  March 
1,  1784,  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  Samuel  Hardy, 
\rthur  Lee  and  James  Monroe,  then  the  dele- 
gates in  congress  from  the  commonwealth  of 
Virginia.  On  that  day  the  territory  now 
comprising  the  county  of  St.  Joseph,  together 
with  all  the  remainder  of  the  northwest,  be- 
came for  the  first  time,  in  letter  and  in  fact, 
a  part  of  the  United  States  of  America.  The 
other  states  having  or  making  any  claims  to 
any  parts  of  the  western  territories  followed 
the  patriotic  lead  of  Virginia,  and  from  time 
to  time,  executed  formal  deeds  of  cession  to 
the  United  States:  Massachusetts,  April  19, 
1785  ;  Connecticut,  September  13,  1786 ;  South 
Carolina,  August  19,  1787 ;  North  Carolina,  in 
1790 ;  and  Georgia,  in  1802.  New  York  had 
at  one  time  a  claim  of  an  exceedingly  vague 
and  indefinite  character,  which  was  surren- 
dered to  the  United  States,  March  1,  1781. 
Connecticut,  in  her  deed  of  cession,  at  first 
reserved  her  claim  to  the  lands  south  of  Lake 
Erie,  long  called  the  Western  Reserve ;  this 
reservation  was  finally  surrendered.  May  30, 
1800.  The  claims  affecting  the  northwest  were 
only  those  of  Virginia,  Connecticut  and  Mas- 
sachusetts,— unless  we  consider  the  intangible 
claim  of  New  York. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


<o 


THE  ORDINANCE  OF  1787. 

Sec.  1. — First  Congressional  Plan: 
Seventeen  States. — The  Virginia  deed  of 
cession  was  made  on  March  1,  1784;  and,  on 
April  23,  1784,  congress,  by  a  series  of  reso- 
lutions, provided  for  the  maintenance  of  tem- 
porary government  in  the  northwest  terri- 
tory.'* 

It  won  Id  seem  that  after  the  capturu  ot 
Vincennes  the  same  wise  course  with  the  In- 
dians pursued  by  Clark  after  his  invasion  of 
the  Illinois  country  Avas  not  followed;  cer- 
tainly, very  soon  after  that  time,  there  began 
a  deplorable  border  warfare  which  continued, 
with  interruptions,  until  the  decisive  victory 
of  General  Anthony  Wayne  over  the  Indians 
in  the  battle  on  the  banks  of  the  Maumee  river, 
August  20,  1794.  There  is  little  doubt  the 
Indians  were  encouraged  in  this  barbarous 
warfare  by  British  agents  and  officers,  to 
whom  the  success  of  American  army  in  the 
Revolutionary  war  was  exceedingly  unpalat- 
able.^ 

The  resolutions  and  code  of  government  for 
the  northwest,  adopted  by  the  continental 
congress,  April  23,  1784,  although  intended 
only  for  temporary  purposes  and  until  a  more 
satisfactory  sj^stem  could  be  devised,  were  yet 
the  result  of  much  deliberation  and  discus- 
sion. The  situation  was  novel,  and  the  wise 
men  of  congress  were,  as  it  were,  groping  in 
the  dark  and  feeling  their  way.  One  plan 
suggested  was  to  divide  the  new  territory  into 
seventeen  states.  Eight  states  were  to  be 
between  the  Mississippi  and  a  line  due  north 
from  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  at  Louisville;  and 
eight  more  to  be  between  the  Ohio  falls  line 
and  a  line  parallel  to  it  running  north  from 
the  western  side  of  the  mouth  of  the  Great 
Kanawha.     On  the   extreme  east  was  to  be 

a.     Dillon,  Hist.  Indiana,  p.  182. 

h.  In  Dillon's  History  of  Indiana,  a  large  part 
of  Chapters  XVI  to  XXVIII,  inclusive,  is  de- 
voted to  an  account  of  those  harassing  Indian 
wars,  culminating  in  Governor  St.  Clair's  humil- 
iating defeat,  followed  by  the  brilliant  and  de- 
cisive victory  of  General  Wayne  and  the  historic 
treaty  of  Greenville,  which  was  signed  August  3, 
1795. 


the  seventeenth  state.  This  scheme  found  lit- 
tle favor;  and  the  subject  was  referred  to  a 
special  committee  of  which  Thomas  Jefferson 
was  chairman. 

Sec.  2. — Jefferson's  Plan:     Ten  States. 
—Jefferson,  Chase  and  Howe  devised  a  second 
plan  for  dividing  the  territory  into  ten  states. 
The  lines  of  division  are  now  quite  forgotten, 
and  even  the  high-sounding  names  of  the  pro- 
posed states  are  seldom  heard.     Some  of  the 
names  were  Latin,  some  Greek,  and  some  were 
latinized  forms  of  Indian  names  of  rivers  in 
the  territory.   The  states  were  to  be  about  two 
degrees    in    width,    north    and    south,    and 
bounded  on  the  east  and  west,  so  far  as  prac- 
ticable, by  the  north  and  south  lines  of  the 
first  plan.     That  part  of  the  territory  north 
of  the  forty-fifth  parallel  of  latitude,  cover- 
ing  the   then   heavy   woodlands   of  northern 
Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  was  to 
be   called   Sylvania.     The  remainder  of  the 
southern    peninsula   of   the   present   state   of 
Michigan  was  to  be  called  Chersonesus,   the 
Greek  word   for  peninsula.     South   of   Syl- 
vania, covering  a  part  of  the   present  state 
of  Wisconsin,  was  to  be  the  state  of  ]\Iichi- 
gania.     South  of  Michigania,  as  far  as  the 
forty-first  parallel  of  latitude,  was  to  be  the 
state  of  Assenisipia,  a  word  derived  from  the 
Indian  name  for  Rock  river.    East  of  Asseni- 
sipia,  and  extending  north  to   the  shore   of 
Lake  Erie,  was  to  be  the  state  of  Metropo- 
tamia,  mother  of  rivers.    South  of  Assenisipia, 
to   the   thirty-ninth    parallel,   was   to   be   the 
state  of  lUinoia.     To  the  east  of  lUinoia  was 
to  be  Saratoga ;  and  east  of  Saratoga,  bounded 
by  the  Ohio  river,  the  west  line  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  eastern  part  of  the  south  shore 
of  Lake  Erie,  was  to  be  the  state  of  Washing- 
ton.    South  of  Illinoia  and  Saratoga,  and  ly- 
ing along  the  Ohio  river,  was  to  be  a  state 
named    Polypotamia,   from   its  many   rivers. 
East   of   Polypotamia   was  to   be   the -tenth 
state,  called  Pelisipi,  from  a  Cherokee  name 
sometimes  given  to  the  Ohio  river.    While  all 
tho.se  state  lines  have  disappeared,  and  even 
the  names  given  by  Jefferson  and  his  commit- 


76 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


tee  are  no  longer  applied  to  the  territories  for 
which  they  were  intended,  vet  it  will  be  ob- 
served that  one  of  the  names,  that  of  the 
father  of  his  country,  has  since  been  given 
to  the  extreme  northwest  state  of  the  Union, 
lying  on  the  borders  of  an  ocean  which  even 
the  most  far-seeing  statesmen  could  not  then 
dream  of  as  the  western  boundary  of  the 
great  republic.  Two  more  of  Jefferson's 
names,  with  slight  changes  of  orthography, 
have  also  been  adopted  for  commonwealths 
since  created.  ]\Iichigania,  which  Jefferson 
applied  to  territory  bordering  on  the  west 
of  Lake  Michigan,  has  been  given,  without  the 
Latin  termination,  to  the  great  state  east  of 
the  same  lake ;  and  Ulinoia,  which  was  applied 
to  parts  of  the  present  states  of  Illinois  and 
Indiana,  has  been  given,  with  like  change  of 
orthography,  to  the  great  southwestern  state 
of  the  territory. 

There  is  some  uncertainty  in  which  of  two 
of  those  proposed  states  the  county  of  St. 
Joseph  would  have  been  situated.  The  state 
of  Chersonesus  was  to  be  the  southern  part 
of  the  peninsula  bounded  on  the  west  by 
Lake  Michigan  and  on  the  east  by  Lake 
Huron,  the  Straits  and  Lake  Erie;  that  is, 
the  southern  part  of  what  is  now  the  lower 
peninsula  of  ^Michigan.  This  would  seem  to 
include  the  north  part  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
and,  indeed,  all  that  part  of  Indiana  north  of 
an  east  and  west  line  through  the  southern 
extremity  of  Lake  Michigan.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  state  of  Assenisipia  was  to  extend, 
north  and  south,  from  the  forty-third  to  the 
forty-first  parallel  of  latitude :  and  from  the 
Mississippi  east  to  the  line  running  north 
from  the  falls  of  the  Ohio.  That  would  give 
a  state  bounded  on  the  north  by  a  line  of 
latitude  a  little  south  of  Milwaukee.  Wiscon- 
sin ;  on  the  south,  by  a-  line  of  latitude  a  little 
south  of  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana :  on  the  west, 
by  the  Mississippi  river:  and  on  the  east,  by 
a  line  running  nearly  from  Jeffersonville. 
Indiana,  or  Louisville,  Kentucky,  to  Grand 
Rapids.  Michigan.     The  state  of  Assenisipia 


would  therefore  comprise  the  southern  part 
of  the  present  state  of  Wisconsin,  the  northern 
part  of  Illinois,  the  northwestern  part  of  In- 
diana and  the  southwestern  part  of  Michigan. 
But  as  the  southern  part  of  the  lower  Michi- 
gan peninsula  was  to  constitute  the  state  of 
Chersonesus,  it  is  probable  that  the  state  of 
Assenisipia  would  have  embraced  no  territory 
east  of  Lake  ^lichigan.  Consequently,  the 
north  ten  miles  of  St.  Joseph  county  would 
have  been  in  the  state  of  Chersonesus  and  the 
rest  of  the  county  in  the  state  of  Assenisipia. 
At  the  time  that  the  boundaries  of  the  ten 
states  were  defined,  as  above  set  out,  a  code 
of  laws  was  prepared  to  serve  for  the  govern- 
ment of  each  state  until  it  should  contain 
twenty  thousand  free  inhabitants.  One  article 
of  the  code,  as  prepared  by  the  committee, 
provided  that  after  the  year  1800  there  should 
be  no  slaverj^  in  the  states  so  organized. 
This  is  believed  to  have  been  the  first  national 
attempt  to  provide  for  the  abolition  of 
slavery.  Another  article  of  the  proposed  code 
provided  that  no  person  holding  a  hereditary 
title  should  ever  become  a  citizen  of  any  of 
the  new  states.  This  article  was  directed 
against  the  society  of  the  Cincinnati,  then 
recently  organized  by  the  officers  of  the  late 
Continental  army.  There  was  strong  oppo- 
sition to  a  provision  of  the  constitution  of  this 
society  making  the  sons  and  other  direct 
descendants  of  those  officers,  to  the  latest 
generation,  members  of  the  organization 
This  looked  to  the  stern  republicans  of  that 
day  as  savoring  too  strongly  of  an  order  of 
nobility ;  and  they  wished  for  nothing  of  that 
nature  in  the  free  institutions  of  America. 
The  uncompromising  republicanism  of  Jef- 
ferson is  seen  in  his  advocacy  of  these  two 
measures — against  slavery  and  against  orders 
of  nobility.  Both  articles,  however,  were 
stricken  out  by  congress.  The  paragraphs 
giving  names  to  the  ten  new  states  were  also 
stricken  out.  The  resolutions  as  so  amended 
were  then  adopted,  April  23,  1784,  and  re- 
mained  the   law   for  the   government   of   the 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


77 


northwest  until  the  adoption  of  the  ordinance 
of  1787.« 

See.  3. — Emigration  to  the  West. — Soon 
after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war  a 
heavy  tide  of  emigration,  chiefly  officers  and 
soldiers  of  the  war,  set  in  for  the  lands  west 
of  the  Alleg-hanies.  The  southern  soldiers 
found  lands  in  Kentucky,  then  in  effect  a 
part  of  Virginia ;  Tennessee,  then  western 
North  Carolina :  and  in  the  western  part  of 
Georgia,  which  then  extended  to  the  Missis- 
sippi. The  soldiers  farther  north  naturally 
looked  to  the  lands  in  the  new  territory  north- 
west of  the  Ohio.  The  long  debates  of  con- 
gress in  providing  for  the  organization  of  this 
territory,  and  the  delay  in  the  enactment  of 
laws  for  the  survey  and  sale  of  the  lands,  tired 
the  patience  of  those  who  were  anxious  to 
start  life  anew  on  those  rich  lands.  On 
March  1, 1786,  the  Ohio  Company  was  formed 
for  the  purchase  and  sale  of  western  lands  in 
shares  of  $1,000  each.  The  directors  of  this 
company  were  General  Rufus  Putnam,  Gen- 
eral Samuel  H.  Parsons  and  the  Dr.  Manasseh 
Cutler.  Dr.  Cutler  was  the  master  spirit  of 
the  body,  and  exercised  a  very  decided  in- 
fluence on  the  future  of  the  new  country. 
Under  the  old  confederation  a  treasury  board 
acted  as  commissioners  of  public  lands,_  but 
had  no  power  to  make  sales  without  the  ap- 
proval of  congress.  Dr.  Cutler,  after  weary 
waiting  for  favorable  action  by  congress, 
finally  succeeded  in  obtaining  confirmation  of 
the  sale  of  the  lands  desired  by  the  Ohio  Com- 
pany; and  on  October  27,  1787,  the  contract 
of  the  treasury  board  with  the  company  was 
agreed  to  and  the  contract  executed.  In  De- 
cember and  January  following,  two  com- 
panies, forty-eight  persons  in  all,  under  the 
general  direction  of  General  Putnam,  and 
consisting  of  surveyors,  boat-builders,  carpen- 
ters, smiths,  farmers  and  laborers,  set  out  for 
the  west  with  their  stores  and  outfit,  descended 
the  Ohio,  and  on  April  7,  1788,  landed  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Muskingum.     At  a  point  oppo- 

a.  McMaster,  Hist.  U.  S.,  Vol.  1,  Chapt.  2.  Per- 
kins' Annals  of  the  West,  p.  312. 


site  Fort  Harmar,  at  the  junction  of  the  Ohio 
and  the  Muskingum,  they  founded  their  town. 
Before  leaving  Boston  the  prospective  town 
was  called  Adelphia ;  but  at  the  first  meeting 
of  the  directors,  on  the  ground,  July  2,  1788, 
the  name  of  Marietta  was  selected,  in  honor 
of  ]\Iarie  Antoinette,  then  queen  of  France." 
The  founding  of  Marietta,  the  first  settlement 
in  the  limits  of  the  present  state  of  Ohio,  was 
a  most  noteworthy  event,  and  marks  the  be- 
ginning of  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the 
northwest  territory. 

Sec.  4. — Development  of  the  Ordinance. 
—After  the  adoption  of  the  resolutions  of 
April  23,  1784,  congress  continued  to  discuss 
the  future  of  the  northwest,  not  being  satis- 
fied with  the  form  of  government  established 
by  those  resolutions.  Little  progress  was 
made,  however,  until  May  10,  1786,  when  a 
committee  appointed  on  motion  of  Nathan 
Dane  of  Massachusetts,  reported  in  favor  of 
fixing  the  number  of  states  at  from  two  to 
five,  to  be  admitted  according  to  the  proposi- 
tion of  Jefferson,  as  reported  to  congress 
previous  to  the  resolutions  of  April  23,  1784, 
but  leaving  the  question  of  slavery  open.  No 
definite  action  was  taken  on  this  report.  On 
April  26,  1787,  another  conuuittee,  consisting 
of  Johnson  of  Connecticut,  Pinckney  of  South 
Carolina,  Smith  of  New  York,  Dane  of 
Massachusetts  and  Henry  of  Maryland,  re- 
ported "An  ordinance  for  the  government  of 
the  western  territory."  This  first  draft  of 
the  ordinance  is  said  to  have  been  prepared 
by  Nathan  Dane.  After  many  amendments. 
May  10,  1787,  was  fixed  for  the  third  reading 
of  the  ordinance ;  but  the  bill  was  postponed 
for  further  consideration.  Congress  was  evi- 
dently not  yet  satisfied  as  to  what  should  be 
done.  At  this  time  Dr.  Cutler,  representing 
the  Ohio  company,  and  anxious  for  the  future 
form  of  government  in  which  that  company 
had  so  much  at  stake,  appeared  before  con- 
gress and  its  committees;  and  it  is  believed 
that  he  greatly  influenced  many  important 
amendments  which  were  thereafter  made  to 

a.     King,  Hist.  Ohio,  Ch.  8. 


78 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  ordinance.  On  July  9,  1787,  the  bill  was 
referred  to  a  new  committee,  consisting  of 
Carrington  of  Virginia,  Dane  of  Massachu- 
setts, Smith  of  New  York,  Richard  Henry  Lee 
of  Virginia,  and  Kean  of  South  Carolina.  It 
was  after  this  that  the  clauses  against  slavery, 
and  in  favor  of  the  liberty  of  conscience  and 
of  the  press,  the  right  of  habeas  corpus  and 
trial  by  jury,  the  equal  distribution  of  estates, 
and  the  encouragement  of  education,  were 
added.  The  anti-slavery  clause  was  at  first 
rejected  by  the  committee,  but  on  July  11th 
this  and  other  amendments  were  accepted, 
although  a  majority  of  the  committee  were 
from  the  southern  states.  On  July  13,  1787, 
the  great  charter  of  free  institutions  became 
a  law,  with  but  one  member  of  congress,  Yates 
of  New  York,  voting  against  it.*^  The  Or- 
dinance of  1787  was  adopted  nearly  two  years 
before  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
went  into  effect.  Except  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  it  was  at  the  date  of  its  adop- 
tion the  most  noted  declaration  of  funda- 
mental law  ever  enacted  by  a  free  people.  In- 
deed the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  is 
itself  but  the  normal  outgrowth  of  the  Declar- 
ation of  Independence  and  the  Ordinance  of 
1787. 

The  ordinance  provides,  as  already  indi- 
cated, for  the  equal  distribution  of  property 
among  kindred  of  equal  degrees,  without  dis- 
tinction as  to  whole  blood  or  half  blood,  ex- 
cept in  case  of  a  devise  by  will.  The  fathers 
of  the  republic  took  every  occasion  to  protect 
the  people  against  the  accumulation  of  estates 
in  the  hands  of  elder  sons  or  other  favored 
persons,  to  the  exclusion  of  others  equally  re- 
lated to  the  ancestor.  Corporations  had  not 
then  become  a  menace  to  the  fair  and  equal 
distribution  of  property,  and  occasioned  the 
enactment  of  no  legislation  to  guard  against 
wrongful  accumulations;  but  primogeniture 
and  entail  were  well  known  evils,  and  against 
these  they  guarded.  The  rights  of  the 
French  inhabitants  of  Vincennes,  Kaskaskia 

a.  Winsor  and  Channing,  Hist.  Am.,  Vol.  7, 
App. 


and  other  settlements  were  carefully  guarded. 
A  governor  and  courts  were  provided  for,  and 
were  authorized  to  adopt,  at  first  and  until 
the  organization  of  a  legislature,  such  laws 
of  the  original  states  as  they  should  find  suit- 
able to  the  needs  of  the  new  government.  As 
soon  as  there  should  be  five  thousand  free 
male  inhabitants  of  full  age,  a  legislature 
should  be  elected  by  the  people,  and  should 
have  power  to  enact  all  laws,  subject  to  the 
approval  of  the  governor. 

Sec.  5. — The  Six  Articles  op  the  Ordi- 
nance.— ^The  important  provisions  of  the  ordi- 
nance, and  those  which  give  it  so  high  a  place 
in  the  jurisprudence  of  the  world,  are  set  out 
in  the  following  six  articles : 

Art.  1st.  No  person,  demeaning  himself 
in  a  peaceable  and  orderly  manner,  shall  ever 
be  molested  on  account  of  his  mode  of  wor- 
ship or  religious  sentiments,  in  the  said  terri- 
tory. 

Art.  2nd.  The  inhabitants  of  said  territory 
shall  always  be  entitled  to  the  benefits  of 
the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  of  the  trial  by 
jury;  of  a  proportionate  representation  of 
the  people  in  the  legislature;  and  of  judicial 
proceedings  according  to  the  course  of  the 
common  law.  All  persons  shall  be  bailable, 
unless  for  capital  offenses,  where  the  proof 
shall  be  evident  or  the  presumption  great.  AU 
fines  shall  be  moderate ;  and  no  cruel  or  un- 
usual punishments  shall  be  inflicted.  No  man 
shall  be  deprived  of  his  liberty  or  property, 
but  by  judgment  -of  his  peers  or  the  law  of 
the  land,  and,  should  the  public  exigencies 
make  it  necessary,  for  the  common  preserva- 
tion, to  take  any  person's  property,  or  to  de- 
mand his  particular  services,  full  compensa- 
tion shall  be  made  for  the  same.  And,  in 
the  just  preservation  of  rights  and  property, 
it  is  understood  and  declared,  that  no  law 
ought  ever  to  be  made,  or  have  force  in  the 
said  territory,  that  shall,  in  any  manner  what- 
ever, interfere  with  or  affect  private  contracts 
or  engagements,  bona  fide,  and  without  fraud, 
previously  formed. 

Art.  3rd.  Religion,  morality  and  knowl- 
edge, being  necessary  to  good  government  and 
the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the 
means  of.  education  shall  forever  be  en- 
couraged. The  utmost  good  faith  shall  al- 
ways be  observed  towards  the  Indians ;  their 
lands  and  property  shall  never  be  taken  from 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


them  without  tluur  consent;  and,  in  their 
property,  rights  and  liberty,  they  shall  never 
be  invaded  or  disturbed,  unless  in  just  and 
lawful  wars  authorized  by  congress ;  but  laws 
founded  in  justice  and  humanity,  shall,  from 
time  to  time,  be  made  for  preventing  wrongs 
being  done  to  them,  and  for  preserving  peace 
and  friendship  with  them. 

Art.  4th.  The  said  territory,  and  the 
states  which  may  be  formed  therein,  shall 
forever  remain  a  part  of  this  confederacy  of 
the  United  States  of  America,  subject  to  the 
Articles  of  Confederation,  and  to  such  altera- 
tions therein  as  shall  be  constitutionally  made ; 
and  to  all  the  acts  and  ordinances  of  the 
United  States  in  congress  assembled,  conform- 
able thereto.  The  inhabitants  and  settlers  in 
the  said  territory  shall  be  subject  to  pay  a 
part  of  the  federal  debts  contracted  or  to  be 
contracted,  and  a  proportional  part  of  the 
expenses  of  government,  to  be  apportioned  on 
them  by  congress  according  to  the  same  com- 
mon rule  and  measure  by  which  apportion- 
ments thereof  shall  be  made  on  the  other 
states;  and  the  taxes,  for  paying  their  pro- 
portion, shall  be  laid  and  levied  by  the 
authority  and  direction  of  the  legislatures  of 
the  district  or  districts,  or  new  states,  as  in 
the  original  states,  within  the  time  agreed 
upon  by  the  United  States  in  congress  assem- 
bled. The  legislatures  of  those  districts  or 
new  states,  shall  never  interfere  with  the 
primary  disposal  of  the  soil  by  the  United 
States  in  congress  assembled,  nor  with  any 
regulations  congress  may  find  necessary  for 
securing  the  title  in  such  soil  to  the  bona 
fide  purchasers.  No  tax  shall  be  imposed  on 
lands  the  property  of  the  United  States;  and 
in  no  case,  shall  non-resident  proprietors  be 
taxed  higher  than  residents.  The  navigable 
waters  leading  into  the  Mississippi  and  St. 
Lawrence,  and  the  carrying  places  between 
the  same,  shall  be  common  highways,  and  for- 
ever free,  as  well  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  said 
territory  as  to  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  and  those  of  any  other  state  that  may 
be  admitted  into  the  confederacy,  without  any 
tax,  impost  or  duty,  therefor. 

Art.  5th.  There  shall  be  formed  in  the  said 
territory  not  less  than  three  nor  more  than 
five  states;  and  the  boundaries  of  the  states, 
as  soon  as  Virginia  shall  alter  her  act  of  ces- 
sion, and  consent  to  the  same,'*  shall  become 

a.  In  the  Virginia  Act  of  Cession,  passed 
December  20,  1783,  the  cession  was  made  "upon 
condition  that  the  territory  so  ceded  shall  be  laid 
out   and    formed    into    states,    containing   suitable 


fixed  and  established  as  follows,  to-wit :  The 
western  state  in  the  said  territory  shall  be 
bounded  by  the  Mississippi,  Ohio  and  Wabash 
rivers ;  a  direct  line  drawn  from  the  Wabash 
and  Post  St.  Vincent's,  due  north,  to  the  ter- 
ritorial line  between  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  and,  by  the  said  territorial  line,  to 
the  Lake  of  the  Woods  and  Mississippi.  The 
middle  state  shall  be  bounded  by  the  said 
direct  line,  the  Wabash  from  Post  St.  Vin- 
cent's to  the  Ohio;  by. the  Ohio,  by  a  direct 
line,  drawn  due  north  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Great  Miami  to  the  said  territorial  line,  and 
by  the  said  territorial  line.  The  eastern  state 
shall  be  bounded  by  the  last  mentioned  direct 
line,  the  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  said 
territorial  line :  Provided,  however,  and  it  is 
further  understood  and  declared,  that  the 
boundaries  of  these  three  states  shall  be  sub- 
ject so  far  to  be  altered,  that,  if  Congress 
shall  hereafter  find  it  expedient,  they  shall 
have  authority  to  form  one  or  two  states  in 
that  part  of  the  said  territory  which  lies 
north  of  an  east  and  west  line  drawn  through 
the  southerly  bend  or  extreme  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan. And  whenever  any  of  the  said  states 
shall  have  sixty  thousand  free  inhabitants 
therein,  such  state  shall  be  admitted,  by  its 
delegates,  into  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  original 
states  in  all  respects  whatever,  and  shall  be 
at  liberty  to  form  a  permanent  constitution 
and  state  government :  Provided,'  the  consti- 
tution and  government  so  to  be  formed  shall 
be  republican  and  in  conformity  to  the  prin- 
ciples contained  in  these  articles;  and  so  far 
as  it  can  be,  consistent  with  the  general  in- 
terest of  the  confederacy,  such  admission  shall 
be  allowed  at  an  earlier  period,  and  when 
there  may  be  a  less  number  of  free  inhab- 
itants in  the  state  than  sixty  thousand. 

Art.  6th.  There  shall  be  neither  slavery 
nor  involuntary  servitude  in  the  said  terri- 
tory, otherwise  than  in  the  punishment  of 
crimes,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly 
convicted:  Provided,  always,  that  any  per- 
son escaping  into  the  same,  from  whom  labor 
or  service  is  lawfully  claimed  in  any  one  of 
the  original  states,  such  fugitive  may  be  law- 
extent  of  territory,  not  less  than  one  hundred 
nor  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  square, 
or  as  near  thereto  as  circumstances  will  permit." 
By  an  act  passed  December  30,  1788,  the  General 
Assembly  of  Virginia  altered  her  act  of  cession 
as  to  the  foregoing  condition,  and  consented  to 
the  boundaries  of  the  new  states  as  fixed  by 
Congress,  in  the  ordinance  of  1787. 


80 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


fully  reclaimed  and  conveyed  to  the  person 
claiming  his  or  her  labor  or  service  as  afore- 
said. 

Sec.  6. — The  Constitution  of  the  United 
States. — The  Congress  that  adopted  the 
Ordinance  of  1787  was  the  old  Continental 
Congress,  which,  under  the  Articles  of  Con- 
federation, had  carried  the  government 
through  the  Revolutionary  war  and  secured 
the  independence  of  the  young  republic.  As 
soon,  however,  as  the  pressure  of  the  common 
enemy  was  removed  it  was  perceived  that  the 
loose  Articles  of  Confederation  were  insuffi- 
cient to  hold  the  former  independent  colo- 
nies together  in  one  government ;  and  steps 
were  taken  by  the  people  of  all  the  states, 
"to  form  a  more  perfect  union,  establish  jus- 
tice, insure  domestic  tranquility,  provide  for 
the  common  defense,  promote  the  general  wel- 
fare, and  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty."  At 
the  very  time  that  the  Ordinance  of  1787  was 
under  discission,  and  when  it  was  adopted, 
the  convention  for  the  adoption  of  a  constitu- 
tion which  should  "form  a  more  perfect 
union"  was  in  session.  In  the  ordinance  we 
find  the  same  patriotic  provisions  that  are 
permanently  established  in  the  constitution; 
and  both  great  documents  were  the  product 
of  practically  the  same  wise  Fathers  who  laid 
the  foundations  of  the  republic. 

The  famous  statement  of  Mr.  Gladstone, 
that  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  "is 
the  greatest  work  ever  struck  off  at  any  one 
time  by  the  mind  and  purpose  of  man, ' '  while 
a  most  noble  and  deserved  encomium  upon  the 
excellence  of  our  constitution  and  of  the  form 
of  government  created  by  it,  is  nevertheless 
misleading  in  so  far  as  it  carries  the  idea 
that  the  provisions  of  that  great  document 
were  original  with  the  men  who  framed  our 
fundamental  law.  Our  constitution,  like  that 
of  every  other  free  state,  was  a  growth  rather 
than  a  creation.  The  Fathers  of  the  republic 
put  into  complete,  well  rounded  form  the 
principles  of  free  and  stable  government 
which  had  developed,  year  by  year,  in  the 
several  colonies  since  the  time  of  their  first 


settlement.  Something  was  drawn  from  the 
experience  of  each  of  them.  Indeed  we  may 
go  further,  and  say  that  American  institu- 
tions, as  established  in  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  in  the  Ordinance  of  1787  and 
in  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and 
as  since  developed  in  our  history,  are  but  the 
culmination  of  the  preceding  centuries  of 
Christian  civilization. 

A  profound  student  of  our  system  of 
government  has  said  that,  the  real  source  of 
the  constitution  is  the  experience  of  the  Amer- 
ican people.  They  had  previously  established 
and  developed  admirable  little  commonwealths 
in  the  colonies.  Since  the  beginning  of  the 
Revolution  they  had  become  experienced  in 
state  governments,  organized  on  a  different 
basis  from  the  colonial.  Finally,  they  had 
carried  on  two  successive  national  govern- 
ments, with  both  of  which  they  had  been  pro- 
foundly discontented.  The  general  outline  of 
the  constitution  has  been  looked  upon  as  Brit- 
ish; it  was  really  colonial.  The  president's 
powers  of  military  command,  of  appointment 
and  of  veto  were  similar  to  those  of  the  co- 
lonial govei-nor.  National  courts  were  created 
on  the  model  of  colonial  courts.  A  legislature 
of  two  houses  was  accepted  because  such  legis- 
latures had  been  common  in  colonial  times. 
In  the  English  parliamentary  system  as  it 
existed  before  1760  the  Americans  had  no 
share;  the  later  English  system  of  parlia- 
mentary responsibility  was  not  yet  developed, 
and  had  never  been  established  in  colonial 
governments;  and  our  fathers  expressly  ex- 
cluded it  from  the  constitution.  Nor  were 
they  more  affected  by  the  experience  of  other 
European  nations.  The  chief  source  of  the 
details  of  the  new  constitution  was  the  state 
constitutions  and  the  laws  then  in  force.  In- 
deed, the  principal  experiment  in  the  consti- 
tution, for  which  there  was  no  precedent,  was 
the  establishment  of  an  electoral  college  for 
the  election  of  president  and  vice-president; 
and  of  all  parts  of  the  system  this  has  worked . 
least  as  the  framers  expected.  The  constitu- 
tion, therefore,  represents  the  accumulated  ex- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


81 


perience  of  the  time.    Its  real  boldness  is  the 
novelty  of  the  federal  system.     The  framing 
of  a  constitution  in  detail  by  a  body  of  un- 
instructed  delegates,  expressly  chosen  for  that 
purpose,  was  familiar  experience  in  the  sev- 
eral states ;    even  though  it  was  unexampled 
elsewhere  in  the  world.    That  the  instrument 
of   federal    government   should    provide    for 
proportional  representation  in  one  house,  and 
for  a  federal  court,  were  steps  in  federal  or- 
ganization which  mark  a  new  federal  prin- 
ciple.    The  great  merit  of  the  members  of 
the  constitutional  convention  is  their  under- 
standing of  the  temper  of  their  own  country- 
men.    They  selected  out  of  British,  colonial 
or  state  usages  such  practices  and  forms  as 
experience   had   shown    to   be   acceptable   to 
the  people.     The  members  of  the  convention 
had  further  the  wisdom  to  express  their  work 
in  general  though  carefully  stated  principles. 
All  previous  federal  governments  had  been 
fettered  either  by  an  imperfect  and  inade- 
quate statement,  or  by  an  unwritten  consti- 
tution with  an  accumulation  of  special  prece- 
dents.    The  phrases  of  the   Constitution  of 
1787  were  broad  enough  to  cover  cases  un- 
foreseen.    A  third  distinction  of  the  conven- 
tion  is  the  skill  with  which  it   framed   ac- 
ceptable compromises  upon  the  most  difficult 
questions  before  it.     The  two  houses  of  con- 
gress satisfied  both   large   and   small  states. 
The  convention  had  profited  by  the  experience 
of  the  Confederation;    on  every  page  of  the 
constitution    may    be    found    clauses    which 
would  not  have  stood  there  had  it  been  framed 
in  1781.    An  adequate  revenue  was  provided ; 
foreign  and  interetate  commerce  was  put  un- 
der the  control  of  congress;    the  charge  of 
foreign  affairs  was  given  entirely  to  the  cen- 
tral   authority;    the    powers    of    government 
were    distributed    among    the    three    depart- 
ments, legislative,  executive  and  judicial." 

Sec.  7. — Ratification  of  the  Constitu- 
tion.— Yet,  wise  as  seems  to  us  this  funda- 
mental law  of  our  country,  after  our  experi- 

a.    A.  B.   Hart,   Formation   of   the   Union,   Sec. 
62;  Study  of  Fed.  Gov'nt,  Ch.  4. 
6 


ence  of  more  than  a  hundred  years,  it  was 
only  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  the  spirit 
of  compromise  prevailed  in  the  convention, 
and  afterwards  with  the  people  themselves. 
It  was  finally  accepted  only  through  the 
extraordinary  and  persistent  influence  of 
some  of  the  wisest  statesmen  that  ever  lived, 
— Washington,  Franklin,  Madison,  Hamilton, 
James  Wilson,  John  Marshall  and  others.  The 
opposition  in  Massachusetts,  New  York,  Vir- 
ginia and  the  Carolinas  was  pronounced! 
Hancock  and  Adams  were  lukewarm.  Patrick 
Henry,  Richard  Henry  Lee  and  James  iNIonroe 
were  in  opposition.  Massachusetts  and  South 
Carolina,  the  former  under  the  lead  of  Han- 
cock, finally  came  to  the  support  of  the  con- 
stitution, with  recommendations  in  favor  of 
amendments  which  were  afterwards  adopted. 

Rhode  Island  refused  to  send  delegates  to 
the  convention,  but  the  remaining  twelve 
states  finally  agreed  so  far  that  delegates 
from  each  signed  the  constitution,  September 
17,  1787.  The  seventh,  and  last,  article  of 
the  constitution  provided  that : 

"The  ratification  of  the  conventions  of  nine 
states,  shall  be  sufficient  for  the  establishment 
of  this  constitution  between  the  states  so  rati- 
fying the  same." 

And  then  again  began  the  great  struggle. 
Would  the  requisite  number  of  states  ratify 
the  work  of  the  convention?  The  fate  of  the 
proposed  constitution  remained  in  doubt  for 
over  nine  months  after  the  adjournment  of 
the  convention.  The  state  of  Delaware  was 
the  first  to  ratify,  December  7,  1787;  Penn- 
sylvania followed,  December  12,  1787,  but 
by  the  ominous  vote  of  forty-six  to  twenty- 
three,  so  strong  was  the  opposition,  notwith- 
standing the  powerful  advocacy  of  Franklin 
and  Wilson ;  New  Jersey  came  next,  Decem- 
ber 18,  1787;  Georgia  ratified,  January  2, 
1788 ;  Connecticut,  January  9,  1788,  by  a  vote 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  to  forty; 
Massachusetts,  with  the  suggested  amend- 
ments, February  6,  1788,  by  the  excessively 
close  vote  of  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  to 
one    hundred    and    sixty-eight;     Maryland, 


82 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


April  28,  1788 ;  South  Carolina,  with  its 
amendments,  May  23,  1788 ;  and  New  Hamp- 
shire, the  ninth  state,  June  21,  1788.  The 
union  was  formed.  The  remaining:  states  came 
in  afterwards,  as  follows:  Virginia,  June  26, 
1788  (but  before  the  ratification  of  the  ninth 
state  was  known,  so  slow  were  the  means  of 
communication  in  those  days)  ;  New  York, 
July  26,  1788  (by  a  vote  of  thirty  to  twenty- 
eight)  ;  North  Carolina,  November  21,  1789; 
and,  finally,  Rhode  Island,  May  29,  1790. 

A  powerful  influence  in  turning  the  minds 
of  the  people  towards  what  may  perhaps  be 
termed  a  reluctant  ratification  of  the  consti- 
tution, and  without  which  at  least  New  York, 
even  with  the  powerful  advocacy  of  Hamilton, 
would  probably  have  remained  out  of  the 
union,  for  years  if  not  forever,  was  the  pub- 
lication of  a  series  of  essays  in  exposition  of 
the  true  character  of  the  constitution,  written 
by  Hamilton,  Madison  and  Jay,  over  the  com- 
mon signature  of  "Publius. "  These  essays 
were  published  in  a  newspaper,  between  Oc- 
tober, 1787.  and  June,  1788.  They  were  sub- 
sequently collected  and  published  in  a  vol- 
ume, named  ' '  The  Federalist. ' '  The  influence 
of  this  series  of  essays  was  very  great,  and 
deservedly  so.  From  its  publication  to  this 
day,  "The  Federalist"  has  held  its  rank  as 
the  very  highest  authority  upon  the  proper 
construction  of  the  constitution.  "Madison's 
Debates,"  taken  down  by  the  "Father  of  the 
Constitution"  during  the  sessions  of  the  con- 
vention, and  this  series  of  essays,  known  as 
"The  Federalist,"  must  always  remain  in- 
valuable to  the  student  of  American  govern- 
ment." 

Sec.  8. — Government  Under  the  Ordi- 
nance.— The  northwest  territory  was  gov- 
erned by  the  old  continental  congress,  under 
the  provisions  of  the  ordinance  of  1787,  from 
the  passage  of  the  ordinance,  July  13,  1787, 
until  the  new  constitution  went  into  effect. 
As  soon  as  the  ratification  of  the  constitution 
by  nine  states  was  certified  to  congress,  that 

a.  Landon,  Const.  Hist,  and  Gov'nt  of  the  U.  S., 
Lecture  4. 


body,  by  a  resolution  adopted  September  13, 
1788,  provided  "that  the  first  Wednesday  in 
March  next  (1789)  be  the  time,  and  the  pres- 
ent seat  of  Congress  (New  York  city)  the 
place,  for  commencing  proceedings  under  the 
said  constitution."  The  first  Wednesday  of 
March,  1789,  was  March  4th  of  that  year,  and 
from  that  day,  or,  at  least,  from  the  inaugura- 
tion of  Washington  as  first  president,  which 
did  not  take  place  until  April  30,  1789,  the 
ordinance,  though  still  remaining  in  eftect. 
was  modified  by  the  supreme  control  of  the 
constitution. 

One  provision  of  the  ordinance  was  "that 
there  shall  be  appointed,  from  time  to  time, 
by  congress,  a  governor,  whose  commission 
shall  continue  in  force  for  a  term  of  three 
years,  unless  sooner  revoked  by  congress." 
Provision  was  also  made  for  the  appointment 
by  congress  of  a  secretary  for  the  territory ; 
as  also  a  court,  to  consist  of  three  judges.  As 
soon  as  the  constitution  was  adopted  this  ap- 
pointing power  and  other  executive  functions 
passed  to  the  president.  A  formal  declara- 
tion to  this  effect  was  made  by  act  of  the  new 
congress,  approved  August  7,  1789.  It  was 
not  until  October  5,  1787,  that  the  old  con- 
gress had  proceeded  to  the  election  of  a  gov- 
ernor for  the  territory,  and  then  selected  Gen- 
eral Arthur  St.  Clair,  the  president  of  that 
congress,  for  the  office  of  governor.  Winthrop 
Sargent  was  appointed  secretary.  The  ap- 
pointees of  the  congress  were  continued  in  of- 
fice by  Washington  after  his  election  as  presi- 
dent. 

The  ordinance  provided  for  the  election  of 
a  legislature  by  the  people  of  the  territory. 
"so  soon  as  there  shall  be  five  thousand  free 
male  inhabitants,  of  full  age,  in  the  district," 
— a  name  frequently  applied  in  the  ordinance 
,to  the  northwest  territory.  But,  until  tha^ 
time,  it  was  provided  that,  "The  governor 
and  judges,  or  a  majority  of  them,  shall  adopt 
and  publish  in  the  district  such  laws  of  the 
original  states,  criminal  and  civil,  as  may  be 
necessary,  and  best  suited  to  the'  circum- 
stances of  the   district,   and   report   them   to 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


83 


L'ougress,  from  time  to  time;  which  hiws  shall 
be  in  force  in  the  district  until  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  general  assembly  therein,  unless 
disapproved  of  by  congress ;  but  afterwards 
the  legislature  shall  have  authority  to  alter 
them  as  they  shall  see  fit. ' '  So  fast  did  those ' 
old  republicans  'stand  to  the  principles  of 
free  representative  government  that,  although 
the  people  of  the  territory  were  as  yet  too  few 
and  too  scattered  to  make  it  practicable  to 
oi'ganize  a  legislature,  still  congress  would  not 
suffer  even  its  own  appointees  to  make  laws 
for  the  territory.  The  most  that  would  be 
allowed,  and  that  from  sheer  necessity,  was 
the  adoption  of  "such  laws  of  the  original 
states"  as  might  be  "best  suited  to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  district,"  and  not  even 
then  if  "disapproved  bj"  congress."  The 
laws  from  which  the  governor  and  judges 
were  given  power  to  make  selections  were 
strictly  confined  to  those  of  "the  original 
states,"  that  is,  to  those  laws  which  the  emi- 
grants themselves  had  helped  to  enact  in  the 
states  from  which  they  had  come.  In  this 
way  the  principle  of  self  government  was 
maintained  as  far  as  possible. 

Sec.  9. — Governor  St.  Clair. — Before  set- 
ting out  for  the  west  Governor  St.  Clair  re- 
ceived private  instructions  from  congress  re- 
quiring him  to  acquaint  himself  with  the  real 
temper  of  the  Indians,  to  regulate  trade  with 
them  and  remove,  if  possible,  all  causes  of 
controversy.  He  was  also  to  neglect  no  op- 
portunity that  might  offer  to  extinguish  In- 
dian titles  to  lands  west  to  the  Mississippi  and 
north  as  far  as  the  forty-first  parallel  of  lati- 
tude. He  was  further  charged  to  do  w^hat  he 
could  to  conciliate  the  w^hites  and  induce  them 
to  live  on  friendly '  terms  with  the  Indians. 
In  July,  1788,  the  governor  and  other  officers 
arrived  at  the  new^  town  of  Marietta,  at  the 
junction  of  the  Muskingum  and  the  Ohio,  and 
proceeded  to  organize  the  new  government, 
under  the  provisions  of  the  ordinance  of  1787. 
On  July  15,  1788,  Governor  St.  Clair  and  the 
three  judges  met  for  the  first  time  as  a 
legislative  body,  and  adopted  a  code  of  laws. 


The  first  session  of  court  for  the  trial  of  causes 
was  convened  at  Marietta,  September  2,  1788, 
and  w^as  opened  with  impressive  ceremonies. 
The  court  was  a  tribunal  of  last  resort,  with 
power  to  review  the  decisions  of  inferior 
courts,  and  had  supreme  jurisdiction  through- 
out the  northwest  territory.  Successive  terms 
of  court  were  held  at  Cincinnati,  Vincennes 
and  Kaskaskia,  and  later  at  Detroit.  The 
judges  traveled  this  wide  circuit  on  horse- 
back. Those  first  judges  to  be  commissioned 
under  authority  of  the  United  States,  and 
given  the  two-fold  power,  to  adopt  laws  for 
this  immense  territory,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
to  hold  courts  and  hear  and  decide  causes, 
were  Samuel  Holden  Parsons,  James  Mitchell 
Varnum  and  John  Cleves  S>Tnmes.  They 
were  at  the  same  time  our  first  lawgivers  and 
our  first  judges;  and  were  all  most  eminent 
men.  and  worthy  to  lay  the  foundations  of 
great  states. 

On  October  6,  1789,  President  Washington 
issued  instructions  to  Governor  St.  Clair, 
chiefly  having  reference  to  the  preservation 
of  peace  with  the  Indians,  but  providing  for 
hostilities  if  they  should  break  out,  and  add- 
ing: "You  will  also  proceed,  as  soon  as  you 
can,  with  safety,  to  execute  the  orders  of  the 
late  congress,  respecting  the  inhabitants  at 
Post  Vincennes,  and  at  the  Kaskaskias  and 
other  villages  on  the  Mississippi.  It  is  a  cir- 
cumstance of  some  importance,  that  the  said 
inhabitants  should  as  soon  as  possible  possess 
the  lands  to  which  they  are  entitled,  by  some  • 
known  and  fixed  principles. ' ' 

Early  in  January,  1790,  the  governor,  with 
the  secretary  and  judges  of  the  territory, 
descended  the  Ohio,  from  INIarietta  to  Fort 
Washington,  which  was  located  at  a  town  then 
know^n  as  Losantiville.  St.  Clair  persuaded 
the  proprietors  of  the  town  to  change  this 
name  to  Cincinnati,  in  honor  of  the  Society 
of  the  Cincinnati,  recently  formed  by  the  of- 
ficers of  the  Revolutionary  tii-iny.  At  this 
place,  he  also  laid  out  the  county  of  Hamil- 
ton, and  appointed  officers  for  the  administra- 
tion of  the  affairs  of  the  county.    On  January 


84                                      HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY. 

8,  1790,  the  governor,  with  the  secretary,  ar-  owed  so  much,  was  denied  the  gift  of  a  small 
rived  at  Clarksville,  from  which  point  he  sent  plat  of  ground  for  which  he  had  petitioned, 
dispatches  to  Major  Hamtramck,  then  com-  and  he,  like  Clark  and  Vigo,  ended  his  life  in 
mander  of  Post  Vincennes,  enquiring  into  the  poverty.  It  has  been  frequently  said,  re- 
reports  as  to  great  destitution  among  the  in-  marks  Mr.  Cauthorn,  in  his  history  of  Vin- 
habitants  for  want  of  food,  and  suggesting  '  cennes,  that  republics  are  ungrateful.  The 
plans  of  relief.  From  Clarksville  the  officials  truth  of  this  trite  saying  is  forcibly  illus- 
proceeded  to  the  Illinois  country,  to  continue  trated  by  the  treatment  of  these  men,  who, 
the  work  of  organizing  the  government  of  the  above  all  others,  were  the  main  instruments 
territory,  and  to  carry  into  effect  the  resolu-  in  wresting  from  England  the  territory  north- 
tions  of  congress  in  relation  to  the  lands  of  west  of  the  river  Ohio,  and  thereby  paving 
the  settlers  near  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes.  the  way  for  the  ultimate  acquisition  of  that 
Upon  the  arrival  of  the  governor  at  Kas-  vast  and  fertile  country  out  of  which  the 
kaskia  the  county  of  St.  Clair  was  organized,  five  rich  and  populous  states  of  Ohio,  Indiana, 
embracing  the  present  territory  of  the  state  Illinois,  Michigan  and  "Wisconsin  have  been 
of  Illinois  south  of  the  Illinois  river.  The  carved,  and  added  to  the  sisterhood  of  states. 
county  was  divided  into  three  common  pleas  The  three  men  are  Pierre  Gibault,  George 
court  districts,  and  judges  and  other  officers  Rogers  Clark  and  Francis  Vigo.  They  all 
were  appointed.  Two  of  the  three  judges  went  to  their  graves  in  a  very  similar  con- 
were  of  French  descent.  The  governor  spent  dition,  and  all  present  a  parallel  of  govern- 
some  time  straightening  out  the  land  titles,  ment  neglect  of  consideration  for  patriotic 
which  were  discovered  to  be  in  great  con-  and  valuable  services  rendered,  without  a 
fusion.  He  found  the  reports  as  to  the  suf-  counterpart  in  the  annals  of  history.^* 
fering  of  the  inhabitants  to  be  true.  The  Major  Hamtramck,  early  in  June,  1790, 
supplies  furnished  by  the  people  to  Clark's  sent  dispatches  from  Vincennes  to  the  gov- 
army  were  never  paid  for.  Troubles  with  ernor,  at  Kaskaskia,  from  which  it  was  ap- 
the  Indians  and  consequent  failure  of  trade  parent  that  no  treaty  could  be  made  with 
relations,  as  well  as  loss  of  crops  by  inunda-  the  Miamis  and  their  confederates.  Governor 
tions  and  other  causes,  completed  the  mis-  St.  Clair  therefore  prepared  to  go  to  Fort 
fortunes  of  the  unhappy  settlers.  In  a  me-  Washington,  at  Cincinnati,  and  consult  with 
morial,  dated  at  St.  Clair  county,  June  9,  General  Harmar  upon  the  means  of  sending 
1790,  and  signed  by  the  patriot  priest.  Father  an  expedition  against  the  hostile  Indians.  He 
Gibault.  and  eighty-seven  others,  the  misera-  left  Kaskaskia  on  the  eleventh  of  June,  plac- 
ble  condition  of  the  inhabitants  was  most  ing  the  affairs  of  the  government  in  the  hands 
pathetically  set  forth  for  the  ir^formation  of  of  the  secretary,  Winthrop  Sargent.  This  of- 
the  governor.  It  is  a  sad  commentary  on  the  ficer  proceeded  at  once  to  Vincennes,  where 
distressed  condition  to  which  these  generous  he  laid  out  the  county  of  Knox,  appointed 
hearted  people  were  reduced,  to  reflect  that  the  necessary  civil  and  military  officers  and 
so  large  a  part  of  their  suft'ering  was  due  organized  the  militia.  He  then  proceeded  to 
to  the  failure  of  both  the  government  of  Vir-  settle  the  old  land  titles  which  were  in  the 
ginia  and  that  of  the  United  States  to  make  same  cojifusion  as  those  near  Kaskaskia. 
adequate  return  for  the  sacrifices  which  these  The  result  of  the  conference  of  Governor 
far  western  patriots  had  so  freely  made  in  St.  Clair  with  General  Harmar,  at  Fort  AVash- 
the  service  of  their  country.  It  is  neglect  of  ington,  was  the  sending  of  an  expedition, 
this  nature  that  has  given  currency  to  the  chiefly  of  militia,  commanded  by  General  Har- 
adage  that  republics  are  ungrateful.  Even  mar,  against  the  Miamis  under  Little  Turtle. 
Father   Gibault.   the   friend   to   whom   Clark  a.    History  of  Vincennes,  p.  105. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


85 


The  Indians  were  met  near  the  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Fort  Wayne,  where  sang-uinary 
fighting  took  place,  rather  to  the  advantage  of 
the  Indians,  so  that  Harmar's  forces  returned 
to  Fort  Washington.  All  the  frontier  settle- 
ments in  Ohio  and  Indiana,  and  even  those  in 
Kentucky,  were  alarmed  at  the  outcome  of  this 
expedition ;  and  preparations  were  at  once 
made  to  raise  an  army  sufficiently  powerful 
to  repel  the  Indians.  Two  other  expeditions, 
one  under  General  Scott,  and  one  under  Gen- 
eral Wilkinson,  were  in  turn  sent  from  Fort 
Washington  against  Indian  villages,  situated 
near  Ouiatanon,  below  the  site  of  the  present 
city  of  La  Fayette,  and  near  the  site  of  Lo- 
gansport.  Those  villages  were  referred  to. 
generally,  as  the  Wea  towns  on  the  Wabash. 
The  net  results  of  those  three  expeditions  was 
to  rouse  the  Indians  to  the  utmost  pitch  of 
resentment,  with  the  consequent  effect  of 
striking  terror  into  all  the  white  settlements 
in  the  northwest,  and  also  Kentucky,  western 
Virginia  and  Pennsylvania. 

Little  Turtle  and  Governor  St.  Clair  has- 
tened preparations  for  the  conflict  which 
all  persons,  Indian  and  white,  knew  was  im- 
pending. Although  it  was  stipulated  in  the 
treaty  of  peace  by  which  the  independence 
of  the  United  States  was  acknowledged,  sign- 
ed at  Paris,  September  3,  1783,  that  Great 
Britain  should,  with  all  convenient  dispatch, 
withdraw  her  forces  from  the  forts  and  other 
places  within  United  States  territory;  yet, 
under  claim  that  our  government  had  failed 
to  take  measures  to  make  payment  of  claims 
of  British  creditors,  as  also  provided  by  that 
treaty,  the  government  of  Great  Britain  con- 
tinued, from  1783  to  1796,  to  hold  possession 
of  various  forts  within  American  territory, 
including  those  at  Sandusky,  Detroit  and 
Michilimackinac.  These  last  named  posts  were 
within  the  northwest  territory,  and  from  all 
of  them  the  Indians  received  encouragement 
and  support.  The  English  did  not  like  to 
give  up  the  fur  trade  with  the  Indians,  which 
they  had  so  long  monopolized;  and  the  Brit- 
ish government  therefore  looked  with  an  un- 


friendly eye  upon  the  efforts  of  the  American 
people  to  subdue  the  northwestern  Indians 
and  establish  states  of  the  Union  in  their 
stead.  There  is  no  question  but  that  this 
moral,  and  often  active,  support  given  by 
the  presence  of  British  garrisons  within  the 
confines  of  the  northwestern  territory  had 
very  much  to  do  with  the  building  up  by 
Little  Turtle  of  the  strong  Indian  organiza- 
tion which  must  now  be  encountered  by 
Governor  St.  Clair  and  his  hastily  gathered 
forces.  The  Indian  feared  that  the  American 
was  to  deprive  him  of  his  rich  lands,  while 
the  Briton  claimed  that  the  American  was 
depriving  British  creditors  of  moneys  due 
them.  These  were  the  ostensible  motives; 
but,  while  the  Indian's  fear  may  have  been 
well  grounded,  the  real  British  motive  was 
hatred  of  the  people  who  had  wrested  from 
the  control  of  Great  Britain  these  vast  Ameri- 
can states  and  territories,  and  threatened  to 
build  upon  the  soil  a  republic  which  should 
forever  be  a  rival  to  the  British  monarchy. 

In  the  spring  of  1791,  Governor  St.  Clair 
began  the  formation  at  Fort  Washington 
(Cincinnati),  of  an  army  of  invasion  against 
the  Indians  under  Little  Turtle.  There 
seemed  little  enthusiasm  among  the  militia. 
Troops  and  supplies  had  to  be  procured  from 
New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Vir- 
ginia and  Kentucky;  and  it  was  not  until 
September  that  General  Butler,  second  in 
command,  led. the  first  detachment  from  Fort 
Washington.  On  November  3,  1791,  the  army, 
on  its  march,  reached  a  point  about  fifteen 
miles  from  the  Miami  village,  near  the  spot 
where  Fort  Recovery  was  afterwards  built. 
Here,  on  the  morning  of  November  4,  1791, 
the  Americans  under  St.  Clair  and  Butler 
were  unexpectedly  attacked  by  the  Indians 
under  Little  Turtle,  and  most  disastrously  de- 
feated, losing  many  men  and  all  their  muni- 
tions and  supplies. 

St.  Clair's  defeat  wrought  consternation 
throughout  the  northwest.  The  commander- 
in-chief  was  blamed  universally,  and  that 
blame  has  not  ceased  to  this  day;  and  yet 


86 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


this  severe  judgment  seems  not  altogether 
just.  The  failure  of  the  expedition  was  due 
to  causes  which  the  governor  may  have  been, 
and  probably  was,  unable  to  control, — the 
character  of  his  forces,  made  up  as  they  were 
of  bodies  of  backwoodsmen  who  had  hereto- 
fore been  accustomed  to  make  desultory 
excursions  in  small  parties  along  the  borders, 
and  who  were  therefore  unfamiliar  with  dis- 
cipline and  movements  necessary  to  an  army; 
the  inefficiency  of  the  quartermaster's  depart- 
ment, due,  undoubtedly,  to  the  same  causes; 
and  finally  to  the  lateness  of  the  season,  which 
rendered  exceedingly  difficult  the  marching  of 
troops,  and  the  hauling  of  artillery  and  stores, 
through  the  forests,  across  swollen  streams 
and  over  rain  soaked  grounds,  with  the  win- 
ter snows  already  falling.  But  the  governor, 
stung  by  the  universal  criticism,  resigned  his 
military  command,  and  Anthony  Wayne,  one 
of  the  most  distinguished  of  the  Revolution- 
ary generals,  was  appointed  in  his  place.  St. 
Clair,  however,  retained  his  office  of  civil 
governor  of  the  territory ;  though  the  duties 
of  that  office,  were  frequently  performed  by 
the  secretary,  Winthrop  Sargent. 

Sec.  10. — General  Anthony  Wayne. — 
The  transfer  of  command  from  St.  Clair  to 
Wayne,  after  St.  Clair's  defeat,  was  followed 
by  action  on  the  part  of  the  government 
which  calls  to  mind  similar  action  taken  after 
the  transfer  of  command  from  Rosecrans  to 
Grant,  subsequent  to  the  battle  of  Chicka- 
mauga.  Measures  were  at  once  taken  to  put 
the  army  on  a  better  footing;  men  and  muni- 
tions of  war  were  gathered  and  preparations 
were  made  to  meet  the  formidable  forces 
which  Little  Turtle  and  his  British  allies 
were  massing  in  the  wilderness.  The  govern- 
ment and  the  people,  instead  of  waiting 
apathetically  for  an  ill  supplied  army  to  win 
victories  over  the  thoroughly  roused  Indian 
tribes,  now  made  every  effort  to  send  an  army, 
worthy  the  name,  against  their  exultant  foes, 
red  and  white. 

Additional  causes  of  trouble  resulted  from 
the  condition  of  affairs  in  France.     In  1793, 


the  French  revolution  was  at  its  height ;  Louis 
XVI  and  Marie  Antoinette  had  been  put  to 
death ;  the  monarchy  was  overthrown ;  and 
the  republic  had  armed  nearly  a  million  men 
in  war  with  all  Europe.  The  sympathy  of 
the  American  people  was  to  a  great  extent  in 
favor  of  the  French  republic ;  and  it  was 
perhaps  only  through  the  wise  counsels  of 
Washington  that  we  were  preserved  from 
being  drawn  into  the  terrific  storm  which 
then  raged  between  France  and  the  armies 
of  the  world.  The  French  minister  to  the 
United  States,  Mr.  Genet,  artfully  playing 
upon  the  people's  sentiments  of  gratitude  for 
aid  received  from  France  during  our  revolu- 
tion, tried  to  secure  American  enlistments  and 
to  form  an  army  to  attack  the  Spanish  posses- 
sions in  Florida  and  Louisiana,  and  also  to 
induce  Americans  to  man  privateers  to  prey 
upon  British  commerce.  Even  George  Rogers 
Clark  accepted  a  Major-General's  commission 
from  Genet,  with  authority  to  wrest  from 
Spain  her  dominions  beyond  the  Mississippi. 
Both  England  and  Spain  expected  war  with 
the  United  States;  and  both  English  and 
Spanish  emissaries  were  constantly  engaged 
in  stirring  up  the  Indians  to  continue  hostili- 
ties with  the  Americans.  Early  in  1794, 
Lieutenant-Governor  Simcoe,  of  the  Canadian 
government,  was  ordered  to  establish  a  Brit- 
ish military  post  at  .the  foot  of  the  rapids  of 
the  Maumee,  near  the  present  site  of  Fort 
Wayne;  and,  on  April,  1794,  he  marched 
three  companies  of  British  troops  from  De- 
troit to  that  point,  while  about  the  same  time 
a  Spanish  messenger  from  St.  Louis  came  to 
encourage  the  Indians  assembled  at  that 
point,  promising  Spanish  assistance  from  the 
settlements  beyond  the  Mississippi.  It  needed 
the  coolness  and  wisdom  of  Washington  and 
the  military  genius  of  General  Anthony 
Wayne  to  carry  the  country  safely  through 
this  crisis.  On  the  representations  of  our 
government.  Genet  was  recalled,  and  a  new 
minister  sent  from  France  who  did  very  much 
to  undo  the  mischief  which  Genet  had  caused. 
During   the   same   time  ,  the    United    States 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


87 


government  took  every  measure  possible  to 
secure  the  good  will  of  the  Indians,  and  to 
enter  into  treaties  of  peace  with  them.  The 
commissioners  and  agents  of  the  government 
were  instructed  to  assure  the  Indians,  in  the 
"most  explicit  terms,  that  the  United  States 
renounced  all  claim  to  any  Indian  land  which 
had  not  been  ceded,  by  fair  treaties,  made 
with  the  Indian  nations."  All  was  apparently 
to  no  purpose.  The  Indians,  partly  through 
fear  of  losing  their  hunting  grounds,  and 
partly  through  unfriendly  representations 
made  by  British  and  Spanish  emissaries,  re- 
fused to  make  any  treaties  w^liich  the  Ameri- 
cans could  agree  to. 

Meanwhile  General  Wayne  went  ahead  with 
his  preparations  for  the  conflict  that  finally 
became  inevitable.  Having  collected  at  Fort 
Washington  a  force  sufficiently  strong  and 
well  disciplined  for  the  purpose,  and  all  hope 
of  the  making  of  any  treaties  of  peace  having 
finally  vanished,  General  Wayne  with  his 
army,  upon  which  so  much  depended,  began 
his  eventful  expedition  October  7,  1798.  pro- 
ceeding by  way  of  Forts  Hamilton,  St.  Clair 
and  Jefferson,  following  the  line  taken  by  St. 
Clair  two  years  previous,  and  arriving  at  a 
point  half  way  between  Fort  Jefferson  and  St. 
Clair's  battle  ground  on  October  13th.  where 
he  was  compelled  to  await  his  supplies.  After 
garrisoning  the  several  forts  and  leaving  the 
sick  to  be  cared  for,  there  remained  an  army 
of  twenty-six  hundred  men  in  the  advance. 
Having  in  mind  the  fate  of  St.  Clair,  General 
Wajme  concluded  that  the  winter  season  was 
unsuited  for  a  further  campaign,  and  w^ent 
into  winter  quarters  at  a  place  which  he 
named  Fort  Greenville,  near  the  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Greenville.  On  October  23rd, 
he  sent  forward  a  detachment  to  take  posses- 
sion of  the  ground  where  St.  Clair  was  de- 
feated, and  there  erected  a  fort  to  which  he 
gave  the  appropriate  name  of  Fort  Recovery. 
During  the  winter  some  attempt  was  made 
by  the 'Indians  to  renew  peace  negotiations 
with  General  AVayne.  but  nothing  came  of  it. 
On  June  30,  179-4,  a  large  body  of  Indians, 


aided  by  British  agents  and  Canadian  volun- 
teers, made  an  attack  on  an  American  detach- 
ment in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Recovery. 
On  July  26,  1794,  a  force  of  sixteen  hundred 
mounted  Kentucky  volunteers  were  added  to 
Wayne's  army;  and  with  these  fresh  troops 
he  felt  strong  enough  to  take  up  the  line  of 
march  for  the  Maumee  towns.  On  the  8th 
of  August  the  army  arrived  at  the  confluence 
of  the  Maumee  and  Auglaize  rivers,  where  a 
fort  named  Fort  Defiance  was  erected.  Here 
peace  was  again  offered  to  the  Indians,  but 
was  again  declined.  On  August  15th,  Wayne 
marched  out  from  Fort  Defiance,  and  on  the 
20th  met  and  defeated  the  Indians  in  a  deci- 
sive battle,  almost  under  the  guns  of  the  new 
British  fort.  With  Little  Turtle's  army  were 
no  less  than  seventy  white  men.  including  a 
corps  of  volunteers  from  Detroit  under  com- 
mand of  a  British  officer.     On  September  17, 

1794,  the  American  army  reached  the  deserted 
Miami  village  at  the  junction  of  the  Little  St. 
Joseph's  and  the  St.  Mary's  rivers;  and  on 
October  22nd,  a  fort  was  completed  at  that 
point  and  named  Fort  Wayne.  In  1814,  a 
new  fort  was  built  on  the  site  of  this  old  fort ; 
and  from  this  has  grown  the  splendid  city  of 
Fort  Wayne. 

Sec.  11. — The  Treaty  of  Greenville. — 
General  Wayne  returned  with  his  army  to 
Greenville,  and  sent  invitations  to  all  Ihe 
tribes  to  send  representatives  to  him  at  that 
place  to  renew  negotiations  for  peace.  On 
November  19,  1794,  the  United  States  antl 
Great  Britain  concluded  "a  treaty  of  amity, 
commerce  and  navigation";  so  that  the 
Indians  no  longer  could  hope  for  British  aid 
against  the  Americans.  They  therefore  began 
to  listen  to  Wayne's  renewed  invitations;  and 
in  June,  1795,  strong  deputations  from  vari- 
ous tribes  arrived  at  Greenville.  After  long 
continued  deliberations,  and  many  eloquent 
speeches,  according  to  the  Indian  custom, 
peace  was  finally  concluded,  and  the  famous 
treaty  of   Greenville   was   signed   August   3, 

1795,  giving  peace  and  security  again  to  the 
northwest. 


88 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


See.  12. — Indian  Land  Titles. — By  the 
treaty  of  Greenville  the  Indians  for  the  first 
time  formally  relinquished  title  to  parts  of 
lands  in  the  northwest  theretofore  in  dispute 
between  them  and  the  whites.  Before  that 
treaty  the  Indians  had  never  acknowledged 
the  right  of  the  whites  to  any  lands,  even 
those  claimed  by  the  latter  from  their  first 
occupancy  of  the  county,  such  as  the  lands  of 
Clark's  Grant  and  the  lands  in  and  around 
Vincennes.  Including  the  treaty  of  Green- 
ville, August  3,  1795,  there  were  no  less  than 
forty-six  separate  treaties  with  various  tribes 
of  Indians,  covering  all  the  lands  within  the 
present  state  of  Indiana,  the  last  of  those 
treaties  being  made  with  the  Miamis,  Novem- 
ber 28,  1840.  "It  will  thus  be  seen,"  says 
Mr.  W.  H.  Smith,  in  his  history  of  Indiana, 
"that  the  process  of  extinguishing  the  Indian 
titles  was  a  slow  one,  and  that  the  Indians 
were  not  finally  dispossessed  until  after  Indi- 
ana had  been  a  member  of  the  Union  for 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In  most  of 
these  final  treaties  certain  tracts  were  reserved 
by  the  Indians  for  favorite  members  of  the 
tribes,  and  are  yet  known  as  'reservations,' 
although  about  all  the  lands  have  passed  to 
other  persons  than  the  descendants  of  the 
original  beneficiaries.  A  few  descendants  of 
the  Miamis  still  live  in  Wabash  and  Miami 
counties.  [A  few  persons  of  Pottawatomie 
descent  are  also  found  in  St.  Joseph  county.] 
In  its  various  purchases  from  the  Indians,  the 
United  States  frequently  had  to  accept  from 
two,  sometimes  three,  different  tribes  separate 
relinquishments  of  their  respective  rights, 
titles,  and  claims  to  the  same  section  of  coun- 
try."« 

Sec.  13. — Lew^is  Cass  and  the  Indian 
Treaties.^ — Most  readers  of  Indiana  history 
know  that  Cass  county,  Indiana,  was  named 
after  Lewis  Cass,  the  Michigan  general  and 
governor  of  that  name,  who  afterwards  came 
very    near    being    president    of    the    United 

a.  William  Henry  Smith,  Hist.  Indiana,  Vol. 
1,  pp.   228-239. 

b.  From  the  Indianapolis  News  of  May  25, 
1907. 


States ;  but  many  do  not  know  how  much  he 
had  to  do  with  extinguishing  the  Indian  titles 
to  land  in  this  state  and  opening  the  lands  to 
white  settlement. 

Of  the  treaties  by  which  the  Indians  at  dif- 
ferent times  made  cessions  of  land  in  Indiana, 
General  Cass  assisted  in  negotiating  nine. 
These  were  with  several  different  tribes  and 
covered  a  period  of  about  ten  years,  from 
1818  to  1828.  One  of  them  was  negotiated 
and  signed  at  Maiunee  Rapids,  0.,  in  1817; 
four  at  St.  Mary's,  0.,  in  1818;  one  at  Chi- 
cago, in  1821 ;  two  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississinewa,  in  1826,  and  one  at  Mission,  on 
the  St.  Joseph,  in  the  same  year. 

The  process  of  extinguishing  the  Indian 
titles  to  lands  in  Indiana  occupied  nearly 
fifty  years,  beginning  with  the  treaty  at  Green- 
ville, negotiated  by  General  Wayne,  in  1795, 
and  ending  with  that  of  Forks  of  the  Wabash, 
negotiated  by  Samuel  Milroy  and  Allen  Ham- 
ilton, in  1840. 

The  policy  of  making  treaties  with  the  In- 
dians as  independent  tribes  for  the  possession 
of  their  lands  began  immediately  after  the 
adoption  of  the  constitution  and  continued  tiU 
1871.  To  this  extent,  therefore,  the  Govern- 
ment recognized  the  Indian  tribes  as  foreign 
nations,  making  treaties  with  them  which  were 
ratified  by  the  Senate,  the  same  as  treaties 
with  foreign  governments.  No  doubt  this  was 
better  than  seizing  the  lands  by  force  and 
appropriating  them  without  any  pretense  of 
negotiation,  though  the  whole  proceeding  was 
really  one  of  force. 

As  the  Indians  were  practically  subjugated 
from  the  beginning  and  destined  to  extermi- 
nation or  removal  to  reservations,  making 
treaties  with  them  was  rather  a  farcical  pro- 
cedure, yet  no  doubt,  it  was  the  best  method 
of  extinguishing  their  title  to  lands.  As  the 
tribes,  north  and  south,  were  numerous,  it 
required  a  great  many  treaties  to  complete 
the  process  of  extinguishing  title. 

From  the  foundation  of  the  Government 
to  1837,  the  Government  concluded  349  trea- 
ties with  fifty-four  different  tribes,  and  many 


HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.                                      89 

after   that.     Of  the  Indians  who  origiually  and  bows  and  arrows  with  which  to  kill  it. 

occupied  portions  of  Indiana  eleven  diiferent  After  some  time  it  became  difficult  to  kill  the 

treaties   were    negotiated   at    different   times  game,   and  the  Great  Spirit  sent  the  white 

with  the  Kickapoos,  eight  with  the  Weas,  six-  men  here,  who  supplied  you  with  powder  and 

teen  Avith  the  Delawares,  ten  with  the  Miamis  ball  and  with  blankets  and  clothes.    We  were 

and  thirty-eight  with  the  Pottawatomies.  then  a  very  small  people,  but  we  have  greatly 

Most  of  these  treaties  included  a  cession  increased  and  we  are  now  over  the  whole  face 

of  more  or  less  land,  so  it  will  be  seen  the  pro-  of  the  country.    You  have  decreased  and  your 

cess  of  extinguishing  Indian  titles  was  a  kind  numbers  are  now  much  reduced.     You  have 

of  paring  off  and  whittling  down  process.  On  but  little  game,  and  it  is  difficult  for  you  to 

the  whole,  however,   it  was  accomplished,  as  support  your  women  and  children  by  hunting, 

far  as  Indiana  is  concerned  with  very  little  Your  Great  Father,  whose  eyes  survey  the 

bloodshed,  compared  with  what  might  have  whole   country,  sees  that  you  have   a  large 

been  in  a  struggle  for  the  possession  of  so  vast  tract  of  land  here  which  is  of  no  service  to 

and  valuable  a  territory  had  the  Indians  been  you ;  you  do  not  cultivate  it,  and  there  is  but 

united  and  determined.  little  game  upon  it.     The  buffalo  has  long 

The  treaties  by  which  they  relinquished  since  left  it,  and  the  deer  are  going.  There 
their  rights  and  ceded  their  lands  usually  con-  are  no  beaver  and  there  will  soon  be  no  other 
tained  provisions  for  the  payment  of  a  lump  animals  worth  hunting  upon  it. 
sum  of  money  to  the  tribe,  for  the  payment  "There  are  a  great  many  of  the  white 
of  annuities  to  the  chiefs  and  the  promise  of  children  of  your  Great  Father  who  would  be 
various  articles,  such  as  rifles,  hoes,  kettles,  glad  to  live  on  this  land.  They  would  build 
blankets  and  tobacco  to  each  Indian  who  houses  and  raise  corn  and  cattle  and  hogs, 
should  move  to  the  new  reservation.  Provi-  You  know  when  a  family  grows  up  and  be- 
sion  was  also  generally  made  for  their  trans-  comes  large,  they  must  leave  their  father's 
portation.  The  consideration  named  in  some  house  and  look  for  a  place  for  themselves.  So 
of  the  treaties  for  their  cessions  of  land,  what  it  is  with  your  white  brethren ;  their  family 
might  be  called  the  purchase  money,  was  is  increasing  and  they  must  find  some  new 
ridiculously  small  compared  with  its  real  place  to  move  to.  Your  Great  Father  is  will- 
value,  ing  to  give  for  this  land  much  more  than  it 

The   treaties   were   generally  preceded  by  is  worth  to  you.     He  is  willing  to  give  more 

smooth  and  specious  talks  by  the  white  com-  than  all  the  game  upon  it  would    sell  for. 

missioners  representing  the  urgent  needs  of  You  know  well  that  all  he  promises  he  will 

the  whites,  the  advantages  to  the  Indians  of  perform." 

a  change,  etc.     General  Cass's  address  to  the  The  speaker  then  pointed  out  how  much 

JNIiami  and  Pottawatomie  Indians  at  Missis-  happier  the  Indians  would  be  far  away  from 

sinewa  is  preserved  and  is  a  sample.     This  the  whites,  where  there  would  be  no  danger 

treaty  was  made  October  16,  1826,  the  other  of  collisions,  and  especially  where  it  would 

two  commissioners  besides  Cass  being  James  not  be  so  easy  for  their  young  men  to  obtain 

B.  Ray  and  John  Tipton.  whisky.  He  continued:    "Your  Great  Father 

General  Cass  began  by  thanking  the  Great  owns  a  large  country  west  of  the  Mississippi 

Spirit  for  having  granted  them  good  weather  river.    He  is  anxious  that  all  his  red  children 

and  brought  them  all  to  the  council-house  in  should  remove  there  and  settle  down  in  peace 

safety.     He  continued:       "When  the  Great  together;   then   they   can   hunt   and   provide 

Spirit  placed  you  upon  this  island    [the  In-  well    for    their    women    and    children    and 

dians    called    this    continent    an    island],  he  once  more  become  a  happy  people.    We  are 

gave  you  plenty  of  game  for  food  and  clothing  authorized   to   offer    you   a   residence   there. 


90 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


equal  in  extent  to  your  lands  here,  and  to 
pay  you  an  annuity  which  will  make  you  com- 
fortable, and  to  provide  the  means  of  your  re- 
moval. You  will  then  have  a  country  abound- 
ing with  game,  and  you  will  also  have  the 
value  of  the  country  you  leave,  and  you  will 
be  beyond  the  reach  of  whisky,  for  it  can  not 
reach  you  there.  Your  Great  Father  will  not 
suffer  his  white  children  to  reside  there,  for 
it  is  reserved  for  the  red  people;  it  will  be 
yours  as  long  as  the  sun  shines  and  the  rain 
falls.  You  must  go  before  long ;  you  can  not 
remain  here,  you  must  remove  or  perish. 

"Now  is  tho  time  to  make  a  good  bargain 
for  yourselvas  which  will  make  you  rich  and 
comfortable.  Come  forward,  then,  like  wise 
men  and  accept  the  terms  we  offer."  The 
Indians  were  not  fools  and  they  must  have 
been  rather  disgusted  by  the  pretended  anx- 
iety of  their  Great  Father  at  Washington  for 
their  welfare.  However,  they  signed  the 
treaty.  Under  it  they  were  removed  first  to 
a  reservation  in  Kansas  which  General  Cass 
had  assured  them  "will  be  yours  as  long  as 
the  sun  shines  and  the  rain  falls. ' '  But  their 
Great  Father  changed  his  mind,  and  later 
they  were  removed  to  the  Indian  Territory. 

Between  1817  and  1831,  General  Cass  had 
assisted  in  concluding  treaties  with  different 
tribes  of  Indians  by  which  cessions  of  land 
were  acquired  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Michigan  and  Wisconsin,  to  an  amount  equal 
to  nearly  one-fourth  of  the  entire  area  of 
those  states.  There  is  a  Cass  county  in  Michi- 
gan, Illinois,  Minnesota,  Nebraska  and  North 
Dakota,  besides  that  in  our  own  state.  Gen- 
eral Cass's  public  services  as  superintendent 
of  Indian  Affairs,  United  States  Senator. 
Secretary  of  War,  Secretary  of  State,  and 
other  important  offices  made  him  very  popu- 
lar, and  in  1844  he  came  very  near  being- 
nominated  for  President.  On  the  first  day  of 
the  convention  he  ran  up  from  eighty-three 
on  the  first  ballot  to  114  on  the  eighth,  and  if 
another  ballot  had  been  taken  on  that  day  he 
would  have  been  nominated.  The  next  morn- 
ing James  K.   Polk  was  sprung  as  a  "dark 


horse"  candidate  and  nominated  on  the  first 
ballot.  In  1848,  General  Cass  was  nominated, 
but  was  defeated  by  General  Taylor.  The 
Democracy  of  Indiana  were  for  him  from  the 
beginning  and  in  1848  he  received  the  elec- 
toral vote  of  the  state. 

Sec.  14. — Indian  Titles  to  St.  Joseph 
County  Lands. — The  Indian  title  to  the  lands 
of  St.  Joseph  county  was  extinguished  in 
four  of  the  forty-six  treaties  above  referred 
to,  as  follows: 

1.  The  lands  in  the  northeastern  section  of 
the  county,  embracing  Harris  and  Clay  town- 
ships, the  north  part  of  Penn,  the  east  part 
of  German,  the  east  part  of  Portage  and  the 
north  part  of  Center,  are  included  in  the  lands 
ceded  to  the  United  States  by  the  treaty  made 
at  Chicago  with  the  Ottawas,  Chippewas  and 
Pottawatomies,  August  29,  1821.  The  sites 
of  our  two  cities,  South  Bend  and  Mishawaka, 
as  well  as  those  of  the  village  of  Osceola,  the 
University  of  Notre  Dame  and  St.  Mary's 
Academy,  are  all  within  this  cession.  Only  a 
small  part  of  the  lands  ceded  by  this  treaty 
are  within  the  bounds  of  the  state  of  Indiana, 
the  greater  part  being  in  Michigan.  Indeed, 
it  would  seem  as  if  the  lands  were  looked  upon 
as  all  in  Michigan.  The  Ottawas  and  Chippe- 
was were  Michigan  Indians,  as  were,  in  part, 
the  Pottawatomies  also ;  and  it  is  to  be  noted 
that  the  southern  boundary  of  the  lands  ceded 
])y  this  treaty  is  the  old  Michigan  boundary 
line,  the  line  recognized  by  the  Ordinance  of 
1787,  running  east  and  west  through  rlie 
southerly  bend  of  Lake  Michigan.  Indeed 
this  old  Michigan  boundary  line  is  frequently 
referred  to  as  the  old  Indian  boundary  line. 

2.  The  lands  in  the  northwestern  .section 
of  the  county,  embracing  W^arren  township, 
the  north  part  of  Olive,  the  west  part  of  Ger- 
man, the  west  part  of  Portage  and  the  north 
part  of  Greene,  are  included  in  the  lands 
ceded  to  the  United  States  by  the  treaty  made 
with  the  Pottawatomies,  October  16,  1826. 
The  southern  boundary  of  the  lands  ceded  by 
this  treaty  is  also  the  old  Michigan  boundary 
line,  the  line  recognized  in  the  Ordinance  of 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


91 


1787.  The  site  of  the  town  of  New  Carlisle, 
and  also  the  beautiful  Terre  Coupee  prairie 
as  well  as  the  villages  of  Lindley  and  Crum's 
Point,  are  within  this  cession. 

3.  The  lands  in  the  southeastern  section 
of  the  county,  embracing-  the  township  of 
Madison,  the  south  part  of  Penn,  the  south 
part  of  Center  and  the  east  part  of  Union, 
are  included  in  the  lands  ceded  to  the  United 
States  by  the  treaty  made  with  the  Potta- 
watomies,  September  20,  1828.  The  lands  so 
ceded  reach  north  to  the  old  INIichigan  bound- 
ary line.  Woodland  and  Lakeville  are  within 
the  limits  of  this  cession. 

4.  The  lands  in  the  southwestern  section 
of  the  county,  embracing  the  townships  of 
Liberty  and  Lincoln^  the  south  part  of 
Greene  and  the  west  part  of  Union,  are  in- 
cluded in  the  lands  ceded  to  the  United  States 
by  the  treaty  made  with  the  Pottawatomies, 
October  26,  1832.  The  lands  here  ceded  also 
reach  north  to  the  old  Michigan  boundary 
line.  Walkerton  and  North  Liberty  are  with- 
in this  territory. 

It  appears,  then,  that  all  the  lands  of  St. 
Joseph  county  were  claimed  and  ceded  by  the 
Pottawatomies ;  except  those  in  the  northeast- 
em  section,  which  were  ceded  jointly  by  the 
Ottawas,  Chippewas  and  Pottawatomies. 
This  former  home  of  the  Miamis  had  become 
essentially  a  Pottawatomie  country.  And, 
although,  when  the  first  treaty  of  cession  of 
the  lands  of  this  county  was  made,  Augast  29, 
1821,  the  state  of  Indiana  had  already  been 
five  years  in  the  Union,  with  its  northern 
boundary  ten  miles  north  of  the  line  fixed  by 
the  Ordinance  of  1787 ;  yet,  in  the  four 
treaties  by  which  the  lands  of  this  county  were 
ceded  by  the  Indians  to  the  United  States, 
the  old  Michigan  boundary  line  was  recog- 
nized. It  is  remarkable,  too,  that  as  this 
county  of  St.  Joseph  had  been  the  center  of 
geological  forces,  resulting  in  the  present  con- 
figuration of  the  St.  Joseph  and  Kankakee  val- 
leys and  the  adjacent  hills  and  prairies;  and 
as  the  portage  between  the  two  rivers  formed 
the  central  road  of  commerce  for  untold  ages 


between  the  lakes  and  the  Mississippi ;  so  now, 
when  the  Indian  came  to  yield,  reluctantly, 
stubbornly,  these  fair  lands  of  his  forefathers, 
he  stood,  as  it  were,  with  his  foot  on  the  cen- 
ter of  the  county,  and,  by  treaty  after  treaty, 
ceded  one  fourth  of  the  county  at  a  time,  from 
1821  until  1832,  when  all  was  gone.  It  was, 
indeed,  a  land  to  hold  fast  to,  and  to  be  finally 
yielded  to  the  white  man  only  when  the 
superior  race  could  be  resisted  no  longer. 

Sec.  15. — The  First  Legislature  of  the 
Northwest  Territory. — The  free  male  in- 
habitants of  the  territory  northwest  of  the 
river  Ohio  having  reached  the  number  of  five 
thousand,  Governor  St.  Clair,  on  October  29, 

1798,  as  required  by  the  provisions  of  the 
Ordinance  of  1787,  issued  his  proclamation 
for  an  election  to  be  held  on  the  third  Monday 
of  December  following,  for  the  election  of 
members  of  the  first  general  assembly ;  which 
was  called  to  convene  at  Cincinnati,  January 
22,  1799.  The  legislature  met  accordingly, 
and  nominated  ten  persons  from  whom  the 
president  should  select  a  legislative  council 
of  five,  to  constitute  an  upper  house,  or  ter- 
ritorial senate,  as  provided  in  the  ordinance 
of  1787.  After  making  their  nominations  to 
the  president  for  the  appointment  of  a  legis- 
lative council,  the  legislature  was  adjourned 
by  the  governor  to  meet  again.  September  16, 

1799.  The  two  houses  were  not  properly  or- 
ganized until  the  21:th  of  that  month.  The 
members  of  the  legislative  council,  as  selected 
by  President  Adams,  were  Jacob  Burnet, 
James  Findlay,  Henry  Vanderburgh,  Robert 
Oliver  and  David  Vance.  This  was  the  first 
senate  'of  the  northwest  territory.  Henry  Van- 
derburgh was  elected  president ;  William  C. 
Schenk,  secretary;  George  Howard,  door- 
keeper; and  Abner  Cary,"sergeaii1-at-;irms. 
Seven  counties  were  represented;  and  the 
house  of  representatives  consisted  of  nineteen 
members.  The  counties  were  mostly  in  the 
territorj'  constituting  the  present  state  of 
Ohio,  showing  that  the  emigration  was  chiefly 
to  that  section.  Knox  county,  of  which  Vin- 
cennes    was   the    county   seat,    was   the   only 


92                                      HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY. 

county  in  what  is  now  the  state  of  Indiana;  1787,  the  governor  and  judges  of  the  general 

and  it  was  represented  in  the  general  assem-  court  had  adopted  many  laws  for  the  govem- 

bly  by  Shadrach  Bond.    The  house  organized  ment  of  the  northwest  territory,  which  were 

by    electing    Edward    Tiffin,  speaker;   John  to  remain  valid  until  altered  by  the  general 

Reilly,   clerk;  Joshua  Rowland,   doorkeeper;  assembly.    The  territory  was  therefore  sup- 

and    Abraham    Gary,    sergeant-at-arms.      On  plied  with  a  code  of  laws  before  the 'convening 

October  3,  1799,  the  legislature  elected  Wil-  of  the   first   general   assembly.     Among   the 

liam  Henry  Harrison,  afterwards  president  of  laws  so  adopted  was  one,  published  August  30, 

the  United  States,  as  the  first  delegate  of  the  1788,  providing  that  the  general,  or  supreme, 

territory  in  congress.    On  the  26tli  of  the  pre-  court  should  hold  one  session  at  the  county 

vious  June,  Harrison  had  been  appointed  by  seat  in  each  county  during  each  year.       One 

the  president  as  secretary  of  the  territory,  in  session  of  this  high  court  was  therefore  held 

the  place  of  Winthrop  Sargent,  who  was  ap-  at  Vincennes,  Knox  county,  in  what  is  now 

pointed  first  governor  of  the  new  territory  of  the  state  of  Indiana,   every  year.     Another 

Mississippi.  act,  published  September  6,   1788,  provided 

This  first  general  assembly  of  the  territory  that  treason,  murder  and  house  burning 
northwest  of  the  Ohio  river  continued  in  ses-  (where  death  resulted)  were  punishable  by 
sion  until  December  19,  1799 ;  during  which  death ;  burglary  and  robbery,  by  whipping, 
time  forty-eight  acts  were  passed,  thirty-seven  not  exceeding  thirty-nine  stripes,  fine  and  im- 
of  which  were  approved  by  Governor  St.  prisonment,  not  exceeding  forty  years ;  per- 
Glair  and  became  laws.  These  first  laws  jury,  by  a  fine  not  exceeding  sixty  dollars, 
enacted  by  the  representatives  of  the  people  or  by  whipping,  not  exceeding  thirty-nine 
were,  in  general,  such  as  were  necessary  for  lashes,  and  disfranchisement,  and  standing  on 
the  administration  of  justice  and  the  conduct  the  pillory,  not  exceeding  two  hours ;  larceny, 
of  public  affairs.  Many  of  them,  however,  by  fine  or  whipping,  at  the  discretion  of  the 
were  peculiar  to  the  time  and  to  the  condi-  court.  If  the  convict  could  not  pay  the  fine, 
tions  of  the  people.  One  was  for  the  regula-  it  was  lawful  for  the  sheriff,  under  direction 
tion  of  ferries,  made  necessary  by  the  absence  of  the  court,  to  bind  him  for  a  term  of  serv- 
of  bridges  over  the  large  rivers.  Another  was  ice,  not  exceeding  seven  years  to  any  one 
designed  to  prevent  Sabbath  breaking,  pro-  who  would  pay  the  fine.  Forgery  was  punisli- 
fane  swearing,  drunkenness,  duelling,  cock-  able  by  fine,  disfranchisement  and  standing 
fighting,  running  horses  on  public  highways,  on  the  pillory,  not  exceeding  three  hours, 
gambling  at  billiards,  cards,  dice,  etc.  An  act  Drunkenness,  for  the  firet  offense,  was  pun- 
f or  the  taxation  of  land  provided  that  every  ishable  by  a  fine  of  five  dimes ;  and  for  every 
hundred  acres  of  first  raite  land  should  be  succeeding  offense,  by  a  fine  of  one  dollar.  In 
taxed  eighty-five  cents;  every  hundred  acres  either  case,  if  the  fine  were  not  paid,  the 
of  second  rate  land,  sixty  cents;  every  hun-  drunkard  was  placed  in  the  stocks  for  one 
dred  acres  of  third  rate,  twenty-five  cents ;  hour.  Persons  intending  to  marry  were  re- 
larger  or  smaller  tracts  to  be  assessed  in  pro-  quired  to  give  fifteen  days '  notice,  by  publica- 
portion.  An  act  for  the  compensation  of  tion  in  church,  or  by  a  writing,  under  the 
members  of  the  legislative  council  and  mem-  hand  and  seal  of  a  judge  or  a  justice  of  the 
bers  of  the  house  of  representatives,  provided  peace,  posted  in  some  conspicuous  place ;  or, 
that  each  member  should  receive  three  dollars  in  lieu  of  such  publication,  a  license  might  be 
for  each  day's  attendance,  and  also  three  dol-  obtained  from  the  governor.  By  an  act  pub- 
lars  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  each  session  lished  November  6,  1790,  the  governor  was 
for  each  fifteen  miles  traveled.  authorized  to  appoint  not  less  than  three  nor 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  Ordinance  of  more  than  seven  judges  of  common  pleas,  and 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


93 


not  to  exceed  nine  justices  of  the  peace,  iu 
each  county ;  and  the  number  of  terms  of  com- 
mon pleas  court  was  increased  from  two  to 
four  in  each  year.  It  is  to  be  remembered 
that  there  was  then  but  one  county  for  all 
Indiana.  On  July  2,  1791,  an  act  was  passed 
requiring  that  whenever  persons  enrolled  in 
the  militia  should  assemble  at  any  place  of 
public  worship,  they  should  arm  and  equip 
themselves  as  if  marching  to  engage  the 
enemy.  By  an  act  published  August  1,  1792, 
a  licensed  tavern  keeper  or  retailer  of  liquors 
was  required  to  affix  a  sig-n  on  the  front  of  his 
building,  with  the  words,  iu  large  letters,  ' '  By 
authority,  a  tavern";  or  "By  authority,  a 
retailer."  On  August  1,  1792,  laws  were 
enacted  for  opening  and  regulating  highways ; 
and  also  for  building  court  houses,  jails,  pil- 
lories, whipping  posts  and  stocks,  in  every 
county. 

An  act,  published  on  the  same  day,  required 
attorneys  on  being  admitted  to  practice  law 
to  take  the  following  oath:  "I  swear  that  I 
will  do  no  falsehood,  nor  consent  to  the  doing 
of  any,  in  the  courts  of  justice ;  and  if  I  know 
of  any  intention  to  connnit  any,  I  will  give 
k^iowledge  thereof  to  the  justices  of  said 
courts,  or  some  of  them,  that  it  may  be  pre- 
vented. I  will  not  wittingly  or  willingly  pro- 
mote or  sue  any  false,  groundless  or  unlaw- 
ful suit,  nor  give  aid  or  counsel  to  the  same; 
and  I  will  conduct  myself  in  the  office  of  an 
attorney  within  the  said  courts  according  to 
the  best  of  my  knowledge  and  discretion,  and 
with  all  good  fidelity  as  well  to  the  courts  as 
my  client.     So  help  me  God." 

By  an  act  adopted  in  the  summer  of  1795, , 
the  common  law  was  formally  adopted,  and 
the  laws  for  the  decision  of  causes  in  the 
courts  of  the  northwest  territory  declared,  in 
the  following  words:  "The  common  law  of 
England,  all  statutes  or  acts  of  the  British 
parliament  made  in  aid  of  the  common  law, 
prior  to  the  fourth  year  of  the  reign  of  King 
James  the  First,  (and  which  are  of  a  general 
nature,  not  local  to  that  Kingdom,)  and  also 
the   several   laws   in   force   in   this   territory, 


shall  be  the  rule  of  decision,  and  shall  be  con- 
sidered as  of  full  force,  until  repealed  by  leg- 
islative authority,  or  disapproved  of  by  con- 


gress. 


VI. 


INDIANA    TERRITORY. 

Sec.  1. — Extent  op  the  Territory. — By  an 
act  approved  May  7,  1800,  congress  provided, 
' '  That  from  and  after  the  fourth  day  of  July 
next,  all  that  part  of  the  territory  of  the 
United  States  northwest  of  the  Ohio  river, 
which  lies  westward  of  the  line  beginning  at 
the  Ohio,  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  Kentucky 
river,  and  running  thence  to  Fort  Recovery, 
and  thence  north,  until  it  shall  intersect  the 
territorial  line  between  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  shall,  for  the  purpose  of  temporary 
government,  constitute  a  separate  territory, 
and  be  called  the  Indiana  Territory."  The 
act  provided  further,  "That  there  shall  be 
established  within  the  said  territory  a  gov- 
ernment in  all  respects  similar  to  that  pro- 
vided by  the  ordinance  of  congress,  passed  on 
the  thirteenth  day  of  July,  1787,  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  territory  of  the  United  States 
northwest  of  the  river  Ohio ;  and  the  inhabit- 
ants thereof  shall  be  entitled  to,  and  enjoy, 
all  and  singular,  the  rights,  privileges  and 
advantages  granted  and  secured  to  the  people 
by  the  said  ordinance."  A  further  provision 
of  the  act  creating  the  Indiana  territory  was, 
"That  so  much  of  the  ordinance  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  territory  of  the  United  States 
northwest  of  the  Ohio  river,  as  relates  to  the 
organization  of  a  general  assembly  therein, 
and  prescribes  the  powers  thereof,  shall  be  in 
force  and  operate  in  the  Indiana  territory, 
whenever  satisfactory  evidence  shall  be  given 
to  the  governor  thereof,  that  such  is  the  wish 
of  a  majority  of  the  freeholders,  notwith- 
standing there  may  not  be  therein  five  thous- 
and free  male  inhabitants  of  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-one years  and  upwards."  But  until  there 
should  be  such  five  thousand  inhabitants  the 
representatives  in  the  general  assembly,  if  one 
should  be  organized,  should  be  not  less  than 
seven  nor  more  than  nine;  to  be  apportioned 


94 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


by  the  governor  among  the  several  counties, 
agreeably  to  the  number  of  free  male  inhab- 
itants of  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  up- 
wards, in  each.  As  to  the  eastern  boundary 
line,  as  fixed  in  the  act,  it  was  further  pro- 
vided, "That  whenever  that  part  of  the  terri- 
tory of  the  United  States  which  lies  to  the 
eastward  of  a  line  beginning  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Great  Miami  river,  running  thence  due 
north  to  the  territorial  line  between  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  shall  be  erected 
into  an  independent  state,  and  admitted  into 
the  union  on  an  equal  footing  with  the 
original  states,  thenceforth  said  line  shall  be- 
come and  remain  permanently  the  boundary 
line  between  such  state  and  the  Indiana  ter- 
ritory. ' '  A  final  provision  was  that,  until  the 
general  assembly  should  determine  otherwise. 
' '  Saint  Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash  river,  shall 
be  the  seat  of  government  for  the  Indiana 
territory. ' ' 

The  Harrison  mansion  is  the  name  given 
to  the  venerable  building  in  which  the  legis- 
lature of  the  territory  held  its  sessions  and  in 
which  the  governor  resided  and  where  the 
general  court  was  held.  The  building  is-  still 
in  a  good  state  of  preservation ;  a^nd  efforts 
have  often  been  made  to  have  the  state  secure 
it  as  a  historical  museimi. 

The  house,  from  an  architectural  point  of 
view,  as  well  as  from  its  massiveness,  seems 
remarkable.  At  the  time  it  was  erected  its 
situation  was  a  wilderness,  far  from  civiliza- 
tion, and  to  get  the  materials  for  its  con- 
struction, the  glass,  iron,  etc..  meant  a  yeai- 
or  more  of  time  before  they  could  be  delivered 
at  Vincennes.  Historical  societies  have  en- 
deavored to  have  it  kept  as  a  lasting  monu- 
ment 40  the  memory  of  those  who  built  so 
well  and  as  a  reminder  that  this  was  the  birth- 
place of  government,  religion  and  education 
in  the  west.  The  building  is  two  stories  high. 
Avith  a  large  attic,  and  a  basement  under  the 
entire  place.  It  was  completed  in  1805.  The 
ceilings  are  thirteen  and  one-half  feet  high 
and  the  rooms  are  spacious.  The  walls  are  of 
brick  and  inside  and  out  are  eighteen  inches 


thick.  The  glass  in  the  windows  came  from 
England,  and  it  took  two  years  to  have  it  de- 
livered. The  wood  was  sawed  with  the  old- 
fashioned  whip-saw,  and  all  the  nails  Avere 
hand-forged  on  the  grounds.  The  woodwork 
is  hard-paneled,  finished  with  beading  and 
is  of  solid,  clear  black  walnut.  It  is  said  that 
the  walnut  in  the  house  today  is  worth  a  small 
fortune. 

So  came  Indiana  into  existence,  with  a  capi- 
tal of  her  own,  and  with  even  a  freer  form  of 
government  than  that  of  the  northwest  ter- 
ritory, prior  to  its  legislative  stage.  The  area 
of  this  new  Indiana  territory  included  all  of 
the  present  state  of  Indiana,  except  a  small 
wedge-shaped  section  in  the  southeast  part  of 
the  state,  east  of  a  line  running  from  a  point 
on  the  Ohio  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Ken- 
tucky river,  northeasterly  to  Fort  Recovery, 
in  the  state  of  Ohio,  this  line  being  the  old 
Indian  boundary  line,  between  those  points 
named  in  the  treaty  of  Greenville.  The  new 
territory  included  also  a  norrow  strip  less 
than  three  miles  in  width  on  the  west  side  of 
the  state  of  Ohio,  north  of  Fort  Recovery,  and 
lying  between  the  north  and  south  line 
through  Fort  Recovery  and  the  present 
boundary  of  the  two  states.''  The  territory 
included  besides,  all  of  the  .state  of  Michigan 
lying  west  of  the  north  and  south  line  through 
Fort  Recovery ;  also  the  whole  of  Illinois  and 
Wis<^onsin ;  and  so  much  of  ^Minnesota  as  lies 
east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  The  limits  of 
the  Indiana  territory,  for  a  time,  extended  even 
west  of  the  Mississippi.  By  an  act  approved 
^ilareh  26.  1804,  congress  attached  to  Indiana 
all  that  part  of  Louisiana  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi and  north  of  the  thirty-third  degree  of 
north  latitude,  under  the  name  of  the  District 
of  Louisiana.  At  a  session  of  the  governor 
and  judges  of  Indiana  territory,  held  at  Vin- 
cennes, beginning  October  1,  1804,  a  number 
of  laws  were  adopted  for  the  District  of  Louis- 
iana. During  the  following  year,  however, 
by  an  act  of  congress  approved  March  3,  1805. 
this  district  was  organized  into  a  separate  ter- 

a.     Drake's  Hist.  American  Indians,  Chap.  XIV. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


95 


ritory."     This  was  truly  an  imperial  domain. 
Detroit,    Sault   Ste.    Marie,    St.    Ignace,   with 
eastern  Michigan  and  all  Ohio,  remained  in 
the  northwest  territory,  until  the  admission 
of  Ohio  as  a  state  of  the  Union,  November 
29,  1802,  when  the  northwest  territory,  as  a 
political   division,   ceased  to   exist.     At   that 
date  also,  congress  attached  to  Indiana  the 
remainder   of    ]\Iichigan,    or   Wayne    county, 
as  it  was  then  called;  and.  in  1803.  William 
Henry  Harrison,  as  governor  of  the  Indiana 
territory,    assumed    jurisdiction    over    all    of 
^Michigan,  and  extended  the  limits  of  Wayne 
county  to  Lake  Michigan.     Thereafter,  until 
the  formation  of  the  territory  of  Michigan, 
June  30,  1805,  Detroit,  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  and 
St.  Ignace,  as  well  as  the  sites  of  Ann  Arbor, 
(xrand  Rapids,  Kalamazoo  and  Niles,  with  all 
the  valley  of  the  St.  Joseph,  were  in  Indiana. 
So  much  of  the  ruins  of  old  Fort  St.  Joseph's, 
if  any,  as  remained  after  the  Spanish  invasion 
of  our  valley,  in  1781,  w-ere  in  the  territory. 
Chicago  and  St.  Louis  were  then  in  Indiana; 
and  so  were  the  sites  of  ^Milwaukee,  St.  Paul, 
:Minneapolis    and   Duluth.      Our    inland    sea, 
Lake  Michigan,  was  wholly  within  the  Indiana 
territory.     The  ambition  of  Napoleon  is  said 
to   have   been   to   make   the  Mediterranean   a 
French  lake:   and  he  came  near  succeeding. 
La  Salle  made  Lake  Michigan  a  French  lake ; 
it  was  afterwards  a  British  lake;  and  now 
it  is  the  only  one  of  the  great  lakes  that  is 
wholly  American:   in   the  first  years  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  it  was  an  Indiana  lake, 
surrounded    on    every   side    by    Indiana   ter- 
ritory. 

Sec.  2. — Organization  of  the  Territorial 
Go\t:rnment.— On  May  13,  1800,  the  appoint- 
ment by  the  president  of  William  Henry 
Harrison,  of  Virginia,  as  first  governor  of  the 
Indiana  territory  was  confirmed  by  the  senate. 
Harrison  had  been  secretary  of  the  northwest 
territory,  and  also  delegate  in  congress  from 
that  territory.  On  the  next  day,  John  Gibson, 
of  Pennsylvania,  a  pioneer  of  distinction, 
was  appointed  first  secretary  of  the  territory. 

a.     Smith,  Hist.  Indiana,  Vol.  1,  p.  199. 


It   was   to   Secretary   Gibson   that   the   great 
chief  Logan,  in  1774,  delivered  his  celebrated 
speech,  known  to  every  school  boy.«    William 
Clark,   Henry  Vanderburg  and  John   Griffin 
were  appointed  the  first  judges  of  the  terri- 
tory.    Harrison  did  not  come  to  assume  his 
office  until  January,  1801.     John  Gibson,  the 
secretary,  arrived  at  Vincennes  early  in  July, 
1800,  and,  as  acting  governor,  proceeded  to 
make  appointments  of  territorial  officers  and 
to    provide    for    the    administration    of     the 
affairs   of   the   new   government,    which   was 
formally  organized  July  4,   1800.     The  first 
entry  on  the  executive  journal,  dated  at  Saint 
Vincennes,   July   4,   1800,    reads    as   follows: 
"This   day  the   government   of  the   Indiana 
Territory  commenced.     William  Henry  Har- 
rison having  been  appointed  governor;  John 
Gibson,    secretary;     William    Clark,    Henry 
Vander  Burgh  and  John  Griffin,  judges  in 
and  over  said  Territory. ' '  This  was  the  second 
time  in  the  history  of  our  commonwealth  that 
July  4th,  proved  to  be  a  notable  day.     It  was 
on  July  4,   1778,  that   George  Rogers   Clark 
surprised  and  captured  Kaskaskia,  then  the 
capital   of  the  British  possessions  northwest 
of  the  Ohio,  thus  opening  up  the  first  page 
of  our  history,   as   a  part  of  the   American 
Union;  and  now  again,  on  July  4,  1800.  was 
organized  the  government  of  Indiana,  as  an 
incipient  commonw^ealth  of  -the  republic. 

On  January  12,  1801,  Governor  Harrison 
having  arrived  at  Vincennes  and  issued  proc- 
lamation therefor,  the  governor  and  judges 
convened  in  legislative  session  and  adopted 
laws  for  the  government  of  the  territory. 
This  was  the  first  body  ever  convened  within 
the  present  limits  of  Indiana  to  make  laws 
for  our  commonwealth.  The  ordinance  of 
1787  continued  in  force,  so  far  as  applicable, 
as  also  the  laws  already  adopted  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  northwest  tei-ritory  before  the 
division. 

gee.  3. — The  First  Indiana  Courts. — The 
new  court,  called  the  General  Court  of  the 

a.  Dillon,  Hist.  Indiana,  p.  40S;  Smith,  Hist. 
Indiana,  p.  198. 


96 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Indiana  territory,  organized  and  held  its  first 
session  at  Vincennes,  March  3,  1801.  The 
court  record  opens  as  follows:  "At  a  General 
Court  of  the  Indiana  Territory,  called  and 
held  at  Saint  Vincennes  the  third  day  of 
March,  in  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred and  one.  The  commissions  of  the  judges 
being  read  in  open  court,  they  took  their 
seats,  and  present:  William  Clark,  Henry 
Vander  Burgh  and  John  Griffin,  Judges. 
Henry  Hurst,  Clerk  of  the  General  Court, 
having  produced  his  commission  from  the 
governor  and  a  certificate  of  his  having  taken 
the  oath  of  allegiance  and  oath  of  office,  took 
his  place.  John  Eice  Jones,  Attorney-Gen- 
eral, produced  his  commission,  and  a  certifi- 
cate of  his  having  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance 
and  oath  of  office. ' '  One  of  the  ordere  made 
on  this  first  day  of  court  is  of  much  signifi- 
cance. It  was  for  the  examination  of  certain 
persons  "for  counsellor's  degree,  agreeable  to 
a  law  of  the  Territory. ' '  Among  the  persons 
so  ordered  to  be  examined  as  to  his  proficiency 
in  the  law  was  the  Attorney-General  himself, 
John  Rice  Jones.  After  obtaining  their  degree 
as  counsellors,  those  distinguished  gentlemen 
were  required  to  appear  at  subsequent  terms 
of  court,  t-o  be  examined  for  their  second 
degree,  for  admission  to  practice  as  attorneys- 
at-law.  Now-a-days  it  is  the  constitutional 
privilege  of  "every  person  of  good  moral 
character,  being  a  voter,"  to  be  admitted  "to 
practice  law  in  all  courts  of  justice."  Which 
is  the  better  system  in  "a  government  of  the 
people,  for  the  people,  and  by  the  people," 
may  perhaps  be  a  subject  of  debate.  One 
may  become  a  good  lawyer,  though  admitted 
to  practice  without  examination ;  and  he  may 
be  a  poor  lawyer,  though  admitted  after  the 
most  severe  examination.  "The  fault,  dear 
Brutus,  is  not  in  our  stars,  but  in  ourselves 
that  we  are  underlings." 

The  business  of  this  early  supreme  court 
was  very  light,  as  compared  with  the  business 
of  the  courts  of  our  day.  From  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  court,  March  3,  1801,  until  the 
close  of  its  last  term,   September   16,   1816, 


just  before  the  territorial  form  of  government 
gave  way  to  the  establislunent  of  a  permanent 
state  government,  two  manuscript  dockets,  or 
order  books,  one  of  457  and  the  other  of  120 
pages  were  found  sufficient  to  contain  all  the 
orders  of  the  court.  The  court  sat  at  Vincennes 
from  its  organization  until  1813,  when  the 
seat  of  government  was  removed  to  Cory  don. 
in  Harrison  county. 

The  general  court,  unlike  the  supreme  court 
of  our  day,  had  original  as  well  as  appellate 
jurisdiction.  The  business,  however,  was 
usually  appellate,  the  appeals  being  taken 
from  the  several  county  courts.  Yet  the  most 
important  case  that  came  before  the  court 
was  an  original  action  for  slander,  brought 
by  the  governor,  William  Henry  Harrison, 
against  one  William  Mcintosh,  a  wealthy 
Scotch  resident  of  Vincennes,  and  said  to  be 
a  relative  of  the  distinguished  Sir  James  Mc- 
intosh. The  case  was  tried  by  a  jury  selected 
as  follows :  Forty-eight  men  were  summoned 
by  elisors,  appointed  by  the  court;  of  these, 
the  plaintiff  struck  out  twelve  names,  after 
which  the  defendant  struck  out  twelve.  From 
the  remaining  twenty-four  a  jury  of  twelve 
men  was  drawn  by  lot.  The  jury  gave  the 
governor  a  verdict  for  four  thousand  dollars, 
a  part  of  which  was  remitted  and  the  rest 
given  to  charity.  The  judges  of  the  general 
court,  like  the  judges  of  our  supreme  court 
in  their  respective  circuits,  had  power  to  pre- 
side in  the  circuit  courts ;  and  we  learn  that 
Benjamin  Parke,  after  whom  Parke  county 
was  named,  while  judge  of  the  general  court, 
rode  on  horseback  from  Vincennes  to  Wayne 
county,  to  try  a  case  of  larceny.  It  is  said 
that  his  judicial  bench  on  that  occasion  was  a 
log  of  wood.  The  case  w^as  one  of  petit  lar- 
ceny,-— exceedingly  petty,  indeed, — the  theft 
of  a  pocket  knife.  The  people  of  those  days 
sought  the  just  enforcement  of  the  law  upon 
the  statute  books,  according  to  its  true  intent 
and  meaning,  rather  than  the  making  of  many 
new  laws.  A  speedy  hearing,  a  fair  trial,  a 
prompt  acquittal  of  the  innocent,  a  certain 
conviction    of   the   guilty,   the    taking   of   no 


HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.                                      97 

man's  property  without  right  and  the  delay  his  death  until  its  re-establislmient  by  the 
of  no  man  in  the  recovery  of  what  belonged  legislature,  under  the  new  constitution,  in 
to  him,— these  things  seemed  to  our  simple  1855.  To  Benjamin  Parke,  and  to  General 
forefathers  the  true  ends  of  the  administra-  Washington  Johnston,  another  distinguished 
tion  of  justice.  They  deemed  the  enforcement  lawyer,  our  supreme  court  is  indebted  for  the 
of  the  old  laws  of  more  consequence  than  the  nucleus  of  its  present  library,— one  of  the 
making  of  new  ones.  To  remedy  miscarriage  finest  west  of  New  York  City.  The  books  of 
of  justice,  they  looked  to  the  courts  and  to  Parke  and  Johnston  upon  the  shelves  of  this 
the  officers  appointed  to  administer  the  laws,  library  are  made  the  more  precious  by  the 
rather  than  to  the  enactment  of  new  laws.  autographs  of  those  eminent  men.  The  sal- 
The  first  judges  of  the  general  court  were  aries  of  the  judges  of  the  general  court  were 
succeeded  by  Thomas  Terry  Davis,  Waller  seven  hundred  dollars  a  year  each;  that  of 
Taylor,  Benjamin  Parke  and  James  Scott,  the  attorney-general,  at  first  sixty  and  after- 
The  last  three  occupied  the  bench  until  the  wards  one  hundred  dollars  a  year, 
territorial  form  of  government  came  to  a  close.  The  questions  brought  for  decision  before 
in  1816.  The  most  distinguished  of  the  the  general  court  of  the  Indiana  territory 
judges,  and  one  of  the  ablest  public  men  in  were  in  many  cases  quite  diff'erent  from  those 
the  history  of  Indiana,  was  Benjamin  Parke,  that  have  since  engaged  the  attention  of  our 
Soon  after  the  close  of  his  services  as  judge  courts.  Legislation  itself  was  diff'erent. 
of  the  general  court,  he  was  appointed  first  Many  acts  now  deemed  criminal  were  then 
j  udge  of  the  United  States  district  court  for  either  sanctioned  by  the  law,  or  at  least  looked 
Indiana,  serving  from  1817  until  his  death,  upon  with  indifference  or  even  indulgence, 
in  1835.  Waller  Taylor  was  also  a  man  of  On  the  other  hand,  some  offenses  were  then 
distinction.  While  judge  of  the  general  court  punished  more  severely  than  at  present.  Not 
he  served  as  major  with  Harrison  at  the  battle  only  treason  and  murder,  but  also  arson, 
of  Tippecanoe.  On  the  organization  of  the  horse-stealing  upon  a  second  conviction,  and 
state  government,  in  1816,  he  was  chosen  as  rape  were  punishable  by  death.  Burglary, 
one  of  the  first  United  States  senators  from  hog  stealing  and  bigamy,  in  addition  to  other 
Indiana,  and  served  for  two  terms.  James  penalties,  rendered  the  offender  liable  to  be 
Scott,  the  third  member  of  the  general  court  punished  by  whipping.  But  duelling  was 
at  the  time  of  its  dissolution,  was  appointed  punishable  only  by  a  fine;  although  all  offl- 
one  of  the  first  judges  of  the  state  supreme  cers,  whether  legislative,  executive  or  judicial, 
court,  and  served  for  fourteen  years.  The  as  well  as  attorneys-at-law,  were  required  to 
attorneys-general  for  the  territorial  period  take  an  oath  that  they  had  not  given  or  ac- 
were  three  in  number, — James  Rice  Jones,  cepted  a  challenge  to  a  duel.  In  their  legisla- 
Benjamin  Parke  and  Thomas  Randolph,  tion  against  corruption  in  elections,  the  men 
Jones  was  one  of  the  compilers  of  the  Indiana  of  those  days  seem  to  have  been  wiser  than 
code  of  1807.  Disappointed  in  his  political  some  of  our  modern  legislators.  They  pun- 
aspirations,  he  went  to  Illinois,  and  after-  ished  the  briber,  the  bribe-giver;  while  more 
wards  to  Missouri.  He  was  a  member  of  the  recent  laws,  in  many  cases,  have  punished 
first  constitutional  convention  of  Missouri,  only  the  bribe-taker.  Liquor  laws  also  differed 
and  afterwards  member  of  the  supreme  court  widely  from  our  own.  Tavern  keepers  might 
o'f .  that  state.  Thomas  Randolph,  the  last  have  their  licenses  revoked,  not  only  for  fail- 
attorney-general  of  the  territory,  was  a  cousin  ing  to  do  their  duty  towards  their  guests,  as 
of  John  Randolph  of  Roanoke.  He  was  killed  to  giving  proper  attention  and  providing 
at  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  in  1811.  The  wholesome  food  for  man  and  beast,  but  also 
office  of  attorney-general  ceased  to  exist  from  for  failure  to  keep  on  hand  "ordinary  liquors 


98 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


of  good  and  salutary  quality. ' '  Provisions  of 
this  kind,  in  favor  of  pure  food  and  against 
adulteration,  again  seem  to  be  receiving  some 
attention  from  legislators,  both  in  congress 
and  in  the  general  assembly. 

As  we  have  already  seen,  provision  was 
made  for  the  erection  of  pillories  and  whip- 
ping posts  in  every  county  for  the  punishment 
of  criminals.  And  not  only  men,  but  even 
women,  were  publicly  whipped  for  violations 
of  law.  Imprisonment  for  debt  was  also 
authorized  by  the  laws  of  the  territory,  as  it 
was  then  generally  throughout  the  United 
States.  Lotteries,  on  the  contrary,  now  re- 
garded as  not  only  illegal  but  even  as  im- 
moral, were  in  those  days,  rather  favored 
by  the  law. 

Sec.  4. — Lotteries  and  Slavery  in  Indi- 
ana.— By  an  act  of  the  legislature,  approved 
September  17,  1807,  the  Vincennes  university 
was  chartered  by  the  legislature.  It  is  the  old- 
est educational  institution  of  that  rank  in  the 
state,  if  not  in  the  west.  Among  the  provi- 
sions of  the  charter  was  one  for  the  raising 
of  twenty  thousand  dollars  "for  the  purpose 
of  procuring  a  library  and  the  necessary 
philosophical  and  experimental  apparatus" 
for  such  university.  The  trustees  of  the  uni- 
versity were  required  to  "appoint  five  dis- 
creet persons"  as  managers  of  the  lottery, 
who  were  to  have  power  "to  adopt  such 
schemes  as  they  may  deem  proper,  to  sell  the 
said  tickets,  and  to  superintend  the  drawing 
of  the  same,  and  the  payment  of  the  prizes. ' ' 
It  was  further  provided  that  "said  managei^ 
and  trustees  shall  render  an  account  of  their 
proceedings  therein  at  the  next  session  of  the 
legislature  after  the  drawing  of  said  lottery." 
It  is  clear  that  our  worthy  forefathers  thought 
pillories  and  whipping  posts  suitable  and 
proper  means  for  the  punishment  of  wrong- 
doers ;  and  that  they  were  also  of  opinion  that 
money  for  the  promotion  of  the  higher  educa- 
tion of  the  people,  might  properly  be  secured 
by  the  establishment  of  a  lottery.  It  was  not 
until  February  3,  1832,  that  an  act  was 
passed  by  the  legislature  making  the  conduct- 


ing of  a  lottery  a  misdemeanor;  but  even  in 
that  act,  for  the  purpose  no  doubt  of  protect- 
ing the  Vincennes  lottery,  there  was  a  saving 
claiLse  in  favor  of  lotteries  "authorized  by 
law.  ""■  In  the  constitution  of  1851.  however, 
the  prohibition  wa.s  made  absolute, — that  "no 
lottery  shall  be  authorized;  nor  shall  the  sale 
of  lottery  tickets  be  allowed."  But,  notwith- 
standing this  distinct  declaration  in  the  con- 
stitution, added  to  the  previous  statutory 
enactment,  the  trustees  of  the  university  still 
persisted  in  keeping  up  their  lottery;  and  in 
this  practice  they  were  long  sustained  by  the 
courts.  As  late  as  the  May  term,  1879, 
of  the  supreme  court,  the  lottery  pro- 
vision of  the  Vincennes  university  char- 
ter was  held  to  be  an  inviolable  con- 
tract, which  neither  the  legislature  nor 
even  the  people,  in  the  framing  of  their  con- 
stitution, could  abrogate;  and  the  Dartmouth 
college  case  and  other  high  authority  was 
cited  in  support  of  the  decision.  "We  hold," 
said  the  court,  in  Kellum  v.  State,  66  Ind.  588, 
"that  the  lottery  established  by  the  board  of 
trustees  for  the  Vincennes  university,  under 
the  fifteenth  section  of  the  territorial  law  for 
the  incorporation  of  said  university  was  and 
is  a  lottery  '  authorized  by  law. '  "  It  was  not 
until  the  May  term,  1883,  of  the  court,  in  the 
case  of  State  v.  Woodward,  89  Ind.  110,  that 
the  Vincennes  lottery  was  finally  declared 
illegal.  The  opinion  in  the  case  was  the  last 
written  by  the  eminent  jurist,  James  L.  Wor- 
den ;  and  followed  a  then  recent  ruling  of  the 
supreme  court  of  the  United  States.* 

Another  illustration  of  the  persistence  of 
customs  which  have  long  prevailed  in  a  com- 
munity, is  exhibited  iii  the  history  of  slavery 
in  Indiana.  To  many  persons  the  statement 
may  be  a  surprise  that  human  slavery  ever 
existed  within  the  borders  of  this  state.  We 
must  remember,  however,  that,  on  the  eon- 
quest  of  the  northwest  by  George  Rogers 
Clark,  all  this  country  became  a  part  of  Vir- 
ginia, under  the  name  of  the  county  of  Uli- 

o.     Acts  1831,  p.  269. 

6.     Stone  v.  Mississippi,  101  U.  S.  814. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


99 


nois.  Our  territory  thus  becoming-  a  part  of 
the  state  of  Virginia,  slavery  had  a  legal  foot- 
hold here,  as  it  had  there.  Besides,  the  French, 
and  also  the  Indians,  held  slaves  in  the  ter- 
ritory previous  to  the  Virginia  conquest;  the 
slaves  so  held  being  not  only  negroes,  but  also 
captive  Indians.'*  After  the  deed  of  cession  by 
Virginia  to  the  United  States,,  it  was  uncertain 
for  a  time  whether  slavery  should  be  recog- 
nized or  not ;  but,  in  the  ordinance  of  1787, 
for  the  government  of  the  territory  northwest 
of  the  Ohio,  it  was  finally  provided,  in  terms, 
that  "There  shall  be  neither  slavery  nor  in- 
voluntary servitude  in  said  territory,  other- 
wise than  in  the  punishment  of  crimes, 
whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  con- 
victed. ' '  The  same  prohibition  was  carried 
into  both  our  state  constitutions.  Yet,  under 
the  plea  that,  before  the  passage  of  the  ordi- 
nance, slave  property  had  been  lawfully  ac- 
quired within  the  limits  of  the  territory,  it 
was  argued  that  the  holders  of  such  property 
could  not  be  legally  deprived  of  it.  The  argu- 
ment was  even  made  tliat  a  mother  being  a 
slave,  her  children  could  be  born  only  as 
slaves,  and  that  the  owner  of  the  mother  be- 
came the  owner  of  the  children  so  born. 

The  property  interests  of  the  country  were 
enlisted  in  behalf  of  retaining  the  institution 
of  slavery,  and  even  of  introducing  more 
slaves  into  the  country.  A  large  part  of  the 
population  was  from  Virginia  and  Kentucky, 
and  this  element  constituted  a  powerful  party 
in  favor  of  perpetuating  some  form  of  Afri- 
can slavery.  At  the  head  of  the  slaveholding 
interest  was  the  governor  of  the  territory, 
William  Henry  Harrison.  The  governor  was 
a  Virginian,  and  seemed  to  be  sincerely  of 
opinion  that  the  prosperity  of  the  country 
depended  upon  the  establishment  of  slavery. 
A  strong  effort  was  made  to  have  the  piuvi- 
sion  in  the  ordinance  of  1787  prohibiting  slav- 
ery suspended,  at  least  for  ten  years.  The 
contest  before  congress  was  long  and  earnest, 
but  the  petition  from  Indiana  was  finally 
denied  by  that  body.    Yet  the  effort  was  still 

a.     Dillon,  Hist.  Ind.,  p.  409. 


persisted  in  to  retain  in  slavery,  by  some  form 
of  indenture  or  otherwise,  those  who  had  been 
slaves  or  who  were  the  children  of  slave 
mothers.  As  late  as  the  year  1813,  the  act 
concerning  taxation  passed  by  the  legislature 
provided,  as  a  part  of  the  schedule  of  assess- 
ments and  taxation,  for  a  tax  -'for  every 
slave  or  servant  of  color,  above  twelve  years 
of  age,  two  dollars."  Two  cases  came  to  the 
supreme  court,  in  which  tlie  questions  so 
raised  were  finally  settled  against  the  right 
to  hold  slaves  in" Indiana.  In  the  first  of  these 
cases.  State  v.  Lasselle,  1  Blackf.  60,  the  trial 
court  had  decided  that  a  colored  woman, 
Polly,  was  the  property  of  Lasselle.  The 
supreme  court,  without  deciding  whether 
Virginia,  by  consenting  to  the  ordinance  of 
1787,  intended  to  emancipate  the  slaves  in  the 
northwest  or  not,  held  that,  in  any  event, 
slavery  was  effectually  abolished  by  the  Con- 
stitution of  1816.  In  the  other  case,  that  of 
Mary  Clark,  also  a  colored  woman,  decided 
in  1  Blackf.  122,  Mary  Clark  had  attempted 
to  bind  herself  as  a  servant  for  a  term  of 
twenty  years.  She  afterwards  repented  of 
her  bargain  ;  but  the  trial  court  held  that  she 
must  comply  with  her  contract.  The  supreme 
court,  however,  decided  that  such  an  inden- 
ture, though  voluntarily  made,  was  a  species 
of  slavery,  and  that  the  contract  could  not  be 
enforced.  Thus  was  wiped  out  the  last  ves- 
tige of  legal  bondage  in  Indiana.  It  is  true 
that  long  after  these  decisions,  many  persons 
continued  voluntarily  to  live  out  their  lives 
as  slaves  within  the  limits  of  the  state. 
Even  as  late  as  1840,  as  shown  by  the  United 
States  census  for  that  year,  there  were  still 
three  slaves  in  Indiana, — a  man  and  a  woman 
in  Rush  county  and  a  woman  in  Putnam 
county.  But  slavery,  as  sanctioned  by  the 
law,  was  at  an  end ;  and  it  came  to  an  end,  in 
fact,  with  the  death  of  the  last  of  such  volun- 
tary slaves. 

The  desire  on  the  part  of  many  of  the  in- 
habitants to  establish  slavery  in  the  Indiana 
territory  resulted  in  a  proclamation  by  the 
governor  calling  for  the  election  by  the  peo- 


A  r  r  1  •■*>  4 


100 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


pie  of  delegates  to  meet  in  convention  at  Vin- 
cennes,  December  20,  1802.  This  convention 
petitioned  congress  for  a  suspension  of  the 
sixth  article  of  the  ordinance  of  1787,  which 
prohibited  slavery  in  the  territory.  The  peti- 
tion, as  we  have  seen,  was  rejected  by  con- 
gress. The  report  of  the  committee  to  which 
the  petition  was  referred  was  prepared  by 
John  Randolph,  the  distinguished  orator  and 
statesman,  then  senator  from  Virginia,  and 
was  an  unanswerable  argument  against  the 
establishment  of  slavery  in  the  territory.  The 
Vincennes  convention  which  prepared  the 
petition  in  favor  of  slavery  is  also  noteworthy 
as  being  the  first  deliberative  body  elected  to 
represent  the  people  of  Indiana.  The  conven- 
tion consisted  of  twelve  delegates.  From  the 
county  of  Knox,  four;  from  the  county  of 
Randolph,  three;  from  the  county  of  St. 
Clair,  three;  and  from  the  county  of  Clark, 
two.  The  counties  of  St.  Clair  and  Randolph 
were  in  that  part  of  the  territory  which  is  now 
the  state  of  Illinois;  Knox  and  Clark  were 
in  what  is  now  Indiana.  So  small  was  the 
population,  in  1802,  of  the  territory  now  com- 
prising these  two  great  states.  Wayne  county, 
now  the  state  of  Michigan,  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  represented  in  this  early  conven- 
tion. 

Sec.  5. — The  First  Indiana  Legislature; 
THE  Territory  op  Michigan  Formed. — -The 
act  of  congress  for  the  organization  of  the 
Indiana  territory,  approved  May  7,  1800,  pro- 
vided that  whenever  the  governor  became  sat- 
isfied that  a  majority  of  the  freeholders  of  the 
territory  were  in  favor  of  the  organization  of 
a  general  assembly,  an  election  for  that  pur- 
pose should  be  called,  even  though  there  might 
not  then  be  in  the  territory  five  thousand  free 
male  inhabitants  of  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years ;  thus  providing  an  earlier  period  than 
was  provided  in  the  ordinance  of  1787,  for 
the  establishment  of  a  representative  govern- 
ment. By  a  vote  of  the  people  taken  Septem- 
ber 11,  1804,  it  appeared  that  a  majority  of 
one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  were  in  favor 
of  organizing   a   general   assembly;   and    ac- 


cordingly Governor  Harrison  issued  his  pro- 
clamation declaring  that  Indiana  had  passed 
into  the  second  stage  of  territorial  govern- 
ment, and  called  an  election  for  January  3, 
1805,  at  which  members  of  the  first  house  of 
representatives  were  chosen  in  the  several 
counties.  This  body  met  at  Vincennes, 
February  1,  1805,  and  selected  names  for  the 
organization  of  a  legislative  council,  or  senate, 
as  provided  in  the  ordinance  of  1787.  The 
counties  then  represented  were  Knox,  Clark 
and  Dearborn,  in  what  is  now  Indiana ;  St. 
Clair,  in  Illinois ;  and  Wayne,  in  Michigan. 
This  was  the  last  official  connection  of 
Michigan  with  the  Indiana  territory.  By  an 
act  of  congress,  approved  January  11,  1805, 
it  was  provided  that  from  and  after  June 
30,  1805,  that  part  of  the  Indiana  territory 
lying  north  of  an  east  and  west  line  drawn 
through  "the  southerly  bend  or  extreme  of 
Lake  Michigan,  until  it  shall  intersect  Lake 
Erie,  and  east  of  a  line  drawn  from  the  said 
southerly  bend"  through  the  middle  of  Lake 
Michigan  to  its  northern  extremity,  and 
thence  north  to  the  northern  boundary  of 
the  United  States,  should  be  erected  into  a 
separate  territory,  to  be  known  as  Michigan. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  this  left  the  greater 
part  of  the  present  upper  peninsula  of  Michi- 
gan in  the  Indiana  territory.  But,  of  more 
importance  to  St.  Joseph  county,  as  well  as 
to  all  the  other  northern  tier  of  Indiana 
counties,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  southern 
boundary  of  Michigan,  as  required  also  by 
the  terms  of  the  ordinance  of  1787,  was  placed 
ten  miles  south  of  the  present  boundary  be- 
tween Indiana  and  Michigan,  leaving  the  sites 
of  South  Bend,  New  Carlisle,  Mishawaka  and 
Osceola,  as  well  as  all  the  St.  Joseph  valley 
and  the  north  ten  miles  of  the  county,  within 
the  bounds  of  the  new  Michigan  territory. 

The  legislative  council  having  been  selected, 
the  first  general  assembly  of  Indiana,  em- 
bracing then  the  greater  part  of  the  old  north- 
west territory,  except  Ohio  and  Michigan,  as- 
sembled at  Vincennes,  July  29,  1805.  The 
council,  or  senate,  consisted  of  five  members; 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


101 


jiiid  the  house  of  representatives,  of  seven 
members.  Michigan  having  become  a  terri- 
tory, Wayne  county  was  not  represented. 
The  counties  having  representation  in  the 
assembly  were  Knox,  Clark  and  Dearborn, 
in  what  is  now  Indiana,  and  kSt.  Clair  and 
Randolph  in  Illinois.  The  business  of  this 
firet  general  assembly  was  chiefly  routine. 
Benjamin  Parke  was  elected  the  first  delegate 
of  the  territory  in  congress.  The  second 
general  assembly  began  its  session  at  Vincen- 
nes,  August  16,  1807.  The  laws  passed  at 
those  two  sessions,  together  with  all  other  laws 
in  force  in  the  territory  were  collected  and 
published  in  one  volume,  called  the  code  of 
1807.  This  was  the  first  Indiana  code  of 
laws. 

Sec.  6. — Tecumseh  and  the  Battle  of 
Tippecanoe. — After  the  signing  of  the  treaty 
of  Greenville  between  General  Anthony 
Wayne  and  Little  Turtle  and  the  other  chiefs, 
August  3,  1795,  it  was  believed  that  perma- 
nent peace  had  been  established  between  the 
whites  and  Indians.  But  the  emigration  to 
the  rich  lands  of  the  northwest  grew  to  such 
proportions  that  the  Indians  were  pressed 
farther  and  farther  into  the  interior.  Numer- 
ous treaties,  as  we  have  seen,  were  made,  from 
time  to  time,  throwing  open  to  white  settle- 
ment the  several  reservations  of  territory 
made  at  Greenville  to  secure  to  the  Indians 
their  hunting  grounds.  Often,  too,  where 
two  or  more  tribes  owned  certain  lands  in 
common,  as  they  often  did,  the  whites  secured 
by  treaty  the  title  of  one  tribe  and  then 
failed  to  respect  the  claim  of  the  others  to 
the  same  lands.  The  French  had  respected 
this  community  ownership  of  lands,  and  never 
denied  the  title  of  the  Indians,  even  to  the 
territory  occupied  by  themselves.  Moreover, 
as  to  their  own  holdings,  the  French  accepted 
the  community  idea,  which  was  universal. 
Several  hundred  acres  were  set  aside  at  Viu- 
cennes,  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  post  used 
in  common  for  pasture  and  other  uses.  They 
"fenced  in"  their  stock  as  is  now  the  law  in 
Indiana;  and  the  crops  planted  outside  this 


community  property  by  each  householder 
were  without  enclosure.  The  community  idea, 
however,  was  antagonistic  to  the  ideas  of  the 
emigrants  from  the  east.  Each  settler  wanted 
his  own  lands  for  himself  exclusively,  and 
was  particularly  unwilling  that  any  Indian 
should  have  any  part  or  parcel  in  his  holding. 
But,  besides  securing  additional  Indian  lands 
by  new  treaties,  many  white  emigrants,  with- 
out any  such  authority,  pushed  in  upon  the 
lands  yet  reserved  to  the  Indians  by  the  treaty 
of  Greenville  and  other  treaties.  This  land 
greed,  as  the  Indians  called  it,  was  exasperat- 
ing to  the  natives,  who  loved  their  old  hunt- 
ing grounds;  and  the  feeling  of  resentment 
against  the  encroachment  of  the  whites  be- 
came more  acute  from  year  to  year.  After- 
wards, when  white  men  fell  in  battle  with  the 
Indians,  it  was  not  uncommon  for  the  latter 
to  stuff  earth  into  the  mouth,  nose  and  ears 
of  the  fallen  pale  face,  as  if  in  mockery  of 
this  greed  for  land. 

In  a  message  to  the  legislature  of  Indiana, 
in  1806,  Governor  Harrison  referred  to  the 
growing  dissatisfaction  of  the  Indians,  in 
this  and  other  respects.  The  Indians,  he  said, 
"will  never  have  recourse  to  arms — I  speak 
of  those  in  our  immediate  neighborhood — 
unless  driven  to  it  by  a  series  of  injustice  and 
oppression.  Of  this  they  already  begin  to 
complain;  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  their 
complaints  are  far  from  being  groundless. 
It  is  true  that  the  general  government  has 
passed  laws  for  fulfilling,  not  only  the  stipu- 
lations contained  in  our  treaty,  but  also 
those  sublimer  duties  which  a  just  sense  of  our 
prosperity  and  their  wretchedness  seem  to  im- 
pose. The  laws  of  the  territory  provide,  also, 
the  same  punishment  for  offenses  committed 
against  Indians  as  against  white  men.  Ex- 
perience, however,  shows  that  there  is  a  wide 
difference  in  the  execution  of  those  laws. 
The  Indian  always  suffers,  and  the  white  men 
never. ' ' 

In  the  state  to  which  the  minds  of  the  In- 
dians were  wrought  up.  by  both  their  real  and 
their  fancied  wrongs,  they  needed  but  a  leader, 


102 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


to  break  out  into  hostilities  against  their 
oppressors.  The  leader  was  forthcoming,  a 
greater  perhaps  than  either  Pontiac  or  Little 
Turtle.  In  1805,  Teciunseh,  a  Shawnee  chief, 
and  his  l^rother  Law-le-was-i-kaw — the  loud 
voice — resided  in  a  village  on  the  White  river 
in  what  is  now  Delaware  county.  Law-le- 
was-i-kaw  took  upon  himself  the  character 
of  a  prophet,  and  is  iLsually  known  under  that 
title.  He  began  to  preach  to  the  Indians, 
calling  upon  them  to  reject  witchcraft,  the 
use  of  intoxicating  liquors,  intermarriag'e  with 
the  whites  and  the  practice  of  selling  their 
lands  to  the  United  States.  He  acquired  great 
influence  among  the  tribes,  not  only  the  tribes 
in  Indiana,  but  those  of  the  whole  west. 
Prophet's  Town  was  established  on  the  banks 
of  the  Wabash  river,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Tippecanoe,  as  a  center  to  which  all  the 
Indians  were  invited  to  gather.  While  the 
prophet  was  arousing  the  religious  enthusiasm 
of  the  Indians  Tecumseh  was  visiting  all  the 
tribes  of  the  west  and  the  south,  forming  a 
confederacy  which  might  be  strong  enough  to 
resist  further  encroachments  on  the  part  of 
the  white  settlers.  The  poison  of  British  in- 
fluence was  again  manifested;  and  when  the 
war  of  1812  broke  out  between  England  and 
the  United  States,  the  Indians  were  found  in 
full  and  active  sympathy  with  the  British. 
Interviews  took  place  from  time  to  time  be- 
tween Grovernor  Harrison  and  the  Shawnee 
chiefs,  but  the  estrangement  continued  to  in- 
crease from  year  to  year.  In  the  early  part 
of  1811  the  people  of  the  territory  became 
thoroughly  alarmed  at  the  growing  strength 
of  the  Indians  at  Prophet's  Town;  and  Gover- 
nor Harrison,  under  direction  of  the  president 
and  the  secretary  of  war,  began  preparations 
for  a  military  expedition  against  the  prophet. 
Harrison's  army  consisting  of  about  seven 
hundred  etfective  men,  of  whom  two  hundred 
and  fifty  were  regular  troops,  arrived  near 
Prophet's  Town  November  6,  1811.  On  the 
morning  of  the  seventh,  before  daylight,  the 
Americans  were  fiercely  attacked  by  the  In- 
dians,   and   many   killed.      Harrison    quickly 


rallied  his  forces  and  charged  upon  the  In- 
dians, who  were  completely  routed.  Harri- 
son's loss,  in  kiUed  and  mortally  wounded, 
were  sixty-two,  with  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
six  other  wounded  men.  The  enemy's  forces 
are  believed  to  have  been  greater,  and  their 
losses  quite  as  severe ;  but  there  is  a  lack  of 
definite  information  on  these  points.  The 
battle  of  Tippecanoe  is  the  most  important 
that  ever  took  place  within  the  confines  of 
Indiana.  The  spirit  of  the  Indians  was  com- 
pletely broken,  and  the  confederacy  which 
Tecumseh  was  building  up  was  completely 
destroyed.  This  great  warrior  was  himself 
absent  at  the  time,  visiting  the  tribes  of  the 
south.  It  is  said  that  he  was  angry  with 
his  brother  for  bringing  on  the  engagement. 
Tecumseh  was  not  then  ready  for  his  conflict 
with  the  whites,  and  his  plans  were  therefore 
frustrated.  He  soon  joined  the  British  army 
with  his  Indians  and  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  the  Thames,  in  Canada,  not  far  from  De- 
troit, ■October  5,  1813.  He  was  undoubtedly 
the  greatest  warrior  and  statesman  ever  pro- 
duced by  the  Indian  race. 

After  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  there  was 
occasional  minor  trouble  with  the  Indians ; 
but  with  the  death  of  Tecumseh  their  courage 
and  ambition  as  a  united  people  was  gone 
forever.  The  remnants  of  the  red  race  were 
by  degrees  removed  to  the  far  west ;  and  their 
place  was  rapidly  taken  by  the  hardy  pio- 
neers who  poured  in  from  the  eastern  states 
and  from  Europe.  The  triumph  for  the  sec- 
ond time,  of  American  arms  over  those  of 
Great  Britain,  soon  after  followed;  and  the 
future  of  the  great  northwest  was  assured. 
Up  to  that  date  there  was  not  a  white  in- 
habitant in  St.  Joseph  county;  nor  indeed 
anywhere  in  northern  Indiana. 

Sec.  7. — Aaron  Burr. — Another  interesting 
episode  in  early  Indiana  history  ought  to  re- 
ceive at  least  a  passing  mention.  In  1805. 
1806  and  1807,  Aaron  Burr,  once  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  was  engaged  in 
dift'erent  places  along  the  Ohio  valley  in  or- 
ganizing a  mysterious  enterprise,  now  believed 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


103 


to  have  been  intended  for  the  founding  of 
an  independent  southwestern  republic,  to 
embrace  Mexican  and  American  territory. 
Some  are  of  the  opinion  that  Burr's  ambition 
looked  to  the  uniting  of  all  the  states  and 
territories  of  the  ^Mississippi  valle3^  with 
Mexico,  into  one  great  central  state  of  which 
he  should  be  chief.  Amongst  other  places 
Burr  visited  Jeffersonville,  Vincennes  and 
Kaskaskia.  He  was  arrested  early  in  1807, 
and  his  vast  project,  whatever  may  have  been 
its  nature,  suddenly  collapsed. 

Sec.  8. — Formation  op  Illinois  Territory. 
— As  the  population  of  the  Indiana  territory 
increased  the  need  of  a  division  into  two 
territories  became  greater.  Congress  yielded 
to  the  wishes  of  the  people  in  the  matter,  and. 
by  an  act  approved  February  3,  1809,  de- 
clared that  from  and  after  ]March  1,  1809,  all 
that  part  of  the  Indiana  territory  lying  West 
of  the  Wabash  river,  and  a  direct  line  north 
from  Post  Vincennes  to  the  British  posses- 
sions, should  form  a  separate  territory,  to 
be  called  the  Illinois  territory.  The  popula- 
tion of  the  whole  of  the  Indiana  territory  at 
that  time  was  about  twenty-eight  thousand; 
eleven  thousand  being  in  the  Illinois  division, 
and  seventeen  thousand  in  Indiana  proper. 
The  cutting  off  of  the  territory  of  Illinois  left 
the  capital  of  Indiana  on  the  extreme  west 
of  the  territory;  and  an  agitation  soon  de- 
veloped for  its  removal  from  Vincennes  to 
some  more  central  point.  By  an  act  of  the 
general  assembly,  approved  ]March  11,  1813, 
the  capital  of  the  territory  was  fixed  at  Cory- 
don,  Harrison  county,  from  and  after  May  1, 
1813.  The  capital  remained  at  Corydon  until 
it  was  removed  to  Indianapolis,  in  1825,  as 
provided  in  Sec.  11,  article  XI  of  the  consti- 
tution of  1816.  By  reason  of  the  absence  of 
Governor  Harrison  in  the  wars  with  the  In- 
dians and  with  Great  Britain,  the  active  duties 
of  the  office  of  governor  devolved  for  the  time 
upon  the  secretary.  General  John  Gibson.  It 
was  by  his  call  as  governor  that  this  last  meet- 
ing of  the  general  assembly  was  held  at  Vin- 
cennes.     On    February    27,    1813,    President 


Madison  appointed  Thomas  Posey,  then  a 
senator  of  the  United  States  from  Tennessee, 
as  governor  of  the  new  Indiana  territory,  then 
reduced  very  nearly  to  the  territorial  limits 
of  the  present  state  of  Indiana. 

vn.   organization  op  the  state. 

Sec.  1. — Periods  op  Growtpi. — During  the 
thirty-one  years  from  the  close  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  and  the  signing  of  the  treaty 
of  Paris,  September  3.  1783,  to  the  close  of 
the  second  war  with  Great  Britain,  and  the 
signing  of  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  December  24, 
1814,  Indiana  passed  through  the  several 
stages  of  development,  until  vshe  reached  the 
full  maturity  of  her  growth  as  a  common- 
wealth. The  time  during  which  she  was  a 
part  of  the  county  of  Illinois,  nursed  and 
cared  for  by  the  mother  state  of  Virginia, 
may  be  considered  the  period  of  her  infancy : 
the  time  during  which  she  was  a  part  of  the 
northwest  territoiy,  trained  and  guided  by  the 
national  authority,  and  governed  by  the  ordi- 
nance of  1787  and  other  laws  adopted  for 
her  protection,  may  be  considered  as  the 
period  of  her  childhood ;  the  time  during 
which  she  was  a  part  of  the  vast  Indiana  terri- 
tory and  entrusted  with  the  forms  if  not  the 
reality  of  self  government,  may  be  considered 
as  the  period  of  her  immature  youth ;  the  time 
during  which  she  was  regarded  as  a  separate 
and  distinct  territory,  allowed  to  legislate  in 
a  limited  manner  for  her  own  particular 
needs,  and  called  upon  to  defend  her  integrity 
by  the  shedding  of  her  blood  at  Tipi)ecanoe 
and  in  battle  with  the  British  oppressor,  may 
be  considered  as  tlic  period  of  her  adolescence. 
It  was  then  recognized  that  tlic  time  of  her 
full  maturity  was  at  hand,  and  that  slie  was 
entitled  t<»  take  lici-  place  as  one  of  the  sister 
states  of  llie  I'nioii. 

gee.  2. — Admission  Into  the  IInion. — On 
December  14,  1815,  a  memorial  to  congress, 
praying  for  the  admission  of  Indiana  as  a 
state,  was  adopted  by  the  general  assembly  of 
the  territory:  and.  on  the  28th  of  the  same 
inotitli.  was  laid  l)efore  congress  by  Jonathan 


104 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Jennings,  the  territorial  delegate.  The 
memorial  recited  the  provision  of  the  ordi- 
nance of  1787,  that  when  the  free  popula- 
tion of  the  territory  should  be  sixty  thousand 
or  over,  the  territory  should  be  admitted  into 
the  Union  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  origi- 
nal states,  and  stating  that  a  census  taken  by 
legislative  authority  showed  that  Indiana  had 
more  than  the  requisite  population.  In  com- 
pliance with  this  recpiest  of  the  legislature, 
congress  passed  an  enabling  act,  approved 
April  19,  1816,  providing  for  an  election  to 
be  held  in  the  several  counties  of  the  territory. 
May  13,  1816,  to  select  delegates  to  a  conven- 
tion to  frame  a  state  constitution. 

The  convention  consisted  of  forty-three 
members,  elected  from  thirteen  counties,  as 
follows:  Wayne,  4;  Franklin,  5;  Dearborn, 
3 ;  Switzerland,  1 ;  Jefferson,  3 ;  Clark,  5 ; 
Harrison,  5 ;  Washington,  5 ;  Knox,  5 ;  Gibson, 
4 ;  Warrick,  1 ;  Perry,  1 ;  and  Posey,  1.  It 
will  be  noticed  that  these  counties  were  almost 
altogether  on  the  Ohio  and  Wabash  rivers. 
Indiana's  first  settlements  were  along  the 
rivers  on  the  southern  borders ;  and  the  settlers 
were  almost  all  from  the  states  and  territories 
south  and  southeast  of  the  Ohio.  The  popula- 
tion of  the  thirteen  counties  sending  delegates 
to  the  constitutional  convention  of  1816,  was 
sixty-three  thousand,  eight  hundred  and 
ninety-seven.  Two  additional  counties,  Or- 
ange and  Jackson,  also  in  the  extreme  south, 
were  organized  in  1816,  under  authority  of 
the  territorial  legislature ;  but  not  in  time  to 
send  delegates  to  the  constitutional  conven- 
tion. 

The  convention  began  its  deliberations  at 
Corydon,  on  June  10,  1816,  and  completed  the 
framing  of  the  constitution,  on  June  29,  1816. 
Jonathan  Jennings  presided  over  the  conven- 
tion, and  William  Hendricks  was  chosen  secre- 
tary. On  the  completion  of  their  work,  presi- 
dent Jennings,  as  required  by  the  constitution 
issued  to  the  sheriffs  of  the  several  counties 
writs  of  election,  fixing  the  first  Monday  of 
August,  1816,  for  the  election  of  a  governor 
and  other  state  officers.     Jonathan  Jennings 


was  elected  fii*st  governor,  receiving  5.211 
votes,  to  3,934  cast  for  Thomas  Posey,  then 
governor  of  the  territory'.  William  Hendricks 
was  elected  first  representative  of  Indiana  in 
the  house  of  representatives  of  the  United 
States. 

The  first  general  assembly,  chosen  at  the 
same  election,  began  its  session  at  Corydon 
on  jNIonday,  November  4,  1816.  Christopher 
Harrison,  elected  lieutenant  governor,  pre- 
sided over  the  senate;  and  Isaac  Blackford, 
the  famous  jurist,  was  elected  speaker  of  the 
house  of  representatives.  The  governor  and 
lieutenant  governor  were  inaugurated  Novem- 
ber 7,  1816  ;  John  Paul  having  been  previously 
chosen  president  pro  tempore  of  the  senate. 
Thereupon  the  territorial  government  came  to 
a  close.  By  a  joint  resolution  of  congress, 
approved  December  11,  1816,  Indiana  was 
formally  admitted  as  a  sovereign  state  of  the 
Union.  On  November  8,  1816,  the  general 
assembly  elected  James  Noble  and  Waller 
Taylor  as  the  first  senators  to  represent  the 
state  in  the  United  States  senate.  The  ses- 
sion closed  on  January  3,  1817. 

Sec.  3. — Population  and  Revenues. — The 
population  of  Indiana  when  admitted  into  the 
Union,  in  1816,  was  less  than  seventy  thou- 
sand; but  such  an  impetus  was  given  to 
emigration  by  the  organization  of  the  state 
government  that  the  census  of  1820  showed 
that  the  state  then  contained  147,178  inhabit- 
ants. The  revenues  of  the  state  continued  for 
many  years  to  be  derived  from  a  tax  upon 
lands,  as  had  been  the  practice  during  the 
territorial  government.  This  tax  was  not,  as 
at  present,  a  percentage  of  the  valuation,  but 
a  fixed  sum  per  hundred  acres  according  to 
the  ciuality  of  the  land.  For  this  purpose,  all 
lands  w^ere  deemed  to  be  of  first  rate,  second 
rate  and  third  rate.  In  the  beginning,  first 
rate  lands  were  assessed  at  one  dollar  per 
hundred  acres;  second  rate,  eighty-seven  and 
a  half  cents:  and  third  rate  fifty  to  sixty-two 
and  a  half  cents.  In  1821,  the  assessment  on 
first  rate  lands  had  increased  to  one  dollar 
and  fiftv  cents  on  each  hundred  acres,  and  on 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


105 


other  lands  accordingly.  In  1831,  the  assess- 
ment on  first  rate  lands  fell  to  eighty  cents  a 
hundred;  second  rate,  to  sixty  cents;  and 
third  rate  to  forty  cents.  By  an  act  approved 
February  1,  1835,  the  method  of  assessment 
was  changed  to  our  present  ad  valorem  sys- 
tem; and  the  assessor  was  directed  to  assess 
land  for  taxation  at  its  true  value,  or,  as 
th3  act  expressed  it,  "as  he  would  appraise 
the  same  in  the  pa^Tnent  of  a  just  debt  due 
from  a  solvent  debtor."  County  revenues 
were  raised  principally  from  poll  taxes  and 
license  fees,  until  the  adoption  of  the  ad 
valorem  system. 

Sec.  4. — Boundaries. — The  boundaries  of 
the  state  of  Indiana,  as  fixed  by  the  enabling 
act  of  congress,  approved  April  19,  1816,  and 
as  agreed  to  hj  an  ordinance  passed  by  the 
constitutional  convention,  at  Corydon,  June 
29,  1816,  are  as  follows:  On  the  east,  "the 
meridian  line  which  forms  the  western  bound- 
ary of  the  state  of  Ohio ; "  on  the  south,  ' '  the 
river  Ohio,  from  the  mouth  of  the  great 
Miami  river  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  Wa- 
bash;" on  the  west,  "a  line  drawn  along  the 
middle  of  the  Wabash,  from  its  mouth  to  a 
point  where  a  due  north  line  drawn  from 
the  town  of  Vincennes  would  last  touch  the 
northwestern  shore  of  the  said  river;  and 
from  thence,  by  a  due  north  line,  until  the 
same  shall  intersect  an  east  and  west  line 
drawn  through  a  point  ten  miles  north  of  the 
southern  extreme  of  Lake  Michigan  : ' '  and  on 
the  north,  "the  said  east  and  west  line,  until 
the  same  shall  intersect  the  first  mentioned 
meridian  line,  which  forms  the  western  bound- 
ary of  the  state  of  Ohio."  It  was  provided 
in  the  enabling  act  of  congress  that  if  the 
constitutional  convention  of  Indiana  should 
fail  to  ratify  these  boundaries,  then  the 
boundaries  of  the  state  should  be  as  fixed  in 
the  ordinance  of  1787. 

It  would  seem  that  the  boundaries  as  fixed 
by  the  enabling  act  of  congress,  and  as  agreed 
to  by  the  constitutional  convention  of  the 
state,  were  so  definite  that  no  dispute  could 
arise  concerning  them ;  yet  each  of  the  bound- 


aries, except  that  between  Indiana  and  Illinois 
has  been  the  subject  of  contention.  The  west- 
ern boundary  is  exactly  that  fixed  in  the  ordi- 
nance of  1787 ;  and  also  that  fixed  by  the  act 
of  congress,  approved  February  3,  1809,  sett- 
ing off  the  territory  of  Illinois  from  that  of 
Indiana;  except  that  the  ordinance  of  1787 
fixes  simply  the  "Wabash  river,"  from  its 
mouth  to  Vincennes,  as  part  of  the  boundary ; 
and  the  act  setting  off  Illinois  territory  de- 
fines that  territory  to  be  "all  that  part  of 
the  Indiana  territory  which  lies  west  of  the 
Wabash  river,"  and  the  direct  line  north  from 
Vincennes.  The  wording  of  the  ordinance  of 
1787,  "the  Wabash  river,"  would  doubtless 
be  interpreted  to  mean  the  middle  line  of  that 
river ;  and  the  line  is  so  defined  in  the  enabling 
act  providing  for  the  admission  of  Indiana  as 
a  state.  In  the  act  setting  off  the  territory  of 
Illinois,  however,  it  might  be  contended  that 
as  Illinois  "lies  west  of  the  Wabash  river," 
the  boundary  must  be  the  west  margin  of 
that  river.  No  such  contention  has  ever  been 
made  by  the  state  of  Indiana.  Yet  such  a 
conclusion  has  been  reached  as  to  the  southern 
boundaiy  of  the  state.  The  enabling  act 
provided,  as  we  have  seen,  that  the  state 
should  be  bounded  on  the  south  "by  the  river 
Ohio;"  and  this  would  seem  to  mean  the  mid- 
dle line  of  the  river.  The  ordinance  of  1787 
also  provided  that  "the  middle  state,"  that 
is,  Indiana,  should  be  bounded  on  the  south 
"by  the  Ohio."  The  plain  interpretation 
here  also  would  seem  to  be  that  the  middle 
line,  or  thread  of  the  stream,  should  form  the 
southern  boundary  of  the  state.  But  the 
words  have  not  been  so  interpreted.  In  the 
act  of  cession  by  the  legislature  of  Virginia, 
passed  December  20,  1783,  and  in  the  deed  of 
cession,  made  March  1,  178-1,  the  territory 
ceded  to  the  United  States  is  described  as 
"being  to  the  northwest' of  the  river  Ohio." 
The  territory  on  both  sides  of  the  Ohio,  and 
the  river  itself,  were  at  the  time  a  part  of 
Virginia ;  and  the  contention  was  early  made 
by  Kentucky,  as  succeeding  to  the  rights  of 
Virginia,  that  no  part  of  the   i-iver  was  in- 


108 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


eluded  in  the  northwest  territory,  and  conse- 
quently that  no  part  of  it  could  pass  by  the 
deed  of  cession.  The  ordinance  of  1787  itself 
was  "for  the  government  of  the  territory  of 
the  United  States  northwest  of  the  river 
Ohio. ' '  The  claim  of  Kentucky  has  been  sus- 
tained by  the  courts ;  and  the  southern  bound- 
ary of  Indiana  is  the  low  water  mark  on  the 
northwest  bank  of  the  Ohio  river,  as  the  same 
existed  when  the  boundary  was  fixed.  As  the 
river  has  since  receded  to  the  south  in  some 
places,  we  have  the  anomaly  that  parts  of  the 
state  of  Kentucky  are  at  present  located  on 
the  Indiana  side  of  the  river. 

The  rights  of  Indiana,  however,  as  to  the 
use  and  navigation  of  the  Ohio,  and  also  as 
to  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction  on  the  river, 
have  been  made  secure.  By  section  seven  of 
an  act  concerning  the  erection  of  the  district 
of  Kentucky  into  an  independent  state, 
passed  by  the  commonwealth  of  Virginia,  De- 
cember 18,  1789,  it  was  provided,  "that  the 
use  and  navigation  of  the  river  Ohio,  so  far 
as  the  territoiy  of  the  proposed  state  of 
[Kentucky],  or  the  territory  which  shall  re- 
main within  the  limits  of  this  commonwealth 
lies  therein,  shall  be  free  and  common  to  the 
citizens  of  the  United  States ;  and  the  respec- 
tive jurisdictions  of  this  commonwealth,  and 
of  the  proposed  state,  on  the  river  as  afore- 
said, shall  be  concurrent  only  with  the  states 
which  may  possess  the  opposite  shores  of  the 
said  river. "«  The  framers  of  the  constitu- 
tion of  1816  seemed  satisfied  simply  to  declare 
the  boundaries  of  the  state;  but  the  framers 
of  the  constitution  of  1851,  while  repeating 
this  declaration,  took  pains  to  add,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  act  of  the  commonwealth  of 
Virginia,  that  "the  state  of  Indiana  shall 
possess  jurisdiction  and  sovereignty  co-exten- 
sive with  the  boundaries  declared  in  the  pre- 
ceding section ;  and  shall  have  concurrent 
jurisdiction,  in  civil  and  criminal  cases,  with 
the  state  of  Kentucky,  on  the  Ohio  river,  and 
with  the  state  of  Illinois,  on  the  Wabash  river, 
so  far  as  said  rivers  form  the  common  bound- 

a.     Vol.  1,  Revised  Laws  of  Virginia,  p.  59. 


ary  between  this  state  and  said  states  respec- 
tively. ' '« 

The  enabling  act  defines  the  eastern  boun- 
dary of  Indiana  to  be  "the  meridian  line 
which  forms  the  western  boundary  of  the 
state  of  Ohio."  The  ordinance  of  1787  pro- 
vided that  "the  eastern  state,"  that  is,  Ohio, 
should  be  bounded  on  the  west  by  "a  direct 
line  drawn  due  north  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Great  ]\Iiami"  to  the  British  possessions.  In 
the  enabling  act  of  congress  for  the  admis- 
sion of  Ohio,  approved  April  30,  1802,  the 
same  western  boundary  was  fixed  for  that 
state.  But  in  the  act  approved  May  7,  1800, 
separating  Indiana  from  the  northwestern 
territory,  the  eastern  boundary  of  Indiana, 
as  we  have  already  seen,  was  declared  to  be 
"the  line  beginning  at  the  Ohio,  opposite 
to  the  mouth  of  Kentucky  river,  and  run- 
ning thence  to  Fort  Recovery,  and  thence 
north,  until  it  shall  intersect  the  territorial 
line  between  the  United  States  and  Canada." 
Yet,  in  the  same  act,  it  was  also  provided, 
"That  whenever  that  part  of  the  territory  of 
the  United  States  which  lies  to  the  eastward 
of  a  line  beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great 
]\liami  river,  running  thence  due  north  to 
the  territorial  line  between  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  shall  be  erected  into  an  inde- 
pendent state,  and  admitted  into  the  Union  on 
an  equal  footing  with  the  original  states, 
thenceforth  said  line  shall  become  and  re- 
main permanently  the  boundary  line  between 
such  state  and  the  Indiana  territory;  any- 
thing in  this  act  contained  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding."  As  Ohio  was  admitted 
.  with  the  Great  Miami  meridian  as  her  west- 
ern boundary,  it  would  seem  that  she  could 
have  no  claim  to  this  irregular  line  by  way 
of  Fort  Recovery;  and,  indeed,  such  imagi- 
nary claim,  as  a  practical  question,  has  long 
since  been  relinquished.  Indiana  has  never 
stood  out  for  the  three  mile  strip  west  of 
Fort   Recovery,  now  a   part   of  the  state  of 

a.  See  Sec.  17,  Art.  XI,  constitution  of  1816; 
Sees.  1  and  2,  Art.  XIV,  constitution  of  1851; 
Welsli  V.  State,  126  Ind.  71;  5  Wheaton  (U.  S.) 
374;   and  163  U.  S.  520. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


107 


Oliio;  and  Ohio  has  abandoned  any  fancied 
claim  to  the  wedge-shaped  territory  south  of 
Fort  Recovery,  now  a  part  of  the  state  of 
Indiana.  The  old  Indian  boundary  line,  de- 
scribed in  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  and  ex- 
tending southwesterly  from  Fort  Recovery  to 
a  point  on  the  Ohio  opposite  the  mouth  of  the 
Kentucky  river,  is,  however,  yet  found  on 
many  Indiana  maps,  as  a  historic  reminder 
of  the  contention  once  entertained  between 
the  two  states. 

But  it  was  as  to  the  northern  boundary 
of  the  state  that  there  was  chief  contention. 
The  ordinance  of  1787,  after  providing  for 
the  boundaries  of  the  minimum  number  of 
three  states  into  which  the  northwest  ter- 
ritory should  be  divided,  provided  further 
that,  if  deemed  expedient,  congress  should 
have  authority  "to  form  one  or  two  states 
in  that  part  of  said  territory  which  lies 
north  of  an  east  and  west  line  drawn  through 
the  southerly  bend  or  extreme  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan." The  enabling  act,  however,  provided 
that  the  northern  boundary  of  Indiana 
slionld  be  "an  east  and  west  line  drawn 
through  a  point  ten  miles  north  of  the  south- 
ern extreme  of  Lake  IMichigan."  The  state 
of  Indiana,  therefore,  extends  ten  milas  north 
of  the  line  provided  in  the  ordinance  of  1787 
as  the  boundary  between  Ohio,  Indiana  and 
Illinois,  on  the  south,  and  Michigan  and  Wis- 
consin on  the  north.  This  east  and  west  line 
through  the  southern  bend  of  Lake  IMichigan 
is  sometimes  called  the  ordinance  boundary 
line  and  sometimes  the  old  Michigan  or  In- 
diana boundary  line.  In  St.  Joseph  county 
this  old  ordinance  line  runs  through  the  town- 
ships of  Penn,  Center,  Greene,  Warren  and 
Olive;  leaving  Osceola,  Mishawaka,  South 
Bend,  New  Carlisle,  and  the  larger  part  of 
the  county  in  what  would  have  been  the  state 
of  Michigan,  according  to  the  ordinance  of 
1787.  The  ordinance  boundary  line  is  often 
referred  to  in  the  old  records.  As  late  as 
the  May  term,  1835,  of  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  of  St.  Joseph  county,  viewers 
were  appointed  "to  view  and  lay  out  a  road 


leading  from  the  Michigan  road  east  as  near 
as  practicable  on  the  old  Indiana  boundary 
line,  between  sections  thirty-five,  township 
thirty-seven,  range  two  east,  and  section  two, 
township  thirty-six  east,  to  the  county  line 
of  Elkhart."  On  the  first  day  of  the  Sep- 
tember term,  being  September  7,  1835,  the 
viewers  reported  that  they  had  laid  out  the 
road,  "Begining  at  the  Michigan  road,  at 
the  intersection  of  the  Indiana  old  boundary 
line;  running  thence  east  on  and  as  near  on 
the  said  old  boundary  line  as  practicable, 
to  the  county  line  of  Elkhart  county."  This 
report  was  approved  and  the  road  located 
and  ordered  opened  to  the  wndth  of  forty 
feet. 

The  people  of  Michigan  cDUtended  ear- 
nestly for  the  ordinance  boundary  line,  claim- 
ing that  any  other  boundary  would  be  ille- 
gal and  unconstitutional,  for  the  reason  that 
the  provisions  of  the  ordinance  of  1787  in 
this  regard  were  irrevocable,  as  defining  the 
boundaries  of  the  five  states  to  be  created  out 
of  the  northwest  territory.  It  appears  that 
when  the  ordinace  of  1787  was  passed  the 
true  latitude  of  the  southern  extremes  of 
Lake  Michigan  and  Lake  Erie  was  not  known. 
At  any  rate,  the  people  of  Ohio  at  that  timi- 
seem  to  have  been  of  the  opinion  that  a.n 
east  and  west  line  through  the  southern  liend 
of  Lake  Michigan  would  strike  Lake  Erie 
north  of  Maumee  bay.  As  if  to  force  such 
an  interpretation  of  the  ordinance,  a  line 
was  actually  surveyed  from  the  southerly 
bend  of  Lake  Michigan  to  the  northerly  cape 
of  Maumee  bay.  The  order  for  this  survey 
was  made  by  act  of  congress:  and  the  in- 
tention of  congress  was  to  mai'k'  the  old 
ordinance  boundary.  The  survey  was,  how- 
ever, made  under  direction  of  the  Ohio  sur- 
veyor general,  and  he  had  the  survey  mad*' 
according  to  the  views  of  tlic  Oliio  authoi-- 
ities.  This  line  is  called  the  Ohio  line,  and 
also  the  "Harris  line,"  from  the  name  of  the 
surveyor.  In  the  final  settlement  of  the  dis- 
pute, Ohio  succeeded  in  making,  oi'  i-etain- 
ing,  the  Hari'is  line  as  llic  northern  I)nundary 


108 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


of  that  state.  Michigan  was  reluctantly  per- 
suaded to  receive  in  exchange  for  the  terri- 
tory taken  from  her  the  upper  peninsula 
of  that  state:  and  a  most  valuable  exchange 
it  has  turned  out  to  be.  The  Harris  line 
was  never  accepted  as  the  northern  boundary 
of  Indiana ;  neither  did  this  state  accept  the 
ordinance  boundary,  but  took  an  indepen- 
dent, or  perhaps,  we  might  say,  an  arbitrary, 
position,  insisting  upon  a  ten  mile  strip  north 
of  the  ordinance  line,  and  giving  as  a  rea- 
son for  such  insistence  that  otherwise  she 
would  be  cut  off  from  the  navigation  of  Lake 
Michigan  and  the  other  great  lakes.  The 
Harris,  or  Ohio,  line  would  not  satisfy  In- 
diana anj'  better  than  the  ordinance  line; 
for  both  would  prevent  her  from  having  a 
harbor  on  the  great  lakes.  Michigan  did 
not  at  first  make  a  very  strong  contention 
against  Indiana's  claim. ^  There  Avere  then 
no  settlements  in  northern  Indiana  or  south- 
western Michigan ;  whereas  the  territory  in 
dispute  between  Ohio  and  Michiga.n  included 
the  town  of  Toledo  and  a  rapidly  growing 
district  in  the  vicinity.  The  northern  boun- 
dary of  Indiana  is  an  east  and  west  line,  but 
the  northern  boundary  of  Ohio,  the  Harris 
line,  runs  a  little  north  of  east,  beginning 
on  the  east  line  of  Indiana,  at  a  point  about 
four  miles  and  a  half  south  of  the  northern 
boundarj^  of  Indiana  and  running  east  by 
north  to  include  the  city  of  Toledo  and 
Maumee  bay.  Neither  did  the  ordinance  line 
mark  the  boundary  between  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin.  Had  it  done  so,  Chicago  would 
have  been  in  Wisconsin,  as  it  was  at  one 
time  supposed  to  be.  The  northern  boundary 
provided  for  in  the  ordinance  of  1787,  "an 
east  and  west  line  drawn  through  the  south- 
erly bend  or  extreme  of  Lake  Michigan,'' 
has  therefore  been  Avholly  obliterated.  For 
a  very  full  and  interesting  treatment  of  the 
subject   of   our   northern   boundary  line,   see 

a.  For  a  controversy  that  arose  later  in  Michi- 
gan, see  Northwestern  Pioneer,  published  at  South 
Bend,  May  2  and  June  6,  1832. 


chapter  sixth  of  Daniel's  History  of  Laporte 
County,  Indiana.* 

Sec.  5. — The  Name  of  the  State. — The 
name  of  our  state,  "Indiana,"  does  not  ap- 
pear in  our  history  until  the  passage  of  the 
act  of  congress,  approved  May  7,  1800,  pro- 
viding that  all  the  northwest  territory,  west 
of  a  line  through  Fort  Recovery,  should 
"constitute  a  separate  territory,  and  be 
called  Indiana  Territory."  The  name  thus 
given  is  very  dear  to  the  people  of  this  state, 
not  only  from  the  beauty  of  the  word  itself, 
but  even  more  from  its  association  with  our 
history,  as  a  territory  and  as  a  state,  now 
for  over  a  hundred  years.  Indiana  terri- 
tory included  at  first  not  only  the  territory 
now  forming  our  state,  but  also  a  part  of 
that  of  Ohio  and  Michigan,  all  of  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin,  and  even  part  of  Minnesota.  As 
the  successive  territories  were  set  off,  how- 
ever, and  the  territories  themselves  were 
erected  into  states,  the  beloved  name  re- 
mained with  us.  Other  names  were  found  for 
our  sister  commonwealths:  Ohio,  Illinois, 
Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota;  all  in- 
deed beautiful,  with  their  melodious  French 
and  Indian  suggestions,  but  none  of  them 
comparable  to  our  own  Indiana. 

There  has  been  comparatively  little  dis- 
cussion as  to  the  origin  of  the  name.  It 
would  seem  indeed  that  the  origin  should  be 
evident.  When  the  territorial  government 
was  set  up  in  the  year  1800.  the  country  was 
almost  wholly  occupied  by  the  Indians.  So 
far  as  occupancy  was  concerned,  it  was  the 
Indian  land.  In  ancient  and  modern  times, 
in  Europe  as  well  as  America,  the  suffix  a. 
when  added  to  a  word,  has  been  understood 
to  mean  land,  country  or  place.  Greece  was 
known  as  Grecia ;  Italy,  as  Italia ;  Germany, 
as  Germania.  So  we  have  Russia,  Prussia, 
Austria,  Australia.  Pennsylvania,  Virginia, 
Louisiana  and  many  others.  Indiana  means 
nothing  therefore  but  Indian  land  or  In- 
dian country. 

a.  Daniels'  Hist.  La  Porte  County,  Indiana, 
pp.  44-62.  The  Lewis  Publishing  Company,  Chi- 
cago. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


109 


It  appears,  however,  that  our  state  was  not 
the  first  to  bear  the  pleasant  sounding  name. 
In  an  interesting  paper  read  before  the 
Wayne  County  Historical  Society,  Mr.  Cyrus 
W.  Hodgin  tells  the  story  of  an  older  In- 
diana." 

At  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian 
war,  in  1763,  says  Mr.  Hodgin,  a  Philadelphia 
trading  company  was  formed  to  engage  in  the 
fur  trade  on  the  Ohio.  The  company  sent 
its  agents  into  the  Ohio  valley  with  large 
quantities  of  goods  to  exchange  for  furs  and 
other  products  which  the  Indians  were  accus- 
tomed to  bring  to  the  trading  posts.  In  the 
fall  of  that  year,  certain  bands  of  Indians 
who  were  tributary  to  the  Iroquois  confed- 
eracy, attacked  the  agenta  of  the  Philadelphia 
company  at  a  point  a  little  below  the  site 
of  the  present  city  of  Wlieeling,  and  seized 
upon  the  goods  of  the  company,  which  they 
appropriated  to  their  own  use.  In  compen- 
sation for  this  loss,  the  Iroquois  transferred 
to  the  company  a  tract  of  nearly  five  thou- 
sand square  miles  of  land  lying  south  of 
the  Ohio  and  east  of  the  Great  Kanawha, — a 
tract  equal  in  extent  to  the  state  of  Con- 
necticut. To  this  princely  domain  the  com- 
pany gave  the  name  of  Indiana, — Indian 
land.  In  1776  the  tract  was  conveyed  to  a 
new  company,  known  as  the  Indiana  Land 
Company.  'Virginia,  however,  refused  to  ac- 
knowledge the  Indian  title  held  by  the  com- 
pany. A  resort  to  the  courts  was  equally 
unavailing.  The  eleventh  amendment  to  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States,  denying  to 
citizens  of  one  state  the  right  to  bring  any  ac- 
tion or  suit  against  another  sovereign  state 
of  the  Union,  was  declared  adopted,  by  proc- 
lamation of  the  president,  issued  January  8, 
1798 ;  and  so  the  long  contested  case  was 
stricken  from  the  docket  of  the  supreme  court 
of  the  United  States.  The  Indiana  Land 
Company  having  lost  its  claim,  the  company 
itself  passed  out  of  existence;  and  the  name 
"Indiana"  was  but  a  memory,  until,  in  1800, 

a.  The  Naming  of  Indiana,  by  Cyrus  W.  Hod- 
gin, Richmond,  Ind.,  1903. 


it  was  bestowed  upon  this  commonwealth, 
now  the  great  central  state  of  the  Union.  It  is 
not  at  all  probable  that  the  naming  of  our 
state  had  any  connection  with  the  name  of 
the  eastern  Indiana.  Accidentally  the  name 
is  the  same;  but  in  each  case,  undoubtedly, 
the  name  given  had  direct  reference  to  the 
Indians  who  occupied  the  country. 

Sec.  6.— The  Title  of  Hoosier. — But  we 
have  another  name,  a  loving,  pet  name,  the 
"Hoosier  State."  While  comparatively  little 
has  been  said  or  written  as  to  the  origin  of  the 
name  "Indiana,"  very  much  has  been  said 
and  written  as  to  the  origin  of  this  good- 
natured  name,  "Hoosier." 

In  the  paper  already  referred  to,  "The 
Naming  of  Indiana,"  Mr.  Hodgin  has 
brought  together  various  anecdotes  and  sug- 
gestions that  have  been  advanced  in  explana- 
tion of  the  origin  of  the  name.  Since  about 
the  year  1830,  he  says,  Indiana  has  been  fa- 
miliarly known  as  the  Hoosier  State,  and  the 
inhabitants  have  been  called  Hoosiers.  A 
number  of  explanations  of  the  origin  of  the 
term  have  been  given.  Meredith  Nicholson, 
in  his  admirable  little  volume,  "The  Hoo- 
siers," has  collected  these  explanations. 
They  are  as  follows : 

1.  An  Irishman  employed  in  excavating 
the  canal  around  the  falls  at  Louisville  de- 
clared, after  a  fight  in  which  he  had  van- 
quished several  fellow  workmen,  that  he  was 
a  "husher. "  This  was  given  by  Berrj^  R. 
Sulgrove  as  a  possible  origin  of  the  word. 

2.  Bartlett,  in  his  "Dictionary  of  Ameri- 
canisms," says  that  the  men  of  superior 
strength,  the  heroes  of  log-rollings  and  house- 
raisings,  were  called  "hushers"  because  of 
their  ability  to  hush  or  quiet  their  antag- 
onists; and  that  "husher"  was  a  common 
term  for  a  bully.  The  Ohio  river  boatmen 
carried  the  word  to  New  Orleans,  where  a 
foreigner  among  them,  in  attempting  to  ap- 
l)ly  the  word  to  himself,  pronounced  it 
' '  hoosier. ' ' 

3.  A  Louisville  baker,  named  Hoosier, 
made   a  variety   of   sweet  bread  which   was 


110 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


so  much  enjoyed  by  Indiana  people  that  they 
were  called  ''Hoosier's  customei*s, "  "Hoo- 
sier's  men,"  "Hoosier's  people,"  etc.  The 
Rev.  T.  A.  Goodwin  says  he  first  heard  the 
word  at  Cincinnati,  in  1830,  where  it  was 
used  to  describe  a  species  of  gingerbread, 
but  without  reference  to  Indiana. 

4.  The  Rev.  Aaron  Wood,  a  pioneer  Meth- 
odist minister,  says  the  word  is  a  corruption 
of  Hussar;  the  corruption  originating  as 
follows :  When  the  young  men  of  the  In- 
diana side  of  the  Ohio  eros.sed  over  to  Louis- 
ville, the  Kentuckians  made  sport  of  them, 
calling  them  "New  Purchase  greenies, "  and 
boasted  of  their  own  superiority.  Fighting 
grew  out  of  these  boasts,  and  an  Indiania.n 
who  had  a  great  admiration  for  the  prowess 
of  the  soldiers  called  Hussars,  after  whip- 
ping one  of  the  Kentuckians,  bent  over  him 
and  cried.  "I'm  a  Hoosier, "  meaning  "I'm 
a  Hussar." 

5.  But,  concludes  Mr.  Ilodgin.  the  most 
probable  explanation  is  that  the  word  is  a 
corruption  of  "WTio's  here?"  In  my  child- 
hood, in  the  backwoods  of  Randolph  county, 
I  often  heard  the  response,  "Who's  here?" 
to  the  rap  at  the  door  late  at  night,  after 
the  latch  string  had  been  drawn  in.  The 
word  "here,"  however,  was  pronounced  as 
if.  in  speaking  the  worcl  "her,"  the  sound 
of  y  were  inserted  between  the  h  and  e,  mak- 
ing it  "hyer."  "Who's  hyer,"  or  "Who's 
yer,"  as  it  was  generally  abridged,  was  a 
common  response  to  the  rap  of  the  visitor 
late  at  night:  and  "Who's  yer"  easily  took 
the  form  of  "Hoosier." 

Some  of  the  foregoing  explanations  seem 
fanciful.  From  the  meaning  which  has  al- 
ways been  attached  to  the  name  Hoosier,  we 
are  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  it  may  more 
likely  be  derived  from  "husher, "  meaning  a 
strong,  resolute  fellow  who  could  "hush"  a 
boasting  antagonist  in  short  order;  or,  per- 
haps, from  "HiLssar,"  a  daring  soldier.  It 
may  be  that  both  words  contributed  to  give 
form  and  meaning  to  the  term.  But  see 
"Hoozer"   in  Mr.   Dunn's  paper,  following; 


we  are  inclined  to  agree  with  Mr.  Dunn's 
conclusions. 

In  the  number  of  the  Northwestern  Pio- 
neer and  St.  Joseph's  Intelligencer,  pub- 
lished at  South  Bend,  under  date  of  April 
4,  1832,  we  find  a  humorous  paragraph  show- 
ing that  the  word  hoosier  was  used  at  that 
early  date  to  refer  to  great  size  and  strength, 
and,  as  such,  was  applied  to  the  big  sturgeons 
of  Lake  Michigan,  then  our  regular  spring- 
time visitors.     The  paragraph  reads : 

"A  Real  Hoosier. — A  sturgeon,  who  no 
doubt  left  Lake  Michigan  on  a  trip  of  pleas- 
ure, and  with  a  view  of  spending  a  few  days 
in  the  pure  waters  of  the  St.  Joseph,  had  his 
.joyous  anticipations  unexpectedly  marred  by 
ranning  foul  of  a  fisherman's  spear,  near 
this  place.  Being  brought  on  terra  firma  and 
cast  into  a  balance,  he  was  found  to  weigh 
eighty-three  pounds."  It  will  be  noticed  that 
the  word  hoosier,  in  this  paragraph,  has  no 
reference  to  an  Indianian,  as  such;  "a  real 
hoosier, ' '  as  here  used,  simply  means  a  strong, 
liu.sky  fellow. 

As  applied  to  the  human  being,  the  word 
seems  to  have  originally  conveyed  the  ideas  of 
vigorous  manhood,  hearty  good  feeling, 
shrewdness  and  good  common  sense.  A 
Hoosier  was  a  man  to  be  depended  upon, 
but  not  to  be  trifled  with.  He  was  one  who 
could  do  things  and  was  not  afraid  or  ashamed 
to  do  them,  in  manly  fashion.  The  word 
has  gi'OWTi  somewhat  refined  in  meaning  with 
the  advancement  of  the  state;  but  it  still 
signifies  a  person  of  manly  bearing,  shrewd- 
ness, ability  and  kindliness.  Such  are  the 
men  who  have  made  Indiana  great.  It  is  a 
noble  word,  as  now  used;  and  every  genuine 
Indianian  is  proud  to  be  known  as  a  Hoosier. 

The  suggestion  has  also  been  made  that  the 
good  word  may  have  come  to  us  from  the 
French  "huissier,"  meaning  "usher";  that 
is,  one  appointed  to  seat  people  attending  a 
public  meeting  and  to  aid  in  maintaining  or- 
der. On  such  occasions  the  ushei's  are  some- 
times disposed  to  display  unnecessary  authoi'- 
itv,    and  so   themselves   cause   more   disturb- 


history"  of    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Ill 


ance  tliau  the  very  audience  they  are  sup- 
posed to  watch  over.  In  a  little  French  clas- 
sic published  in  the  early  part  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  such  over-officious  ushers  are 
referred  to,  the  author  saying:  The  ushers 
(les  huissiere)  make  more  noise  than  those 
they  are  appointed  to  keep  quiet.^*^  The  word 
"huissier, "  judging-  by  the  spelling,  might 
by  one  not  acquainted  with  French,  be  pro- 
nounced almost  the  same  as  "hoosier, "  and 
we  can  fancy  in  a  backwoods  meeting  at  an 
early  day  hearing  the  good  natured  ushers 
reproved  by  some  one  who  remembered  the 
passage  in  the  little  French  book,  and  who 
knew  how  to  read  French  better  than  he  did 
how  to  pronounce  the  words. 

The  following  paper  recently  prepared  by 
Mr.  Jacob  Piatt  Dunn,  secretary  of  the  In- 
diana Historical  Society,  and  published  in 
the  transactions  of  that  society,  is  the  most 
complete  review  of  this  interesting  topic.  We 
give  the  paper  substantially  as  written  by 
Mr.  Dunn. 

The  discussion  is  admirable  and  most  sat- 
isfactory, and  we  believe  the  distinguished 
author  has  actually  found  the  original  of  our 
Hoosier  in  the  Cumberland  "hoozer": 

During  the  period  of  about  three-quarters 
of  a  century  in  which  the  state  of  Indiana 
and  its  people  have  been  designated  by  the 
word  "Hoosier,"  there  has  been  a  large 
amount  of  discussion  of  the  origin  and  mean- 
ing of  the  term,  but  with  a  notable  lack  of 
any  satisfactory  result.  Some  of  these  dis- 
cussions have  been  almost  wholly  conjectural 
in  character,  but  others  have  been  more  meth- 
odical, and  of  the  latter  the  latest  and  most 
exhaustive — that  of  Mr.  Meredith  Nicholson^ 
— sums  up  the  results  in  the  statement  "The 
origin  of  the  term  'Hoosier'  is  not  known 
with  certainty."  Indeed  the  statement  might 
properly  have  been  made  much  broader,  for 
a  consideration  of  the  various  theories  offered 
leaves  the  unprejudiced  investigator  with  the 
feeling  that  the  real  solution  of  the  problem 
has  not  even  been  suggested.  This  lack  of 
satisfactory  conclusions,  however,  may  be  of 

a.  "Les  huissiers  font  plus  de  bruit  que  ceux 
qu'  ils  veulent  faire  taire."  Philothea,  St.  Fran- 
cis de  Sales,  Part  III..  Chapter  VIII. 

h.     "The  Hoosiers,"  pp.  20-30. 


some  value,  for  it  strongly  suggests  the  prob- 
ability that  the  various  theorists  have  made 
some  false  as.sumption  of  fact,  and  have  thus 
been  thrown  on  a  false  scent,  at  the  very 
beginning  of  their  investigations. 

As  is  natural  in  such  a  case,  there  has 
been  much  of  assertion  of  what  was  merely 
conjectural,  often  accompanied  by  the  pion- 
eer's effort  to  make  evidence  of  his  theory 
by  the  statement  that  he  was  "in  Indiana 
at  the  time  and  knows  the  facts."  The  ac- 
ceptance of  all  such  testimony  would  neces- 
sarily lead  to  the  adoption  of  several  con- 
flicting conclusions.  In  addition  to  this 
cause  of  error,  there  have  crept  into  the  dis- 
cussion several  misstatements  of  fact  that 
have  been  commonly  adopted,  and  it  is  evi- 
dent that  in  order  to  reach  any  reliable  con- 
clusion now,  it  will  be  necessary  to  examine 
the  facts  critically  and  ascertain  what  are 
tenable. 

The  traditional  belief  in  Indiana  is  that 
the  word  was  first  put  in  print  by  John 
Finley,  in  his  poem  "The  Hoosier 's  Nest," 
and  this  is  noted  by  Berry  Sulgrove,  who 
was  certainly  as  well  acquainted  with  In- 
diana tradition  as  any  man  of  his  time.'* 
This  belief  is  at  least  probably  well  founded, 
for  up  to  the  present  time  no  prior  use  of 
the  word  in  print  has  been  discovered.  This 
poem  attracted  much  attention  at  the  time, 
and  was  unquestionably  the  chief  cause  of 
the  widespread  adoption  of  the  word  in  its 
application  to  Indiana,  for  which  reasons  it 
becomes  a  natural  starting-point  in  the  in- 
quiry. 

It  is  stated  by  Oliver  H.  Smith  that  this 
poem  originally  appeared  as  a  New  Year's 
"carriers'  address"  of  the  Indianapolis 
Journal  in  1830,'^  and  this  statement  has 
commonly  been  followed  by  other  writers, 
but  this  is  clearly  erroneous,  as  any  one  may 
see  by  inspection  of  the  files  of  the  Journal, 
for  it  printed  its  address  in  the  body  of  the 
paper  in  1830,  and  it  is  a  totally  different 
production.  After  that  year  it  discontinued 
this  practice  and  issued  its  addresses  on  sep- 
arate sheets,  as  is  commonly  done  at  present. 
No  printed  copy  of  the  original  publication 
is  in  existence,  so  far  as  known,  but  Mr. 
Finley 's  daughter — Mi-s.  Sarah  Wrigley, 
former  librarian  of  the  Morrison  Library,  at 
Richmond,  Indiana — has  a  manuscript  copy, 

a.     History  of  Indianapolis  and  Marion  County, 

p.  72. 

6.     "Early  Indiana  Trials  and  Sketches,"  p.  211. 


112 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


in  the  author's  handwriting,  which  fixes  the 
date  of  publication  as  Jan.  1,  1833.  There 
is  no  reason  to  question  this  date,  although 
Mr.  Finley  states  in  his  little  volume  of  poems 
printed  in  1860,  that  this  poem  was  written 
in  1830.  The  poem  as  it  originallj^  appeared 
was  never  reprinted  in  full,  so  far  as  is 
known,  and  in  that  form  it  is  entirely  un- 
known to  the  present  generation,  although 
it  has  been  reproduced  in  several  forms,  and 
in  two  of  them  by  direct  authority  of  the 
author.'^  The  author  used  his  privilege  of 
revising  his  work,  and  wiiile  he  may  have 
improved  his  poetry,  he  seriously  marred  its 
historical  value. 

As  the  manuscript  copy  is  presumably  a 
literal  transcript  of  the  original  publication, 
with  possibly  the  exception  that  the  title  may 
have  been  added  at  a  later  date,  I  repro- 
duce it  here  in  full : 

ADDEESS 

OF    THE    CARRIER    OF    THE    INDIANAPOLIS 

JOURNAL, 

January  1,  1833. 

THE  HOOSIER'S  NEST. 

Oompelled  to  seek  the  Muse's  aid, 
Your  carrier  feels  almost  dismay'd 
When  he  attempts  in  nothing  less 
Than  verse  his  patrons  to  address, 
Aware  how  very  few  excel 
In  the  fair  art  he  loves  so  well, 
And  that  the  wight  who  would  pursue  it 
Must  give  his  whole  attention  to  it; 
But,  ever  as  his  mind  delights 
To  follow  fancy's  airy  flights 
Some  object  of  terrestrial  mien 
Uncourteously   obtrudes   between 
And  rudely  scatters  to  the  winds 
The  tangled  threads  of  thought  he  spins; 
His  wayward,  wild  imagination 
Seeks  objects  of  its  own  creation 
Where  Joy  and  Pleasure,  hand  in  hand. 
Escort  him  over  "Fairyland," 
Till  some  imperious  earth-born  care 
Will  give  the  order,  "As  you  were!" 
From  this  the  captious   may  infer 
That  I  am  but  a  groveling  cur 
Who  would  essay  to  pass  for  more 
Than  other  people  take  me  for, 
So,  lest  my  friends  be  led  to  doubt  it, 
I  think  I'll  say  no  more  about  it, 
But  hope  that  on  this  noted  day 
My  annual  tribute  of  a  lay 
In  dogg'rel  numbers  will  suffice 
For  such  as  are  not  over  nice. 

a.  Coggeshall's  "The  Poets  and  Poetry  of  the 
West,"  and  Finley's  "The  Hoosier's  Nest  and  Other 
Poems"  published  in  1860. 


The  great  events  which  have  occur'd 
(And  all  have  seen,  or  read  or  heard) 
Within  a  year,  are  quite  too  many 
For  me  to  tarry  long  on  any — 
Then  let  not  retrospection  roam 
But  be  confined  to  things  at  home. 
A  four  years'  wordy  war  just  o'er 
Has  left  us  where  we  were  before 
Old   Hick'ry  triumphs, — we   submit 
(Although  we  thought  another  fit) 
For  all  of  Jeffersonian  school 
Wish  the  majority  to  rule — 
Elected  for  another  term 
We  hope  his  measures  will  be  firm 
But  peaceful,  as  the  case  requires 
To  nullify  the  nullifiers — 
And  if  executive  constructions 
By  inf'rence  prove  the  sage  deductions 
That  Uncle  Sam's  "old  Mother  Bank" 
Is  managed  by  a  foreign  crank 
And  constituted  by  adoption 
The  "heir  apparent"  of  corruption — 
No  matter  if  the  facts  will  show 
That  such  assertions  are  not  so. 
His  Veto  vengeance  must  pursue  her 
And  all  that  are  appended  to  her — 
But  tho'  hard  times  may  sorely  press  us. 
And  want,  and  debts,  and  duns  distress  us, 
We'll  share  a  part  of  Mammon's  manna 
By  chart'ring  Banks  in  Indiana. 

Blest  Indiana!     In  whose  soil 
Men  seek  the  sure  rewards  of  toil, 
And  honest  poverty  and  worth 
Find  here  the  best  retreat  on  earth, 
While  hosts  of  Preachers,  Doctors,  Lawyers, 
All  independent  as  wood-sawyers. 
With  men  of  every  hue  and  fashion, 
Flock  to  this  rising  "Hoosher"  nation. 
Men  who  can  legislate  or  plow. 
Wage  politics   or   milk   a  cow — 
So  plastic  are  their  various  parts, 
Within  the  circle  of  their  arts. 
With  equal  tact  the  "Hoosher"  looms. 
Hunt  offices  or  hunt   raccoons. 
A  captain,  colonel,  or  a  'squire. 
Who  would  ascend  a  little  higher. 
Must  court  the  people,  honest  souls, 
He  bows,  caresses  and  cajoles, 
Till  they  conceive  he  has  more  merit 
Than  nature  willed  he  should  inherit. 
And,  running  counter  to  his  nature, 
He  runs  into  the  Legislature; 
Where  if  he  pass  for  wise  and  mute. 
Or  chance  to  steer  the  proper  chute, 
In  half  a  dozen  years  or  more 
He's  qualified  for  Congress  fioor. 

I  would  not  have  the  world  suppose 
Our  public  men  are  all  like  those, 
For  even   in   this   infant  State 
Some  may  be  wise,  and  good,  and  great. 
But,  having  gone  so  far,  'twould  seem 
(Since  "Hoosher"  manners  is  the  theme) 
That  I,  lest  strangers  take  exception. 
Should  give  a  more  minute  description. 
And  if  my  strains  be  not  seraphic 
I  trust  you'll  find  them  somewhat  graphic. 


HISTORY    OF  *ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


113 


Suppose  in  riding  somewhere  West 
A  stranger  found  a  "Hoosher's"  neat, 
In  other  words,  a  buckeye  cabin 
Just  big  enough  to  hold  Queen  Mab  in, 
Its  situation  low  but  airy 
Was  on  the  borders  of  a  prairie, 
And  fearing  he  might  be  benighted 
He  hailed  the  house   and  then  alighted. 
The  "Hoosher"  met  him  at  the  door. 
Their  salutations  soon  were  o'er; 
He  took  the  stranger's  horse  aside 
And  to  a  sturdy  sapling  tied; 
Then,  having  stripped  the  saddle  off. 
He  fed  him  in  a  sugar  trough. 
The  stranger  stooped  to  enter  in. 
The  entrance  closing  with  a  pin, 
And  manifested  strong  desire 
To  seat  him  by  the  log  heap  fire, 
Where  half  a  dozen  Hoosheroons, 
With  mush  and  milk,  tincups  and  spoons. 
White  heads,  bare  feet  and  dirty  faces. 
Seemed  much  inclined  to  keep  their  places, 
But  Madam,  anxious  to  display 
Her   rough  and   undisputed  sway, 
Her  offspring  to  the  ladder  led 
And  cuffed  the  youngsters  up  to  bed. 
Invited  shortly  to  partake 
Of  venison,  milk  and  johnny-cake 
The  stranger  made  a  hearty  meal 
And  glances  round  the  room  would  steal; 
One  side  was  lined  with  skins  of  "varments" 
The  other  spread  with  divers  garments. 
Dried   pumpkins  overhead  were  strung 
Where  venison  hams  in  plenty  hung. 
Two  rifles  placed  above  the  door. 
Three  dogs  lay  stretched  upon  the  floor, 
In  short,  the  domicile  was  rife. 
With  specimens  of  "Hoosher"  life. 

The  host  who  centered   his   affections 
On  game  and  range,  and  quarter  sections 
Discoursed  his  weary  guest  for  hours. 
Till  Somnus'  ever  potent  powers 
Of  sublunary  cares  bereft  them 
And  then  I  came  away  and  left  them. 
No  matter  how  the  story  ended 
The  application   I   intended 
Is  from  the  famous  Scottish  poet 
Who  seemed  to  feel  as  well  as  know  it 
"That  buirdly  chiels  and  clever  hizzies 
Are  bred  in  sic  a  way  as  this  is." 
One  more  subject  I'll  barely  mention 
To  which  I  ask  your  kind  attention 
My  pockets  are  so  shrunk  of  late 
I  can  not  nibble  "Hoosher  bait." 

It  will  be  noted  that  thronshont  the  manu- 
script the  word  is  spelled  "Hoosher"  and  is 
always  put  in  quotation  marks.  Mrs.  Wrig- 
ley  informs  me  that  her  father  had  no  knowl- 
edge of  the  origin  of  the  word,  but  found  it 
in  verbal  use  when  he  wrote.  She  is  conti- 
dent,  however,  that  he  coined  the  word 
"hoosheroon,"  and  the  proba.bility  of  this 
is  increased  by  the  fact  that  he  did  not  quote 
it  in  his  manuscript.  In  later  editions  of 
the  poem  he  used  the  form  "Hoosier. "    His 


original  spelling  shows  that  the  word  was  not 
common  in  print,  and  several  years  passed 
before  the  spelling  became  fixed  in  its  present 
form. 

Although  the  word  "Hoosier"  has  not 
been  found  in  print  earlier  than  Januaiy 
1,  1833,  it  became  common  enough  immedi- 
ately afterwards."  In  fact  the  term  seems 
to  have  met  general  approval,  and  to  have 
been  accepted  by  everybody.  On  January 
8,  1833,  at  the  Jackson  dinner  at  Indian- 
apolis, John  W.  Davis  gave  the  toast,  "The 
Hooshier  State  of  Indiana."^  On  Augiist  3, 
1833,  the  Indiana  Democrat  published  the 
following  prospectus  of  a  new  paper  to  be 
established  by  ex-Gov.  Ray  and  partner: 

Prospectus  for  Publishing 

THE  HOOSIER 

At  Greencastle,  Indiana 

By  J.  B.  Ray  &  W.  M.  Tannehill. 

"We  intend  publishing  a  real  Newspaper. 
To  this  promise  (though  comprehensive 
enough)  we  would  add,  that  it  is  intended  to 
make  the  moral  and  political  world  con- 
tribute their  full  share,  in  enriching  its 
columns. 

"The  arts  and  sciences,  and  agriculture 
and  commerce,  and  literature  shall  all  re- 
ceive a  due  portion  of  our  care. 

"Left  to  our  choice  Ave  might  refrain  from 
remark  on  presidential  matters;  but  suppos- 
ing, that  you  may  require  an  intimation, 
suffice  it  to  say,  that  our  past  preference 
has  been  for  General  Jackson  and  his  ad- 
ministration;  and  we  deem  it  premature  to 
decide  as  to  the  future  without  knowing  who 
are  to  be  the  candidates.  Those  men  who 
shall  sustain  Western  measures,  shall  be  our 
men.  Believing  that  there  is  but  one  interest 
in  the  West,  and  but  little  occasion  for 
partyism  beyond  the  investigation  of  princi- 
ples and  the  conduct  of  functionaries,  we 
would  ra.ther  encourage  union  than  excite 
divisio)!.  We  shall  con.stantly  keep  in  view 
the  happiness,  interest  and  prosperity  of  all. 
To  the  goofh  this  paper  will  be  as  a  shield  : 
to  the  harl.  a  terror. 

"The  Hoosier  will  be  published  weekly,  at 
$2  in  advance  and  25  cents  for  every  tliree 

a.  For  modification  of  this  statement  see  ex- 
tract from  the  N.  W.  Pioneer  of  April  4,  1832, 
printed,  supra,  in  this  subdivision. 

6.     Indiana  Democrat,  Jan.  12,  1833. 


114 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


mouths  delay  of  pajonent,  per  annum,  on 
a  good  sheet  of  paper  of  superroyal  size, 
to  be  enlarged  to  an  imperial  as  the  subscrip- 
tion will  justify  it. 

"This  paper  shall  do  honor  to  the  people 
of  Putnam  county;  and  we  expect  to  see 
them  patronize  us.  The  press  is  now  at 
Greencastle.  Let  subscription  papers  be  re- 
turned by  the  1st  of  Sept.  when  the  first 
number  will  appear." 

On  Oct.  26,  1833,  the  Indiana  Democrat 
republished  from  the  Cincinnati  Republican 
a  discussion  of  the  origin  and  making  of  the 
word  "Hoosier,"  which  will  be  quoted  in 
full  hereafter,  which  shows  that  the  term  had 
then  obtained  general  adoption.  C.  F.  Hoff- 
man, a  traveler  who  passed  through  the 
northern  part  of  the  state,  says,  under  date 
of  Dec.  29,  1833: 

"I  am  now  ir  the  land  of  the  Hooshiers, 
and  find  that  long-haired  race  much  more 
civilized  than  some  of  their  Western  neigh- 
bors are  willing  to  represent  them.  The  term 
'Hooshier,'  like  that  of  Yankee,  or  Buck- 
eye, first  applied  contemptuously,  has  now  be- 
come a  soubriquet  that  bears  nothing  in- 
vidious with  it  to  the  ear  of  an  Indianian.''« 

On  Jan.  4,  1834,  the  Indiana  Democrat 
quoted  from  the  ^Nlaysville.  Ky..  ^ilonitor, 
"The  Hoosier  State  like  true  democrats  have 
taken  the  lead  in  appointing  delegates  to  a 
National  Convention,  etc."  On  ^May  10. 
1834,  the  Indianapolis  Journal  printed  the 
following  editorial  paragraph: 

"The  Hooshier,  started  some  time  ago  by 
Messrs.  Ray  and  Tannehill,  at  Greencastle, 
has  sunk  into  repose;  and  a  new  paper  en- 
titled the  ' G-reeneastle  Advertiser,'  published 
by  James  M.   Grooms,  has  taken  its  place." 

It  is  quite  possible  that  this  statement  was 
made  with  the  mischievous  intent  of  stirring 
up  Gov.  Ray,  for  he  was  rather  sensitive, 
and  the  "Whigs  seemed  to  delight  in  starting 
stories  that  called  forth  indignant  deniaL'> 
from  him.  If  this  was  the  purpose  it  was 
successful,  for  on  May  31  the  Journal  said: 

"We  understand  that  another  No.  of  the 
Hooshier  has  been  recently  received  in  town, 
and  that  it  contains  quite  a  bitter  complaint 
about  our  remark  a  week  or  two  ago.  that  it 
had  'sunk  into  repose.'  We  assure  the 
Editor  that  we  made  the  remark  as  a  mere 
matter  of  news,  without  any  intention  to  re- 
joice at  the  suspension  of  the  paper.  Several 
weeks   had   passed   over   without   any   paper 

a.     "A  Winter  in  the  West,"  p.  226. 


being  received,  and  it  was  currently  reported 
that  it  had  'blowed  out'  and  therefore,  as  a 
mere  passing  remark,  we  stated  that  it  had 
'sunk  into  repose.'  We  have  no  objection 
that  it  should  live  a  thousand  years." 

The  new  paper,  however,  clid  not  last  as 
long  as  that.  It  was  sold  in  the  fall  of  1834 
to  J.  AY.  Osborn  who  continued  the  publica- 
tion, but  changed  the  name,  in  the  following 
spring,  to  the  "Western  Plough  Boy."  On 
Sept.  19,  1834.  the  Indiana  Democrat  had  the 
following  reference  to  ]Mr.   Finley : 

"The  poet  laureate  of  Hoosierland  and 
editor  of  the  Richmond  Palladium  has 
threatened  to  'cut  acquaintance  with  B.  of 
the  Democrat!!'  The  gentleman  alluded  to. 
is  the  same  individual  that  was  unceremon- 
iously robbed,  by  the  Cincinnati  Chronick, 
of  the  credit  of  immortalizing  our  State  in 
verse,  bv  that  justly  celebrated  epic  of  the 
' Hoosier 's  Nest.'  "  ^ 

On  Nov.  29,  1834,  the  Vincennes  Sun  used 
the  caption.  "Hoosier  and  ]\Iammoth  Pump- 
kins," over  an  article  reprinted  from  the 
Cincinnati  Alirror  concerning  a  load  of  big 
pumpkins  from  Indiana. 

These  extracts  sufficiently  demonstrate  the 
general  acceptation  of  the  name  in  the  two 
years  following  the  publication  of  Finley 's 
poem.  The  diversified  spelling  of  the  word 
at  this  period  shows  that  it  was  new  in  print, 
and  indeed  some  years  elapsed  before  the 
now  accepted  spelling  became  universal.  On 
Jan.  6,  1838,  the  Ft.  Wayne  Sentinel  re- 
published the  portion  of  the  poem  beginning 
with  the  words,  "Blest  Indiana,  in  her  soil." 
It  was  very  probable  that  this  publication 
Avas  made  directly  from  an  original  copy  of 
the  carrier's  address,  for  Thomas  Tigar,  one 
of  the  founders  and  editors  of  the  Ft.  Wayne 
Sentinel,  had  been  connected  with  the  In- 
dianapolis Press  in  January',  1833,  and  the 
old-fashioned  newspaperman  was  accustomed 
to  preserve  articles  that  struck  his  fancv, 
and  reproduce  them.  Jn  this  publication  the 
poem  is  given  as  in  the  Finley  manuscript, 
except  that  the  first  two  times  the  word 
occurs  it  is  spelled  "hoosier"  and  once  after- 
ward "hoosheer."  the  latter  evidently  a  typo- 
graphical error.  At  the  other  points  it  is 
spelled  "hoosher. "  This  original  form  of 
the  word  also  indicates  tha.t  there  had  been 
some  change  in  the  pronunciation,  and  this 
is  confirmed  from  another  source.  For  many 
years  there  had  been  neriodical  discussions 
of  the  origin  of  the  wor:l  in  the  newspapers  of 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


115 


the  State,  and  in  one  of  these,  which  occurred 
in  the  Indianapolis  Journal,  in  1860,  when 
numerous  contemporaries  of  Finley  were  still 
living,  Hon.  Jere  Smith,  a  prominent  citizen 
of   Winchester,   made  this   statement: 

"My  recollection  is  that  the  word  began 
to  be  used  in  this  country  in  the  fall  of 
1824,  but  it  might  have  been  as  late  as  1826 
or  1827,  when  the  Louisville  &  Portland 
canal  was  being  made.  I  first  heard  it  at  a 
corn-husking.  It  was  used  in  the  sense  of 
'rip-roaring,'  'half  horse'  and  'half  alli- 
gator,' and  such  like  backwoods  coinages.  It 
was  then,  and  for  some  years  afterwards, 
spoken  as  if  spelled  'huslier, '  the  'u'  hav- 
ing the  sound  it  has  in  'bush,'  'push,'  etc. 
In  1829,  1830  and  1831  its  sound  glided  into 
'hoosher,'  till  finally  Mr.  Finley 's  'Hoosier's 
Nest'  made  the  present  orthography  and 
pronunciation  classical,  and  it  has  remained 
so  since."* 

Of  course,  this  is  not  conclusive  evidence 
that  there  was  a  change  in  pronunciation, 
for  iNIr.  Smith's  observation  may  have  ex- 
tended to  one  neighborhood  only,  and  it  may 
have  taken  on  a  variant  pronunciation  at  the 
start,  but  his  testimony,  in  connection  with 
the  changed  spelling,  is  certainly  very 
plausible. 

There  have  been  offered  a  number  of  ex- 
planations of  the  origin  of  the  word,  and 
naturally  those  most  commonly  heard  are 
those  that  have  been  most  extensively  pre- 
sented in  print.  Of  the  "authorities"  on 
the  subject  perhaps  the  best  known  is  Bart- 
lett's  "Dictionary  of  Americanisms"  which 
was  originally  published  in  1838  and  was 
widely  circulated  in  that  and  the  subsequent 
edition,  besides  being  frequently  quoted.  Its 
statement  is  as  follows : 

"Hoosier.  A  nickname  given  at  the  West, 
to  nativ&s  of  Indiana. 

"A  correspondent  of  the  Providence 
Journal,  writing  from  Indiana,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  the  origin  of  this  term : 
'Throughout  all  the  early  Western  settle- 
ments were  men  who  rejoiced  in  their  physi-  • 
eal  strength,  and  on  numerous  occasions,  at 
log-rollings  and  house-raisings,  demonstrated 
this  to  their  entire  satisfaction.  They  were 
styled  by  their  fellow-citizens,  hushers,  from 
their  primary  capacity  to  still  their  op- 
ponents. It  was  a  common  term  for  a  bully 
throughout  the  West.  The  boatmen  of  In- 
diana were  formerly  as  rude  a.nd  primitive 

a.     Indianapolis  Journal,  January  20,  1860. 


a  set  as  could  well  belong  to  a  civilized 
country,  and  they  were  often  in  the  habit 
of  displaying  their  pugilistic  accomplish- 
ments upon  the  levee  at  New  Orleans.  Upon 
a  certain  occasion  there  one  of  these  rustic 
professors  of  the  "noble  art"  very  adroitly 
and  successfully  practiced  the  "fancy"  upon 
several  individuals  at  one  time.  Being  him- 
self not  a  native  of  the  Western  world,  in 
the  exuberance  of  his  exultation  he  sprang 
up,  exclaiming,  in  a  foreign  accent,  "I'm  a 
hoosier,  I'm  a  hoosier."  Some  of  the  New 
Orleans  papers  reported  the  case,  and  after- 
wards transferred  the  corruption  of  the 
word  "husher"  (hoosier)  to  aU  the  boatmen 
from  Indiana,  and  from  thence  to  all  her 
citizens.  The  Kentuckians,  on  the  contrary, 
maintained  that  the  nickname  expresses  the 
gruff'  exclamation  of  their  neighbors,  when 
one  knocks  at  a  door,  etc.,  "Who's  yere?"  '  " 
Both  of  these  theories  have  had  adherents, 
and  especially  the  latter,  though  nobody  has 
ever  found  any  basis  for  their  historical  fea- 
tures beyond  the  assertion  of  this  newspaper 
correspondent.  Nobody  has  ever  produced 
any  evidence  of  the  use  of  the  word 
"husher"  as  here  indicated.  It  is  not  found 
in  any  dictionary  of  any  kind — not  even  in 
Bartlett's.  I  have  never  found  any  indica- 
tion of  its  former  use  or  its  present  survival. 
And  there  is  no  greater  evidence  of  the  use 
of  the  expression,  "Who's  yere?"  when  ap- 
proaching a  house.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
common  custom  when  coming  to  a  house  and 
desiring  communication  with  the  residents 
was  to  call,  "Hallo  the  house!"  And  this 
custom  is  referred  to  in  Finley 's  line: 
' '  He  hailed  the  house,  and  then  alighted. ' ' 
Furthermore,  if  a  pereon  who  came  to  a 
house  called  "Wlio's  yere?"  what  cause 
would  there  be  for  calling  the  people  who 
live  in  the  house  "who's  yeres?"  There  is 
neither  evidence  nor  reason  to  support  it. 
But  there  is  still  a  stronger  reason  for  dis- 
carding these  theories,  and  most  others.  To 
produce  the  change  of  a  word  or  term  liy 
corruption,  there  must  be  practical  identity 
of  sound  and  accent.  It  was  natural  enough 
for  the  Indiana  pioneers  to  convert  "au 
poste"  into  "Opost. "  It  was  natural 
enough  for  the  Ne\\*  INFexiean  settlers  to 
change  "Jicarilla"  to  "TTickoiy."  It  was 
natural  enough  for  the  Coloi-ado  cowboys  to 
transform  "Purgatoire  river"  to  "Picket- 
wire  river."  But  there  is  scant  possibility 
of   changing   "husher,"   or   "who's   yere" — 


116 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


as  it  would  probably  be  spoken — into 
"hoosh-er. "  This  consideration  has  led  to 
the  suggestion  that  the  expression  from 
which  the  word  came  was  "who  is  yer?"  but 
there  is  nothing  to  support  this.  The  early 
settlers    did    not   use    "is"    for    "are"    but 


iLsually  pronounced  the  latter  "air." 


And 


they  did  not  say 


though 


"yer"  for  "you, 
they  often  used  it  for  "your." 

Another  theory,  almost  as  popular  as 
these,  derives  the  word  from  "hussar,"  and 
this  theory,  in  its  various  forms,  harks  back 
to  a  Col.  John  Jacob  Lehmanowsky,  who 
served  under  Napoleon,  and  afterwards 
settled  in  Indiana,  where  he  becama  widely 
known  as  a  lecturer  on  the  Napoleonic  wars. 
The  tradition  preserved  in  his  family  is  that 
once  while  in  Kentucky  he  became  engaged 
in  a  dispute  with  some  natives,  and  sought 
to  settle  the  matter  by  announcing  that  he 
was  a  hussar.  They  understood  him  to  say 
that  he  was  a  "hoosier, "  and  thereafter  ap- 
plied that  name  to  everybody  from  Indiana. 
This  theory  has  several  shapes,  one  being 
presented  by  the  Rev.  Aaron  Wood,  the  pio- 
neer preacher,  thus : 

"The  name  'hoosier'  originated  as  fol- 
lows :  When  the  young  men  of  the  Indiana 
side  of  the  Ohio  river  went  to  Louisville, 
the  Kentucky  men  boasted  over  them,  call- 
ing them  'New  Purchase  Greenies, '  claiming 
to  be  a  superior  race,  composed  of  half  horse, 
half  alligator,  and  tipped  off  with  snapping 
turtle.  These  taunts  produced  fights  in  the 
market  house  and  streets  of  Louisville.  On 
one  occasion  a  stout  bully  from  Indiana  was 
victor  in  a  fist  fight,  and  having  heard 
Colonel  Lehmanowsky  lecture  on  the  'Wars 
of  Europe,'  who  always  gave  martial 
prowess  to  the  German  Hussars  in  a  fight, 
pronouncing  hussars  'hoosiers'  the  Indian- 
ian,  when  the  Kentuckian  cried  'enough,' 
jumped  up  and  said:  'I  am  a  Hoosier,'  and 
hence  the  Indianians  were  called  by  that 
name.  This  was  its  true  origin.  I  was  in 
the  State  when  it  occurred."'* 

Unfortunately,  others  are  equally  positive 
as  to  their  "true  origins."  The  chief  Ob- 
jection that  has  been  urged  to  this  theory  is 
that  Lehmanowsky  was  not  in  the  State 
when  the  term  began  to  be  used,  and  the 
evidence  on  this  point  is  not  very  satisfactory. 
His  son,  M.  L.  Lehmanowsky,  of  DePauw, 
Ind.,  informs  me  that  his  father  came  to  this 
country  in  1815,  but  he  is  unable  to  fix  the 

a.    Sketches,  p.  45. 


date  of  his  removal  to  Indiana.  Published 
sketches  of  his  life"  state  that  he  was  with 
Napoleon  at  Waterloo;  that  he  was  after- 
wards imprisoned  at  Paris;  that  he  escaped 
and  made  his  way  to  New  York;  that  he 
remained  for  several  years  at  New  York  and 
Philadelphia  where  he  taught  school;  that  he 
came  to  Rush  county,  Indiana,  and  there 
married  and  bought  a  farm ;  that  after  bear- 
ing him  seven  children  his  wife  died;  that 
he  then  removed  to  Harrison  county,  arriv- 
ing there  in  1837.  These  data  would  indi- 
cate that  he  came  to  Indiana  sometime  before 
1830.  The  date  of  the  deed  to  his  farm, 
as  shown  by  the  Rush  county  records,  is 
April  30,  1835.  Aside  from  the  question  of 
date,  it  ls  not  credible  that  a  Polish  officer 
pronounced  "hussar"  "hoosier,"  or  that 
from  the  use  of  that  word  by  a  known  for- 
eigner a  new  term  could  spring  into  exist- 
ence, and  so  quickly  be  applied  to  the  natives 
of  the  state  where  he  chanced  to  live. 

To  these  theories  of  the  origin  of  the  word 
may  be  added  one  communicated  to  me  by 
James  Whitcoml)  Riley,  whose  acquaintance 
with  dialect  makes  him  an  authority  on  the 
subject.  It  is  evidently  of  later  origin  than 
the  others,  and  not  so  well  known  to  the 
public.  A  casual  conversation  happening  to 
turn  to  this  subject,  he  said:  "These  stories 
commonly  told  about  the  origin  of  the  word 
'Hoosier'  are  all  nonsense.  The  real  origin 
is  found  in  the  pugnacious  habits  of  the 
early  settlers.  They  were  very  vicious 
fighters,  and  not  only  gouged  and  scratched, 
but  frequently  bit  off  noses  and  ears.  This 
was  so  ordinary  an  affair  that  a.  settler  com- 
ing into  a  bar  room  on  a  morning  after  a 
fight,  and  seeing  an  ear  on  the  floor,  would 
merely  push  it  aside  with  his  foot  and  care- 
lessly ask,  'Who's  year?'  "  I  feel  safe  in 
venturing  the  opinion  that  this  theory  is 
quite  as  plausible,  and  almost  as  well  sus- 
tained by  historical  evidence,  as  any  of  the 
others. 

In  this  connection  it  is  of  interest  to  note 
the  earliest  known  discussion  of  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word,  which  has  been  referred  to 
as  republished  in  the  Indiana  Democrat  of 
Oct.  26,  1833.    It  is  as  follows : 

"HOOSHIER. 

"The  appellation  of  Hooshier  has  been 
used    in    many    of    the   Western    States,    for 

a.  Salem  Democrat,  October  25,  1899;  March 
28,  1900. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


117 


several  years,  to  designate,  in  a  good-natured 
way,  an  inhabitant  of  our  sister  state  of  In- 
diana.    Ex-Governor  Ray  has  lately  started 
a    newspaper    in    Indiana,    which    he    names 
'The  Hoshier'  (sic).    Many  of  our  ingenious 
native    philologists   have    attempted,    though 
very    unsatisfactorily,   to   explain   this   some- 
what singular  term.     Mordecai  M.  Noah,  in 
the  late  number  of  his  Evening  Star,  under- 
takes to  account  for  it  upon  the  faith  of  a 
rather  apocryphal  story   of  a  recruiting  of- 
ficer, who  was  engaged  during  the  last  war, 
in  enlisting  a  company  of  HUSSARS,  whom 
by    mistake    he    unfortunately    denominated 
Hooshiers.     Another  etymologist  tells  us  that 
when   the   state   of   Indiana  was   being  sur- 
veyed,   the    surveyors,    on    finding   the    resi- 
dence of  a  squatter,  would  exclaim  'WJio's 
here,' — that  this  exclamation,  abbreviated  to 
Hooshier  was,  in  process  of  time,  lapplied  as 
a  distinctive  appellation  to  the  original  set- 
tlers of  that  state,  and,  finally  to  its  inhabi- 
tants generally.    Neither  of  these  hypotheses 
is     deserving     any     attention.       The     word 
Hooshier  is  indebted  for  its  existence  to  that 
once  numerous  and  unique,  but  now  extinct 
class   of   mortals    called   the    Ohio   Boatmen. 
— In  its  original  acceptation  it  was  equiva- 
lent  to   'Ripstaver,'   'Scrouger,'   'Screamer,' 
'Bulger,'    'Ring-tailroarer,'    and    a   hundred 
others,    equally    expressive,    but    which   have 
never  attained'  to  such  a  respectable  standing 
as  itself.    By  some  caprice  which  can  never 
be    explained,    the    appellation    Hooshier   be- 
came confined  solely  to  such  boatmen  as  had 
their    homes    upon    the    Indiana    shore,    and 
from  them   it  was  gradually  applied  to   all 
the  Indianians,  who  acknowledge  it  as  good 
naturedly    as    the    appellation    of    Yankee — 
Whatever  may  have  been  the  original  accep- 
tation  of    Hooshier  this   we   know,   that   the 
people    to    whom    it    is    now    applied,    are 
amongst   the   bravest,    most   intelligent,   most 
enterprising,    most    magnanimous,    and    most 
democratic  of  the  Great  West,  and  should  we 
ever  feel  disposed  to  quit  the  state  in  whicli 
we  are  now  sojourning,  our  own  noble  Ohio, 
it  will  be  to  enroll  oureelves  as  adopted  citi- 
zens in  the  land  of  the  'HOOSHIER.'— Cin- 
cinnati Republican." 

Here  is  a  presentation  of  the  question,  ten 
months  after  Finley's  publication,  covering 
most  of  the  ground  that  has  since  been  oc- 
cupied. The  "hussar"  theory  is  carried 
back  to  the  war  of  1812,  long  before  Col. 
Lehmanowsky    was    in    this    country.      The 


"who's  here"  theory  is  carried  back  to  the 
government  surveys,  although  it  is  certain 
that  there  were  few,  if  any,  "squatters"  on 
government  lands  in  Indiana  before  the  sur- 
veys were  made.  The  "husher"  theory,  in 
embryo,  is  presented  in  the  writer's  theory, 
which  is  apparently  conjectural,  except  per- 
haps as  evidence  that  the  word  was  applied 
to  the  rather  rough-looking  class  of  flat-boat- 
men who  made  their  trips  down  the  Ohio 
and   Mississippi. 

There  has  been  a  notable  tendency  to  lo- 
cate these  stories  at  Louisville,   and  to  con- 
nect    them      with      the     building      of     the 
Louisville    and    Portland    canal    which    was 
under   construction   from   1826   to    1831,   in- 
clusive.    The  "husher"  story  is  located  there 
by  several  of  its  advocates.     Another  story, 
of  recent  origin,  coming  from  one  Vanblari- 
cum,  was  recounted  by  ]\Ir.  George  Cottman 
in    the    Indianapolis    Press    of    February    6, 
1901.       Vanblaricum     claimed     that     while 
passing  through  southern   Tennessee  he  met 
a   man    named   Hoosier,    and   this   man   said 
that  a  member  of  his  family  had  a  contract 
on    the    construction    of    the    Louisville    and 
Portland    canal;    tha,t    he    employed    his    la- 
borers    from     the     Indiana     side,     and     the 
neighbors    got    to    calling    them    "  Hoosier 's 
men,"  from  which  the  name  "Hoosier"  came 
to    be    applied    to    Indiana    men    generally. 
Vanblaricum  could  not  give  the  address  of  his 
informant,    or    any    information    tending    to 
confirm  the  story.     At  my  request  Mr.  Louis 
Ludlow,    Washington    correspondent    of    the 
Indianapolis   Sentinel,   made   inquiry  of   the 
representatives    from    the    southern    districts 
of  Tennessee,  and  learned  that  none  of  them 
had  ever  heard  of  such  a  story,  or  knew  of 
the  name  "Hoosier"  in  his  district.     An  ex- 
amination of  the  directories  of  Atlanta,  Au- 
gusta,   Baltimore,    Chattanooga,    Cincinnati, 
Kansas    City,    Little   Rock,   Louisville.    J\Iem- 
phis,    Nashville,   New   Orleans,   Philadelphia, 
Richmond,   St.  Louis,  St.  Joseph,   Savannah, 
Wheeling,  Wilmington,  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia,   and    the    state    of    Tennessee,    failed    to 
reveal  any  such  name  as  Hoosier.     As  it  is 
hardly  possible  for  a  family  name  to  disap- 
pear completely,  we  may  reasonably  drop  the 
Vanblaricum  story  from  consideration.     The 
same  conclusion  will  also  apply  to  the  story 
of  a  Louisville  ])ak('r.   named  Hoosier,   from 
whom   the   term    is   sometimes   said   to    have 
come.     It  is  now  known  that  the  occurrence 


of   "Hoosier"   as 


a   Christian   name   in   the 


118 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


minutes  of  an  early  Methodist  conference  in 
Indiana,  was  the  result  of  misspelling.  The 
member's  name  was  "Ho-si-er  (accent  on  the 
second  syllable)  J.  Durbin,"  and  the  secre- 
tary in  writing-  it  put  in  an  extra  "o. "  It 
may  be  mentioned  in  this  connection  that 
"Hooser"  is  a  rather  common  family  name 
in  the  South,  and  that  "Hoos"  is  occasion- 
ally found. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  wild-goose 
chases  I  ever  indulged  in  was  occasioned  by 
a  passage  in  the  narrative  of  Francis  and 
Therasa  Pulszky,  entitled  "White,  Red  and 
Black."  The  Pulszkys  accompanied  Kossuth 
on  his  trip  through  the  States  and  visited 
Indianapolis  in  1852.  In  the  account  of  this 
visit  Mrs.  Pulszky  says : 

"Governor  "Wright  is  a  type  of  the 
Hoosiers,  and  justly  proud  to  be  one  of  them. 
I  asked  him  wherefrom  his  people  had  got 
this  name.  He  told  me  that  'Hoosa'  is  the 
Indian  name  for  maize,  the  principal  produce 
of  the  State." 

This  opened  a  new  vista.  The  names 
"Coosa"  and  "Tallapoosa"  came  to  memory. 
How  simple!  The  Indiana  flat-boatmen  tak- 
ing their  loads  of  corn  down  the  river  were 
called  "Hoosa  men"  by  the  Southern  In- 
dians, and  so  the  name  originated.  But  a 
search  of  Indian  vocabularies  showed  no  such 
name  for  maize  or  for  anything  else.  The 
nearest  approaches  to  it  are  "Hoosac"  and 
"  Housatonie, "  which  are  both  probably  cor- 
ruptions from  the  same  stem,  "awass," 
meaning  beyond  or  further.  The  latter  word 
is  supposed  to  be  the  Indian  "wassatinak," 
which  is  the  New  England  form  of  the  Al- 
gonquin "awassadinang, "  meaning  beyond 
the  mountains. 

In  1854  Amelia  M.  Murray  visited  Indian- 
apolis, and  was  for  a  time  the  guest  of 
Governor  Wright.  In  her  book  entitled 
"Letters  from  the  United  States,  Cuba  and 
Canada"  (page  324),  she  says: 

"Madame  Pfeiffer  (she  evidently  meant 
Mrs.  PuLszky,  for  Madame  Pfeiffer  did  not 
come  here  and  does  not  mention  the  subject) 
mistook  Governor  AVright,  when  she  gave 
from  his  authority  another  derivation  for  the 
word  'Hoosier.'  It  originated  in  a  settler's 
exclaiming  'Huzza,'  upon  gaining  the  victory 
over  a  marauding  party  from  a  neighboring 
State." 

With  these  conflicting  statements,  I  called 
on  Mr.  John  C.  Wright,  son  of  Governor 
Wright.     He   remembered  the  visits   of  the 


PuLszkys  and  Miss  Murray,  but  knew  noth- 
ing of  Madame  Pfeiffer.  He  said:  "I  often 
heard  my  father  discuss  this  subject.  His 
theory  was  that  the  Indiana  tiatboatmen 
were  athletic  and  pugnacious,  and  were  ac- 
customed, when  on  the  levees  of  the  Southern 
cities,  to  'jump  up  and  crack  their  heels  to- 
gether' and  shout  'Huzza,'  whence  the  name 
of  'huzza  fellows.'  We  have  the  same  idea 
now  in  'hoorah  people,'  or  'a  hoorah  time.'  " 
It  will  be  noted  that  all  these  theories  prac- 
tically carry  three  features  in  common : 

1.  They  are  alike  in  the  idea  that  the  word 
was  firat  applied  to  a  rough,  boisterous,  un- 
couth, illiterate  class  of  people,  and  that  the 
word  originally  implied  this  character. 

2.  They  are  alike  in  the  idea  that  the  word 
came  from  the  South^  or  was  first  applied  by 
southern  people. 

3.  They  are  alike  in  the  idea  that  the  word 
was  coined  for  the  purpose  of  designating 
Indiana  people,  and  was  not  in  existence 
before  it  was  applied  to  them. 

If  our  primary  suspicion  be  correct,  that 
all  the  investigators  and  theorists  have  fol- 
lowed some  false  lead  from  the  beginning, 
it  will  presumably  be  found  in  one  of  these 
three  common  features.  Of  the  three,  the 
one  that  would  more  probably  have  been  de^ 
rived  from  assumption  than  from  observation 
is  the  third.  If  we  adopt  the  hypothesis 
that  it  is  erroneous,  we  have  left  the  propo- 
sition that  the  word  "hoosier,"  was  in  use 
at  the  South,  signifying  a  rough  or  uncouth 
person,  before  it  was  applied  to  Indiana ;  and 
if  this  were  true  it  would  presumably  con- 
tinue to  be  used  there  in  that  sense.  Now 
this  condition  actually  exists,  as  appears 
from  the  following  evidence. 

In  her  recent  novel,  "In  Connection  with 
the  De  Willoughby  Claim, ' '  •  Mrs.  Frances 
Hodgson  Burnett  refers  several  times  to  one 
of  her  characters — a  boy  from  North  Caro- 
lina— as  a  ' '  hoosier. ' '  In  reply  to  an  inquiry 
she  writes  to  me : 

"The  word  'hoosier'  in  Tennessee  and 
North  Carolina  seems  to  imply,  as  you  sug- 
gest, an  uncouth  sort '  of  rustic.  In  the 
days  when  I  first  heard  it  my  idea  was  also 
that — in  agreement  with  you  again — it  was  a 
slang  term.  I  think  a  Tennesseean  or  Caro- 
linian vof  the  class  given  to  colloquialisms 
would  have  applied  the  term  'hoosier'  to  any 
rustic  person  without  reference  to  his  belong- 
ing to  any  locality  in  particular.    But  when 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


119 


I  lived  in  Tennessee  I  was  very  young  and 
did  not  inquire  closely  into  the  matter." 

Mrs.  C.  W.  Bean,  of  Washington,  Ind., 
furnishes  me  this  statement: 

"In  the  year  1888,  as  a  child,  I  visited 
Nashville,  Tenn.  One  day  I  was  walking 
down  the  street  with  two  of  my  aunts,  and 
our  attention  was  attracted  by  a  large 
number  of  mountaineers  on  the  streets, 
mostly  from  northern  Georgia,  who  had  come 
in  to  some  sort  of  society  meeting.  One  of 
my  aunts  said,  'What  a  lot  of  hoosiers  there 
are  in  town.'  In  surprise  I  said,  'Why  I  am 
a  Iloosier. '  A  horrified  look  came  over  my 
aunt's  face  and  she  exclaimed,  'For  the 
Lord's  sake,  child,  don't  let  any  one  here 
know  you're  a  hoosier. '  I  did  not  make  the 
claim  again  for  on  inspection  the  visitors 
proved  a  wild-looking  lot  who  might  be  sus- 
pected of  never  having  seen  civilization  be- 
fore." 

Miss  Mary  E.  Johnson,  of  Nashville,  Tenn., 
gives  the  following  statement : 

"I  have  been  familiar  with  the  use  of  the 
word  'hoosier'  all  my  life,  and  always  as 
meaning  a  rough  class  of  country  people. 
The  idea  attached  to  it,  as  I  understand  it, 
is  not  so  much  that  they  are  from  the  coun- 
try, as  that  they  are  green  and  gawky.  I 
think  the  sense  is  much  the  same  as  in  'hay- 
seed.' 'jay'  or  'yahoo.'  " 

Hon.  Thetus  W.  Sims,  Representative  in 
Congress  from  the  Tenth  Tennessee  district, 
says : 

"I  have  heard  all  my  life  of  the  word 
'hoosier'  as  applied  to  an  ignorant,  rough, 
unpolished  fellow. ' ' 

Mrs.  Samuel  M.  Deal  (formerly  Miss  Mary 
L.  Davis  of  Indianapolis)  gives  me  this  state- 
ment : 

"While  visiting  in  Columbia,  S.  C,  I  was 
walking  one  day  with  a  young  gentleman,  and 
we  passed  a  rough-looking  countryman.  'My! 
what  a  hoosier,"  exclaimed  my  escort.  'That 
is  a  very  noble  term  to  apply  to  such  an 
ob.ject,'  i  said.  'Why  so?'  he  inquired.  'Why 
I  am  a  Hoosier — all  Indiana  people  are,'  I 
answered.  '  Oh !  we  do  not  use  it  in  that  sense 
here,'  he  rejoined.  'With  us  a  hoosier  means 
a  jay.'  " 

The  following  three  statements  were  fur- 
nished to  me  by  Mr.  Meredith  Nicholson, 
who  collected  them  some  montlLs  since: 

John  Bell  Henneman,  of  the  department 
of  English,  University  of  Tennessee,  Knox- 
ville,  writes : 


"The  word  'hoosier'  is  generally  used  in 
Virginia,  South  Carolina,  Tennessee  as  an 
equivalent  for  '  a  country  hoodlum, '  '  a  rough, 
uncouth  countryman,'  etc.  The  idea  of 
'country'  is  always  attached  to  it  in  my 
mind,  with  a  degree  of  'uncouthness'  added. 
I  simply  speak  from  my  general  understand- 
ing of  the  term  as  heard  used  in  the  States 
mentioned  above." 

Mr.  Raymond  Weeks,  of  Columbia,  Mo., 
writes : 

"Pardon  my  delay  in  answering  your 
question  concerning  the  word  'hoosier'  in 
this  section.  The  word  means  a  native  of 
Indiana,  and  has  a  rare  popular  sense  of  a 
backwoodsman,  a  rustic.  One  hears:  'He 
is  a  regular  hoosier. '  ' ' 

Mrs.  John  M.  Judah,  of  Memphis,  writes: 

"About  the  word  'Hoosier' — one  hears  it 
in  Tennessee  often.  It  always  means  rough, 
uncouth,  countrified.  'I  am  a  Hoosier,'  I 
have  said,  and  my  friends  answer  bewilder- 
ingly,  'But  all  Indiana-born  are  Hoosiers,' 
I  declare,  'What  nonsense!'  is  the  answer 
generally,  but  one  old  politician  responded 
with  a  little  more  intelligence  on  the  subject : 
'You  Indianians  should  forget  that.  It  has 
been  untrue  for  many  years.'  In  one  of  Mrs. 
Evans's  novels — 'St.  Elmo,'  I  think — a 
noble  philanthropic  young  southern  woman 
is  reproached  by  her  haughty  father  ioj 
teaching  the  poor  childfen  in  thf  iieiyhbin 
hood^'a  lot  of  hoosiers,'  he  calls  them.  I 
have  seen  it  in  other  books,  too,  but  I  can 
not  recall  them.  In  newspapers  the  word  is 
common  enough,  in  the  sense  I  referred  to." 

It  is  scarcely  possible  that  this  widespread 
use  of  the  word  in  this  general  sense  could 
have  resulted  if  the  word  had  been  coined 
to  signify  a  native  of  Indiana,  but  it  would 
have  been  natural  enough,  if  the  word  were 
in  common  use  as  slang  in  the  South,  to  ap- 
ply it  to  the  people  of  Indiana.  ]\lany  of 
the  early  settlers  were  of  a  rough  and  ready 
character,  and  doubtless  most  of  them  looked 
it  in  their  long  and  toilsome  emigration,  but, 
more  than  that,  it  is  an  historical  fact  that 
about  the  time  of  the  publication  of  Finley's 
poem  there  was  a  great  fad  of  nicknaming 
in  the  West,  and  especially  as  to  the  several 
States.  It  was  a  feature  of  the  humor  of  the 
day,  and  all  genial  spirits  "pushed  it  along." 
A  good  illustration  of  this  is  seen  in  the 
following  passage  from  HotTma.n's  "Winter 
in  tlie  West '  ''^  referred  to  above : 

a.     Published  in  1835,  Vol.  I,  page  210. 


120 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


''There  was  a  long-haired  'hooshier'  from 
Indiana,  a  couple  of  .smart-looking  'suckers' 
from  the  southern  part  of  Illinois,  a  keen- 
eyed,  leather-belted  'badger'  from  the  mines 
of  Ouisconsin,  and  a  sturdy,  yeomanlike  fel- 
low, whose  white  capot.  Indian  moccasins  and 
red  sash  proclaimed,  while  he  boasted  a  three 
years'  residence,  the  genuine  'wolverine,'  or 
naturalized  Michiganian.  Could  one  refuse 
to  drink  with  such  a  company?  The  spokes- 
man was  evidently  a  'red  horse'  from  Ken- 
tucky, and  nothing  was  wanting  but  a  'buck- 
eye' from  Ohio  to  render  the  assemblage  as 
complete  as  it  was  select." 

This  same  frontier  jocularity  furnishes  an 
explanation  for  the  origin  of  several  of  the 
theories  of  the  derivation  of  the  name.  If  an 
assuming  sort  of  person,  in  a  crowd  accus- 
tomed to  the  use  of  "hoosier"  in  its  general 
slang  sense,  should  pretentiously  announce 
that  he  was  a  ' '  husher, "  or  a  "  hussar, ' '  noth- 
ing would  be  more  characteristically  Ameri- 
can than  for  somebody  to  observe,  "He  is  a 
hoosier,  sure  enough. ' '  And  the  victim  of  the 
little  pleasantry  would  naturally  suppose  that 
the  joker  had  made  a  mistake  in  the  term. 
But  the  significance  of  the  word  nuist  have 
been  quite  generally  understood,  for  the 
testimony  is  uniform  that  it  carried  its  slur- 
ring significance  from  the  start.  Still  it  was 
not  materially  more  objectionable  than  the 
names  applied  to  the  people  of  other  States, 
and  it  was  commonly  accepted  in  the  spirit 
of  humor.  As  JMr.  Finley  put  it,  in  later 
forms  of  his  poem: 

With  feelings  proud  we  contemplate 
The  rising  glory  of  our  State; 
Nor  take  offense  by  application 
Of  its  good-natured  appellation. 

It  appears  that  the  word  was  not  generally 
known  throughout  the  State  until  after  the 
publication  of  "The  Iloosiers'  Nest,"  though 
it  was  known  earlier  in  some  localities,  and 
these  localities  were  points  of  contact  with 
the  southern  people.  And  this  was  true  as 
to  Mr.  Finley 's  locality,  for  the  upper  part 
of  the  Whitewater  valley  was  largely  settled 
by  Southerners,  and  from  the  Tennessee-Car- 
olina mountain  region,  where  the  word  was 
especially  in  use.  Such  settlements  had  a  cer- 
tain individuality.  In  his  "Sketches"  (page 
38)  the  Rev.  Aaron  Wood  says-. 

"Previous  to  1830  society  was  not  homo- 
geneous, but  in  scraps,  made  so  by  the  elec- 
tic  affinity  of  race,  tastes,  sects  and  interest. 


There  was  a  wide  difference  in  the  domestic 
habits  of  the  families  peculiar  to  the  provin- 
cial gossip,  dialect  and  tastes  of  the  older 
States  from  which  they  had  emigrated." 

The  tradition  of  my  own  family,  which  was 
located  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Whitewater 
valley,  is  that  the  word  was  not  heard  there 
until  "along  in  the  thirties."  In  that  region 
it  always  carried  the  idea  of  roughness  or 
uncouthness.  and  it  developed  a  derivative — 
"hoosiery" — which  was  used  as  an  adjective 
or  adverb  to  indicate  something  that  was 
rough,  awkward  or  shiftless.  Testimony  as 
to  a  similar  condition  in  the  middle  part  of 
the  Whitewater  valley  is  furnished  in  the  fol- 
lowing statement,  given  me  by  the  Rev.  T.  A. 
Goodwin : 

"In  the  summer  of  1830  I  went  with  my 
father,  Samuel  Goodwin,  from  our  home  at 
Brookville  to  Cincinnati.  We  traveled  in  an 
old-fashioned  one-horse  Dearborn  wagon..  I 
was  a  boy  of  twelve  years  and  it  was  a  great 
occasion  for  me.  At  Cincinnati  I  had  a  fip 
for  a  treat,  and  at  that  time  there  was  noth- 
ing I  relished  so  much  as  one  of  those  big 
pieces  of  gingerbread  that  were  served  as  re- 
freshment on  nnister  days.  Fourth  of  July 
and  other  gala  occasions,  in  connection  with 
cider.  I  went  into  a  baker's  shop  and  asked 
for  'a  fip's  worth  of  gingerbread.'  The  man 
said,  'I  guess  you  want  hoosier-bait, '  and 
when  he  produced  it  I  found  that  he  had  the 
right  idea.  That  was  the  first  time  I  ever 
heard  the  word  'hoosier,'  but  in  a' few  years 
it  became  quite  commonly  applied  to  Indiana 
people.  'The  gingerbread  referred  to  was 
cooked  in  square  pans — about  fifteen  inches 
across,  I  should  think — and  with  furrows 
marked  across  the  top,  dividing  it  into  quar- 
ter-sections. A  quarter-section  sold  for  a  fip, 
which  was  6i^  cents.  It  is  an  odd  fact  that 
when  Hosier  J.  Durbin  joined  the  Indiana 
IMethodist  Conference,  in  1835,  his  name  was 
misspelled  'Hoosier'  in  the  minutes,  and  w^as 
so  printed.  The  word  'Hoosier'  always  had 
the  sense  of  roughness  or  uncouthness  in  its 
early  use. ' ' 

At  the  time  this  statement  was  made, 
neither  Mr.  Goodwin  nor  I  knew  of  the  ex- 
istence of  the  last  four  lines  of  Finley 's  poem, 
in  which  this  same  term  "hoosier-bait"  oc- 
curs, they  being  omitted  in  all  the  ordinary 
forms  of  the  poem.  The  derivation  of  this 
term  is  obvious,  whether  "bait"  be  taken  in 
its  sense  of  a  lure  or  its  sense  of  food.  It 
was  simply  something  that  "hoosiers"  were 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


121 


fond  of,  and  its  application  was  natural  at 
a  time  when  the  ideal  of  happiness  was  "a 
country-boy  with   a  hunk  of   gingerbread." 

After  the  word  had  been  applied  to  In- 
diana, and  had  entered  on  its  double-sense 
stage,  writers  who  were  familiar  with  both 
uses  distinguished  between  them  by  making 
it  a  proper  noun  when  Indiana  was  referred 
to.  An  illustration  of  this  is  seen  in  the 
writings  of  J.  S.  Robb,  author  of  "The 
Swamp  Doctor  in  the  Southwest"  and  other 
humorous  sketches,  published  in  1843.  He 
refei*s  to  Indiana  as  "the  Hoosier  state,"  but 
in  a  sketch  of  an  eccentric  St.  Louis  char- 
acter he  writes  thus: 

"One  day,  opposite  the  Planter's  House, 
during  a  military  parade,  George  was  en- 
gaged in  selling  his  edition  of  the  Advocate 
of  Truth,  when  a  tall  hoosier,  who  had  been 
gazing  at  him  with  astonishment  for  some 
time,  roared  out  in  an  immoderate  fit  of 
laughter. 

"  'What  do  you  see  so  funny  in  me  to 
laugh  at?'  inquired  George. 

"  'Why,  boss,'  said  the  hoo.sier,  'I  wur  jest 
a  thinkin'  ef  I'd  seed  you  out  in  the  woods, 
with  all  that  har  on,  they  would  a  been  the 
d — dest  runnin'  done  by  this  'coon  ever  seen 
in  them  diggins — you're  ekill  to  the  ele- 
phant !  and  a  leetle  the  haryest  small  man 
I've  seen  scart  up  lately.'  " 

Unfortunately,  however,  not  many  writers 
were  familiar  with  the  double  use  of  the  word, 
and  the  distinction  has  gradually  died  out, 
while  persistent  assertions  that  the  word  was 
coined  to  designate  Indiana  people  have 
loaded  on  them  all  the  odium  for  the  signifi- 
cance that  the  word  has  anywhere. 

The  real  problem  of  the  derivation  of  the 
woixl  "hoosier,"  is  not  a  question  of  the 
origin  of  a  word  formed  to  designate  the 
state  of  Indiana  and  its  people,  but  of  the 
origin  of  a  slang  term  widely  in  use  in  the 
South,  signifying  an  uncouth  rustic.  There 
seems  never  to  have  been  any  attempt  at  a 
rational  philological  derivation,  unless  we 
may  so  account  Mr.  Charles  G.  Leland's  re- 
marks in  Barriere  and  Leland's  "Dictionary 
of  Slang,  Jargon  and  Cant,"  which  are  as 
follows : 

"Hoosier  (American).  A  nickname  given 
to  natives  of  Indiana.  Bartlett  cites  from  the 
Providence  Journal  a  story  which  has  the  ap- 
pearance of  being  an  after-manufacture  to 
suit  the  name,  deriving  hoosier  from  'husher 
— from  their  primary  capacity  to  still  their 


opponents.'  He  also  asserts  that  the  Ken- 
tuckians  maintained  that  the  nickname  ex- 
presses the  exclamation  of  an  Indianian  when 
he  knocks  at  a  door  and  exclaims  'Who's 
yere  ? '  However,  the  word  originally  was  not 
hoosier  at  all,  but  hoosieroon,  or  hoosheroon, 
hoosier  being  an  abbreviation  of  this.  I  can 
remember  that  in  1834,  having  read  of  hoos- 
iers,  and  spoken  of  them,  a  boy  from  the  West 
corrected  me,  and  said  that  the  word  was 
properly  hoosieroon.  This  would  indicate  a 
Spanish  origin." 

The  source  of  Mr.  Leland's  error  is  plain. 
"Hoosieroon"  was  undoubtedly  coined  by 
Mr.  Finley  to  designate  a  Hoosier  child,  and 
what  the  boy  probably  told  Mr.  Leland  was 
that  the  name  to  apply  properly  to  him  would 
be  Hoosieroon.  But  that  alone  would  not 
dispose  wholly  of  the  Spanish  suggestion,  for 
"oon"  or  "on"  is  not  only  a  Spanish  ending, 
but  is  a  Spanish  diminutive  indicating  blood 
relation.  In  reality,  however,  ]\Ir.  Finley  did 
not  understand  Spanish,  and  the  ending  was 
probably  suggested  to  him  by  quadroon  and 
octoroon,  which,  of  course,  were  in  general  use. 
There  is  no  Spanish  word  that  would  give 
any  suggestion  of  "hoosier."  The  only  other 
language  of  continental  Europe  that  could 
be  looked  to  for  its  origin  would  be  French, 
but  there  is  no  French  word  approaching  it 
except,  perhaps,  "huche,"  which  means  a 
kneading  trough,  and  there  is  no  probability 
of  derivation  from  that."" 

In  fact,  "hoosier"  carries  Anglo-Saxon 
credentials.  It  is  Anglo-Saxon  in  form  and 
Anglo-Saxon  in  ring.  If  it  came  from  any 
foreign  language,  it  has  been  thoroughly 
anglicized.  And  in  considering  its  derivation 
it  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  Southerners 
have  always  had  a  remarkable  faculty  for 
creating  new  words  and  modifying  old  ones. 
Anyone  who  has  noted  the  advent  of  "snolly- 
goster"  in  the  present  generation,  or  has  read 
Longstreet's  elucidation  of  "fescue,"  "abis- 
selfa, "  and  "anpersant"''  will  readily  con- 
cede that.  And  in  this  connection  it  is  to 
be  observed  that  the  word  "yahoo"  has  long 
been  in  use  in  Southern  slang,  in  almost  ex- 
actly the  same  sense  as  "hoosier,"  and  the 
latter  word  may  possibly  have  developed  from 
its  last  syllable.  We  have  a  very  common 
slang  word  in  the  North — "yap" — with  the 
same  signification,  which  may  have  come  from 
the  same  source,  though  more  probably  from 

a.  But  see  the  French   "hiiissier,"  supra. 

b.  Georgia  Scenes,  page  73. 


122 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  provincial  EngiLsh  "yap,"  to  yelp  or 
bark.  "Yahoo"  is  commonly  said  to  have 
been  coined  by  Swift,  but  there  is  a  possi- 
bility that  it  was  in  slang  use  in  his  day. 

It  is  very  probable  that  the  chief  cause  of 
the  absence  of  conjectures  of  the  derivation 
of  "Hoosier"  from  an  English  stem  was  the 
lack  in  our  dictionaries  of  any  w^ord  from 
which  it  could  be  supposed  to  come,  and  it  is 
a  singular  fact  that  in  our  latest  dictionaries 
— the  Standard  and  the  Centurj^ — there  ap- 
pears the  word  "hoose, "  which  has  been  in 
juse  for  centuries  in  England.  It  is  used  now 
to  denote  a  disease  common  to  calves,  similar 
to  the  g-apes  in  chickens,  caused  by  the  lodg- 
ment of  worms  in  the  throat.  The  symptoms 
of  this  disease  include  staring  eyes,  rough 
coat  Avith  hair  turned  backward,  and  hoarse 
wheezing.  So  forlorn  an  aspect  might  readily 
suggest  giving  the  name  "hooser"  or  "hoo- 
sier" to  an  uncouth,  rough-looking  person. 
In  this  country,  for  some  reason,  this  disease 
has  been  known  only  by  the  name  of  the  worm 
that  causes  it — "strongjdus  micrurus" — it 
sounds  very  much  like  "strangle  us  marcus" 
as  the  veterinarians  pronounce  it — but  in 
England  "hoose"  is  the  common  name.  This 
word  is  from  a  very  strong  old  stem.  Halli- 
well,  in  his  "Dictionary  of  Archaic  and  Pro- 
vincial Words,"  D-ives  "hooze"  and  "lioors," 
and  states  that  "hoos"  occurs  in  the  "Promp- 
torium  Parvulorum,"  and  "hoozy"  in  the 
"Cornwall  Glossary."  the  latter  being  used 
also  in  Devonshire.  Palmer,  in  his  "Foik- 
Etymology,"  says  that  "hoarst — a  Lincoln- 
shire word  for  a  cold  on  the  chest,  as  if  that 
which  makes  one  hoarse,"  is  a  corruption  of 
the  Old  Engli.sh  "host."  a  cous'h,  Danish 
'^hoste,"  Dutch,  "hoeste,"  Anglo-Saxon, 
"hweost,"  a  wheeziness;  and  refers  to  Old 
English  "hoose,"  to  cough,  and  Cleveland 
"hooze,"  to  wheeze.  Descriptions  of  the  effect 
of  hoose  on  the  appearance  of  animals  will  be 
found  in  Armatage's  "Cattle  Doctor,"  and  in 
the  "Transactions  of  the  Highland  Society  of 
Scotland,"  fourth  series.  Vol.  10,  at  page  206. 

There  is  also  a  possibility  of  a  geographical 
origin  for  the  word,  for  there  is  a  coast  parish 
of  Cheshire,  England;  about  seven  miles  west 
of  Liverpool,  named  Hoose.  The  naii;e  prob- 
ably refers  to  the  cliffs  in  the  vicinity,  for 
"hoo."  which  occurs  both  in  composition  and 
independently  in  old  English  names  of  places, 
is  a  Saxon  word  .signifying  high.  However, 
this  is  an  obscure  parish,  and  no  special  pe- 
culiarity of  the  people  is  known  that  would 


probably  give  rise  to  a  distinctive  name  for 
them. 

There  is  one  other  possibility  that  is 
worthy  of  mention — that  the  word  may  come 
to  us  through  England  from  the  Hindoo.  In 
India  there  is  in  general  use  a  word  com- 
monly written  "huzur,"  which  is  a  respectful 
form  of  address  to  persons  of  rank  or  su- 
periority. In  "The  Potter's  Thumb"  Mrs. 
Steel  writes  it  "hoozur. "  Akin  to  it  is 
"housha,"  the  title  of  a  village  authority  in 
Bengal.  It  may  seem  impossible  that  "hoo- 
sier" could  come  from  so  far  off  a  source, 
and  yet  it  is  almost  certain  that  our  slang 
word  "fakir,"  and  its  derivative  verb 
"fake,"  came  from  the  Hindoo  through  Eng- 
land, whither  for  many  years  people  of  all 
classes  have  been  returning  from  Indian 
service.  It  is  even  more  certain  that  the  word 
"khaki"  was  introduced  from  India,  and 
passed  into  general  use  in  English  and  Amer- 
ican nui-series  long  before  khaki-cloth  was 
knoAATi  to  us. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  words  pass  from  one 
language  to  another  in  slang  very  readily. 
For  example,  throughout  Eno^iand  and  Amer- 
ica a  kidnapper  is  said  in  thieves'  slang  to 
be  "on  the  kinchin  lay,"  and  it  can  scarcely 
be  c{uestioned  that  this  word  is  direct  from 
the  German  "kindchen."  The  change  in 
meaning  from  "huzur"  to  "hoosier"  would 
be  explicable  by  the  outlandish  dress  and 
looks  of  the  Indian  grandees  from  a  native 
English  standpoint,  and  one  might  naturally 
say  of  an  uncouth  person,  "He  looks  like  a 
huzur. ' ' 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  urge  that  any  one 
of  these  suggested  possibilities  of  derivation 
is  preferable  to  the  other,  or  to  assert  that 
there  may  not  be  other  and  more  rational 
ones.  It  is  sufficient  to  have  pointed  out  that 
there  are  abundant  sources  from  which  the 
word  may  have  been  derived.  The  essential 
point  is  that  Indiana  and  her  people  had 
nothing  whatever  to  do  with  its  origin  or  its 
signification.  It  was  applied  to  us  in  raillery, 
and  our  only  connection  with  it  is  that  we 
have  meekly  borne  it  for  some  three  score 
years  and  ten,  and  have  made  it  widely  rec- 
ognized as  a  badge  of  honor,  rather  than  a 
term  of  reproach. 


Addenchim,  February.  1907.  The  greater 
part  of  the  preceding  was  published  in  the 
Indianapolis  News  of  Aug.  23  and  30,  1902. 
Afterwards  I  rewrote  and  enlarged  it.    Since 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


123 


then    tliere  have   appeared  two   publications 
which    threw    some    additional    light    on    the 
subject.     One  of  these  is  an  account  of  Col. 
Lehraanowsky.     purporting    to     be     autobio- 
graphical, published  under  the  title,  "Under 
Two    Captains,"    by    Rev.    W.    A.    Sadtler, 
Ph.D.,    of    Philadelphia.      This   demonstrates 
that  Lehmanowsky  believed  he  originated  the 
word,  for  he  gives  the  following  account  of  it : 
"In    this    connection    I    may   mention    an 
amusing    incident    that    occurred    somewhat 
later  in  a  town  in  Kentucky,  where  I  hap- 
pened for  a  day  or  two.    There  was  a  drunk- 
en brawl  in  progress  on  the  street,  and  as 
quite  a  number  were  involved  in  it,  the  people 
witli    whom    I    was    speaking    began    to    be 
alarmed.     I  remarked  just  then  that  a  few 
hussars  would  soon  quiet  them.     My  remark 
was  caught  up  by  some  bystander,   and  the 
word  hussar  construed  to  mean  the  men  of 
the  State  of  Indiana  (from  which  I  had  just 
come),    and   thus   the   word   'Hoosier'    came 
into   existence.      Such  is   the   irony  of   fate! 
Learned  men  have  labored  long  to  introduce 
some    favored    word   of   the    most   approved 
classic  derivation,  and  as  a  rule  have  failed. 
Here  a  chance  word  of  mine,  miscalled  by  an 
ignorant   loafer,    catches   the    popular   fancy 
and  passes  into  Literature."'* 

At  the  same  time  he  furnishes  conclusive 
evidence  that  he  did  not  originate  it,  for  he 
says  that  he  did  not  leave  Washington 
for  the  West  until  the  spring  of  1833;  that 
he  \tent  as  far  as  Ohio  with  his  family  and 
passed  the  winter  of  1833-4  in  the  state,^ 
reaching  Indiana  the  next  spring,  or  more 
than  a  year  after  "The  Hoo.sier's  Nest"  had 
appeared  in  print.  His  story,  as  given  above, 
locates  the  incident  at  a  still  later  date. 

The  other  publication  is  the  third  volume 
of  The  English  Dialect  Dictionary,  in  which 
appears  the  following: 

"HoozER,  Cum.  4  (hu-zer)  said  of  any- 
thing unusually  large." 

The  "Cum  4"  is  a  reference  to  "A  Glos- 
sarv  of  the  Words  and  Phrases  pertaining  to 
the  Dialect  of  Cumberland";  edition  of  1899. 

Although  I  had  long  been  convinced  that 
"hoosier,"  or  some  word  closely  resembling 
it,  must  be  a,n  old  English  dialect  or  slang 
word,  I  had  never  found  any  trace  of  a 
similar  substantive  with  this  ending  until  in 
this  publication,  and,  in  my  opinion,  this 
word  "hoozer"  is  the  original  form  of  our 


a. 
6. 


Pages  188-9. 
Pages  182-5. 


"hoosier."  It  evidently  harks  back  to  the 
Anglo-Saxon  "hoo"  for  its  derivation.  It 
might  naturailly  signify  a  hill-dweller  or 
highlander  as  well  as  something  large,  but 
either  w^ould  easily  give  rise  to  the  derivative 
idea  of  uncouthness  and  rusticity. 

There  is  a  suggestiveness  in  the  fact  that  it 
is  Cumberland  dialect.  The  very  center  of 
hoosierdom  in  the  South  is  the  Cumber- 
land plateau  with  its  associated  Cumberland 
mountains,  Cumberland  river,  Cumberland 
gap,  and  Cumberland  Presbyterianism.  The 
name  Cumberland  in  these,  however,  is  hon- 
orary in  origin,  the  river  and  mountains  hav- 
ing been  named  for  that  Duke  of  Cumber- 
land who  is  known  to  the  Scotch  as  "The 
Butcher  of  Culloden."  But  many  of  the  set- 
tlers of  this  region,  or  their  immediate  fore- 
bears, were  from  Cumberland  county,  Eng- 
land, and  so  "hoozer"  Avas  a  natural  importa- 
tion to  the  region.  Thence  it  was  probably 
brought  to  iLS  by  their  migratory  dascendants, 
ma.ny  of  whom  settled  in  the  upper  White- 
water valley — the  home  of  John  Finley. 

Since  the  publication  of  the  foregoing  pa- 
per, Mr.  Dunn  has  written  the  following  sup- 
plementary statement,  which  appeared  in  the 
Indianapolis  Star,  under  date  of  June  2, 
1907 : 

"The  recent  publication  by  the  Indiana 
Historical  Society  of  a  pamphlet  on  the  origin 
of  the  word  'Hoosier'  has  caused  a  revival 
of  interest  in  that  mysterious  subject,  and 
several  noteworthy  points  have  been  brought 
to  light.  One  writer  calls  attention  to  the  fact 
that  in  the  early  book  descriptive  of  Indiana, 
entitled  'The  New  Purchase,'  the  word 
'Hoosierina'  is  used  for  a  female  resident 
of  the  State.  This  is  evidently  a  coinage  of 
the  author  of  the  book,  and  one  that  did  not 
meet  with  popular  favor,  as  it  is  not  known 
to  have  been  used  elsewhere. 

"Another  writer  suggests  that  the  word 
comes  from  the  French  'huissier'  meaning 
an  usher  or  bailiff.  This  suggestion  has  been 
made  before  (Indiana  Quarterly  ]\Iagazine  of 
History,  Vol.  1,  p.  94),  but  it  is  hardly  with- 
in the  bounds  of  possibility.  The  transition 
would  have  to  come  through  pronunciation, 
and  the  pronunciation  of  'huissier'  is  prac- 


124 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


tieally  wees-se-ay,  which  has  no  resemblance 
to  'Hoosier. ' 

"The  most  interesting  fact  is  bronght  for- 
ward by  Judge  Timothy  E.  Howard  of  Sonth 
Bend,  who  has  been  engaged  in  preparing  a 
local  history,  and  has  found  a  use  of  the  word 
in  print  earlier  than  the  publication  of  Fin- 
ley's  ' Hoosier 's  Nest.'  It  occurs  in  a  South 
Bend  newspaper  called  the  Northwestern  Pio- 
neer and  St.  Joseph's  Intelligencer,  in  the  is- 
sue of  April  4,  1832,  and  is  as  follows: 

''  'A  REAL  HOOSIER.  A  sturgeon,  who, 
no  doubt,  left  Lake  Michigan  on  a  trip  of 
pleasure,  with  a  view  of  spending  a  few  days 
in  the  pure  waters  of  the  St.  Joseph,  had  his 
joyous  anticipations  unexpectedly  marred  by 
running  foul  of  a  fisherman's  spear  near  this 
place — being  brought  on  terra  firma  and  cast 
into  a  balance  he  was  found  to  weigh  83 
pounds. ' 

"This  paper  was  published  at  the  time  by 
John  D.  Defrees  and  his  brother  Joseph  H. 
Defrees,  both  prominent  in  early  Indiana  his- 
tory, and  both  natives  of  Tennessee.  The  use 
of  the  word  here  confirms  the  theory  of  the 
pamphlet  that  'Hoosier'  was  not  coined  to 
designate  a  native  or  resident  of  Indiana,  but 
was  a  slang  word  in  common  use  at  the  time 
in  the  South,  signifying  a  rough,  uncouth 
countryman;  and  that  it  was  probably  used 
verbally  as  a  nickname  for  Indianians  for 
several  years  before  it  was  put  in  print,  but 
not  so  univei-sally  as  afterwards. 

"The  Defrees  brothers  were  presumably 
familiar  with  the  Southern  use  as  well  as  its 
nickname  application;  and  what  did  they 
mean  by  calling  a  sturgeon  a  'real'  Hoosier? 
Certainly  not  a  'real'  resident  of  Indiana, 
for  they  speak  of  him  as  a  visitor  from  Lake 
Michigan.  The  obvious  idea  is  that  he  is  a 
'real'  big,  rough  fellow;  and  that  therefore 
the  name  is  appropriate  to  be  applied  to  him. 
So  far  as  now  known  this  is  the  earliest  ap- 
pearance of  the  word  in  print,  and  Judge 
Howard  holds  the  record  for  successful  origi- 
nal research  in  this  line." 

Two  distinguished  Indianians  have  done 
much  to  give  dignity  and  honor  to  the  namt,' 


of  Hoosier- — James  Whitcomb  Riley,  by  ac- 
cepting and  gracefully  wearing  the  title  of 
' '  The  Hoosier  Poet ' ' ;  and  Governor  Claude 
Matthews,  by  everywhere  and  always  pro- 
claiming his  love  for  and  pride  in  the  name. 
In  the  dedication  of  the  Indiana  building,  at 
the  Columbian  Exposition,  Chicago,  1893,  the 
governor  introduced  Mr.  Riley  to  that  world 
audience  in  the  following  noble  words : 

"If  there  be  one  characteristic  above  an- 
other for  which  the  citizen  of  Indiana  may  be 
noted,  it  is  his  love  of  home — whether  that 
may  be  the  splendid  mansion  in  the  busy 
center — the  farm  house  mid  the  smiling  fields 
of  grain  and  shaded  pasture,  or  the  cabins  of 
our  fathers  in  the  deep  umbrageous  forest. 
It  comes  to  us  an  inheritance  from  the  'Hoo- 
sier' pioneer  who  braved  the  unknown  dan- 
gers of  the  forest,  not  with  the  greed  of  gain 
his  sole  absorbing  thought,  but  with  his  soul 
filled  with  the  noblest  inspiration  of  our  race, 
to  build  a  home  that  he  might  leave  a  goodly 
inheritance  to  his  children.  I  mentioned  to 
.you  the  name  of  'Hoosier'  by  which  the  citi- 
zen of  Indiana  is  known  far  and  near.  I  re- 
gret there  are  a  few  whose  eai*s  have  grown 
so  fastidious,  that  the  name  offends,  but  as 
for  me  I  love  the  name  and  honor  it.  It  is 
the  synonym  of  sturdy  manhood,  untiring 
energy,  sterling  integrity,  unflinching  cour- 
age and  a  hospitality  so  broad  and  generous 
that  has  not  its  superior  in  all  the  world. 
It  was  the  strong  right  arm  of  the  'Hoosier' 
that  felled  the  forest,  bridged  the  rivere, 
pushed  for\vard  roads  over  hill,  throug'h 
prairie  and  marsh,  and  laid  the  foundation 
of  an  empire  in  the  grandeur  of  their  state. 
We  love  him  who  can  paint  the  picture  of  the 
humble  life:  find  a  poem  in  'the  simple  an- 
nals of  the  poor,'  and  sing  the  sacred  home 
songs  of  his  people.  None  other  has  ever 
done  this  better  than  the  Hoosier  poet,  James 
Whitcomb  Rilev  of  Indiana." 


Note. — The  foregoing  chapter,  giving  a 
brief  outline  of  the  history  of  Indiana,  pre- 
vious to  and  including  the  organization  of  the 
state  government,  seemed  a  necessary  intro- 
duction to  the  history  of  St.  Joseph  county. 
The  relations  of  the  county  to  the  state  are  ^ 
exceedingly  intimate,  and  an  adequate  knowl- 
edge of  the  county,  as  a  political  organiza- 
tion, and  in  its  historical  relations  could 
hardly  be  had  without  a  preliminary  knowl- 
edge of  the  commonwealth  of  which  the 
county  forms  so  important  a  subdivision. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THE  ST.  JOSEPH  COUNTY  PIONEERS. 


I.       THE   FUR  TRADE. 

Sec.  1. — Sources  of  Our  Civilization. — 
Civilization,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  came  to  Indiana  by  way  of  the 
South  and  Southeast,  from  Kentucky,  Vir- 
ginia, Pennsylvania  and  the  Carolinas.  To 
St.  Joseph  county,  however,  civilization  came 
rather  from  the  North  and  Northeast,  from 
the  same  sources,  indeed,  as  it  came  to  south- 
western Michigan,  to  which  the  greater  part 
of  our  county  was  so  long  attached.  Our 
earliest  traditions  run  back  to  France;  at 
first,  by  way  of  the  St.  Joseph  river.  Lake 
iMichigan  and  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw,  and 
afterwards  through  the  interior  of  Michigan, 
from  Detroit,  and  on  through  Canada  from 
Montreal  and  Quebec.  Later,  and  when  our 
first  permanent  population  began  to  arrive, 
our  connections  were  chiefly  with  Fort  Wayne 
and  Detroit,  both  also  French  settlements. 

By  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  August  ?., 
1795,  almost  the  whole  of  Indiana,  including 
all  the  north  part  of  the  state,  except  a 
tract  six  miles  square  at  Fort  Wayne,  one 
two  miles  square  at  the  portage  between  the 
Wabash  and  IMaumee,  and  another  six  miles 
square  at  Ouiatanon,  near  Lafayette,  was  con- 
firmed to  the  various  Indian  tribes  then  occu- 
pying the  same.  By  successive  treaties,  ex- 
tending down  as  late  as  t*lie  year  1840,  those 
Indian  titles,  as  related  in  the  last  chapter, 
were  extinguished.  Settlers  piLshed  in  from 
the  east,  the  south  and  the  north,  and  also 
from  Europe,  as  fast  as  the  Indians  retired. 

Sec.    2.— The    French    Traders.— But    in 


advance  of  the  settlers,  and  while  the  Indians 
still   remained,  the  hunters  and  fur  traders 
penetrated  into  the  wilderness.     Those  himt- 
ers  and  tradei-s,  as  we  have  seen,  were  at  first 
French.     Many  of  the  early  adventurers  had 
their  headquarters  at  Detroit  and  Mackinaw ; 
others  mingled  with  the  Indians  and  rambled 
over  the  whole  northwest.     These  last  were  a 
famous  class  of  hunters  and  traders,  known 
to  the   French  as  coureurs   des  bois    (forest 
rangers),  and  penetrated  to  the  most  secret 
recesses  of  the  wilderness.  As  in  other  cases, 
there   were   enterprising  and   ambitious  men 
among   those    adventurers,    men    who    sought 
their  fortunes  in  the  fur  trade  with  the  In- 
dians,   as    in    succeeding    generations    others 
sought    wealth    in    the    mines    of    California. 
This  trade,  says  Dillon",  was  carried  on  by 
means  of  men  hired  to  manage  small  vessels 
on  the  lakes,  and  canoes  along  the  shores  of 
the   lakes   and   on   the   rivers,    and   to   carry 
burdens  of   merchandivse   from    the   different 
trading  posts  to  the  principal  villages  of  tlie 
Indians    who    were    on    friendly    terms    witli 
French.      At    those   places    the    traders   ex- 
changed their  wares  foi-  valuable  fufs.   with 
which  they   returned   lo   their  trading  posts. 
The  articles  used  in  trade  by  the  French  were 
chiefiy  coarse  blue  and  ivd  cloths,  fine  scarlet, 
ii'uns,   powder,   balls,    knives,   hatchets,   traps, 
kettles,  hoes,  blankets,  cottons,  ribbons,  beads, 
vermilion,   tobacco  and   li(in()i-s.     The  poorer 
traders  sometimes  eai'ried  theii-  packs  of  mer- 
chandise bv  means  of  leather  straps  attached 


a.     Hist.  Indiana,  pp.  20,  21. 


125 


126 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


to  their  shoulders,  or  with  the  straps  resting 
against  their  foreheads.  It  is  probable  that 
some  of  the  Indian  villages  on  the  St.  Joseph 
and  the  Wa.bash  were  visited  by  this  class 
of  traders  before  the  founding  of  Kaskaskia 
or  Vincennes.  The  learned  Bishop  Brute 
has  expressed  the  opinion  that  missionaries 
and  traders,  before  the  close  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  passed  to  the  south  from  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  leaving  the  Kankakee  to  the 
west,  "and  visited  the  Tippecanoe,  the  Eel 
river,  and  the  upper  parts  of  the  Wabash." 

"It  was  the  fur  trade,  in  fact,"  says 
Washington  Irving, "^  "which  gave  early  sus- 
tenance and  vitality  to  the  great  Canadian 
provinces.  Being  destitute  of  the  precious 
metals,  at  that  time  the  leading  objects  of 
American  enterprise,  they  were  long  neglected 
by  the  parent  country.  The  French  adven- 
turere,  however,  who  had  settled  on  the  banks 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  soon  found  that  in  the 
rich  peltries  of  the  interior,  they  had  sources 
of  wealth  that  might  almost  rival  the  mines 
of  Mexico  and  Peru.  The  Indians,  as  yet  un- 
acquainted with  the  artificial  value  given  to 
some  descriptions  of  furs,  in  civilized  life, 
brought  quantities  of  the  most  precious  kinds 
and  bartered  them  away  for  European  trink- 
ets and  cheap  commodities.  Immense  profits 
were  thus  made  by  the  early  traders,  and  the 
traffic  was  pursued  with  avidit3^" 

Sec.  3. — The  British  Policy  in  Relation 
TO  THE  Fur  Trade. — So  valuable  had  become 
the  fur  trade  of  the  northwest  that  after  the 
treaty  of  Paris,  February  10,  1763,  and  the 
transfer  of  this  immense  region  from  France 
to  England,  the  British  government  declined 
to  organize  any  form  of  government  for  the 
territory,  or  to  allow  any  settlers  within  its 
limits,  but  determined  to  leave  it  wholly  to 
the  Indians,  so  as  to  protect  the  fur  bearing 
animals  and  make  of  the  country  a  vast  hunt- 
ing reservation. 

On  October  7,  1763,  George  III  issued  a 
proclamation,  providing  for  colonial  govern- 
ments    for     the     countries     acquired     from 

a.     Irving's  Astoria,  p.  2. 


France ;  but  making  no  provision  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  northwest.  Nor  was  this  omis- 
sion an  oversight,  but  intentional.  "The 
purpose,"  says  Poole  in  his  history  of 
the  west,'^  "was  to  reserve  as  crown  lands  the 
northwest  territory,  the  region  north  of 
the  great  lakes,  and  the  country  between  the 
Alleghenies  and  the  Mississippi,  and  to  ex- 
clude them  from  settlement  by  the  American 
colonies.  They  were  left,  for  the  time  being, 
to  the  undisputed  possession  of  the  savage 
tribes.  The  King's  'loving  subjects'  were 
forbidden  making  purchases  of  land  from  the 
Indians,  or  forming  any  settlements  west- 
ward of  the  sources  of  the  rivers  which  fall 
into  the  sea  from  the  west  and  northwest; 
'and  all  persons  w^ho  have  wilfully  or  inad- 
vertently seated  themselves  upon  any  lands 
west  of  the  limit'  were  warned  forthwith  to 
remove  themselves  from  such  settlements." 
The  government  declared  its  purpose  to  be, 
to  confine  the  colonies  to  the  region  along 
the  Atlantic  coast,  so  that  they  should  be 
within  easy  .reach  of  "the  trade  and  com- 
merce of  this  kingdom";  and  also  in  order 
that  they  might  be  subject  to  "the  exercise 
of  that  authority  and  jurisdiction  which  was 
conceived  to  be  necessary  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  colonies  in  a  due  subordination  to 
and  dependence  upon  the  mother  country." 
The  further  extraordinary  statement  was 
made  in  this  royal  declaration  :^  ' '  The  great 
object  of  colonizing  upon  the  continent  of 
North  America  has  been  to  improve  and  ex- 
tend the  commerce,  navigation  and  manufac- 
tures of  this  kingdom.  ...  It  does  appear 
to  us  that  the  extension  of  the  fur  trade  de- 
pends entirely  upon  the  Indians  being  undis- 
turbed in  the  possession  of  their  hunting- 
grounds;  and  that  all  colonizing  does  in  its 
nature,  and  must  in  its  consequences,  operate 
to  the  prejudice  of  that  branch  of  commerce. 

a.  W.  F.  Poole,  The  West,  from  1763  to  1783 
(Hist.   Am.,  Vol  VI,  Chap.   9). 

b.  Report  of  the  Lords  Commissioners  for 
Trade  and  Plantations,  in  1772,  on  the  petition  of 
Thomas  Walpole  and  others  for  a  grant  of  land 
on  the  Ohio. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


127 


.  .  .  Let  the  savages  enjoy  their  deserts 
in  quiet.  "Were  they  driven  from  their  for- 
ests the  peltry  trade  -would  decrease. ' '  Such 
was  the  cold  and  selfish  policy  which  the 
British  crown  and  its  ministers  habitually 
pursued  towards  the  American  colonies;  and 
in  a  few  years  this  policy  changed  loyalty 
into  hate,  and  brought  on  the  American  Rev- 
olution.* 

However  reprehensible  the  motive  of  the 
British  government,  in  thus  preventing  the 
settlement  of  the  fertile  lands  of  the  north- 
west, it  is  nevertheless  plain  from  this  action 
that  the  value  of  the  fur  trade  to  the  com- 
merce of  the  mother  country  must  have  been 
exceedingly  great.  Such  an  extensive  hunting 
preserve  as  this  northwest  territory  and  the 
vast  countries  north  and  west  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior was  perhaps  never  since  or  before  de- 
liberately set  apart  by  any  government.  Ac- 
cording to  the  records  of  the  custom  house 
at  Quebec,  the  value  of  the  furs  and  peltries 
exported  from  Canada,  in  the  year  1786,  was 
estimated  at  the  sum  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand,  nine  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-seven pounds  sterling,  or  nearly  a  mil- 
lion and  a  quarter  dollars.^ 

Sec.  4. — The  Great  Fur  Companies. — To 
control  this  profitable  indiLstry  various  pow- 
erful companies  were  organized  in  England 
and  Canada,  and  afterwards  in  the  United 
States.  In  1670,  the  Hudson  Bay  Company 
was  chartered  by  Charles  II,  and  the  com- 
pany has  continued  to  our  own  day.  Until 
the  acquisition  of  Canada  by  Great  Britain, 
in  1763,  there  were  almost  constant  disputes 
between  the  agents  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany and  the  French  merchants  and  coureurs 
des  bois.  In  1783,  some  merchants  of  Mon- 
treal began  the  formation  of  a  like  company, 
which,  in  1787,  became  merged  wdth  a  rival 
company,  and  thus  formed  the  famous  North- 
west Company,  which  for  years  held  bound- 
less sway  over  the  fur  trade  of  the  west.  This 
company  for   many   years  held   its   gorgeous 

a.  Poole.     lb. 

b.  Dillon,  Hist.  Indiana,  p.   397. 


annual  conferences  at  Fort  William,  near  the 
Grand  Portage,  on  Lake  Superior;  where  the 
merchants  from  Montreal  met  the  hunters 
and  traders  from  all  the  northwest.  These 
conferences  are  said  to  have  been  the  occa- 
sion of  magnificent  winter  entertainments,  of 
almost  regal  splendor.  Another  company  of 
like  character  was  the  j\Iackinaw  Company, 
which  took  in  the  country  to  the  south  of  that 
controlled  by  the  Hudson  Bay  and  the  North- 
west Companies. 

After  the  establishment  of  American  in- 
dependence, our  government  sought  to  check 
the  operations  of  those  British  and  Canadian 
companies  within  the  territory  of  the  United 
States.  But  it  would  seem  that  governmental 
supervision  was  no  match  for  the  skillful, 
persistent  personal  activity  of  the  members 
and  agents  of  the  companies.  It  was  during 
this  time,  in  1783,  that  John  Jacob  Astor, 
a  young  German,  emigrated  from  Europe. 
Here  he  met  a  countr^onan,  a  furrier  by 
trade ;  and  then  and  there  began  the  gi'eat 
Astor  fur  industry.  In  1809,  Mr.  Astor  ob- 
tained a  charter  from  the  legislature  of  New 
York,  incorporating  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany. In  his  enterprise  he  had  the  good  will 
and  active  co-operation  of  the  American  gov- 
ernment. In  1811,  the  interests  of  the  Mack- 
inaw Company,  within  United  States  terri- 
tory, were  practically  absorbed  by  the  Ameri- 
can Fur  Company;  and  thereafter,  for  many 
years,  this  company  controlled  the  fur  trade 
of  the  northwest,  and  became  a  potent  factor 
in  the  development  of  that  territory."  To 
the  American  Fur  Company  and  its  agents 
St.  Joseph  county  is  directly  indebted  for  its 
first  permanent  settlement. 

The  fur  trade  willi  the  Indians  of  this 
vicinity,  while  in  the  early  days  carried  on  by 
way  of  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Straits  of 
Mackinaw  was,  after  the  establishment  of  the 
American  Fur  Company,  conducted  chiefly 
by  agents  from  Detroit  and  Fort  Wayne.  The 
furs  and  peltries  which  were  obtained  from 
the  Indians  were  generally  transported  to  De- 

a.    Irving's  Astoria,  pp.  1-23. 


128 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


troit.  The  skins  were  dried,  compressed  and 
secured  in  packs.  Each  pack  weighed  about 
one  hundred  pounds.  A  pirogue,  or  boat, 
that  was  sufficiently  large  to  carry  forty  paclvs, 
required  the  labor  of  four  men  to  manage 
it  on  its  voyage.  In  favorable  stages  of  the 
Wabash  river,  such  a  vessel,  under  the  man- 
agement of  skillful  boatmen,  was  propelled 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  a  day  against  the  cur- 
rent. After  ascending  the  river  Wabash  and 
the  Little  river  to  the  portage  near  Fort 
Wayne,  the  traders  carried  their  packs  over 
the  portage  to  the  head  of  the  river  j\Iaumee, 
where  they  were  again  placed  in  pirogues, 
or  in  keel  boats,  to  be  transported  to  De- 
troit. At  that  place  the  furs  and  skins  were 
exchanged  for  blankets,  guns,  knives,  pow- 
der, bullets,  intoxicating  liquors,  etc.,  with 
which  the  traders  returned  to  their  several 
posts.  The  Indian  hunter  had  long  before 
exchanged  his  bow  and  arrows  for  the  white 
man's  fire  arms.  Bullets  were  valued  at  four 
dollars  per  hundred  and  powder  at  one  dollar 
a  pint.* 

II.       THREE     MERCHANTS     OF     THE     WILDERNESS. 

After  the  destruction  of  Fort  St.  Joseph's 
by  the  Spaniards,  in  1781,  and  before  any 
settlement  was  made  in  St.  Joseph  county, 
three  traders  of  more  than  usual  enterpris'^ 
established  themselves  at  points  on  the  river 
below  the  limits  of  this  county.  Mr.  George 
A.  Baker,  the  industrious  secretary  of  the 
Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society,  has 
gleaned  many  interesting  facts  in  the  history 
of  these  worthies,  some  of  which  may  appro- 
priately find  a  place  in  this  connection.^ 

Sec.  1. — Leclare. — Antoine  Leclare,  a 
native  of  Montreal,  was  the  blacksmith  em- 
ployed by  the  English  government,  in  1780, 
at  Fort  St.  Joseph's,  and  was  at  the  fort,  in 
1781,  at  the  time  of  its  capture  by  the  Span- 
iards. He  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  De- 
troit, with  the  garrison  and  other  employe.?, 

a.     Dillon,  Hist.  Indiana,  p.   397. 
h.     In  the  South  Bend  Sunday  News,  October  13, 
1901. 


in  the  fall  of  that  year.  Afterwards  he  re- 
turned to  the  vicinity  of  the  old  fort,  and 
located  in  the  Parkovash,  a  few  miles  up  the 
river  from  the  site  of  the  fort.  Here  he 
built  a  cabin,  bought  furs  of  the  Indians 
and  worked  at  his  trade.  He  was  married 
to  an  Indian  woman ;  and  a  son  of  his,  Fran- 
cis Leclare,  was  one  of  the  most  trusted  in- 
terpreters in  the  service  of  the  United  States. 
Antoine  Leclare  removed  to  Milwaiikee  in 
1800,  and  therfe  devoted  himself  exclusively 
to  the  fur  trade,  in  which  he  became  very 
successful.  In  the  spring  of  each  year  he 
went  to  Detroit  in  a  small  sailing  vessel,  tak- 
ing his  load  of  furs,  and  also  carrying  furs 
for  William  Burnett,  located  near  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  Joseph,  and  for  John  Kinzie  and 
Robert  Fonsyth,  Chicago  traders.  In  1813, 
he  removed  to  IMissouri,  where  he  died  in 
1821. 

Sec.  2. — Burnett. — William  Burnett  seems 
to  have  been  the  first  successful  trader,  not 
of  French  descent,  who  located  on  the  St. 
Joseph.  He  was  of  a  prominent  New  Jer- 
sey family,  well  educated,  and  a  man  of 
ineans,  with  an  established  credit  in  Detroit 
and  I\Iontreal.  He  was  tempted  to  come 
into  the  wilderness,  by  reason  of  the  fabu- 
lous fortunes  to  be  made  here  in  the  fur 
trade.  The  exact  date  when  Burnett  located 
on  the  St.  Joseph  is  not  known,  but  is  be- 
lieved not  to  be  earlier  than  1791.  He  built 
a  warehouse  for  storing  furs,  maple  sugar, 
grain  and  salt,  at  a  point  near  the  mouth 
of  the  river;  Mdiich  is  said  to  have  been  not 
far  from  the  site  of  La  Salle's  old  storehouse, 
where  the  city  of  St.  Joseph  now  stands. 
One  mile  up  the  river,  at  the  big  gap,  he 
built  another  house,  which  served  as  a  resi- 
dence and  storeroom  for  merchandise  used  by 
him  in  the  Indian  fur  trade.  Apple  trees 
and  asparagus  beds  planted  by  him  have 
served  to  mark  this  spol^  up  to  within  a  few 
years.  Some  of  Burnett's  books  of  account 
are  among  the  treasures  of  the  Northern  In- 
diana Historical  Society.  His  accounts  were 
kept  in  what  is  known  as  Ha.lifax  currency; 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


129 


livres,  deniere  and  sols.  A  livre  was  worth 
eighteen  and  one-half  cents.  It  would  appear 
from  certain  entries  on  the  books  that  Bur- 
nett operated  at  first  from  IMackinaw,  whieli 
was  at  that  time  the  center  of  trade;  then 
traded  all  along  the  coast  of  Lake  Michigan, 
and  finally  located  permanently  at  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  Joseph  river.  It  is  believed  that 
his  first  venture  up  the  St.  Joseph  was  made 
October  15,  1791,  to  the  Kankakee. 

Burnett's  account  books  are  particularly 
interesting  as  they  have  to  do  with  many  of 
the  noted  characters  connected  with  the  early 
history  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  as  well  as 
with  that  of  Chicago  and  Milwaukee.  Many 
entries  are  found  showing  accounts  with  Jean 
Baptiste  Point  Au  Sable,  the  earliest  non- 
Indian  settler  of  Chicago,  who  at  about  the 
time  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  built 
a  house  at  Avhat  is  now  the  corner  of  Cass 
and  Kinzie  streets,  Chicago,  which  in  later 
years  was  so  well  known  as  the  Kinzie 
mansion. 

Jean  Baptiste  Point  Au  Sable  was  a  French 
West  Indian  mulatto,  who  settled  at  first  at 
Mobile,  then  successively  at  New  Orleans, 
Kaskaskia  and  St.  Louis,  and  finally  on 
the  banks  of  the  Chicago  river.  Point 
Au  Sable  sold  his  house  to  the  French 
trader,  La  Mai ;  and  from  La  Mai  it  passed 
to  John  Kinzie,  in  the  fall  of  1803.  Other 
names  appearing  on  Burnett's  books  are 
Deneau  de  Quindre,  the  government  agent 
and  interpreter  for  the  St.  Joseph  river; 
Jean  Laline,  the  government  interpreter  at 
Fort  Dearborn,  who  was  killed  at  that 
place  in  the  spring  of  1812;  Charles  Chan- 
donai ;  Jolm  and  Robert  Kinzie ;  Antoine 
Leclare,  already  named,  and  Joseph  Ber- 
trand,  of  the  Parkovash ;  Antoine  Lafortune, 
and  others.  John  Kinzie,  so  well  known 
in  early  Chicago  history,  began  trading 
with  Burnett,  October  1,  1797.  In  1800, 
Kinzie  located  in  the  Parkovash,  at  the  site 
of  the  old  town  of  Bertrand ;  and  lived  there 
until  1804,  when  he  moved  to  Chicago.  An 
entry   in   Burnett's   books,    dated   September 


15,  1800,  gives  some  insight  into  the  intrigues 
carried  on  in  those  early  days  by  the  Span- 
iards at  St.  Louis,  as  well  as  by  British 
emissaries  from  Canada,  at  a  time  when  the 
power  of  the  United  States  was  not  yet  well 
established  in  these  distant  regions.  It  is 
as  follows:  "Jean  Baptiste  Point  Au  Sable, 
Dr.  To  seven  bottles  spirits  paid  an  Indian, 
Askin,  for  going  by  express  with  the  Span- 
ish commandant's  letter  to  Fort  Wayne." 
The  returns  of  peltries  for  the  various  ad- 
ventures sent  out  by  Burnett  are  instructive 
as  giving  a  definite  idea  of  the  comparative 
numbers  of  fur  bearing  animals  in  this  re- 
gion. For  the  two  years  1800  and  1801,  the 
returns  were  as  follows :  Beaver,  9 ;  otter, 
119  ;  bear,  10 ;  elk,  1 ;  mink,  248 ;  deer,  1,076 ; 
cat,  62;  muskrat,  2,014;  fox,  107;  redskin, 
518 ;  raccoon,  5,603. 

The  last  entry  on  Burnett's  day  book  is 
dated  July  19,  1802,  and  is  a  charge  to  one 
Louis  Ppthier  of  57  packs  of  peltries,  amount- 
ing to  20,500  livres,  to  be  paid  by  draft  on 
Montreal.  The  old  trader  is  known  to  have 
been  at  the  mouth  of  our  river  as  late  as 
January  20,  1804;  at  which  date  he  ad- 
dressed a  letter  from  that  point  to  James 
]\Iay,  at  Detroit.  Like  most  of  the  other  trad- 
ers, Burnett  was  married  to  an  Indian  wife. 
One  of  his  sons,  James  Burnett,  died  July 
4,  1833,  and  it  is  an  interesting  fact  that 
his  estate  was  administered  upon  by  Latlu'op 
M.  Taylor,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  o£ 
St.  Joseph  county. 

Sec.  3. — Bertrand. — Another  fur  trader, 
and  one  who  comes  yet  nearer  to  our  early 
history,  was  Joseph  Bertrand,  who  was  boru 
in  Mackinaw  in  1780,  and  in  1808  located  a 
log  cabin  and  a  fur  press  on  the  west  side 
of  the  St.  Joseph,  near  the  crosssing  of  the 
Great  Sauk  Trail,  just  below  the  little  creek 
known  as  Pokagon's  branch,  and  opposite 
the  site  of  the  village  of  Bertrand  afterwards 
named  from  him.  Some  slight  dealings  with 
Bertrand  are  shown  on  Burnett's  books.  In 
1804  Bertrand  had  married  an  Indian  girl, 
Madeline,  daughter  of  the  Pottawatomie  chief 


130 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Topinabee.  At  that  time  lie  was  acting  as 
agent  for  the  American  Fur  Company,  but 
soon  afterwards  went  into  business  for  him- 
self. There  is  a  tradition  that  the  logs  for 
Bertrand's  cabin  were  taken  from  the  ruins 
of  the  little  church  once  located  at  old  Fort 
St.  Joseph's,  a  little  below  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river,  and  said  to  have  been  the  only 
building  spared  by  the  Spaniards  in  the  burn- 
ing of  the  Fort,  in  1781.  Bertrand's  loyalty 
to  the  Americans,  and  his  gi'eat  influence  in 
keeping  the  Indians  at  peace,  brought  upon 
him  the  enmity  of  the  British,  particularly 
that  of  the  emissaries  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company;  and  it  is  said  that  there  was  for 
a  time  a  reward  of  one  hundred  pounds 
sterling  placed  upon  his  head.  After  the 
close  of  the  war  with  England,  about  1815, 
he  settled  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  on  the 
spot  since  known  as  the  village  of  Bertrand. 
He  afterwards  removed  to  St.  Mary's,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  died  about  the  year  1860. 

III.      PIERRE    NAVARRE. 

The  first  white  man  to  make  his  perma- 
nent home  in  what  is  now,  St.  Joseph  county 
was  Pierre  Frieschutz  Navarre,  an  educated 
gentleman  of  French  descent,  who  came  here 
from  Monroe,  Michigan,  in  1820,  as  the  agent 
of  the  American  Fur  Company.  For  several 
years  previous  to  that  date,  he,  with  others, 
had  been  through  the  country,  trading  with 
the  Indians,  but  had  not  remained  for  any 
length  of  time.  He  now  permanently  settled 
at  this  point  and  established  the  first  trading 
post  upon  the  St.  Joseph  within  the  limits 
of  this  county.  We  are  told  that  Navarre 
was  a  man  of  literary  tastes,  of  a  kind  and 
genial  nature,  earnest  and  honest  in  his  deal- 
ings, though  not  remarkable  for  business  abil- 
ity. His  brother  Francis,  a  colonel,  in  the 
American  army,  lost  his  life  in  the  river 
Raisin  massacre,  near  Detroit.  Pierre,  fol- 
lowing the  example  of  the  fur  traders  who 
had  preceded  him,  married  an  Indian  wife, 
a  daughter  of  the  Pottawatomies.  Tradition 
represents  her  to   have  been    a  very  intelli- 


gent woman.  They  had  six  children,  three 
sons  and  three  daughters.  The  children  were 
bright  and  received  a  good  education,  for 
the  time.  The  sons  were  Anthony,  Isadore 
and  Peter.  Anthony  is  said  to  have  taught 
a  country  school  here.  Friends  tried  to  keep 
him  here  when  the  Pottawatomies  went  west, 
but  he  refused,  saying,  "What  would  be  the 
use  ?  I  am  only  an  Indian. ' '  They  built  their 
dwelling  house,  the  first  to  be  erected  in  this 
county,  on  the  east  side  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  in  what  is  now  Navarre  Place  addition 
to  the  city  of  South  Bend,  located  between 
Leeper  Island  and  the  bluffs  of  Chapin  place. 
This  was  a  famous  fishing  ground;  and  here, 
until  the  building  of  the  dams  at  Niles  and 
Buchanan,  even  those  who  are  of  the  present 
generation  remember  the  mighty  sturgeon 
that  came  up  in  great  numbers  from  Lake 
Michigan  every  spring.*  From  here  to  old 
Fort  St.  Joseph's  was  the  Parkovash,  the  be- 
loved resort  of  French  and  Indians.  At  that 
time,  and  ever  since  the  Miamis  had  gone 
south  and  east,  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Wabash 
and  the  Maumee,  the  Pottawatomies  were  the 
sole  inhabitants  of  the  region.  There  was, 
however,  no  large  Indian  village  near  Na- 
varre's trading  post.  Old  Chief  Pokagon 
was  located  with  a  few  members  of  his  tribe 
down  the  river  near  Bertrand ;  and  there  was 
another  band  about  two  miles  south  of  the 
new  post,  on  what  is  now  Sumption  prairie 
road,  called  Raccoon  Village.  The  main  por- 
tion of  the  tribe  was  farther  south,  in  what 
are  now  Marshall  and  Fulton  counties.  Na- 
varre's trading  post  was  on  the  line  along 
which  the  Indians  traded  every  spring  and 
fall  to  reach  the  posts  along  the  river,  down 
to  Lake  Rliehigan;  at  which  times  they 
passed  through  in  great  numbers  with  quan- 
tities of  furs,  maple  sugar,  baskets  and  other 
articles.  The  old  trails  are  now  marked  b}'' 
city  streets  and  main  roads  leading  through 
and  from  South  Bend,  Mishawaka  and  other 
towns,  towards  Fort  Wayne  and  points  to  the 
north,  south,  east  and  west.     Such  trails  are 

a.     See  Chap.  3,  Sub.  7,  Sec.  6. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


131 


marked  by  Vistula  avenue,  through  South 
Beud  and  Mishawaka;  Turkey  Creek  road; 
Michigan  street  and  avenue;  Sumption 
Prairie  road;  Crum's  Point  road;  Laporte 
avenue;  Portage  avenue;  South  Bend  ave- 
nue, or  Edwardsburg  road;  and  Mishawaka 
avenue.  The  hunting  and  trapping  grounds 
were  mainly  down  the  valley  of  the  Kankakee, 
which,  for  centuries,  ajid  until  within  a  few 
years  past,  has  been  the  sportsman's  para- 
dise. Pierre  Navarre  when  in  his  prime  is 
said  to  have  been  a  noble  specimen  of  vig- 
orous manhood,  fully  six  feet  in  height,  but 


by  the  proprietors  of  Navarre  Place  to  the 
Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society,  and  by 
the  society  removed  to  Leeper  park,  where 
it  is  cared  for  by  the  city  of  South  Bend  as 
its  most  venerable  historic  relic.  Navarre 
Place,  with  its  beautiful  homes  occupying 
the  site  of  the  home  of  this  fine  pioneer  gen- 
tleman, will  perpetuate  his  name  in  our  his- 
tOYj ;  as  will  also  Navarre  street,  which  over- 
looks Leeper  park,  where  the  ancient  resi- 
dence is  preserved,,  and  overlooks  likewise 
the  Pare  aux  Vaches,  where  the  enterprising 
fur  trader  set  up   his   Indian   home  in  the 


RESIDENCE   AND   TRADING  POST  BUILT  BY  PIERRE   NAVARRE,   IN   1820,   AND   NOW  PRE- 
SERVED IN  LEEPER  PARK,  IN  THE  CITY  OF  SOUTH  BEND. 


rather  slenderly  built."-  On  the  removal  of 
the  Pottawatomies  to  the  west,  in  1840,  he 
went  with  the  tribe,  but  afterwards  returned 
to  this  county,  where  he  died  at  the  home 
of  his  daughter  in  South  Bend,  December 
27,  1864.  His  body  rests  in  Cedar  Grove 
Cemetery,  near  Notre  Dame.  The  log  house 
built  by  Navarre  in  1820,  which  was  the  first 
fur  trading  station  in  St.  Joseph  county,  and 
where  this  pioneer  and  his  household,  half 
white  and  half  Indian,  so  long  resided,  has 
been  preserved  to  this  day.    It  was  presented 

a.     See  "Art  Work   of   South  Bend   and   Vicin- 
ity."   The  Parish  Pub.  Co.,  Chicago,  1894. 


wilderness,   now   nearly   one   hundred   years 


ago. 


IV.      THE    FIRST    SETTLERS. 


Sec.  1. — Alexis  Coquillard. — The  firet 
American  home  established  within  the  limits 
of  St.  Joseph  county  was  that  of  Alexis 
Coquillard,  who  is  usually  regarded  as  the 
founder  of  the  city  of  South  Bend.  The 
continuity  of  our  histoiy  is  well  preserved  in 
the  life  of  Mr.  Coquillard.  While  he  was  a 
fur  trader  and  of  French  descent,  as  were 
most  of  his  predecessors  in  the  valley  of  the 
St.    Joseph,    and   while   he    was    always    on 


132 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


friendly  terms  with  the  Indians,  in  so  far 
that  the  Pottawatomies  would  have  made  him 
their  chief  if  he  had  not  prevented  it ;  yet 
both  he  and  his  wife  were  Americans  of  the 
Americans,  spoke  the  English  language  as 
readily  as  they  did  the  French,  and  came  to 
the  valley  to  lay  the  foundations  of  a  dis- 
tinctively American  community. 

Alexis  Coquillard  was  born  in  Detroit, 
September  28,  1795.  In  the  war  of  1812  with 
Great  Britain,  though  but  a  boy  of  seven- 
teen, he  gave  his  services  to  the  American 
cause,  In  the  army  under  William  Henry 
Harrison,  seeking  the  camp  of  Major  George 
Crogan.  the  brave  defender  of  Fort  Stephen- 
son on  the  Sandusky  river,  and  there  accept- 
ing the  hazardous  duties  of  dispatch  mes- 
senger for  the  beleaguered  garrison.  After 
the  war  young  Alexis  became  a  fur  trader, 
and  was  soon  acting  as  agent  for  John  Jacob 
Astor's  American  Fur  Company.  In  the 
year  1822,  in  connection  with  Francis  Com- 
paret,  formerly  of  Detroit,  but  then  of  Fort 
Wayne,  Mr.  Coquillard  purchased  the  agency 
of  the  fur  company  for  the  region  of  the 
upper  lakes.  The  partners  are  said  to  have 
paid  several  thousand  dollars  for  the  property 
and  control  of  this  extensive  agency. 

It  was  in  the  year  1823  that  Alexis  Co- 
quillard established  a  trading  post  on  the  St. 
Joseph  river.  This  he  operated  by  himself,  Mr. 
Comparet  remaining  in  charge  of  the  post 
at  Fort  Wayne.  To  distinguish  the  two 
.posts,  the  one  at  this  point  was  called  the 
Big  St.  Joseph's  Station;  and  the  one  at  Fort 
Wayne,  the  Little  St.  Joseph's  Station,  Our 
river  St.  Joseph,  foi-merly  the  river  of  the 
Miamis,  was  for  a  time  called  the  St.  Joseph's 
of  Lake  Michigan,  and  afterwards  the  Big  St. 
Joseph's,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  small 
stream  at  Fort  Wayne,  also  called  the  St. 
Joseph's  river.  The  posts  on  the  two  St. 
Joseph's  were  the  centers  of  the  fur  trade 
with  the  Indians  of  northwestern  Indiana  and 
southwestern  ]\Iichigan. 

The  first  trading  post  opened  at  this  place 
by  Alexis  Coquillard,  the  first  business  house 


in  St.  Joseph  county,  was  located  on  what 
was  then  called  the  Dragoon  trace,  from 
Fort  Wayne  to  Chicago,  but  which  is 
now  known  as  Vistula  avenue.  The 
post  stood  about  half  a  square  easterly 
from  Washington  street,  and  in  front  of 
what  is  kno\vn  as  the  Edmund  Pitts  Taylor 
residence.  Soon  after  locating  at  this  point 
Mr.  Coquillard  abandoned  it.  and  built  a 
more  pretentious  log  store  and  residence  close 
to  what  is  now  North  Michigan  street,  on  the 
north  side  of  La  Salle  avenue,  and  near  the 
site  of  the  fine  concrete  bridge  now  (1907) 
in  course  of  construction  over  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  on  that  avenue.  It  was  at  that  point 
that  the  first  ferry  on  the  river  was  soon  after- 
wards established.  The  site  of  this  famous 
and  hospitable  residence  has  long  been  oc- 
cupied by  the  Miller  and  Loutz  coal  and  wood 
yards.  In  the  spring  of  1824,  Mr.  Coquillard 
married  and  brought  here  from  Fort  Wayne 
his  wife,  Frances  C.  daughter  of  his  partner, 
Francis  Comparet.  This  was  the  first  white 
man's  home  in  this  vicinity,  and,  for  some 
time,  the  only  one.  The  unit  of  society  is 
the  family:  and  the  community  of  the  great 
county  of  St.  Joseph  was  then  gathered  in 
the  hospitable  home  of  Alexis  and  Frances 
Coquillard,  on  the  banks  of  the  beautiful  river 
that  was  to  give  its  name  to  the  county. 

Sec.  2.— Lathrop  :\I.  Taylor.— In  1827 
Lathrop  Minor  Taylor  settled  here.  Mr. 
Taylor  was  a  native  of  Clinton,  Oneida 
county,  New  York,  and  was  born  July  4,  1805. 
He  came  with  his  parents  to  Detroit  when  he 
was  six  years  of  age.  Like  Alexis  Coquillard, 
he  came  to  us  as  a  fur  trader,  from  Detroit 
and  by  way  of  Fort  Wajoie.  His  brother-in- 
law,  Samuel  Hanna.  of  Fort  Wayne,  was  the 
senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Samuel  Hanna 
&  Co..  general  tradei-s  at  that  place,  and  Mr. 
Taylor  came  here  as  agent  of  the  firm,  to 
establish  a  trading  post  at  this  point.  Alexis 
Coquillard  and  Lathrop  ]\I.  Taylor,  though 
rivals  in  business,  seemed  to  think,  with 
Admiral  Schley,  that  there  was  glory  enough 
for  all;  and  they  worked  in  harmony  for  the 


ALEXIS   COQUILLARD, 

First  white  man  who   settled  with  his  family  in 

St.  Joseph  CountJ^     One  of  the 

founders  of  South  Bend. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


135 


common  good  of  the  town  of  wkicli  they  were 
to  become  the  founders.  Mr.  Coquillard  had 
<Teat  faith  that  the  settlement  on  the  St. 
Joseph  would  grow  towards  the  north  from 
what  is  now  La  Salle  avenu>;,  instead  of  to 
the  south  of  that  line.  To  the  north  of  us, 
the  St.  Joseph  country,  as  it  was  called,  had 
then  received  many  settlers,  while  the 
country  to  the  south,  as  far  as  the  Wabash 
river,  was  occupied  exclusively  by  Indians. 
He  therefore  advised  the  new  trader  to  locate 
his  store  near  to  the  place  where  he  himself 
had  removed.  The  site  therefore  selected  by, 
or  for,  jNIr.  Taylor  was  on  what  is  now  East 
Madison  street,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river, 
and  a  block  north  of  Mr.  Coquillard 's  own 
trading  post.  The  locality  is  close  to  Judge 
Lucius  Hubbard's  residence,  between  that 
and  the  residence  of  the  Hon.  Benjamin  F. 
Shively. 

Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  like  Alexis  Coquillard, 
readily  secured  the  lasting  friendship  of  the- 
Pottawatomies,  whose  language  he  spoke 
tluently.  They  aided  him  in  clearing  a  place 
in  the  woods,  large  enough  for  his  new  trad- 
ing post,  and  he  soon  had  his  stock  of  goods 
on  hand  and  was  actively  engaged  in  business. 
It  w^as  not  long,  hoAvever,  before  he  was  con- 
vinced that  his  post  was  out  of  the  main  line 
of  travel.  Accordingly,  he  removed  to  what 
is  now  Vistula  avenue,  very  near  to  the  site 
of  Mr.  Coquillard 's  first  trading  post.  The 
place  has  long  been  occupied  by  the  residence 
of  the  late  E.  Pitts  Taylor,  brother  of 
Lathrop.  The  judgment  of  the  younger 
trader  as  to  the  advantages  of  this  locality 
was  perhaps  superior  to  that  of  the  elder. 
The  lines  of  travel  on  what  have  since  been 
known  as  Vistula  avenue,  Turkey  Creek  road 
and  other  trails  and  roads  leading  towards 
Fort  Wayne  and  other  points  south  and  east, 
became  of  more  and  more  importance  as  the 
years  w^ent  by  and  Indiana  became  settled 
towards  the  Wabash.  Mr.  Taylor  married  a 
daughter  of  Judge  Peter  Johnson,  father  of 
Evan.  Joshua  and  Lea  Johnson,  all  of  whom 
were  noted  pioneers.     Peter  Johnson  erected 


and  kept  the  first  frame  house  used  as  a 
tavern,  the  old  American  hotel  which  was 
located  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Michigan 
and  Washington  streets.  Coonley's  drug 
store  has  now  for  many  years  occupied  the 
site.  In  1835  Judge  Johnson  built  for  his 
son-in-law  a  large  frame  store  room  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  same  street,  opposite 
the  hotel.  The  Michigan  road  had  now  been 
opened,  and  commerce  and  travel  abandoned 
the  old  routes;  and  this  change  Judge  John- 
son and  Colonel  Taylor  both  recognized.  To 
this  building  Lathrop  M.  Taylor  moved  his 
trading  post  from  Vistula  avenue,  and  here 
he  continued  to  live  during  the  remainder  of 
his  days.  Cushing's  drug  store  occupied  the 
site  for  many  years  after  Mr.  Taylor  ceased 
to  do  l)usiness ;  but  the  old  pioneer  loved  the 
locality  and  continued  to  occupy  rooms  in 
the  building  over  the  drug  store.  The  Ameri- 
can Trust  Company  now  occupies  the  site." 

Sec.  3. — First  Name  op  the  New  Settle- 
ment.— The  first  entry  on  L.  M.  Taylor's 
books  of  account,  after  establishing  his  agency 
at  this  place,  is  dated  at  "St.  Joseph's,  In- 
diana," October  29,  1827;  and  is  entitled: 
"Journal  of  Samuel  Hanna,  James  Barnett 
and  Allen  Hamilton,  partners  in  business 
under  the  title  of  Samuel  Hanna  &  Co., 
Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  agent."  The  name  "St. 
Joseph's"  is  retained  throughout  the  books 
of  the  company,  and  it  would  seem  that  this 
was  for  some  time  the  recognized  name  of  the 
trading  post.  Years  afterwards,  when  the 
posts  of  the  fur  traders  had  developed  into 
a  flourishing  town,  and  the  ambitious  inhabit- 
ants became  dissatisfied  A\-ith  the  name  of 
South  Bend,  which  to  them  seemed  plebeian 
and  meaningless,  public  meetings  were  held 
to  consider  other  and  more  stately  names  foi- 
the  incipient  Queen  City  of  the  St.  Joseph 
valley ;  and  among  the  names  then  suggested 
was  this  old  one  of  St.  Joseph's  or  St.  Joseph. 
At  that  time,  and  long  afterwards,  serious  and 
continued  efl'orts  were  made  for  the  revival 

a  Memoirs  Elkhart  and  St.  Joseph  Counties, 
pp.  774,  775.     Goodspeed  Brothers,  Chicago,  1893. 


136 


HISTOEY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


of  the  original  name  given  to  the  trading  posts 
of  Coquillard  and  Taylor. 

Sec.  4. — Early  Days  on  the  Kankakee. — 
j3n  August  8,  1889,  while  Colonel  Taylor  was 
yet  living,  Ernest  P.  Bicknell,  then  the  bril- 
liant correspondent  of  the  Indianapolis  News, 
afterwards  secretary  of  the  Indiana  state 
board  of  charities,  and  now  at  the  head  of  the 
department  of  charities  in  the  city  of  Chicago, 
wrote  for  the  News  the  following  graphic 
and  gossipy  article  on  "The  Winding  Kan- 
kakee" and  other  kindred  topics  relating  to 
our  very  early  local  history : 

"Before  the  nineteenth  century  was  out  of 
its  'teens'  the  flat,  river-veined  country  be- 
tween the  Lakes  Erie  and  Michigan  was  the 
site  of  several  settlements  of  Indian  traders, 
meant  to  be  permanent.  The  swamps  and 
sluggish  streams  teemed  with  beaver,  mink 
and  muskrat,  while  the  rich  grasses  of  the 
moist  lands  fed  herds  and  herds  of  deer. 
From  the  time  of  La  Salle's  pioneer  explora- 
tions, trappers  and  traders  had  wandered  up 
and  down  the  streams,  Init  they  had  always 
made  some  Canadian  town,  or  perhaps  Buf- 
falo or  Detroit,  their  headquarters. 

"But  after  'Mad'  Anthony  Wayne  had 
routed  the  hostile  Indians  and  cabnly  assured 
them  he  would  arise  from  his  grave  to  fight 
them  if  they  ever  warred  against  the  whites 
again,  there  was  a  freer  movement  from  the 
East  toward  these  rich  hunting  grounds.  In 
1794  a  stockade  called  Fort  AVayne  was  built 
and  garrisoned  and  under  its  shadow  a  settle- 
ment slowly  grew,  which  outlived  the  fort  but 
retained  its  name.  Several  big  eastern  fur  com- 
panies established  agencies  at  Fort  Wayne. 
After  a  few  years  the  traders  learned  that 
the  old  route,  up  the  St.  Joseph  river  from 
Lake  Michigan  to  a  point  near  the  southern- 
most bend,  then  a  portage  of  some  four  miles 
southwest  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Kankakee, 
and  thence  down  that  stream  toward  the  Mis- 
sissippi, or  the  reverse  of  this,  was  a  popular 
one  with  the  Indians. 

' '  A  trader  named  Alexis  Coquillard  was  the 
first  to  see  that  riaht  where  the  two  rivers 


came  nearest  together  was  certain  to  be  a 
good  point  for  a  trading  post.  The  Indian 
trappers  would  rather  accept  lower  prices 
for  their  skins  than  carry  them  over  the  long 
four  miles  of  portage.  Your  ordinary,  un- 
heroic  Indian  was  not  given  greatly  to  indus- 
try. So  it  was,  that  in  1823  Coquillard  estab- 
lished himself  at  the  south  bend  of  the  St. 
Joseph  river,  and  South  Bend  has  the  settle- 
ment been  ever  since.  The  trader  prospered 
exceedingly  and  that  naturally  attracted  at- 
tention. In  the  summer  of  1827  Colonel  L. 
M.  Taylor,  a  young  man  who  was  an  agent  for 
a  fur  dealer  at  Fort  Wayne  named  Hanna, 
came  to  South  Bend.  Colonel  Taylor  is  yet 
an  honored  citizen  of  the  city  of  which  he 
was  the  second  inhabitant,  and  though  almost 
eighty-five  years  old  is  active  and  in  full  pos- 
session of  all  his  faculties.  To  him  this  cor- 
respondent is  indebted  for  valuable  informa- 
tion. 

.  ' '  In  the  spring  and  fall  the  Indians  would 
come  up  the  Kankakee,  their  canoes  heavily 
laden  with  skins.  The  low,  flat  banks  al- 
lowed an  uninterrupted  survey  of  the  course 
of  the  stream  for  miles,  and  because  of  its 
remarkable  crookedness  the  view  of  a  party 
of  Indians  in  their  boats  was  peculiar.  As 
they  moved  along  in  single  file,  the  general 
appearance  was  that  of  a  party  gliding  along 
in  every  possible  direction  through  the  high 
grass.  On  a  sharp  S-shaped  curve,  for  ex- 
ample, some  of  the  Indians  would  be  moving 
west,  some  east,  some  north,  and  some  almost 
due  south. 

The  efi'ect  of  this  sinuosity  was  rather  dis- 
couraging to  the  inexperienced  canoeist.  After 
paddling  steadily  down  stream  all  day,  round 
and  round  curves  where  the  rank  grass 
drooped  over  and  narrowed  the  ribbon  of 
open  water,  with  its  tangled  mass,  it  was 
discouraging  to  draw  the  boat  ashore  and  en- 
camp for  the  night  within  sight  of  the  camp- 
fire,  at  which  he  had  prepared  his  breakfast. 
Though  he  had  traveled  many  miles  he  would 
find  that  the  "bee  line"  distance  from  where 
he  began  his  day's  journey  was  depressingly 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


137 


small.  To  the  experienced  canoeist  and 
woodsman,  however,  this  rate  of  progress  was 
not  depressing.  It  was  not  because  he  did 
not  care  to  move  rapidly,  but  because  hard- 
ships and  exposure  and  intimate  acquaintance 
with  nature  had  taught  him  to  accept  what- 
ever lot  befell,  and  make  the  most  of  it.  This 
it  was  that  gave  him  his  air  of  profound  in- 
difference and  stoicism  in  his  relations  with 
his  friends  and  enemies  and  his  self-control 
in  times  of  desperate  danger. 

"Eef erring  to  the  devious  ways  of  the  Up- 
per Kankakee,  Colonel  Taylor  related  an  inci- 
dent of  his  early  days  in  the  region : 

"  '  I  had  decided  to  send  two  men  down  the 
river  in  a  pirogue  to  collect  skins,  and,  as 
I  wanted  them  to  bring  in  a  big  cargo,  deter- 
mined to  furnish  them  a  big  boat.  I  searched 
through  the  woods  along  the  St.  Joseph  river 
until  I  found  an  enormous  tree.  Two  men 
helped  me.  and  in  a  few  days  we  had  a 
pirogue  made  from  its  trunk  that  was  a 
beauty.  It  was  forty-five  feet  long,  three  and 
a  half  feet  wide  at  one  end  and  two  feet 
wide  at  the  other.  We  drew  it  across  the 
portage  sled-fashion  with  a  team  of  oxen 
which  had  been  brought  to  the  settlement,  and 
proudly  launched  it  on  the  Kankakee.  My 
two  men  set  out  and  in  due  time  returned 
with  their  load.  But  a  more  thoroughly  dis- 
gusted boat  crew  I  never  saw.  They  vowed, 
in  the  strong,  unhampered  speech  which  char- 
acterizes the  true  woodsman,  that  never  more 
would  they  hold  any  relations  whatever  with 
my  prized  pirogue.  That  vessel,  they  said, 
was  so  long  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
get  it  around  the  curves  of  the  river,  and  that 
a  goodly  portion  of  the  time  both  ends  of  it 
at  once  were  well  planted  in  the  murky  banks 
and  had  to  be  dug  out  with  great  labor  and 
loss  of  time. ' 

' '  The  Indians  of  this  region  were  the  Potta- 
watomies,  and  were  at  this  time  an  inoffen- 
sive, shiftless  tribe  which  much  preferred  the 
pursuits  of  peace  to  those  of  war.  Members 
of  other  tribes  which  occupied  the  country 
south  and  west  of  the  Pottawatomies  visited 


the  South  Bend  settlement  in  great  numbers 
to  dispose  of  the  skins  which  they  collected. 
They  were  easily  cheated  by  the  traders  and 
made  no  complaint,  but  after  an  Indian  had 
once  been  imposed  upon  he  never  took  his 
wares  to  that  trader  again.  The  whites  soon 
learned  this,  and  as  there  was  much  competi- 
tion among  them  in  business,  they  usually 
treated  the  simple  red  man  fairly. 

"As  has  so  often  been  the  case,  the  closing 
history  of  the  Pottawatomie  tribe  of  Indians 
is  a  sad  story.  Certain  zealous  missionaries 
among  them  established  themselves  ten  or 
twelve  miles  below  South  Bend  on  the  St. 
Joseph,  and  named  their  settlement  the 
Carey  Mission.  In  time  a  sturdy  Baptist  mis- 
sionary named  Isaac  McCoy  became  the  chief 
man  at  the  mission  and  he  Avas  full  of  plans 
for  the  improvement  of  the  red  men.  The 
whites  were  encroaching  on  them,  and  they 
were  scattered  sparsely  over  a  wide  territory. 
McCoy  conceived  the  idea  that  if  they  were 
removed  to  a  reservation  far  away  from  tlie 
whites,  where  they  could  be  kept  simple  and 
free  from  the  degrading  vices  Avhich  they 
learned  by  contact  with  their  civilized 
brothers,  they  could  be  Christianized  and 
made  a  happy,  prosperous,  domestic  people. 
He  proposed  a  plan  to  the  government  which 
was  eventually  adopted.  Some  8,000  members 
of  the  tribe  were  gathered  at  a  point  on  Lake 
Michigan,  and  another  near  where  the  city  of 
Lafayette  now  stands,  and  were  paid  for  their 
lands.  It  was  several  years  later  that  their 
removal  was  begun,  and  they  were  taken  in 
detachments  at  intervals  for  several  years 
more.  A  reservation  for  them  had  been  pro- 
vided on  the  great  western  prairie.  In  the 
removal  the  happy,  contented  and  harmless 
natives  were  scattered.  Their  families  were 
broken  up,  and  many  who  were  unwilling  to 
leave  the  scenes  which  had  been  the  undis- 
puted possession  of  their  ancestors  for  many 
generations,  wandered  away  among  the 
friendly  tribes  about  them  and  eluded  the 
government  agents. 

"The   last   chapter   of   this  sad  history   is 


138 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


briefly  recorded.  The  Pottawatomies  had  al- 
ways lived  in  the  woods  and  hunted  the  game 
which  frequented  them  and  the  secluded 
streams.  In  their  new  home,  the  wild,  bitter, 
winter  wind  swept  across  the  prairies  and 
chilled  the  unacclimated  Indians.  The  game, 
of  which  they  knew  the  habits,  was  not  there. 
In  place  of  the  deer  and  beaver  and  muskrat, 
buffalo  a.nd  wolves  and  jackrabbits  roamed 
the  boundless  prairies.  The  miserable  aliens 
died  and  froze  and  starved  and  wandered 
away  in  despair.  Some  came  back  to  their 
old  homes  and  joined  those  who  had  evaded 
the  government  officer.  Now,  of  this  once 
powerful  and  peaceful  tribe,  a  small  remnant 
remains  in  Kansas  and  some  200  or  300  are 
scattered  about  St.  Joseph  and  adjoining 
counties  in  Indiana  and  Ohio. 

"Where  once  the  simple-minded  savage  pad- 
dled along  the  quiet  streams,  or  with  cat-like 
stealth  threaded  these  woods  and  swamps  in 
search  of  game,  or  carried  his  store  of  skins 
and  his  birchen  canoe  across  the  land  which 
divided  into  two  his  water-way  from  the  lakes 
to  the  Father  of  Waters,  now  all  is  changed. 
The  heavy  rumble  of  trains,  and  the  muf- 
fled roar  of  machinery  profane  the  ancient 
solitudes.  The  slow  and  primitive  methods  of 
travel — the  canoe  and  the  portage — are  gone 
forever,  but  not  more  certainly  are  they  gone 
to  return  no  more,  than  are  those  dusky 
tribes  which,  in  innocence  and  contentment, 
once  owned  and  loved  and  lost  this  land,  gone 
to  exist  hereafter  only  as  a  memory,  as  a  tale 
that  is  told." 

'  See.  5. — Other  Early  Settlers  of  the 
County. — After  Navarre,  Coquillard  and 
Taylor,  some  of  the  very  early  settlers  in  the 
county  were  as  follows.  In  what  is  now 
Portage  township,  these  settlers  were:  In 
1827,  Louis  Sancomb,  Doctor  Fowler,  Timo- 
thy S.  Smith,  Job  Brookfield,  John  B.  Ruleau, 
Peter  Jebeau,  Samuel  Cannon;  in  1828, 
Henry  Painter,  Eli  Smith,  Samuel  Stude- 
baker  (not  related  to  the  noted  family  that 
came  later) ,  Thomas  Johnson,  John  Heag ;  in 
1829,   Levi   F.    Arnold,   John   Lasly,   Henry 


Stull,  Isaac  Bowman,  Joseph  Rohrer,  John 
Becraft,  Jacob  Leer,  Samuel  Leer,  Daniel 
Cripe,  Benjamin  Coquillard  (brother  of 
Alexis),  Hiram  Dayton,  Samuel  Rupe,  Fred- 
erick Bainter,  Oliver  Bennett;  in  1831,  Isaac 
Cord,  Jacob  Cord,  Samuel  Cord,  George  Cord, 
Daniel  Cord,  William  McCartney;  in  1832, 
William  Webster,  Christopher  Emerick;  in 
1833,  Matthias  Stover ;  in  1835,  David  Stover. 

In  what  is  now  German  township,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  settled :  In  1827,  William 
Brookfleld;  in  1829,  John  Smith;  in  1830, 
Christian  Holler,  Jacob  Ritter,  John  Ritter; 
in  1831,  Joshua  D.  Miller ;  in  1832,  Jacob  M. 
Whitmer;  in  1833,  David  Miller,  Aaron 
Miller,  Jacob  Miller,  Abram  Smith,  Jona- 
than Smith,  Daniel  Wagoner,  John  Witter, 
Samuel  Witter. 

In  what  is  now  Penn  township,  the  follow- 
ing persons  settled:  In  1828,  William  Moat, 
Timothy  Moat;  in  1829,  William  Holt;  in 
1830,  Jesse  Skinner,  Samuel  L.  Cottrell, 
George  W.  West,  E.  Smith,  Joseph  Coe,  Dan- 
iel Hollingshead,  David  Hollingshead,  Will- 
iam Hollingshead,  George  Hollingshead,  Dan- 
iel Edwards,  Samuel  Edwards,  George  Eutz- 
ler;  in  1831,  Jesse  Bell,  Henry  Huntsinger, 
Jacob  Ebler,  Jonathan  Macy,  Jacob  Byrkit. 
George  Byrkit,  Edward  Byrkit,  James  Curtis, 
Jolin  Ireland,  William  Ireland,  Braddock 
Chandler,  Uriah  Chandler,  William  Webster, 
Menzo  Webster,  Isaac  Parks. 

In  what  is  now  Clay  township,  the  follow- 
ing persons  settled:  In  1828,  Jacob  Cripe, 
Daniel  Eiler,  Samuel  Cannon,  Benjamin  Pot- 
ter; in  1829,  John  Hague,  William  Mc- 
Combs,  John  H.  Smith;  in  1830,  John  Cripe, 
Peter  Cripe,  Thomas  Longley ;  in  1831,  Peter 
Eaton,  Jacob  Eaton,  William  Smith,  Joshua 
Johnson ;  in  1832,  John  C.  Stutsman,  Thomas 
B.  Chalfant,  Evan  Chalfant,  James  Stuckey, 
Thomas  P.  Bulla,  William  F.  Bulla,  Samuel 
Brooks,  Gideon  Draper ;  in  1833,  Francis 
Jennings;  in  1834,  Joseph  Ulery,  Stephen 
Ulery. 

In  what  is  now  Harris  township,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  settled:    In  1830.  Jacob  liar- 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


139 


ris,  from  whom  Harris  prairie  and  Harris 
township  were  named,  Samuel  Bell,  Adam 
Miller,  a  Baptist  minister,  Adam  Ringle, 
David  Baldwin,  Josephus  Baldwin ;  in  1831, 
Joseph  Bnel,  Jaeob  ]Myers,  Arbogast  Zaehnle, 
Henry  Augustine,  Jonathan  Hartzell;  in 
1833,  Robert  Kennedy,  David  Ringle,  Samuel 
Ringle,  Levi  Ringle. 

■  In  what  is  now  Olive  township,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  settled :  In  1830,  Charles  Vail, 
for  whose  wife,  Olive,  the  township  was 
named,  John  Adams,  Jacob  Rush,  Israel  Rush, 
John  Druliner,  ]\Ialin  Druliner,  Samuel  Gar- 
wood, Garrett  Niekerson,  Henry  Nickerson, 
William  White,  Jaeob  Egbert,  John  Egbert, 
Elder  George  Boyd ;  in  1831,  James  Garoutte, 
Benjamin  Redding;  in  1832,  Job  Smith, 
Henry  Ranstead,  John  Reynolds. 

In  what  is  now  Center  towniship,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  settled :  In  1830,  Andrew  Mill- 
ing, James  Palmer  and  Asher  Palmer,  from 
whom  Palmer  prairie  was  named,  John  Rose, 
Ncithan  Rose,  Jacob  Rupel;  in  1832,  John 
Smith ;  in  1833,  George  Smith,  Abiel  Hunger- 
ford,  Tyra  N.  Bray,  in  1834,  John  Henson, 
Thomas  Jones,  Isaac  Lamb;  in  1835,  James 
Inwood,  Richard  Inwood,  William  Phillips. 

In  what  is  now  Greene  to\\Tiship,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  settled:  In  1830,  George 
Sumption,  from  whom  Sumption  prairie  was 
named;  in  1831,  John  Rupel,  John  Bird, 
Jaeob  Rupe,  Grave  Pomeroy,  Stacy  Garwood, 
William  Antrim,  Abram  Whitmer,  William 
Rudduck ;  in  1832,  George  Holloway,  Nathan 
Greene,  John  Rudduck,  David  Barrett,  John 
Greene,  from  whom  the  township  was  named, 
Jonathan  Wharton,  M.  Borton,  George  Baker, 
Gabriel  Fender,  Samuel  Pearson;  in  1833, 
M.  E.  Hammond.  John  McCullough. 

In  what  is  now  Warren  township,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  settled:  In  1831,  Reynolds 
Dimn;  in  1832,  Peter  Brick,  Peter  Wykoft*, 
George  Witter,  John  Kingery,  Stephen  Field, 
Nathaniel  Wilson;  in  1833,  Jesse  Frame, 
William  Frame,  Nathaniel  Frame,  Cornelius 
Frame,  Isaac  Frame,  David  Frame,  Jesse 
Frame,  Isaac  W^.  Phillips;    in  1831,  Harvey 


Buckles,  James  Dunbar;  in  1835,  Joseph  P. 
Jones,  Joseph  Price,  Thomas  Jackson,  Calvin 
Myler. 

In  what  is  now  Union  township,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  settled:  In  1833,  John  Hen- 
derson, Elijah  Lineback,  John  Gardner,  John 
Rector,  Jacob  Rector,  Mark  Rector;  in  1834, 
Hubbard  Henderson,  James  Moon,  John 
Moon,  Eli  Moon;  in  1835,  James  Annis, 
Henry  Hardy,  Daniel  Glenn,  Amos  Heston. 

In  what  is  now  Liberty  township,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  settled:  In  1835,  Jacob  Ear- 
hart,  Jolm  Earhart,  John  Kane,  Isaac  Town- 
send,  Daniel  Ross,  Jesse  Palmer,  Samuel 
Loring,  John  Rupel,  Daniel  Rupel,  Joseph 
Liggett,  James  Cole,  Franklin  Pearse. 

The  foregoing  names  and  dates  may  not  be 
strictly  accurate  in  every  instance,  but  the 
effort  has  been  made  to  avoid  all  error. 
Neither  is  it  intended  that  these  were  all 
the  settlers  up  to  the  year  1835 ;  it  was  our 
purpose  only  to  give  the  names  of  some 
prominent  families  and  the  proximate  times 
and  places  of  their  settlement  in  St.  Joseph 
county.  The  list  will  also  serve  to  show  what 
parts  of  the  county  were  firet  settled,  and 
the  years  in  which  the  several  places  were  first 
occupied.  It  does  not  appear  that  in  the 
territories  now  known  as  Madison  and  Lin- 
coln townships  any  settlements  were  made  un- 
til after  the  year  1835. 

V.      THE   LOG   HOUSE. 

The  rude  life  which  these  early  settlers 
were  compelled  to  lead,  and  the  many  priva- 
tions to  which  they  were  subjected,  are  well 
illustrated  by  one  who  gives  us  his  own  recol- 
lections in  the  following  vivid  sketch:*^ 

The  poet  who  lived  and  wrote  his  songs, 
fifty  to  a  hundred  years  ago,  was  inspired 
with  environments,  then  existing,  Avhich  now 
would  be  void  of  sentiment.  We  hear  the 
song: 

"How  dear  to  my  heart  are  the  scenes  of  my 
childhood, 

When   fond   reeolhM-tion    presents   them   to 
view. 

a.  Contributed  by  a  writer  to  the  Waterloo,  In- 
diana, Press. 


140 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


The  orchard,  the  meadow,  the  deep  tangled 
wildwood ; 
And   all    the   loved   pleasures   my   infancy 
knew. 

The  old  oaken  bucket — 

The  iron-bound  bucket. 
The  moss-covered  bucket 

That  hung-  in  the  well." 


The  passing  of  the  open  well,  with  wooden 
curb,  and  the  long  "well  sweep"  balanced 
in  the  center  on  a  post  crotched  at  the  top, 
a  heavy  stone  fastened  with  large  pegs  on 
the  large  end  of  the  long  timber  used  as  the 
sweep  or  elevating  power,  and  the  "old  oaken 
bucket"  fastened  at  the  top  with  a  chain 
equal  in  length  to  the  depth  of  the  well.  Such 
sweeps  were  a  familiar  sight  fifty  years  ago. 

The  old  oaken  bucket  made  by  the  local 
cooper,  bound  with  iron  hoops,  lasted  several 
generations,  and  hence  became  "moss  cov- 
ered. ' '  The  sweep  was  pulled  down  and  the 
' '  bucket ' '  dropped  into  the  well,  with  a  weight 
fastened  to  one  side  to  sink  it  in  the  cool 
waters  at  the  bottom,  and  it  came  up  on  a 
balance  with  the  stone  at  the  other  end  of  the 
"sweep."  Here  the  poet  quaffed  the  refresh- 
ing drink  of  his  childhood  days,  and  received 
his  inspiration  for  the  song. 

Alongside  the  well  with  the  sweep  and  the 
"old  oaken  bucket"  stood  the  old  log  house, 
the  home  of  the  pioneer,  now  only  a  memory, 
and  to  the  present  generation  unknown,  as 
log  houses  are  a  thing  of  the  past.  Sixty-two 
years  ago  the  writer,  after  leaving  the  strap- 
iron  railroad  in  Adrian,  Mich.,  came  from 
"York  state"  by  "rapid  transit,"  consisting 
of  "an  ox  team"  and  a  covered  "movers' 
wagon. ' '  Several  days '  travel  with  the  fam- 
ily in  the  wagon,  landed  us  in  the  midst  of  a 
dense  forest.  A  small  spot  was  cleared  of 
underbrush,  and  strong,  enthusiastic  men  cut 
down  trees  of  uniform  size  and  built  the  log 
cabin  in  the  woods.  There  were  no  public 
highways  in  that  time,  and  a  man  with  an 
ax  went  before  the  ox  team  to  remove  some 
of  the  brush  and  obstructions,  for  the  passage 
of  the  wagon. 

Those  homes  of  the  early  pioneer,  Avould 
be  a  revelation  to  the  present  generation.  The 
logs  were  cut  to  equal  lengths  as  required  for 
the  size  of  the  building,  and  rolled  up  on 
skids  as  the  building  increased  in  height  with 
each  log,  the  ends  being  notched  to  fit  close, 
and  at  the  same  time  bind  the  building  to- 
gether.    The  structure  was  tapered  off  at  the 


top  with  smaller  timbers,  and  the  roof,  made 
of  shakes,  split  from  clear  oak  with  a  frow 
and  maul,  were  fastened  on  the  poles  across 
the  top  of  the  building  by  placing  small  logs 
on  top  of  them,  kept  equal  distance  apart  by 
short  sections  of  timbers  at  rignt  angles.  Then 
a  bass  wood  log  was  secured  to  be  split  into 
chinks  for  closing  up  the  cracks  between  the 
logs,  which  were  plastered  with  clay  mud, 
without  lime  or  cement.  The  windows  were 
often  of  greased  paper,  and  the  heavy  slab 
doors  hung  on  w^ooden  hinges  with  a  heavy 
latch  inside,  lifted  by  a  leather  string  from 
without,  and  the  string  pulled  inside  when 
the  door  was  to  be  locked.  Hence  "the  latch 
string  always  hangs  out"  was  the  greeting 
given  to  neighbors,  meaning  they  were  wel- 
come to  call. 

While  their  rude  homes  were  being  built, 
the  families  lived  and  slept  in  the  covered 
wagon.  There  were  no  stoves  in  fhose  days, 
and  the  old  fireplace  was  cut  out  of  one  side 
of  the  building,  and  walls  were  made  of  stone 
or  bog  ore,  found  in  marshes  or  swamps  in 
the  early  days.  The  chimney  was  built  of 
small  pieces  of  wood  four  square  split  from 
the  remnants  of  blocks  from  which  the 
"shakes"  for  the  roof  were  made,  and  this 
structure  was  plastered  inside  and  out  with 
mud.  There  were  no  carpets  on  the  floors, 
and  not  infrequently  the  massasauga,  or  black 
rattlesnake,  the  dread  of  the  mother  and  the 
children,  found  its  way  through  the  puncheon 
floor  and  located  in  the  bed  or  mider  the 
household  effects,  where  his  rattles  warned  all 
comers  to  beware.  The  strenuous  life  in  the 
days  of  old,  was  along  different  lines.  It  was 
many  years  before  the  rag  carpet  made  its 
appearance,  because  of  the  fact  that  the  cloth- 
ing of  the  parents  was  made  over  and  over 
and  handed  down  from  the  oldest  to  the 
youngest  child,  until  there  was  not  enough 
rags  from  which  to  cut  strips  for  weaving  into 
carpets. 

Those  were  pioneer  days;  and  what  a 
strange  contrast  with  present  conditions  and 
customs!  The  generations  now  living  hardly 
realize  how  much  credit  should  be  given  the 
early  pioneers  who  carved  out  their  rude 
homes  from  the  dense  forest,  and  made  it 
possible  for  the  great  changes  that  followed 
them. 

VI.      REMINISCENCES. 

Sec.  1. — By  Daniel  Greene. — On  Septem- 
ber  19,   1832,  John   Greene   and  his   family 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


141 


arrived  in  the  territory  afterwards  to  be  or- 
ganized under  their  name,  as  the  township 
of  Greene.  On  the  seventy-third  anniversary 
of  that  day,  Daniel  Greene,  one  of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  family,  now  an  honored  citizen 
of  the  city  of  South  Bend,  gave  to  his  friends 
and  the  public  a  most  interesting  interview, 
detailing  the  coming  to  their  Indiana  home 
in  those  far  off  years.  The  story  which  he 
tells  is  the  story  of  hundreds  of  pioneers  who 
left  their  homes  in  the  east,  to  find  other 
homes  in  the  west.  By  permission  of  the 
venerable  narrator,  the  following  is  taken 
from  this  interview :" 

' '  My  parents,  John  Greene  and  Nancy  Ann 
Jackson,  were  born  and  married  in  the  state 
of  Delaware.  Not  being  in  sympathy  with 
the  institution  of  slavery,  they  decided  to 
seek  a  home  for  their  little  family  in  the 
then  distant  free  soil  of  the  northwest,  be- 
yond the  reach  of  its  blighting  influence.  In 
the  fall  of  1811,  with  their  three  boys,  Israel, 
John  and  Ezekiel,  and  such  articles  as  could 
be  transported  in  a  light  wagon  drawn  by 
one  horse,  they  bade  a  final  farewell  to  dear 
ones  and  native  state.  Guided  by  the  star 
of  hope,  they  started  on  the  long,  perilous 
journey  over  hills  and  mountains,  across 
plains  and  valleys,  towards  the  setting  sun, 
cheered  by  the  hope  of  a  home  of  their  own 
in  a  land  of  freedom. 

"After  weeks  of  toil,  privation  and  suffer- 
ing, they  pitched  their  tent  by  the  roadside  in 
the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Miami,  in  Greene 
county,  Ohio;  where  they  lived  in  tent  and 
cabin  and  as  farm  renters  for  twenty  years, 
enduring  the  hardships  incident  to  pioneer 
life,  and  adding  in  that  time  six  boys  and 
three  girls  to  their  little  Delaware  family,  and 
increasing  somewha-t  their  worldly  goods.  Not 
having  realized  their  long  cherished  hope  of 
a  home  of  their  own,  my  father  started,  in 
the  fall  of  1830,  on  a  home-seeking  tour  on 
horseback  through  northern  Indiana  and 
southern  Michigan,  returning  by  way  of  Fort 

a.     In   the   South  Bend  Tribune,   September  19, 
1905. 


Wayne,  after  having  failed  to  locate  a  home. 
"Not  being  satisfied  with  what  he  had  seen, 
he  started,  in  the  fall  of  1831,  on  a  second 
tour,  passing  through  Indianapolis,  Logans- 
port  and  intervening  territory,  and  arriving 
in  South  Bend  a  few  months  after  the  town 
had  been  laid  out.  Here  he  was  offered  a  lot 
for  five  dollars,  if  he  would  erect  a  log  cabin 
on  it.  Continuing  his  prospecting  tour  into 
southern  Michigan,  he  entered  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  heavily  timbered  land  near 
where  Berrien  Springs  now  stands.  He  re- 
turned again  by  way  of  Fort  Wayne,  with 
the  intention  of  moving  to  X\\q  land  the  com- 
ing fall.  After  reaching  home,  and  giving 
the  matter  more  mature  consideration,  he 
thought  it  not  best  to  take  his  large  family 
into  the  heavy  timbered  lands  to  open  a  farm, 
as  it  would  entail  too  much  labor  and  hard- 
ship on  the  family,  and  so  changed  his  mind 
and  decided  -to  go  with  some  old  friends  to 
northern  Indiana. 

"Memory,  aroused,  rolls  back  the  shades  of 
time,  covering  a  period  of  years  reaching  back 
beyond  the  wild  scenes,  privations  and  dan- 
gers of  pioneer  life  in  this  country  to  the 
old  Ohio  home  and  environs  where  I  first 
assisted  in  making  the  ball  go  round  in  the 
active  game  of  a  busy  life  eighty  years  ago. 
There,  during  the  winter  of  1831  and  1832, 
the  little  colony  was  organized  and  Michigan 
road  lands  received  for  future  homes  by  de- 
positing one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  an 
acre  with  the  secretary  of  state,  and  receiving 
therefor  a  certificate  of  deposit,  for  which 
deeds  were  to  be  obtained  some  two  years 
later,  sig-ned  by  Governor  Noble.  One  of  those 
deeds  I  now  have.  Arrangements  were  then 
completed  for  moving  the  coming  fall. 

"Early  in  the  spring  of  1832,  my  brother 
Nathan,  and  John  Mannering,  a  cousin,  were 
equipped  with  an  ox  team,  tools,  implements 
and  seeds,  and  were  sent  out  to  fence,  plow 
and  plant  a  part  of  the  land  to  corn,  potatoes 
and  other  useful  crops  for  supplies  for  the 
families  upon  arrival  at  the  anticipated  time. 
Thev  took  with  them  at  the  same  time  Nathan 


142                                      HISTORY   OF   ST.  JOSEPH   COUNTY. 

Greene,  another  cousin,  and  his  wife,  to  assist  is  taken  and  the  last  farewell  is  said.       The 

in  the  work  and  then  take  care  of  the  place  wheels  begin  to  turn,   the   wagons  begin  to 

while   the  young  men   returned  to   Ohio   to  fall  in  line  and  the  long  train  has  started  on 

aid  in  moving  the  family  in  the  fall.  its   long   and  perilous   journey.      Camp   was 

"That  being  the  year  of  the  Black  Hawk  formed  that  first  night  out  about  five  miles 

Indian   w^ar  in   the   west,   the   country,   and  north  of  Xenia.    By  arranging  the  wagons  in 

especially  the  little  valley  where  we  lived,  was  a   circle   a  large   court  was   formed,   in   the 

kept  in  a  state  of  anxiety  and  unrest  by  the  center  of  which  the  general  camp   tire  was 

exciting  and  exaggerated  rumors  of  Indian  lighted,  and  there  the  evening  was  spent.     It 

treachery,    depredations    and    massacres    of  was  an  evening  long  to  be  remembered  by  the 

early  settlers  along  the  western  frontier.     My  many  sad  hearts  that   devoted  the  night  to 

brother,  Nathan,  and  cousin,  then  at  work  on  struggling     with     their     hopes     and     fears, 

Sumption  prairie  putting  out  the  crop  at  the  whether  all  should  end  well  that  seemed  to 

future  home,  kept  our  people  more  correctly  promise  well. 

informed  about  the   Indian   war  scare,   and  "Early  the  next  morning  things  began  to 

when  they  returned  the  first  of  August  were  assume   a  more   normal  or  business-like  ap- 

able  to  relieve  much  of  the  anxiety  of  the  pearance.     Sad  faces  began  to  brighten  and 

colony  as  to  the  danger  to  life  or  otherwise  cheer  up  as  the  wagons  began  to  fall  in  line 

from  the  Indians.  for  another  day's  march  toward  the  promised 

"September  2,'  1832,  the  day  long  fixed  for  land  and  home.  After  the  noon  lunch  and  rest, 
starting,  came  bright  and  cheering,  and  the  one  of  the  older  men  was  sent  in  advance  on 
little  Ohio  valley  soon  became  one  scene  of  horseback  to  select  and  secure  a  camping 
commotion  and  excitement.  "When  the  fam-  place  for  the  night.  Every  day  thereafter 
ilies  of  John  Greene,  George  Baker,  Joshua  the  camping  place  was  located  in  the  same 
Garwood,  Jonathan  Wharton,  Edward  Powers  way,  and  each  night  the  wagons  were  ar- 
and  Michael  Robertson,  over  sixty  people  in  ranged  in  a  circle,  forming  a  large  open  court, 
all,  fell  into  line  in  the  dusty  streets  of  Xenia,  in  the  center  of  which  a  general  camp  fire 
their  old  county  town,  with  twelve  canvas  was  lighted.  There  the  evenings  were  spent 
covered  wagons,  some  drawn  by  two  or  four  as  age  and  taste  suggested,  with  music,  games, 
good  horses,  and  others  by  six  oxen,  with  a  conversation  and  entertainment  of  visitors, 
large  following  of  loose  cattle,  sheep,  hogs  and  Meals  were  prepared  and  served  on  the  out- 
dogs,  for  a  starter  at  their  Indiana  homes,  all  side,  to  each  family  as  called  for. 
kept  in  line  by  a  lot  of  lively  boys  and  girls,  "As  we  advanced,  the  distance  between  set- 
they  found  the  streets  of  their  old  town  lined  tlements  increased,  and  our  visions  of  red- 
by  hundreds  of  friends,  neighbors  and  Strang-  skins,  tomahawks  and  scalping  knives  became 
ers,  waiting  for  a  last  friendly  greeting,  ex-  more  vivid  and  the  timid  ones  more  nervous, 
pressions  of  interest  in  the  future  success  and  The  roads,  after  a  few  days,  became  very  bad, 
welfare  of  these  adventurous  friends  were  and,  in  many  places,  mere  winding  ways 
profuse,  and  a  last  friendly  handshake  was  through  the  forests.  The  difficulty  of  crossing 
accompanied  by  expressions  of  wonderment  the  larger  rivers  with  the  teams  and  loose 
why  they  were  leaving  one  of  the  garden  stock  made  progress  very  slow.  One  day,  in 
spots  of  the  earth,  friends,  homes  and  plenty,  the  black  swamps  east  of  Fort  Wayne,  only 
to  face  the  dangers  and  hardships  of  a  long  four  miles  were  traveled.  The  route  lay 
journey,  and  the  sufferings  and  privations  of  through  Dayton,  Fort  Wayne,  Goshen  and 
frontier  life  in  the  then  distant  west.  Elkhart.     At    Elkhart    Messrs.  Powers    and 

"Words  fail  me  to  tell  of  the  emotions  and  Robertson  broke  ranks,  and  proceeded  on  to 

parting  scenes  of  that  day.    The  last  sad  look  southern  Michigan,  where  they  located.     The 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


143 


other  four  families,  forty-four  people  in  all, 
followed  down  the  south  bank  of  the  St! 
Joseph  river  to  South  Bend,  then  a  little  In- 
dian trading  post  of  a  few  log  cabins  nestled 
among  the  old  oaks. 

"From  the  trading  post  we  followed  the  old 
Indian  trail  out  to  Sumption  prairie,  break- 
ing ranks  finally  near  the  place  where  the 
James  Oliver  farm  house  now  stands.  Each 
family  took  its  course  from  there  throuoh 
the  tall  prairie  grass  for  its  new  home.  Just 
as  the  sun  was  sinking  behind  the  western 
forest,  our  family  came  to  a  halt  at  the  cor- 
ner of  a  lonely  cornfield  where  father,  alight- 
ing from  his  horse,  said,  'At  home  at  last.' 

"We  lived  in  and  under  our  wagons  until 
a  hewed  log  house,  eighteen  by  thirty  feet, 
with  a  large  fireplace  in  each  end,  the  first  of 
its  kind  south  of  this  city,  was  erected. 
Taking  in  the  howling  of  the  wolf  in  one  ear 
and  the  whoop  of  the  Indian  in  the  other,  we 
moved  into  the  house  without  floors,  doors  or 
windows;  and  it  soon  became  known  as 
Grreene's  big  house.  When  the  towTiship  was 
organized  it  was  named  for  the  Greene  fam- 
ily. 

"While  the  house  was  being  built  the  ox 
team  was  sent  to  Trail  Creek,  now  Michigan 
City,  a  distance  of  forty  miles,  for  lumber  for 
floors,  doors,  windows  and  other  purposes.  It 
required  about  six  days  to  make  the  trip. 
When  the  team  returned,  we  found  the  lum- 
ber broad  poplar  boards,  just  as  the  logs 
had  been  sawed  through,  not  edged  or  shaped, 
and  it  had  to  be  shaped  by  hand  with  saw  and 
splitting  gauge.  As  soon  as  the  house  was 
ready  to  receive  the  goods  my  brother  Ezekiel 
returned  to  Ohio  with  the  four-horse  team  to 
assist  my  brothers  Nathan  and  Jackson,  who 
had  remained  there,  to  gather  and  market  the 
crops  grown  there  and  winter  the  team.  When 
the  little  crops  grown  here  had  been  cared 
for,  a  part  of  the  field  sown  to  wheat,  and 
everything  made  as  convenient  and  comfort- 
able as  possible  for  the  family,  John  Manner- 
ing,  the  cousin,  also  returned  to  Ohio  with 
the  ox  team  to  winter  there. 


"Early  in  the  spring  of  1833,  both  teams 
returned  well  loaded  with  a  year's  supply  of 
flour,    farm    implements    and    other    articles, 
among  them  a  loom,  a  large  and  a  small  spin- 
ning wheel  and  a  reel,  all  of  which  at  that 
time  were  considered  indispensable  articles  of 
the  household  outfit.    As  an  illustration  of  the 
value  and  service  rendered  by  the  wheels  and 
loom  in  every  home  in  the  early  settlement  ot 
this  country,   I  well   remember  myself,   like 
other  boys  of  the  settlement,  then  in  my  teens, 
clad  in  a  straw  hat,  linen  shirt  and  trousers, 
the   materials  having  been   grown,   and   the 
goods  manufactured,   cut  and  made  on   the 
farm.    Thus  clad  I  toiled  many  a  warm  sum- 
mer day,  armed  with  an  ox  gad  with  a  long 
buckskin   lash,    driving   four  yoke   of  oxen, 
which  drew  a  large  breaking  plow,  made  of 
wood,  except  the  share  and  bar,  and  turning 
over  the  tough  prairie  sod  for  the  first  time. 
This  was  a  fair  sample  or  illustration  of  the 
average  boy  of  the  settlement  and  of  his  work, 
in  the  early  days  of  our  trials  and  triumphs. 

"When  Alexis  Coquillard  and  Lathrop  M. 
Taylor  established  their  little  Indian  trading 
posts  on  the  banks  of  our  beautiful  river,  to 
exchange  their  merchandise  for  the  furs,  pel- 
try and  other  Indian  products  that  abounded 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Kankakee  swamps,  and 
for  miles  in  all  directions,  they  were  several 
years  in  advance  of  the  permanent  Home-seek- 
ing pioneers  who  found  these  rich  prairies  and 
vast  forests  untouched  by  the  hand  of  civili- 
zation.   These  lands  were  as  yet  untouched 
by  the  ax  or  the  plow,  and  were  still  roamed 
over  at  will  by  the  Indian  on  the  hunt  and 
chase  and  by  the  wild  beast  of  the  woods  and 
the  plains.    The  regular  and  permanent  settle- 
ment of  the  county  began  in  the  spring  of 
1830,  the  county  being  organized  and  the  first 
government  lands  being  placed  on  the  market 
early  in  the  spring  of  that  year. 

"The  rich  productive  soil  of  the  prairies, 
and  their  readiness  at  all  times,  without  pre- 
vious labor,  to  welcome  the  plo^\^nan  and  his 
seed,  made  them  most  desirable;  and  they 
were,  therefore,  the  first  to  be  entered  and 


144 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


occupied.  All  the  prairies  of  the  coimty 
began  to  be  settled  about  the  same  time,  that 
is,  early  in  the  spring  of  1830. 

"The  first  white  pei-son  to  settle  in  that 
part  of  the  county  lying  southwest  of  the  city 
of  South  Bend,  was  George  Sumption,  who 
was  subsequently^  honored  by  having  his  name 
given  to  our  prairie.  He  located  there  in  the 
spring  of  1830,  on  what  is  now  the  James 
Oliver  farm.  Mr.  Sumption  being  a  man  of 
courage  and  energy,  soon  became  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  the  settlement,  and  re- 
mained such  until  the  day  of  his  death.  He 
made  the  brick  for  and  erected  and  occupied 
the  first  brick  house  south  of  the  city  of  South 
Bend.  John  Eupel.  a  sturdy  son  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, came  next,  in  the  spring  of  1831, 
locating  westward  of  and  adjoining  Sump- 
tion. John  Bird  came  a  little  later  in  1831, 
settling  west  of  and  ad.joining  Rupel.  Later, 
the  same  season.  Jacob  Rupe.  Grove  Pomeroy 
and  Stacy  Garwood  located  on  the  southeast 
part  of  the  prairie. 

"In  the  spring  of  1832,  George  Holloway, 
David  Barrett,  Nathan  Greene  and  John  Rud- 
duck  settled  on  the  west  side  of  the  prairie. 
The  Black  Hawk  Indian  war  in  the  early  part 
of  that  year  virtually  closed  emigration  for 
'the  season,  except  as  to  our  little  colony  of 
forty-four  who  had  previously  arranged  to 
move  that  fall  and  who  arrived  and  located 
on  the  prairie  as  already  related.  In  the 
spring  of  1833,  the  Indian  scare  was  over, 
settlers  came  in  rapidly,  and  in  a  very  few 
years  all  the  tillable  lands  of  what  is  now 
Greene  township  were  occupied  and  produc- 
ing. 

"The  first  thing  on  the  arrival  of  a  new 
settler  was  the  erection  of  a  log  cabin  for 
shelter  and  protection.  This  was  sometimes 
accomplished  in  one  day,  the  neighbors  turn- 
ing out  to  assist,  some  cutting  the  logs,  others 
hauling  them  in  and  others  laying  them  up. 
and  still  others,  with  saws  and  frows,  getting 
out  the  clapboards  for  the  roof. 

"In  the  absence  of  public  roads  these  first 
cabins  that  we  called  homes  were  located  on 


the  edge  of  the  timber  around  the  border  of 
the  prairie,  and  of  necessity  were  rude  struc- 
tures. When  public  highways  were  establish- 
ed these  homes  were  often  found  to  be  badly 
located,  and  in  many  cases  required  removal, 
or  the  erection  of  new  and  better  houses. 

"Seventy-five  years  of  intelligent  industry 
and  unyielding  courage  and  energy  have  left 
the  stamp  of  change  and  progress  everywhere, 
and  practically  on  everything.  Yes,  how 
changed  are  the  people  and  the  scenery!  The 
old  familiar  form  and  face  of  the  red  man, 
who  then  roamed  at  will  over  the  broad  acres 
of  this  beautiful  valley,  lord  of  all  he  sur- 
veyed, is  seen  and  feared  no  more.  His  old, 
well  beaten  paths  have  long  since  faded  from 
view,  and  the  feet  that  made  them  have  been 
at  rest.  His  wigwams  and  villages  have  crum- 
bled to  dust  and  sunk  into  the  kindly  earth 
forever. 

"The  vast  forests  to  the  southeast  of  the 
county,  and  the  extensive  oak  openings  and 
wild  prairies  to  the  southwest  and  to  the 
north,  once  the  home  of  the  savage,  the  wild 
beasts  of  prey  and  the  timid,  beautiful  deer, 
when  touched  by  the  hand  of  civilization, 
began  to  blossom  as  the  rose,  and  were  soon 
dotted  with  comely,  happy  homes,  fruitful 
grain  fields  and  orchards,  and  with  growing, 
prosperous  towns  and  cities.  The  little  Indian 
trading  post  of  a  few  cabins  that  we  found  on 
the  banks  of  the  St.  Joseph,  has  become  one 
of  the  chief  cities  of  a  great  state,  and  the 
home  of  many  of  the  largest  manufactories 
of  the  world.  There  mighty  work  shops  are 
daily  turning  their  beautiful  and  useful  pro- 
ducts into  the  lap  of  the  world's  commerce, 
and  carrying  the  name  of  South  Bend  to  all 
civilized  countries  and  peoples. 

"The  successors  of  the  Indians  are  the 
heroic  pioneers  of  1830,  '31,  '32,  and  '33,  who 
faced  the  dangers,  endured  the  privations, 
suffered  the  ills  and  disappointments  of  long 
journeys  and  lives  of  hardship  ;  who  felled  the 
forest  and  reclaimed  the  prairies;  who  ex- 
tended the  lines  of  civilization  and  became 
the   promoters   of   the   mansions,    towns   and 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


145 


cities  of  today.  Having  done  their  work  and 
done  it  well,  leaving  a  noble  inheritance  to 
their  more  favored  successors,  they,  too,  have 
followed  the  red  man  to  his  resting  place. 
Of  the  pioneers  who  settled  in  this  county, 
south  of  the  city,  at  that  early  day,  the  fol- 
lowing, who  were  then  children,  are  all  that 
are  now  (1905)  left  to  tell  the  story  of  those 
early  days :  Ephraim  Rupel  and  Mrs.  George 
Rambo,  of  Greene  township ;  John  B.  Greene, 
of  Warren;  Daniel  Rupe,  of  Liberty;  John 
Stull,  of  Center;  the  Rev.  N.  Greene,  of  Dan- 
ville, Indiana;  Benjamin  Garwood,  of  Iowa; 
Mrs.  James  Miller  and  myself,  of  this  city. 

"So  far  as  known,  there  are  three  other  per- 
sons now  (1905)  living  in  the  county  who 
were  here  when  our  little  colony  arrived. 
They  are  Robert  Cissne,  formerly  of  Warren 
township,  now  residing  in  this  city  with  his 
son,  John  D.  Cissne;  Mrs.  Matilda  Sherland; 
and  my  wife,  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Greene,  of  South 
Bend.  Mrs.  Greene  came  here  in  March,  1830, 
before  the  town  was  laid  out,  and  is  prob- 
ably the  oldest  continuous  resident  of  the 
county  now  living.  So  far  as  I  know,  there 
is  not  a  man,  nor  any  other  woman,  now  liv- 
ing in  South  Bend  who  was  a  resident  of  the 
town  or  the  county  at  the  time  when  I  came. 

"The  first  dark  cloud  that  came  over  our 
colony  was  caused  by  the  death  of  Isaac  Rud- 
duck,  a  worthy  young  man  about  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  who  died  early  in  January,  1833, 
at  the  home  of  his  parents,  on  what  is  now  the 
Whiteman  farm,  just  south  of  Dr.  Jacob  R. 
Brown's  place,  on  Sumption  prairie  road. 
This  death  occurred  about  four  months  after 
the  arrival  of  our  colony.  To  meet  the  neces- 
sities of  the  sad  occasion  was  a  severe  test  of 
the  abilities  and  resources  of  the  settlement. 
Some  of  the  older  men  got  together  to  select 
a  burial  place.  Mr.  Sumption  generously 
gave  an  acre  of  land  in  one  corner  of  his  farm. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  the  present  ceme- 
tery that  has  been  enlarged  three  times  since. 

"My  brother  John,  who  had  just  completed 
a  three  years'  apprenticeship  to  a  carpenter, 
made  the  coffin  of  poplar  boards  which  we 


had  hauled  forty  miles  with  oxen.  My  brother 
Nelson  and  I  were  sent  to  the  thick  woods  to 
peel  basswood  bark,  boil  it  and  stain  the  coffin. 
The  remains  were  taken  to  the  grave  in  a  lum- 
ber wagon.  The  lines  of  the  harness  were 
taken  from  the  team  to  lower  the  body  to  its 
last  resting  place ;  after  which  the  fresh  earth 
was  filled  in  and  the  people  parted  in  silence 
from  the  lonely  grave. 

"The  memory  of  that  first  burial  that  I 
ever  attended,  with  the  late  Colonel  A.  S. 
Baker,  my  boyhood  companion  and  life-long 
friend,  standing  at  my  side,  and  the  large 
snowflakes  coming  down  on  the  little  company 
of  neighbors  and  mourners,  is  as  vivid  today, 
as  is  another  funeral,  that  of  my  esteemed 
friend  and  neighbor.  Almond  Bugbee,  the  last 
that  I  have  attended,  when  our  fellow  citizen 
James  Oliver  was  at  my  side.  These  two 
funerals,  seventy-two  yeare  apart,  fittingly 
illustrate  the  changes  that  have  taken  place 
in  the  growth  of  our  city  and  county. 

"The  first  white  person  born  in  our  part 
of  the  county  was  Andrew  Bird.  He  was 
born  in  the  summer  of  1832  on  what  is  now 
the  John  J.  Rupel  farm.  He  grew  to  man- 
hood, married  and  raised  a  family,  resided 
all  his  life  in  Greene  township  and  died  own- 
ing a  good  farm  adjoining  the  one  on  which 
he  was  born.  The  fii*st  marriage  in  what  is 
now  Greene  township  was  that  of  Abijah 
Sumption,  son  of  the  first  settler,  and  Rachel 
Rupe.  The  second  was  that  of  John  Rudduck 
and  Elizabeth  Rupe,  sister  of  Rachel.  The 
third  was  that  of  Ezekiel  Greene  and  Sarah 
Garwood,  both  membei-s  of  the  little  colony. 

gee.  2. — By  John  Stull. — In  connection 
with  the  reminiscences  of  Mr.  Greene  may  be 
given  the  substance  of  an  intervie\v  with  John 
Stull  who,  with  his  parents,  came  to  the 
county  when  he  was  a  boy  nine  years  old.  In 
his  conversation  Mr.  Stull  told  of  his  attend- 
ing school  in  1830,  in  the  old  school  building 
in  South  Bend,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Jef- 
ferson school,  and  also  told  how  hard  it  was 
to  "drum  up"  enough  pupils,  by  going  two 


10 


146 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


miles  in  each  direction,  to  maintain  a  summer 
session.     Mr.   Stull  then  continued: 

"There  was  then  living  here  Lathrop  M. 
Taylor,  who  occupied  a  double  log  house  on 
what  is  now  Vistula  avenue,  one-half  of  which 
was  devoted  to  a  stock  of  dry  goods,  and  the 
business  of  a  general  country  store,  while  'fire- 
water' M'as  dispensed  in  the  other  half.  Alexis 
Coquillard  was  also  a  resident  and  had  his 
trading  quarters  on  the  ground  long  occupied 
by  Miller  &  Lontz  as  a  coal  and  wood  yard. 
Center  street,  so  called  for  that  reason, 
although  but  an  alley  proper,  was  the  divid- 
ing line  between  the  Taylor  and  Coquillard 
properties,  the  latter  trading  the  land  south 
to  Taylor.  Coquillard  did  not  conceal  his  sat- 
isfaction that  he  had  got  the  advantage  of 
Taylor  in  the  division.  There  were  but  the 
two  stores  in  the  place,  but  many  dwelling 
houses  scattered  through  the  surrounding 
woods. 

"In  1832  the  report  of  the  uprising  of  the 
northwestern  Indians  spread  like  wildfire. 
The  news  was  that  the  Indians  were  killing 
the  people,  driving  off  stock  and  burning 
property.  The  little  settlement  became  alarm- 
ed and  action  for  defense  was  begun  by  draw- 
ing plans  for  the  construction  of  a  fort  to  be 
located  on  Avhat  is  now  Vistula  avenue,  about 
where  the  water  works  stand  pipe  is  erected. 
The  plans  for  the  fort  were  such  that  all  lines 
of  approach  could  be  commanded  and  swept 
by  the  defenders.  The  fort  was  to  be  con- 
structed from  small  trees  cut  in  such  lengths 
that  about  ten  feet  should  extend  above  the 
ground,  the  tops  sharpened  to  a  point.  A 
ditch  was  to  surround  the  entire  structure. 
Luckily  Black  Hawk  Avas  defeated,  up  in  Wis- 
consin, and  his  followers  driven  across  the 
Mississippi,  and  the  scare  in  St.  Joseph  county 
was  over," 

There  was  any  quantity  of  big  game  in 
the  woods,  Mr.  Stull  remarking  that  at  one 
time  he  saw  no  less  than  seven  head  of  deer 
making  for  the  springs  along  the  river.  The 
burning  of  the  barrens  (oak  openings)  was  a 
favorite    pastime    with    the     Indians.     They 


could  be  expected  to  set  the  fire  going  at  least 
once  a  year,  and  then  there  were  occasionally 
exciting  times;  but  they  never  could  set  the 
heavy  timber  on  fire  by  reason  of  the  damp- 
ness retained  by  the  dead  leaves.  The  only 
survivor  of  those  early  days  of  whom  Mr. 
Stull  has  any  knowledge  is  Mrs.  Matilda 
Sherland,  niece  of  the  original  Alexis  Coquil- 
lard." 

Sec.  3. — Paper  by  William  D.  Bulla. — In 
the  winter  of  1900,  Mr.  William  D.  Bulla  read 
before  the  Northern  Indiana  Historical 
Society  a  most  interesting  paper  detailing 
many  of  the  particulars  of  the  life  of  his 
father,  Thomas  P.  Bulla,  one  of  the  earliest 
residents  of  what  is  now  Clay  township  in 
this  county.  From  this  paper  it  appears  that 
Thomas  P.  Bulla  was  brought  by  his  parents 
from  Ohio  to  what  is  now  Wayne  county,  In- 
diana, in  the  year  1807,  when  he  was  but  three 
years  of  age.  Notwithstanding  the  privations 
of  frontier  life  he  became  a  comparatively 
well  educated  young  man  and  prepared  him- 
self for  the  professions  of  teaching  and  land 
surveying,  in  both  of  which  he  excelled.  In 
the  fall  of  1832  he  came  to  St.  Joseph  county 
to  secure  for  himself  a  home.  He  located  on 
a  tract  immediately  east  of  and  adjoining  the 
grounds  of  the  present  University  of  Notre 
Dame.  Previous  to  this  he  had  made  four 
trips  to  this  county,  coming  first  some  time 
in  the  year  1824.  With  him  came  his  brother- 
in-law,  Evan  Chalfaut,  who  located  on  a  tract 
adjoining  on  the  south. 

In  1833,  Mr.  Bulla  built  for  himself  a 
house,  the  first  hewed  log  house  in  Clay  town- 
ship. It  was  quite  a  pretentious  building,  be- 
ing constructed  of  hewed  logs,  with  a  hard- 
wood floor  of  matched  oak,  a  brick  chimney 
and  a  pine  shingle  roof.  It  consisted  of  one 
large  room,  serving  the  quadruple  purpose  of 
kitchen,  dining  room,  bed-room  and  parlor. 
In  the  center  the  loom  was  often  a  conspicu- 
ous piece  of  furniture.  There  was  a  garret 
overhead,  with  matched  soft-wood  floor,  and 
reached  by  a  steep  winding  stair.'  This  served 
as  a  spare  bed-room  in  time  of  need,  and  also 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


147 


for  storing  the  spinning  wheels,  reels,  swifts, 
spools,  spool-rack,  and  the  gears,  reeds,  shvit- 
tles,  quills,  temple  and  other  things  belong- 
ing to  the  loom.  Among  the  conveniences 
on  the  lower  floor  were  the  large  open  fire- 
place, containing  a  crane  supplied  with  hooks 
of  various  lengths,  on  which  were  suspended, 
over  the  fire,  the  vessels  in  which  the  cooking 
was  done.  A  trap  door  led  to  the  cellar  and 
there  was  a  closet  under  the  stairs  and  a  ' '  cat 
hole ' '  near  the  back  door. 

"While  boarding  with  his  brother-in-law, 
Mr.  Bulla  was  employed  as  a  teacher  in  his 
new  house  and  also  in  South  Bend.  Amongst 
his  pupils  were  Lea  P.  Johnson,  Judge  Thos. 
S.  Stanfield  and  the  great  wagon  manufac- 
turer. Alexis  Coquillard,  the  younger,  nephew 
of  the  founder  of  the  city  of  South  Bend.  Mr. 
Bulla  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Captain 
Gideon  Draper,  another  distinguished  pioneer 
of  the  county.  She  was  a  worthy  helpmate 
of  Mr.  Bulla,  and  herself  made  a  strong  im- 
pression for  good,  not  only  upon  her  five 
children,  but  upon  the  whole  conununity.  Mr. 
Bulla,  besides  being  a  teacher  and  farmer, 
was  for  eighteen  years  county  surveyor,  suc- 
ceeding Tyra  W.  Bray,  in  1837.  Among  the 
early  settlers,  friends  and  neighbors  of  Mr. 
Bulla,  living  within  a  radius  of  two  miles, 
were  his  brother  William  F.  Bulla,  Evan 
Chalfant,  Pierre  Navarre,  Anthony  Defrees, 
Gideon  and  David  Draper,  Asa  Bennett,  Eze- 
kiel  Benton,  Joseph  Metzger,  James  Stuckey, 
Samuel  Brooks,  Louis  Swearingen,  James  J. 
Lane,  Stephen  and  Joseph  Ulery,  the  Rever- 
end Edwin  Sorin,  Brother  Lawrence,  Brother 
Francis  Xavier,  Isaac  Eaton,  Jacob  Eaton, 
John  Eaton,  Samuel  R.  and  Jesse  W.  Jen- 
nings, John  R..  Thompson,  Aaron  Hoover, — 
all  of  whom  have  passed  from  the  activities  of 
this  life  to  the  realities  of  the  life  beyond. 

Sec.  4.— Recollections  op  Hugh  V.  Comp- 
TON. — To  cover  the  early  history  of  another 
part  of  the  county,  we  give  here  the  recollec- 
tions of  Hugh  V.  Compton  as  to  his  early  life 
on  Terre  Coupee  prairie.^    In  1830,  when  Mr. 

a.  As  written  by  him  for  the  New  Carlisle 
Gazette,  November  16,  1906. 


Compton  was  a  child  but  one  year  old,  he 
came  with  his  father  from  Ohio  to  ^lontgom- 
ery  county,  in  this  state,  where  the  family  re- 
mained for  nearly  six  years ;  after  which  they 
made  preparations  to  move  to  St.  Joseph 
county.    Mr.  Compton  says: 

"We  started  for  St.  Joseph  county  about 
the    19th    of    June,  1836.     I   remember    the 
neighbors  coming  in  to  bid  us  goodbye  and 
also  a  pet  deer  with  a  bell  on  its  neck.    They 
would  pet  it  for  a  while  and  then  set  the  dogs 
on  it  to  see  it  run.     We  moved  in  a  covered 
wagon  and  I  do  not  remember  much  that  hap- 
pened on  the  way  except  when  we  crossed  the 
Wabash   river   at    Logansport.     I    remember 
that  as  we  drove  on  the  ferry  a  cow  swam  the 
river  at  the  same  time.     We  forded  the  Eel 
river  coming  out  of  town,  there  being  only  Ja 
footbridge.    The  last  night  before  arriving  at 
Terre   Coupee  we  stayed   the   other  side  of 
South  Bend,  which  at  that  time  was  a  very 
small  town  consisting  of  a  few  houses,  two 
or  three  stores,  a  small  brick  court  house,  a  log 
jail  and  the  old  American  hotel.    I  thought 
the    road    from    South   Bend  'to    the    prairie 
would  never  come  to  an  end,  but  about  noon 
the  24th  of  June  we  landed  at  what  is  now 
the    Bates    farm,    then    owned   by    a   widow 
Smith  and  rented  by  uncle  Joe  Ivens.       My 
mother  and  family  remained  with  aunt  Sally 
Ivens  and  aunt  Maria  Dniliner  while  father 
went  to  Illinois  to  look  for  a  location.     He 
went  on  horseback  and  was  gone  about  four 
weeks  but  concluded  to  remain  in  St.  Joseph 
county.    We  moved  into  a  cabin  at  Hamilton 
which  stood  back  of  the  store  and  about  where 
Isaac  Faroute's  house  stands  now.    That  same 
fall  John  Caskadden  came  and  moved  into  a 
school  house  that  stood  in  what  is  now  the 
cemetery.     At  that  time  there  Wv^re  but  four 
graves  there.     The  ground  was  not  fenced  in 
and  the  graves  were  protected  by  log  pens. 
Jonathan  Hubbard  and  family  lived  on  the 
south  side  of  the  road  in  a  cabin  near  the  pres- 
ent Hubbard  residence.     The  cabin  was  built 
for  a  man  by  the  name  of  Garwood  and  was 
the  first  cabin  built  on  that  side  of  the  prairie. 


148 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


John  Druliner,  his  brothers  and  Mr.  Garwood 
had  all  moved  from  Ohio  in  1830,  about  the 
time  my  father  went  to  Montgomery  county. 
Uncle  John  Druliner  and  a  party  first  landed 
on  the  south  side  of  the  prairie  and  camped 
until  they  could  build  their  log  houses. 

"They  began  cutting  down  trees  and  dig- 
ging wells,  but  found  water  so  near  the  sur- 
face that  they  concluded  to  see  what  was 
on  the  other  side  of  the  prairie,  and  finding 
it  higher  they  all  moved  over  there.  They 
hauled  the  logs  that  were  already  cut  to 
build  the  Garwood  home,  and  then  each  of 
the  Druliners  built  a  home  and  they  all 
helped  one  another  untff  they  were  completed. 

"While  living  at  Hamilton  during  the  ^\an- 
ter  of  '36  and  '37,  father  went  back  to  Mont- 
gomery county,  to  settle  up  his  business  and 
bring  the  rest  of  our  goods.  Uncle  John 
Druliner  went  with  him  to  buy  horses.  While 
father  was  away  my  two  uncles,  Elias  and 
William  Compton,  came  and  stayed  over 
night  with  us.  They  drove  from  near  Craw- 
fordsville  to  Michigan  City  with  loads  of 
wheat  and  returned  with  loads  of  salt.  The 
wagons  were  the  old  Ohio  or  freight  wagons, 
such  as  were  used  to  haul  merchandise  over 
the  mountains  when  emigration  reached  west 
of  the  AUeghenies. 

"At  one  time  that  winter  there  were  five 
or  six  hundred  Indians  camping  acro.ss  the 
road  from  the  church.  They  were  on  their 
way  to  Detroit  to  receive  pay  from  the  gov- 
ernment for  their  lands.  They  were  a  queer 
looking  set  with  rings  in  their  ears  and  noses. 
They  wanted  to  bu}'  everything  to  eat. 
Someone  had  butchered  hog-s  and  they  took 
all  that  wa.s  thrown  away,  boiled  it  and  made 
soup. 

' '  During  the  winter  father  fixed  up  a  sleigh 
and  put  a  cow-bell  on  the  end  of  the  tongue. 
Our  family,  ]\Irs.  Luther  and  her  son  George, 
all  took  a  ride  to  Uncle  John  Druliner 's, 
but  the  road  being  rough  and  full  of  stumps, 
and  the  knees  of  the  sled  being  low,  we  got 
stuck  several  times.  This  Avas  the  first  sleigh- 
ride  that  I  remember. 


"In  the  spring  of  '37  father  rented  a  piece 
of  land  of  Dick  Carlisle,  a  field  of  twenty 
or  thirty  acres  lying  just  south  of  the  town. 
This  was  a  neck  of  the  prairie  joined  to  the 
main  prairie  through  J.  H.  Service's  farm, 
back  of  his  house.  We  lived  in  a  cabin  south- 
wast  of  town  on  a  road  that  led  to  the  Lucos 
and  Warren  farms.  Before  father  had  fin- 
ished plowing,  an  old  man  by  the  name  of 
Billy  Pellet  came  and  told  him  he  had  bought 
the  land  and  wanted  possession.  He  said  he 
was  going  to  lay  it  out  in  town  lots,  etc. 
Father  told  him  it  didn't  belong  to  him  or 
Dick  Carlisle,  as  he  had  rented  it  for  one 
year.  Carlisle  proposed  to  change  and  let 
him  have  some  land  north  of  town,  about 
where  the  depot  is  and  taking  in  a  part  of 
the  Egbert  farm.  It  was  then  unbroken 
prairie,  and  Carlisle  proposed  to  furnish  a 
team  and  someone  to  assist.  He  sent  his 
brother-in-law.  They  broke  the  ground, 
moved  the  fence  and  raised  oats  on  the  south 
part  of  the  field  and  corn  on  the  north. 

"New  Carlisle  at  that  time  was  a  very  small 
place.  Where  most  of  the  town  is  now,  it 
was  oak  grubs  and  woods.  There  were 
three  small  stores,  one  in  what  is  now  Fack's 
meat  market,  kept  by  Mr.  jNIatthews  (Schuy- 
ler Colfax's  step-father)  and  a  partner  by 
the  name  of  Ervin;  a  grocery  on  the  corner 
east  of  Warner's  drug  store,  owned  by  Gar- 
rett Morris;  also  one  owned  by  Charles 
Egbert,  near  where  E.  C.  Taylor's  grocery 
now  is;  and  one  by  Dr.  Egbert,  located 
just  west  of  the  hotel.  The  hotel  was  built 
by  a  man  by  the  name  of  Chocklet  Cramner 
and  was  sold  to  Richard  Cramner  before  it 
was  finished.  Dick  Carlisle's  house  stood 
near  where  Dr.  VanRyper's  house  now 
stands.  There  were  some  log  cabins  in  the 
yard,  one  occupied  by  Samuel  Bates  (known 
as  Stubby)  and  the  other  by  Chocklet  Cram- 
ner. Across  the  street  was  Mr.  Matthew's 
residence,  a  small  frame  house.  West  of  this 
there  were  no  buildings  except  a  small  house 
west  of  Dr.  Egbert's  store,  occupied  by  Eber 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


149 


Woolinan.   A  log  blacksmith  shop  stood  about 
where  Granville  Dniliner's  house  now  is. 

"Bersaw's    pole    cabin,   which   stood   near 
where  John  Hauser's  home  now  stands,  was 
used  in  the  summer  for  a  school  house.     An 
eastern  woman  taught  the  school,  and  I  at- 
tended, coming  from  our  home  southwest  of 
town,  through  the  oak  grubs.     An  incident 
I  well   remember  was  that   Carlisle  Egbert, 
Dr.  Egbert's  son,  and  I  were  wrestling  and 
the  boys  told  the  teacher  w^e  were  fighting. 
She  ordered  three   whips,  called  us  in  and 
told  each  to  whip  the  other.     I  refused  to 
do  my  part  of  the  whipping;    the  other  boy 
did  his  part,   and  the  teacher  whipped  mo 
because  I  would  not  whip  the  other  boy,  so 
I  received  a  double  portion.     Finally  Mary 
Ann  Ivens,  my  cousin,  put  a  stop  to  the  per- 
formance.    I  will  mention  here  that  the  first 
school  I   attended  in  this  county  was  witli 
Charles  Ivens  and  his  sisters,  in  a  log  school- 
house  near  and  a  little  south  of  the  present 
Kinney  school-house.     One  log  was  removed 
for  a  window,  there  having  been  some  glass 
in,  but  some  of  it  w^as  broken  and  a  greased 
paper  was  put  in   its  place.     A  board  was 
put  under  the  window  for  a  writing  desk  and 
also  a  long  board  for  a  seat;    so  when  the 
scholars  wrote  they  went  to  the  window  and 
sat   with   their   backs   to   the   teacher.      The 
boys  had   dug  a  hole  in  the   ground,  three 
or  four  feet  deep,  and  for  mischief  put  Henry 
Ranstead,  then  about  seven  years  old,  in  it. 
When  school  was  called  and  Henry  did  not 
put   in   his  appearance,  his  sisters  informed 
the  teacher  of  his  whereabouts  and  the  boys 
received   a  thrashing. 

"In  the  fall  of  1837  there  was  a  race-track 
built  south  of  the  town.  There  were,  in  fact, 
two  tracks  about  a  rod  apart,  and  each  a 
mile  long.  They  started  from  the  Burk  or 
Garoutte  farm  and  extended  in  a  northwest 
direction  to  where  Mrs.  Jane  Shank's  house 
now  stands.  Each  track  was  put  in  shape  by 
Stubby  Bates.  He  turned  a  large  iron  kettle 
bottom  up  and  hitched  a  horse  to  it,  got  on 


top  and  drove  over  the  place  for  the  track 
in  order  to  cut  the  grass. 

"In  the  fall  of  1837,  Schuyler  Colfax,  aft- 
erwards vice-president  of  the  United  States, 
then  a  boy  helping  in  the  store  of  his  step- 
father, Mr.  Matthew^s,  sometimes  hauled  wood 
from  the  Lucos  place,  passing  our  house,  and 
I  often  went  with  him,  and  as  I  remember 
him  now  I  think  of  him  as  being  both  a  boy 
and  a  man. 

"I  attended  my  first  Sunday  school  in  New 
Carlisle,  Mrs.  Matthews,  her  mother,  Mrs. 
Stryker,  and  Schuyler  Colfax  having  the 
management  of  it.  What  I  had  in  the  way 
of  fine  clothes  were  some  of  Schuyler's  out- 


grown ones. 


"In  the  summer  of  '37  I  earned  my  first 
money,  a  shilling,  or  121/4  cents.  A  man, 
named  Dawson,  hired  me  to  go  to  James 
Gilbreth's  on  what  is  now  the  Pidge  farm 
for  a  powder  horn.  I  bought  a  cap  with  the 
money  and  they  called  it  seal  skin,  but  I 
think  it  was  cow  hide  or  dog  skin.  I  kept 
it  in  a  raisin  box  under  the  bed  and  often 
crawled  under  to  see  and  smell  my  cap.  On 
one  of  these  occasions  my  father  stepped  on 
my  fingers  and  I  have  the  marks  yet. 

"Sometime  during  the  winter  of  '37  and 
'38  father  moved  to  what  was  then  the 
William  Baldwin  farm.  While  living  on  this 
farm  my  father's  two  sisters,  Nancy  and 
Lucy  Ann  Compton.  and  Hugh  Vail  (whose 
deceased  wife  was  father's  sister,  Rebecca) 
and  his  son,  Randall,  came  from  Ohio  to  visit 
us.  While  hei'e  we  all  went  to  father's  land, 
south  of  town  (purchased  of  Clayborn  Smith) 
and  had  a  picnic.  We  took  our  dinner  and 
used  a  large  stump  for  a  table. 

"A  small  deadening  and  a  pole  cabin  were 
the  only  improvements,  except  a  log  house 
begun  the  year  before;  and  the  whole  coun- 
try from  Carlisle  to  Sauktown  was  a  dense 
forest  except  a  few  pioneers,  the  Parnells, 
Hootons  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  West. 
At  that  time  there  was  no  road  laid  out 
from  Carlisle  to  this  laud.  We  cleared  out 
a  road  around  the  west  end  of  Burk's  marsh 


150 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


in  a  southeast  direction  to  our  farm.  At 
that  time  there  was  a  road  from  Plainfield 
in  a  southwest  direction  to  Sauktown.  Father 
got  up  a  petition  for  a  county  road  where 
the  road  now  is  from  New  Carlisle  south,  but 
a  remonstrance  got  up  by  a  few  who  lived 
on  the  Plainfield  road  because  they  wanted 
the  work  all  on  their  road,  etc.,  prevented 
the  county  road  from  being  made.  But  not 
to  be  outdone,  father  petitioned  for  a  state 
road  and  had  it  before  the  opposition  knew  it. 
"Late  in  the  fall  of  '38,  father  concluded 
to  finish  the  house  on  the  farm.  He  employed 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Job  Smith  to  do  the 
work.  I  went  with  him  for  company  and  as 
a  cook.  The  house  was  a  cabin  of  one  room 
and  a  loft  where  there  were  two  beds.  The 
way  of  getting  to  this  part  of  the  cabin  was 
by  large  pegs  put  in  holes  in  the  logs.  There 
were  three  windows  and  a  door  which  faced 
the  east.  Smith  laid  the  floor,  put  in  the 
door  and  windows  and  built  the  chimney, 
which  was  made  of  sticks  and  plastered  with 
clay  mixed  with  straw.  I  was  much  alarmed 
one  night  when  I  heard  an  owl  and  thought 
it  was  a  wolf.  Sometimes  the  Parnell  and 
Hooton  boys  would  come  o^rer  to  visit  us. 
The  cabin  was  finally  finished  and  we  moved 
in  on  Christmas  Day,  1838." 

VII.      OLD   settlers'   REUNIONS. 

One  of  the  most  enjoyable  and  profitable 
recreations  is  that  of  old  settlers'  reunions, 
held  annually,  or  oftener,  in  some  picturesque 
spot  in  the  county,  or  some  neighboring 
county.  Here  come  together  old  friends  anil 
neighbors  who  have  known  one  another  from 
the  days  of  the  first  settlements;  and  with 
them  come  their  children  and  grandchildren. 
The  old  folks  gather  in  little  groups  and 
recount  the  stories  of  other  days;  while  the 
younger  people  engage  in  varied  sports  and 
games  that  make  the  woodlands  happy. 
Afterwards  young  and  old  come  together  in 
some  shady  nook  M^here  the  rustic  feast  is 
spread  by  each  family  upon^  a  grasvsy  plat; 
and    there    the    keen    appetites    enjoy    foods 


which  the  gods  on  Mount  Olympus  might 
envy. 

Few  sights  are  more  touching  than  that 
of  an  elderly  couple  seated  complacently,  on 
such  an  occasion,  in  the  shade  of  a  spreading 
oak  or  beech,  looking  upon  the  enjoyments 
of  their  children,  and  talking  quietly  to  one 
another  and  to  their  old  friends. 

One  such  annual  reunion  is  the  Pennsyl- 
vania picnic,  held  at  Island  park,  in  the  city 
of  Elkhart,  on  the  third  Saturday  of  August 
each  year.  At  this  reunion  are  welcomed  all 
Pennsylvanians  and  their  descendants,  resid- 
ing in  northern  Indiana  and  southern  ]Michi- 
gan.  The  picnic  has  now  been  given  an- 
nually for  upwards  of  twenty-five  years ;  and 
is  looked  forward  to  each  year  with  eager- 
ness by  all  our  citizens  of  the  splendid  race 
that  came  to  us  from  the  Keystone  State. 
There  is  no  better  blood  in  the  citizenship  of 
St.  Josph  county  than  that  of  the  sturdy 
sons  of  that  old  commonwealth.  The  found- 
ers of  our  Pennsylvania  picnic  Avere  William 
B.  Garman,  Michael  F.  Shuey  and  the  Rev. 
James  D.  Huchison,  of  Elkhart  county. 
Many  of  the  most  eminent  persons  of  this 
and  neighboring  counties  have  been  active 
participators  in  those  annual  reunions  at 
Island  park, — among  them  the  late  Joseph 
A.  S.  IVIitchell,  judge  of  the  Indiana  Supreme 
Court :  and  also  his  life  long  friend  and  ad- 
mirer, the  Hon.  John  B.  Stoll,  of  this  county. 

Another  of  these  reunions  is  the  annual 
pioneer  picnic  of  northern  Indiana  and 
southern  Michigan,  held  at  Clear  lake,  in 
Warren  township,  near  the  state  line,  where 
the  old  settlers  and  their  families  from  St. 
Joseph  county,  Indiana,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  and  other  counties  in  both  states, 
gather  on  the  beautiful  wooded  border  of  that 
fine.  lake.  Besides  the  sports,  shows  and  feast- 
ing, there  is  always  at  this  picnic,  as  well  as 
at  the  Pennsylvania,  picnic,  entertaining 
speech  and  song,  commemorative  of  the  past 
and  promising  for  the  future.  There,  too, 
comes  the  reformer,  the  politician,  the  man 
of  affairs;    and  there  weighty  measures  are 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


151 


often  discussed  which  afterwards  become  a 
part  of  the  laws  of  the  hind.  But  the  main 
purpose  of  the  reunions  is  reminiscence,  as 
to  the  past;  enjoyment,  as  to  the  present; 
and  hio'h  hope,  as  to  the  future. 

At  the  picnic  held  at  Clear  lake,  August 
15,  1900,  the  writer  of  this  history  had  the 
pleasure  to  deliver  such  an  address  to  the 
assembled  pioneers.     It  was  as  follows : 

' '  Friends     and     Neighbors :       When    that 
worthy  pioneer,  Ashbury  Lindley,  of  Warren 
township,   asked   me  to   talk  to  the   old  set- 
tlers of  St.  Joseph  and  Berrien  counties,  and 
when  I  began  to  consider  what  I  should  say 
on   this    occasion,   it   occurred  to   me   that   I 
ought  to  be  in  full  sympathy  with  any  gath- 
ering  of   Indiana   and    Michigan    people.      I 
am  myself  a  native  of  Michigan,  and  lived 
in  that  goodly  state  until  the  days  of  man- 
hood;  but  I  have  now  lived  in  Indiana  even 
longer  than  I  did  in  Michigan.    I  have  there- 
fore   some    right    to    count    myself    both    a 
Hoosier  and  a  Wolverine.     Though  not  born 
in  Berrien  county,  I  have  yet  many  precious 
recollections  of  that  splendid  county  and  of 
her   people.     When   I   was  first  on  my  way 
to  the  Hoosier  state,  the  last  town  in  which 
I  rasted  was  the  pretty  city  of  Niles.     There 
I  took  the  old-fashioned  stage  coach  for  the 
south;  in  those  days  this  was  the  only  means 
of  travel  from  Niles  to  South  Bend.     It  was 
an  early  morning  in  February,  in  1859,  long 
before   daylight,    when   the   mighty,    lumber- 
ing stage,  drawn  by  four  great  horses,  began 
its    journey    south    through    the     darkness, 
swaying  from  side  to  side  along  the  lower 
river   road,   once  the  trail  of  Pottawatomies 
and  Miamis  passing  to  and  from  old  Fort  St. 
Joseph's.  The  only  stop  which  we  made  before 
entering  Indiana  was  at  the  tavern  in  Ber- 
trand.     Located   at  the  junction   of  the  St. 
Joseph  river  with  the  Chicago  road,  the  great 
Sauk  trail,  known  of  old  to  Indian  and  early 
settler,  that  pioneer  village  was  at  one  time 
a  more  important  place  than  either  Niles  or 
South  Bend.    But  Bertrand,  the  famous  trad- 
ing post,  has   disappeared   from   the   face  of 


the  earth.  Its  pretty  gardens  and  its  busi- 
ness lots  are  but  a  part  of  the  rich  farm 
lands  of  the  St.  Joseph  valley.  Its  Indian 
neighbor,  too,  Pokagon's  village,  just  across 
the  river,  can  be  seen  no  more.  Civilization 
has  eliminated  Pokagon  and  his  band;  the  no- 
ble chieftain,  friend  of  the  white  man,  is  no 
more.  The  railroad  has  removed  the  stage 
coach,  and  with  that  has  gone  the  ambitious 
village  of  Bertrand. 

"It  was  three  years  after  that  early  morn- 
ing ride  in  the  stage  coach  when  I  came  back 
again   to   Berrien   county    and   to    Michigan. 
It  was  February  again.     There  was  civil  war 
in  the  land;    and,  like  many  another  youth, 
I  thought  it  my  duty  to  offer  my  service,  if 
need  be.  my  life,  for  the  preservation  of  the 
Union.     Wlien  the  question  came  as  to  what 
regiment   I   should   join,   I    thought   at   once 
of    my    native    state.      I    was    not    then    old 
enough,  had  not  been  long  enough  away  from 
my    childhood's    home,  to    be    weaned    from 
Mother  Michigan  ;   and  so  down  I  went  to  Niles 
and  was  taken  into  Company  I  of  the  Twelfth 
Michigan  infantry,  then  in   winter  quarters 
at  old  Camp  Barker.     I  did  not  knoAV  a  sin- 
gle soul  in  the  regiment ;   but  it  was  a  Michi- 
gan regiment,  and  I  should  defend  my  coun- 
try in  the  companionship  of  boys  of  my  na- 
tive state.     That  was  enough  for  me.     Noble 
fellows,  too,  were    those    Twelfth    Michigan 
soldiers.     Many  of  them,  including  those  of 
Company  I,  were  residents  of  Berrien  county. 
A  better  citizen,  a  purer  patriot,  a  worthier 
American  gentleman,  than  our  captain,  Da- 
riiLs  Brown,   could  not  be   found  in   all  the 
ranks  of  the  Union  ai-my.     Lightly  rest  the 
green  sod  upon  his  breast,  where  he  sleeps 
in    peace   by   the   banks   of    the    St.    Joseph. 
Many  another   citizen  soldier   of  that  brave 
regiment,  the  living  and  the  dead,  has  a  se- 
(nire   place   in  the  memory   of  his  comrades 
and    of   his    fellow   citizens.      From    Berrien 
Springs    they    came,    and'  from    Buchanan; 
from  Three  Oaks  and  Galien ;   from  Niles  and 
St.    Joseph,    and    Benton    Harbor    and    New 
Buffalo,    and    from    every    farmhouse    and 


152 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


hamlet  of  the  county;  simple-hearted  and 
brave  pioneer  patriots,  who  thought  it  noth- 
ing that  they  should  go  forth  and  bare  their 
breasts  to  the  sword  that  sought  to  strike  at 
the  heart  of  their  country.  And  so  am  I 
doubly  bound  to  the  pioneers  of  Indiana  and 
Michigan ;  by  the  strong  bonds  of  mature 
manhood  no  less  than  by  the  tender  ties  of 
youth. 

''And  what  manner  of  men  and  women 
were  those  pioneers?  They  were  of  hearts 
as  brave  as  those  of  the  children  whom  they 
raised  up  to  do  battle  for  their  country.  They 
came  out  into  the  wilderness  with  little  else 
than  their  own  stout  hearts  and  strong  arms 
to  help  them.  They  cut  down  and  removed 
the  forest,  or  turned  over  the  stiff  sod  of  the 
prairie,  and  so  changed  the  desert  into  farm 
lands  and  gardens.  It  was  often  a  lonely 
life,  not  to  speal?  of  the  terror  of  wild  beasts 
or  wilder  Indians.  I  .very  distinctly  remem- 
ber in  my  own  home,  when  we  could  see  no 
habitation  but  our  little  log  house,  in  what- 
soever direction  w^e  turned  our  eyes.  We 
knew  that  an  uncle  lived  off  to  the  south, 
but  it  was  through  the  dense  forest  to  get 
to  his  house.  To  the  east  a  pathway  by  a 
swamp,  over  a  barren  knoll  and  through  a 
fearfully  lonely  woods,  led  to  the  nearest 
neighbor  in  that  direction;  and  memory 
still  elings  to  that  triumphant  day,  when  as 
a  boy  I  first  found  my  way  through  that 
terror-haunted  woods  and  back  safe  home 
again.  To  the  north,  far  beyond  the  marshes, 
stretched  an  almost  endless  forest,  and  be- 
yond that  we  knew  there  lived  one  of  our 
most  valued  and  respected  friends.  To  the 
west  we  never  penetrated,  though  there  was 
in  our  minds  some  vague  knowledge  of  wood- 
land denizens  in  that  direction.  The  trees 
were  our  near,  and  the  hills,  marshes  and 
swamps  our  more  remote  landmarks.  The 
'hooked  tree'  and  the  'forked  tree'  were 
then  as  well  recognized  objects  in  our  con- 
fined landscape,  as  are  now  to  us  the  stand 
pipe  at  South  Bend  or  the  Michigan  Central 
railroad  bridge  at  Niles.     And  there  was  an- 


other well  known  tree  where,  once  upon  a 
time,  brave  chanticleer  had  chased  a  hawk, 
and  not  content  to  drive  off  the  robber,  had 
followed  him  into  the  air,  lighting  upon  a 
limb  high  up  on  the  great  oak,  which  ever 
after  was  known  to  us  as  the  'rooster  tree.' 
The  daring  feat  of  this  rooster  was  the  theme 
of  admiration  at  many  a  winter's  fireside 
thereafter.  The  'bear's  hill,'  half  a  mile 
into  the  mysterious  western  woods,  was  the 
spot  where,  on  a  never-to-be-forgotten  morn- 
ing, a  company  of  thirty  hunters,  with  dogs 
and  guns,  had  finally  eome  up  with  big  brown 
bruin ;  and  ever  after  when  the  morning  sun 
shone  through  the  trees  and  rested  upon  that 
hillside  we  imagined  that,  through  the  flut- 
tering leaves  and  shadows,  we  could  still  see 
the  hunters  and  their  dogs,  and  the  big  bear 
in  their  midst.  A  more  graceful  picture  rises 
before  us  when  we  call  to  mind  the  pleasant 
morning  when  the  dew  drops  glittered  over 
the  north  marshes  as  we  boys  went  to  bring 
the  oxen  from  pasture,  and  saw  far  off,  near 
to  the  edge  of  the  woods,  two  deer  from  the 
forest  contentedly  grazing,  as  if  they  were 
themselves  a  part  of  our  domestic  cattle. 

"But  the  pioneer  life  was  not  all  beauty 
and  romance.  It  was,  even  more,  hard  and 
unremitting  labor.  The  courageous  toiler 
must  cut  away  the  underbrush  and  burn  it, 
he  must  cut  do^n  the  trees  and  make  them 
into  rails,  boards  and  shingles.  Ah,  what 
endless  work  it  was!  But  the  little  clearing 
was  finally  made;  the  logs  were  la.id  up, 
one  over  the  other,  until  the  walls  of  the 
cabin  were  completed,  and  the  rude  roof  of 
split  shingles  was  laid  over  it.  And  then 
came  also  the  brave  young  wife,  who  accepted 
the  prospect  before  her  like  the  heroine  that 
she  was.  Year  after  year,  the  clearing  was 
enlarged,  and  a  crop  grown  among  the 
stumps.  The  marshes  and  swamps  were 
drained  and  so  converted  into  meadows. 
Alas,  with  this  stirring  up  of  the  new  soil, 
this  reclaiming  of  the  morasses,  rose  up  also 
the  germs  of  malaria.  Regularly  as  the  season 
came,  August  and  September  found  the  pio- 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


153 


neer,  and  sometimes  the  faithful  wife  and 
helpless  little  ones,  shivering  by  turns  and 
burning  with  the  everlasting  ague.  Happy 
was  it  for  them  if  the  ague  did  not  develop 
into  bilious  or  intermittent  fever,  or  even 
the  dreaded  typhoid.  Many  a  brave  pioneer, 
many  a  struggling  wife,  many  a  stricken 
boy  or  girl  succumbed  to  those  malignant  dis- 
eases, and  the  tired  bodies  found  rest  in  the 
little  graveyards  that  spread  out  from  year 
to  year  around  the  country  churches.  In 
those  days,  men  and  women  became  old  at 
forty-five  and  fifty  years;  and  only  the 
hardier  constitutions  lived  through  that  first 
period  of  labors,  privations  and  sickness.  But 
the  hardier  ones  did  live  through  it  all. 
Year  after  year,  the  forest,  the  prairie,  the 
marsh  and  the  swamp,  put  on,  little  by  lit- 
tle, the  appearance  of  the  farm  and  the  gar- 
den. Wheat  and  oats,  corn,  potatoes  and 
buckwheat,  grew  and  ripened  among  the 
stumps;  and  finally  the  stumps  themselves 
disappeared,  and  great  fields  of  grain  and 
vegetables  and  orchards  filled  the  places  once 
occupied  by  the  underbrush  and  the  dark 
and  silent  woods.  The  marshes  were  turned 
into  pastures  and  hay  fields.  The  rail  fences 
gave  way  to  boards,  to  hedges  and  to  wire, 
until  finally  the  wild  rule  of  wandering  cows 
and  young  stock  was  done  away  with,  and 
domestic  animals  were  fenced  in,  and  need 
no  longer  be  fenced  out.  The  roads  that 
were  once  only  Indian  trails  and  traces, 
pathways  and  stray  tracks  through  the  des- 
ert, crossing  the  streams  or  rivers  by  fords 
or  ferry  boats,  were  straightened,  drained, 
graded  and  graveled,  and  substantial  bridges 
or  culverts  thrown  across  the  streams,  until 
the  highways  along  the  farms  became  almost 
as  fit  for  travel  as  the  paved  streets  of  the 
cities.  The  rude  log  house,  laid  up  by  the 
pioneer's  own  hands,  was  set  aside,  and  in 
its  place  appeared,  at  first,  the  neat  frame 
structure,  and  afterwards,  perhaps,  the 
brick  or  stone  mansion.  The  stick  chimney 
yielded  to  one  of  brick.  The  log  sheds  and 
barns  disappeared :    and  in  their  place  were 


discovered  the  comfortable  frame  shelters 
and  the  great  bank  barns,  swelling  with  hay 
and  corn  and  wheat.  Intellectually  and  mor- 
ally, a  like  transformation  took  place.  Well 
do  I  remember  the  old  log  school  house,  half 
hidden  in  the  woods.  There  gathered  the  chil- 
dtrenof  the  pioneers  from  December  to  March, 
stamping  into  the  warm  room  every  morn- 
ing, half  frozen  from  the  deep  snowbanks; 
and  then  again  bundling  up  just  before  dark 
every  evening,  to  take  the  same  roads  to 
their  homes.  Many  an  ambitious  boy,  sit- 
ting on  one  of  the  split  log  benches  of  those 
school  houses,  and  facing  one  of  the  lean-to 
writing  desks  that  lined  three  sides  of  the 
building,  thought  seriously  of  the  time  when 
he  should  be  congressman,  or  governor,  or, 
it  might  be,  president ;  or  the  more  modest 
youth  or  maiden,  while  perhaps  enamored  of 
one  another,  became  even  more  enamored  of 
science,  literature  and  scholarship.  And  the 
best  of  it  is  that  a  goodly  number  of  those 
day-dreams  came  true.  From  the  log  school 
house  went  forth  many  a  distinguished  man 
and  woman  of  the  nation;  and  there  is  lit- 
tle doubt  that  the  toils  and  privations  of 
home,  the  long  walks  from  home  to  school, 
and  the  studioiLs  quiet  of  those  winter  abodes 
of  learning,  have  all  combined  to  give  ear- 
nestness, resolution  and  courage  to  the  young 
scholars;  so  that  when  afterwards  they  met 
with  their  more  luxurious  city  rivals  they 
found  no  trouble  in  distancing  them  in  the 
race  of  life.  The  pioneer  schools  were  rude 
ones,  but  they  were  nurseries  of  robust,  vir- 
tuous and  successful  citizens  in  eveiy  walk 
of  life. 

"But  the  log  school  houses  have  passed 
away.  More  commodious  and  elegant  homes 
of  learning  have  taken  their  place;  and  the 
modern  school  building  and  the  neat  church 
edifice  ornament  the  pleasant  slopes  and  cozy 
valleys  throughout  all  the  smiling  farming 
lands,  where  once  the  pioneer  struggled  and 
triumphed  in  the  hard  battle  with  rude  na- 
ture. Yes,  the  pioneer  has  triumphed.  Culti- 
vated   fields,    pleasant   homes,    churches    and 


154 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


school  houses,  line  all  the  well  kept  highways ; 
and  where  fifty  years  ago  the  wilderness 
frowned  upon  the  first  invasion  of  the  axe, 
the  spade  and  the  plow,  there  civilization 
lifts  her  glorious  banner  over  the  wide  land- 
scape. Let  the  pioneers  and  their  children 
then  gather  together  in  those  annual  harvest 
reunions  to  commemorate  the  noble  work, 
the  joys  and  the  sorrows,  that  laid  the  founda- 


tions of  the  blessings  which  we  now  enjoy. 
The  pioneers  builded  well;  they  were  the 
founders  of  a  great  nation,  the  greatest  that 
has  ever  blest  the  earth.  Let  them  and  their 
children  and  their  children's  children  meet 
from  year  to  year,  forever,  as  we  fire  meeting 
this  afternoon  at  Clear  lake,  to  keep  green 
the  memory  of  those  heroic  days  and  to  shed 
honors  forever  upon  those  noble  pioneers." 


CHAPTER  V. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  ST.  JOSEPH  COUNTY. 


1.      LAND  TITLES  AND  PUBLIC  SURVEYS. 

Sec.  1. — Indian  Titles. — When  Pierre  Na- 
varre located  on  the  St.  Joseph,  in  the  year 
1820,  neither  the  state  of  Indiana  nor  the 
United  States  had  acquired  title  to  any  lands 
in  what  is  now  St.  Joseph  county,  nor  indeed 
to  any  lands  north  of  the  Wabash,  except 
small  tracts  near  Fort  Wayne  and  Lafayette. 
The  title  to  this  great  northern  wild,  its  thick 
woods,  oak  openings,  prairies  and  marshes, 
was  still  in  the  Indians,  as  it  was  left  by 
the  treaty  made  between  Anthony  Wayne 
and  Little  Turtle  and  the  other  chiefs,  at 
Greenville,  Aug-ust  3,  1795.  Not  only  was 
the  legal  title  to  the  lands  still  in  the  In- 
dians, but  they  continued  to  occupy  the  coun- 
try  as   their  great  hunting  reserve. 

On  August  29,  1821,  as  we  have  already 
seen,«  the  Ottawas,  Chippewas  and  Potta- 
watomies  of  Michigan  ceded  to  the  United 
States  a  large  tract  in  southern  Michigan. 
This  cession  included  also  the  eastern  part  of 
the  ten  mile  strip  between  our  northern  boun- 
dary, as  tixed  by  the  ordinance  of  1787,  and 
the  state  boundaiy,  as  fixed  by  the  enabling 
act  of  1816,  on  the  admission  of  Indiana 
into  the  Union.  The  western  limit  of  the 
Indiana  strip  so  acquired  by  the  Unitdl 
States  reached  to  the  middle  line  of  range 
two  east;  and  the  southern  limit  reached 
to  the  south  line  of  township  thirty-seven 
north.  Those  lines  take  in  the  northeast 
quarter  of  St.  Joseph  county.  The  Potta- 
\vatomies  were  then  the  exclusive  owners  of 
a.     Chap.  3  of  this  History;    Subd.  5,  Sec.  12. 


the  remainder  of  the  county.  By  treaty  of 
October  16,  1826,  they  ceded  the  western  end 
of  the  ten  mile  strip,  which  included  the 
northwest  quarter  of  St.  Joseph  county.  By 
treaty  of  September  28,  1828,  an  irregular 
tract  lying  south  of  the  cession  of  August  29, 
1821,  was  ceded.  This  cession  reached  to 
and  included  the  southeast  quarter  of  the 
county.-  Finally,  by  treaty  of  October  26, 
1832,  the  remainder  of  the  extreme  northwest 
of  the  state  was  ceded.  This  cession  included 
the  remaining  or.  southwest  quarter  of  St. 
Joseph  county.  The  only  land  title,  there- 
fore, which  Navarre  could  acquire,  in  1820, 
was  an  Indian  title.  The  same  was  true  as 
to  Coquillard  on  his  coming,  in  1823,  and 
for  three  years  afterwards,  except  as  to  the 
northeast  quarter  of  the  county.  Even  when 
Taylor  came,  in  1827,  the  Indian  title  had 
been  extinguished  only  as  to  the  northern 
half  of  the  county. 

Sec.  2. — First  Congressional  and  Legis- 
lative Acts. — The  first  act  of  congress  di- 
rectly affecting  St.  Joseph  county  was  that 
approved  March  2,  1827,  entitled  "An  act 
to  authorize  the  state  of  Indiana  to  locate 
and  make  a  road  therein  named."  This  act 
was  passed  to  carry  out  certain  provisions 
of  the  treaty  of  October  16,  1826,  b}^  which 
the  Pottawatomies,  amongst  other  things, 
ceded  to  the  United  States,  "  a  strip  of  land, 
commencing  at  Lake  Michigan  and  running 
to  the  Wabash  river,  one  hundred  feet  wide, 
for  a  road,  and  also  one  section  of  good  land 
contiguous  to  said  road  for  each  mile  of  the 


155 


156 


•history   of    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


same  and  also  for  each  mile  of  a  road  from 
the  termination  thereof,  through  Indianapo- 
lis, to  some  convenient  point  on  the  Ohio 
river.  And  the  general  assembly  of  the  state 
of  Indiana  shall  have  a  right  to  locate  the 
said  road,  and  apply  the  said  sections,  or  the 
proceeds  thereof,  to  the  making  of  the  same 
or  any  part  thereof;  and  the  said  road  shall 
be  at  their  sole  disposal."  Following  the 
treaty,  and  the  act  of  congi^ess  in  relation 
thereto,  and  to  provide  for  carrying  the  same 
into  effect,  the  general  assembly,  by  an  act 
approved  January  24,  1828,  appointed  com- 
missioners "to  survey  and  mark  a  road  from 
Lake  Michigan  to  Indianapolis,  agreeably  to 
the  late  treaty  with  the  Pottawatomie  In- 
dians, and  the  act  of  congress  in  confirma- 
tion thereof."^''  Thus  were  the  first  steps 
taken  for  the  construction  of  the  Michigan 
road,  one  of  the  most  important  public  im- 
provements known  in  the  history  of  Indiana. 
The  work  was  of  great  moment  to  the  whole 
state,  from  the  Ohio  to  the  lake,  but  par- 
ticularly so  to  St.  Joseph  coimty  and  other 
northern  counties,  which  would  thus  be  more 
closely  connected  with  the  settled  parts  of 
the  state  and  also  enabled  more  conveniently 
to  reach  the  lake  trade  at  Michigan  City, 
or  Trail's  Creek,  as  that  place  was  at  first 
called.^  It  was  a  renewal,  by  another  route, 
of  the  old  course  of  commerce  from  the  lakes 
to  the  gulf. 

The  act  of  January  24,  1828,  in  relation 
to  the  IMichigan  road,  was  the  first  official 
notice  taken  by  the  legislature  of  the  terri- 
tory of  our  county.  But  the  proposition  to 
construct  a  great  highway  through  this  re- 
gion was  indeed  the  giving  of  most  important 
consideration  to  the  welfare  of  the  valleys 
of  the  St.  Joseph  and  the  Kankakee. 

Sec.  3. — First  Surveys. — Among  the  earli- 
est surveys  made  in  the  county  were  those  of 
the  Michigan  road  and  of  the  Michigan  road 
lands.  The  original  survey  of  the  road  was 
begun  in  the  fall  of  1828;    but  that  survey 

a.    Acts  1827,  p.  87. 

6.     See  Cliap.  2  of  this  History;    Subd.    2. 


was  abandoned  as  impracticable,  being  an 
attempt  to  lay  out  a  road  on  a  direct  line 
from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Wabash,  over  al- 
most impassable  swamps  and  marshes,  chiefly 
those  of  the  Kankakee  country.  The  route 
proposed  in  this  survey,  from  the  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Michigan  City  to  that  of 
Logansport,  was  seventy-four  miles  in  length. 
A  second  survey,  made  the  same  fall,  turned 
to  the  southeast  from  Trail's  Creek  until  it 
reached  the  south  bend  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river.  "At  this  point,"  say  the  surveyors 
in  their  report,  "is  a  beautiful  site  for  a 
town."  So,  in  1828,  did  the  surveyors  of  the 
Michigan  road  make  prophecy  of  the  future 
of  the  Queen  City  of  the  St.  Joseph  valley." 
From  this  south  bend  of  the  St.  Joseph,  the 
survey  eontinued  nearly  in  a  direct  line  to 
the  south.  The  distance  by  this  route  be- 
tween Michigan  City  and  Logansport,  as  the 
extreme  points  are  now  called,  was  found  to 
be  one  hundred  and  two  miles.  The  maps 
and  plats  of  this  survey  were  filed  in  the 
office  of  the  secretary  of  state,  December  9, 
1828.  In  the  spring  of  1829,  there  was  a 
resurvey  of  that  part  of  the  road  from  South 
Bend  to  Logansport,  over  practically  the 
same  route  as  that  surveyed  in  the  fall  of 
1828 :  and  the  maps,  plats  and  field  notes 
were  filed  in  the  office  of  the  secretary  of 
state  on  June  12,  1829.  This  survey,  as  made 
from  Michigan  City  to  South  Bend  in  the 
fall  of  1828,  and  from  South  Bend  to  Lo- 
gansport in  the  spring  of  1829,  was  accepted; 
and  the  field  notes  are  called  the  "Field 
notes  of  the  second  survey";  the  first  being 
that  over  the  impracticable  route  from 
Trail's  Creek,  or  Michigan  City,  through  the 
swamps,  directly  to  Logansport.  Had  the  first 
survey  been  accepted,  and  the  road  built  on 
that  route.  South  Bend  and  St.  Joseph  county 
would  have  been  left  far  to  one  side;  and 
our  history  might  have  been  different.  For- 
tunately for  us,  however,   it  was   according 

a.  The  field  notes  on  which  this  remark  is 
written  were  filed  Dec.  9,  1828,  and  signed  by  W. 
W.  Wick,  surveyor. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUxNTY. 


157 


to  the  "Field  notes  of  the  second  survey," 

that  the  road  was  laid  out  and  constructed." 

The  first  public  surveys,  after  those  of  the 

Michigan    road,    were   the   surveys  ~  made    in 

1829  by  William  Brookfield,  our  first  county 
surveyor.  Brookfield 's  surveys  were  made  in 
townships  thirty-seven  and  thirty-eight, 
north,  ranges  one,  two  and  three,  east,  and 
included  parts  of  the  present  townships  of 
Portage,  Penn,  Clay,  German  and  Warren. 
Other  surveyors  during  the  year  1829  were 
David  Hillis  and  Thomas  Brown.  The  prin- 
cipal surveyor  in  connection  with  the  Michi- 
gan road  and  Michigan  road  lands  was  Wil- 
liam Polke,  for  a  long  time  commissioner  in 
charge  of  the  construction  of  the  Michigan 
road,   whose   surveys   extend   from  the  year 

1830  to  the  year  1834,  inclusive.  Other  sur- 
veyors were  E.  H.  Lytle,  in  1830  and  1834; 
and  Robert  Clark,  Jr.,  in  1833.  The  people 
were  exceedingly  urgent  for  the  completion 
of  the  Michigan  road  and  for  the  survey  of 
all  the  lands  of  the  county;  and  both  these 
important  works  were  pushed  ahead  with 
energy.  On  the  extinguishment  of  the  In- 
dian title  to  the  lancls  of  what  is  now  the 
southwest  quarter  of  the  county  by  the  treaty 
of  October  26,  1832,  the  surveys  were  rap- 
idly extended  over  all  our  territory;  so  that 
by  the  year  1834  practically  all  the  lands  of 
the  county  were  surveyed.  At  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1832  the  Michigan  road  was  com- 
pleted from  the  Ohio,  at  Madison,  to  the 
Wabash,  at  Logansport;  and  by  the  end 
of  that  year  the  road  was  opened  to  the  lake, 
at  Michigan  City.  The  tide  of  emigration, 
induced  by  the  facilities  thus  afforded, 
poured  into  all  the  country  between  the  Wa- 
bash and  the  lake;  and  the  population  of 
this  vicinity  increased  very  rapidly. 

Sec.  4. — First  Land  Sales. — While  the 
public  surveys  were  begun  in  1829,  yet  it 
appears  from  the  plat  books  now  on  file  in 
the  office  of  the  eounty  auditor  that  the 
first  sales  of  public  lands  were  not  made  un- 

a.  See  further  as  to  the  Michigan  Road,  Chap. 
7,  Sub.  2,  Sec.  3. 


til  late  in  the  year  1830;  and  the  first  sales 
of  the  Michigan  road  lands  were  made  still 
a  year  later.  Yet,  although  the  actual  sales 
were  not  completed  until  the  dates  named, 
the  entries  were  made  much  earlier.  After 
the  entries  were  made,  and  even  after  the 
sales  were  completed,  it  was  some  time  yet 
longer  before  the  patents  could  issue.  On 
October  4,  1830,  the  south  half  of  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  twelve,  township 
thirty-seven,  north,  range  two  east,  was  sold 
to  Lathrop  M.  Taylor;  and  on  the  25th  of 
the  same  month  the  north  half  of  the  same 
tract  was  sold  to  Alexis  Coquillard.  In  the 
spring  following,  on  March  28,  1831,  these 
two  men  laid  out  the  eounty  seat  on  the  two 
tracts  so  purchased,  together  with  a  smaller 
tract  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  one 
of  the  same  township  and  range.  Yet  on  j\Iay 
12,  1831,  in  the  bond  of  Coquillard  and 
Taylor  agreeing  to  donate  certain  lots  in  the 
new  town  for  public  purposes,  they  say, 
"which  said  several  donations  are  to  be 
legally  conveyed  in  a  reasonable  time  after 
the  patents  shall  have  been  issued  to  the 
said  Coquillard  and  Taylor."  It  is  very 
plain  that  the  population  was  pressing  into 
this  rich  country  much  faster  than  the  state 
and  national  authorities  could  prepare  for 
them. 

ir.      ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    COUNTY. 

So  far  had  the  population  of  this  region 
increased  at  the  beginning  of  the  j^ear  1830, 
that  the  legislature,  then  in  session,  deemed 
it  wise  to  provide  for  the  organization  of 
the  two  sister  counties  of  the  St.  Joseph 
valley.  This  important  act  of  legislation, 
which  was  approved  by  the  governor  and 
became  a  law  January  29.  1830,  reads  as 
follows  :^ 

"An  Act  for  the  Formation  of  the  Coun- 
ties of  St.  Joseph  and  Elkhart. 

"Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  That 
from  and  after  the  first  day  of  April  next, 

a.    Acts  1829,  pp.  28-31. 


158                                       HISTORY   OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY. 

all  that  tract  of  country,  which  is  included  in  the  county  treasury,  in  the  same  manner 
within  the  following  boundary,  shall  form  as  other  monies  are  paid, 
and  constitute  a  new  county,  to  be  known  ''See.  4.  The  circuit  court  of  the  county 
and  designated  by  the  name  of  the  county  of  St.  Joseph  shall  be  holden  at  the  house 
of  St.  Joseph,  to-wit:  Beginning  at  [the  of  Alexis  Coquillard,  in  said  county  of  St. 
west  line  of]  range  No.  2  west  from  the  Joseph:  Provided,  however,  that  the  cir- 
second  principal  meridian,  of  the  state  of  cuit  court,  shall  have  authority  to  remove 
Indiana,  on  the  northern  line  of  the  state,  the  court  from  the  house  of  Alexis  Coquil- 
thence  running  east,  to  where  [the  east  line  lard,  to  any  other  place  in  said  county,  pre- 
of]  range  No.  3  east,  intersects  the  state  vious  to  the  public  buildings  being  com- 
line ;  thence  south  with  the  range  line,  pleted,  should  the  said  court  deem  it  ex- 
thirty  miles ;  thence  west  to  range  two  pedient ;  after  the  completion  of  which,  the 
west :  thence  north  to  the  place  of  beginning,  court  of  the  said  county  of  St.  Joseph,  shall 

"Sec.    2.      The    said   new    county    of    St.  be  holden  at  the  court  house  at  the  county 

Joseph,  shall,  from  and  after  the  first  day  seat  of  said  county  of  St.  Joseph, 

of  April   next,   enjoy   aU   the    rights,   priv-  "Sec.    5.      The    agent    who    shall   be    ap- 

ileges    and   jurisdiction,   which   to   separate  pointed    to    superintend    the    sales    of    lots, 

and  independent  counties,  do  and  may  prop-  at   the    county    seat    of  the    county    of    St. 

eriy  belong  and  appertain.  Joseph,  shall  reserve  ten  per  cent,  out  of  the 

"Sec.   3.     That    Thomas    J.    Evans    and  proceeds  thereof,  and  pay  the  same  over  to 

Gillis  McBane  of  Cass  county,  Daniel  North  such  person  or  persons,  as  may  be  appointed 

of  Randolph  county,  John  Berry  of  ^Madison  t)y  law  to  receive  the  same,  for  the  use  of.  a 

county,  and  John  Ross  of  Fayette  county,  are  county  library  for  said  county  of  St.  Joseph, 

hereby   appointed   commissioners,   agreeable  which   he   shall   pay  over  at   such   time   or 

to  the   act,   entitled  'an  act  for  the  fixing  times,  and  place,  as  may  be  directed  by  law. 

the  seats  of  justice  in  all  counties  hereafter  "See.  6.    It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  quali- 

to  be   laid   off.'*     The   commissioners   above  fied  voters  of  the  county  of  St.  Joseph,  at  the 

named,  shall  convene  at  the  house  of  Alexis^  time  of  electing  a  clerk,  recorder  and  asso- 

Coquillard,  in  the  said  county  of  St.  Joseph,  ciate  judges,  to  elect  three  justices  of  the 

on   the   fourth  Monday   of  May  next,   and  Peaee,  who,  when  elected  and  qualified,  shall 

shall  immediately  proceed  to  discharge  the  ^^^'^   all   the    powers   and   perform   all   the 

duties  assigned  them  by  law.     It  is  hereby  duties,    prescribed    by    law,    as    relates    to 

made  the  duty  of  the  sheriff  of  Cass  county,  boards  of  justices,  in  the  several  counties ; 

to  notify  the  said  commissioners,  either  in  and   said   board  shall  have  power  to   hold 

person,  or  by  written  notification,   of  their  special  sessions  and  to  do  and  perform  any 

appointment,  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  duties    required    at    any    previous    regular 

May    next;    and    the    said    sheriff    of    Cass  session. 

county,  shall  receive  from  the  said  county  "^^^-  '^-    "^^^^  ^^^  t^e  territory  lying  west 

of  St.  Joseph,  so  much  as  the  county  board  °^  ''^^^  county,  to  the  state  line,  be,  and  the 

doing  business  for  said  county,  shall  deem  ^^""'^  '^  ^^^^^^^  attached  to  the  said  county 

just  and  reasonable;  who  are  hereby  author-  f  ^*-  Joseph    for  civil  and  criminal  juris- 

ized  to  allow  the  same,  out  of  any  monies  f"'"f  ^  ^""^  ^^e  citizens  residing  .vithin  the 

bounds  so  included,  shall  be  entitled  to  all 

a.     The  act  referred  to  was  approved   January  the   privileges   and  immunities,   and   be   sub- 

14,^1824.     See  Ind.  R.  s.  1831,  p.  459,  and  1838,  ject  to  all  the  taxes,  impositions  and  assess- 

6.    Written   Alexander   in    the   statute   by   mis-  "lents,    of   the   citizens    of   the   county   of   St. 

^^^^-  Joseph. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


159 


"Sec.  8.  That  from  and  after  the  first 
day  of  April  next,  all  that  tract  of  country, 
which  is  included  and  within  the  following 
boundary,  shall  form  and  constitute  a  new 
county,  to  be  known  and  designated  by  the 
name  of  the  county  of  Elkhart,  to-wit :  Be- 
ginning at  [the  east  line  of]  range  three 
east  [on  the  northern  line  of  the  state], 
thence  running  with  the  state  line  twenty- 
four  miles  east;  thence  south  twenty  miles; 
thence  west  twenty-four  miles ;  thence  north 
twenty-four  [twenty]  miles,  to  the  place  of 
beginning. 

"Sec.  9.  That  the  said  new  county  of 
Elkhart,  shall,  from  and  after  the  first  day 
of  April  next,  enjoy  all  the  rights,  privileges 
and  jurisdiction,  which  to  separate  and  in- 
dependent counties,  do,  and  may  properly 
belong  and  appertain. 

"Sec.  10.  That  William  G.  Ewing  and 
Hugh  Hanna  of  the  county  of  Allen,  Samuel 
Fleming  and  John  Bishop  of  the  coimty  of 
Wayne,  and  Joseph  Bennett  of  the  countj^  of 
Delaware,  are  hereby  appointed  commission- 
ers agreeable  to  the  act,  entitled  'an  act  for 
the  fixing  the  seats  of  justice  in  all  counties 
hereafter  to  be  laid  off.'  The  commissioners 
above  named,  shall  convene  at  the  house  of 
ChcKster  Sage,  in  the  said  county  of  Elkhart, 
on  the  fourth  Monday  in  May  next,  and  shall 
immediately  proceed  to  discharge  the  duties 
assigned  them  by  law.  It  is  hereby  made  the 
duty  of  the  sheriff  of  Allen  county,  to  notify 
the  said  commissioners,  either  in  person,  or 
by  written  notification,  of  their  appointment, 
on  or  before  the  first  day  of  May  next;  and 
the  said  sheriff  of  Allen  county,  shall  receive 
from  the  said  county  of  Elkhart,  so  much 
as  the  board  doing  county  business  shall 
deem  just  and  reasonable ;  who  are  hereby  au- 
thorized to  allow  the  same  out  of  any  monies 
in  the  county  treasury,  in  the  manner  as  other 
monies  are  paid. 

,  "See.  11.  The  circuit  court  of  the  county 
of  Elkhart,  shall  be  holden  at  the  house  of 
Chester  Sage,  in  said  county  of  Elkhart :  Pro- 
vided,  however,   that   the  circuit  court  shall 


have  authority  to  remove  the  court  from  the 
house  of  Chester  Sage,  to  any  other  place  in 
said  county,  previous  to  the  public  buildings 
being  completed,  should  the  said  court  deem 
it  expedient;  after  the  completion  of  which, 
the  court  of  the  said  county  of  Elkhart,  shall 
be  holden  at  the  court  house  at  the  county 
seat  of  said  county  of  Elkhart. 

"Sec.  12.  The  agent  who  shall  be  appointed 
to  superintend  the  sales  of  lots  at  the  county 
seat  of  the  county  of  Elkhart,  shall  reserve 
ten  per  cent,  out  of  the  proceeds  thereof,  and 
pay  the  same  over  to  such  person,  or  persons, 
as  may  be  appointed  by  law  to  receive  the 
same,  for  the  use  of  a  county  library  for  said 
county  of  Elkhart;  which  he  shall  pay  over 
at  such  time  or  times,  and  place,  as  may  be 
directed  by  law. 

"Sec.  13.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  quali- 
fied voters  of  the  countj^  of  Elkhart,  at  the 
time  of  electing  a  clerk,  recorder  and  asso- 
ciate judges,  to  elect  three  justices  of  the 
peace,  who,  when  elected  and  qualified,  shall 
have  all  power,  and  perform  all  the  duties, 
prescribed  by  law,  as  relates  to  boards  of 
justices,  in  the  several  counties;  and  said 
board  shall  have  power  to  hold  special  ses- 
sions, and  to  do  and  perform  any  duties  re- 
quired at  any  previous  regular  session. 

"Sec.  14.  That  all  territory  lying  east  of 
said  county  to  the  state  line,  be,  and  the  same 
is  hereby  attached  to  the  said  county  of  Elk- 
hart, for  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction ;  and 
the  citizens  residing  within  the  bounds  so  in- 
cluded, shall  be  entitled  to  all  the  privileges 
and  immunities,  and  be  subject  to  all  the 
taxes,  impositions  and  assessments,  of  the  citi- 
zens of  the  county  of  Elkhart. 

"Sec.  15.  The  county  of  St.  Joseph  shall 
be  attached  to  the  first,  and  the  county  of 
Elkhart  to  the  sixth  judicial  district  of  the 
state,  for  judicial  purposes. 

"This  act  to  take  effect  and  be  in  force 
from  and  after  its  passage." 

Sec.  1. — Attached  Territory. — From  the 
foregoing  act  it  appears  that  St.  Joseph  and 
Elkhart  were  the  only  counties  then  organized 


160 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


on  the  northern  boundary  of  the  state.  All 
the  territory  to  the  west,  including  that  of 
the  present  counties  of  La  Porte,  Porter  and 
Lake,  was  attached  to  St.  Joseph  county ;  and 
all  to  the  east,  including  the  territory  of  the 
present  counties  of  La  Grange  and  Steuben, 
was  attached  to  Elkhart  county.  In  addition, 
by  section  eight  of  an  act  for  the  formation 
of  Grant  county,  approved  February  10,  1831, 
all  the  unorganized  territory  then  remaining 
west  of  the  range  line-  dividing  ranges  three 
and  four  east,  was  attached  to  St.  Joseph 
county;  and  that  to  the  east  of  said  line,  to 
Elkhart  county."  This  was  done  in  accord- 
ance with  the  practice  of  the  legislature  to 
attach  unorganized  territory  to  counties  al- 
ready organized. 

The  original  county  of  the  state  was  Knox, 
with  its  county  seat  at  Vincennes,  organized 
January  14,  1790.  Northern  Indiana  re- 
mained within  the  jurisdiction  of  Knox 
county  until  January  10,  1818,  "when  this 
part  of  the  state,  extending  to  Lake  Michigan, 
was  embraced  in  Randolph  county,  of  which 
Winchester  was  the  county  seat,  up  to  the 
formation  of  Allen  county,  December  17, 
1823.  "'^ 

From  the  formation  of  Allen  county,  in 
1823,  until  that  of  St.  Joseph  and  Elkhart 
counties,  in  1830,  all  northern  Indiana  was 
attached  to  Allen  county;  even  as  by  act  of 
January  29,  1830,  the  territory  now  forming 
La  Porte,  Porter  and  Lake  counties  was  at- 
tached to  St.  Joseph  county.  The  territory 
attached  in  such  cases  was  not  in  fact  a  part 
of  the  county  to  which  it  was  joined ;  yet,  for 
all  practical  purposes,  it  was  so  treated.  And 
we  shall  see  that  St.  Joseph  county,  both 
under  our  board  of  justices  and  under  our 
board  of  commissioners,  formed  the  attached 
territory  west  to  the  Illinois  line  into  a  dis- 
tinct township,  and  otherwise  treated  it  as  an 
integral  part  of  the  county.^ 

c.     Special  Acts  1830,  pp.  16-18. 

&.  History  of  Fort  Wayne,  by  Wallace  A. 
Brice,  p.  290.  See  also  Indiana  Legislative  and 
State  Manual,  1899,  pp.  686-688. 

c.      See  Subdivisions  4  and  5  of  this  chapter. 


III.       OUR  FORM  OF  COUNTY  GOVERNMENT.    ' 

Sec.  1. — The  Virginia  System. — In  our  lo- 
cal government  we  are  still  Virginians.     The 
first  civilized  authority  exercised  in  this  re- 
gion  was   that   of    France;     afterwards   the 
power  of  Great  Britain  prevailed;    the  do- 
minion of   Spain  flashed  up   for  a  moment 
and  was  gone.    During  the  Revolution,  chief- 
ly for  the  purpose  of  protecting  her  Kentuckj^ 
frontiers,  Virginia  sent  an  expedition  across 
the   Ohio  river  under  George  Rogers  Clark, 
and  wrested  the  country  from  England.    The 
old  commonwealth  then  formed  the  territory 
northwest  of  the  Ohio  into  one  of  her  coun- 
ties, named  it  the  county  of  Illinois,  and,  so 
far  as  suitable  to  the  new  conditions,  trans- 
ferred her  own  form  of  local  county  govern- 
ment to   this  vast   wilderness   empire.      The 
Virginians    were   the   Romans    of   our   early 
American  history.     They  had  a  capacity  for, 
government  on  a  large  scale.     The  state  was 
the  center  of  the  system,  and  the  county  was 
the  unit  of  subordinate  local  government.  The 
townships    were    merely    convenient   subdivi- 
sions created  for  the  purpose  of  more  easily 
administering  the  affaire  of  the  county.    Such 
a  scheme  is  well  adapted  for  the  government 
of  large  territories,   particularly    when    the 
same  are  sparsely  populated.     The  authority 
passes  from  the  state  to  the  counties,  and  all 
the   affairs   of  the   citizen   are   administered 
through  the  county  courts,  county  boards  and 
other  county  officers,  acting  also,  when  con- 
venient to  do  so,  through  subordinate  town- 
ship officers.    That  is  our  system  of  local  gov- 
ernment, and  we  received  it  originally  from 
the  Old  Dominion.    After  Virginia  had  ceded 
her   great   count}-   of   Illinois   to   the   United 
States,  the  government  established  under  the 
ordinance    of    1787.    was   somewhat   modified 
from  the  former,   or  Virginia,  system,  by  a 
selection   of  many  Avise  provisions  from  the 
laws  of  other  states ;   but  the  prevailing  char- 
acter of  the  machinery  of  government  under 
the  great  ordinance  remained  Virginian. 
Sec.  2. — The  New  England  System. — The 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


161 


New  Eugland  system,  as  it  is  often  called, 
proceeds,  not  from  the  state  to  the  county 
and  then  to  the  individual,  but  from  the  in- 
dividual to  the  town,  or  other  local  communi- 
ty, and  then  to  the  state.  In  the  Virginia 
form  of  local  government  the  county  is  the 
unit,  and  the  town,  or  township,  is  quite 
subordinate.  In  the  New  England  system  the 
town  is  the  unit,  and  the  county  is  but  an 
aggregation  of  towns.  St.  Joseph  county  ad- 
joins Berrien  county,  Michigan,  but  our  po- 
litical ancestry  goes  back  to  Virginia,  wiiile 
that  of  Berrien  county  goes  back  to  New 
York  and  New  England.  The  original  set- 
tlers of  Michigan  came  directly  from  the  east 
and  northeast ;  those  of  Indiana  from  the 
south  and  southeast.  At  our  northern  bound- 
ary the  two  systems  meet.  The  authority  of 
Berrien  county  is  exercised  through  the  board 
of  supervisors  of  the  several  townships ;  that 
of  St.  Joseph  county,  through  a  county  board 
elected  by  the  people  of  the  whole  county. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  state  line  the  town- 
ship is  supreme,  and  the  county  is  but  an 
aggregation  of  townships ;  on  this  side  of  the 
line  the  county  is  supreme,  and  the  town- 
ships are  but  its  subordinate  divisions.  We 
are  very  close  to  Michigan ;  indeed,  the  north 
ten  miles  of  St.  Joseph  county,  as  we  have 
seen,  was  once  a  part  of  Michigan.  But  the 
forms  of  government  are  quite  dissimilar. 
Which  form  is  the  better  may  admit  of  ques- 
tion. No  doubt  the  Michigan  system  gives 
larger  consideration  to  the  individual  and  to 
the  smaller  local  communities ;  it  is  nearer 
to  the  people.  There  the  township  is  more 
than  with  us;  the  road  district  is  more;  the 
school  district  is  more ;  the  power  of  the  in- 
dividual citizen  is  greater.  But  with  us  the 
county  government  is  more  effective.  The 
coimty  board,  consisting  of  three  members, 
selected  from  different  sections  of  the  county, 
but  elected  by  the  voters  of  the  whole  county, 
is  much  more  efficient  than  a  meeting  of  the 
board  of  supervisors  of  the  several  townships. 
We  can  carry  on  public  works  to  much  better 

advantage.    We  can  build  court  houses,  school 
11 


houses,  roads  and  bridges  more  effectively. 
The  work  of  the  state,  of  the  people  at  large, 
can  be  better  carried  on  in  Indiana.  But  it 
must  be  admitted  that  the  rights  and  powers 
of  the  individual  citizen  seem  better  guarded 
in  our  sister  state.  Each  system  is  good  in 
its  way;  and  the  statesmanship  that  should 
blend  the  excellencies  of  both  would  merit 
the  very  highest  honor. 

IV.      THE  BOARD  OF   JUSTICES. 

See.  1. — Organization  of  Civil  Govern- 
ment.— In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of 
section  six  of  the  act  for  the  organization  of 
the  county,  our  first  county  election  was  held 
on  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1830.  At  this 
election  Lathrop  M.  Taylor  was  elected  clerk 
and  recorder,  and  Lambert  McCombs,  Adam 
Smith  and  Levi  F.  Arnold  were  elected  jus- 
tices of  the  peace.  The  board  of  justices  held 
its  first  meeting  at  the  house  of  Alexis  Co- 
quillard,  on  August  27,  1830.  The  first  entry 
on  the  record  of  the  board  reads  as  follows : 

"In  pursuance  of  an  act  of  the  general 
assembly  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  entitled  an 
act  to  provide  for  the  carrying  the  laws  into 
effect  in  new  counties,  approved  January  2, 
1818;  and  also  the  act,  entitled  an  act  for 
the  formation  of  the  counties  of  St.  Joseph 
and  Elkhart,  passed  and  approved  January 
29,  1830,  the  Justices  of  the  Peace  met  at 
the  house  of  Alexis  Coquillard,  in  St.  Joseph 
county,  on  Friday,  the  27th  day  of  August, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  thirty. 

"Adam  Smith  now  comes  forth  and  pro- 
duces his  commission  from  His  Excellency, 
James  B.  Ray,  Grovernor  of  the  State  of  Indi- 
ana, commissioning  him,  the  said  Adam  Smith, 
Justice  of  the  Peace  in  and  for  said  county 
of  St.  Joseph  for  and  during  the  term  of  five 
years  from  the  11th  day  of  August,  1830; 
and  on  the  back  of  said  commission  is  the 
following  endorsement,  to  wit : 
"  'St.  Joseph  county,  ) 
"  'State  of  Indiana,       ) 

"  'Be  it  remembered,  that  on  the  27th  day 


162                                       HISTORY   OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY. 

of  August,  A.  D.  1830,  personally  came  Adam  Company   (Alexis  Coquillard,  agent,)   and  to 

Smith,  within  commissioned,  before  me,  L.  M.  Samuel  Hanna  and  Co.   (Lathrop  M.  Taylor, 

Taylor,   Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  and  be-  agent,)    authorizing   them,   on  payment  of  a 

ing  duly  sworn  on  his  solemn  oath,  says  that  fee   of   ten    dollars    each,    "to   vend    foreign 

he  will  support  the  Constitution  of  the  United  merchandise  within  the  county  of  St.  Joseph 

States  and  of  the  »State  of  Indiana,  and  that  for  the  term  of  one  year  from  the  date  here- 

he  will  to  the  best  of  his  abilities  and  judg- '  of." 

ment   discharge   the    duties   of   his   office   of  On  Monday,  September  6,  1830,  the  board 

Justice  of  the  Peace   in   St.   Joseph  county  of  justices   held   their  second   meeting,   also 

faithfully,  and  that  he  has  not  since  the  first  at  the  house  of  Alexis  Coquillard.    Grand  and 

day  of  January,  1819,  either  directly  or  in-  petit  jurors   for  the  November  term   of  the 

directly,  knowingly  given,  accepted  or  carried  Circuit  Court  were  drawn,  as  follows : 

a  challenge  to  any  person  in  or  out  of  this  Grand     jurors,     Samuel     Cannon,     Jacob 

State  to  fight  a  single  combat  with  any  deadly  White,    John    Clyburn,    William    E.    Short, 

weapon,  and  that  he  will  not  knowingly  ac-  Adam  Keith,   John  Banker,   Samuel  Leeper, 

cept  or  carry  a  challenge  to  any  person   or  Charles    Labby.    Henley    Clyburn,    Gamaliel 

persons  to  fight  with  any  deadly  weapon  in  Drulinger,    Zachariah    Grant,    Jacob    Cripe, 

single  combat,  either  in  or  out  of  this  state,  Benjamin  Potter,  James  Nixon,  Thomas  Cly- 

during  his  continuance  in  office.     Given  rm-  burn,     Phillip     Fail,     Louis     Sancomb     and 

der  my  hand  and  seal  the  day  and  date  first  Joseph  Adams. 

above  written.  Petit  jurors,  Paul  Egbert,  John  Drulinger, 

"  'L.  M.  Taylor,  Clerk    (Seal).'  "  Daniel  Eiler,  C.  B.  Overacker,  John  Whita- 

Like  credentials  were  presented  by  Lambert  ker,  Benjamin  Coquillard,  Israel  Rush,  Bar- 

McCombs;  and  thereupon  the  Board  of  Jus-  zilla   Drulinger,  Jacob   Harris,  John   Hague, 

tices  was  organized  by  the  election  of  Lam-  Richard    Harris,    Nathaniel    Steele,    Samuel 

bert  McCombs  as  president.  Johnston,     Jacob      Egbert,      John    Rouleau, 

The    first  order    entered    was  as    follows :  Jacob  Ritter,  Jacob  Rhue,  Alexis  Coquillard, 

"Ordered  by  the   Board   of   Justices   of    St.  John    Wills,    John     Skiles,     Lewis     Shirley, 

Joseph   county,   that  John   D.   Lasly  be  ap-  Joseph    Rohrer,    Horace    Markham,    Samuel 

pointed   Treasurer  of  St.  Joseph  county  for  Garwood.    It  does  not  appear  from  the  records 

the  year  of  our  Lord  1830 ;  and  he  is  required  that  the  jurias  so  selected  were  ever  called 

to  give  bond  and  security  in  the  penal  sum  upon  to  serve  in  court.*^ 

of  $1,000."  The  taxes  to  be  collected  in  the  A  third  session  of  the  board  of  justices  was 
year  of  grace  1830  were  evidently  very  light,  held  at  the  house  of  Alexis  Coquillard,  on 
Mr.  William  C.  Stover,  the  treasurer  of  St.  Tuesday,  September  14.  1830.  At  this  meet- 
Joseph  county  for  this  year  of  our  Lord  1907  ing  Thomas  J.  Evans,  John  Berry,  Gillis  Mc- 
has  been  required  to  give  a  bond  in  the  sum  of  Bane  and  Daniel  Worth,  commissioners 
$950,000.  named  in  the  act  of  January  29,  1830,  were 

At   this   first  meeting  of   our  first  county  allowed   three   dollars   a   day   each   for   their 

board  other  biLsiness  transacted  consisted  of  services   in   locating   the    county   seat.      Wil- 

the  appointment  of  James  Nixon  as  assessor;  Ham  Brookfield  was  appointed  county  agent 

Daniel  A.  Fullerton,  collector  of  taxes,  Ben-  to  superintend  the  sales  of  lots  at  the  county 

jamin     Potter,     Thomas     Skiles    and     Jacob  seat;  giving  a  bond  in  the  sum  of  five  thou- 

Keith,    constables;    Jacob    Cripe    and    John  sand    dollars,    with    Alexis    Coquillard    and 

Heag,  overseers  of  the  poor ;  and  Daniel  Eiler  Lathrop  M.  Taylor  as  sureties. 

and  Samuel  Cannon,  fence  viewers.  The  fourth  and  last  meeting  of  the  board 

Licenses  were  granted  to  the  American  Fur  a.    See  Chap.  6,  Sub.  2. 


HISTORY   OP   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


163 


of  justices  was  held  at  the  house  of  Alexis 
Coquillard,  on  November  25,  1830.  At  this 
meeting  certain  lots  donated  by  William 
Brookfield  at  the  county  seat  for  the  use  of 
the  county,  as  contemplated  in  section  five 
of  the  act  of  organization,  were  accepted  and 
he  was  directed,  as  county  agent,  to  make 
sale  of  them,  on  terms  fixed  by  the  board. 

Sec.  2. — The  First  Tov^^nships. — The  last 
act  of  this  fourth  session  of  the  board  of 
justices  was  the  division  of  the  county  into 
four  townships,  by  the  following  order: 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that  all 
the  district  of  country  lying  west  of  the 
range  line  dividing  ranges  two  and  three 
west  of  the  second  principal  meridian  of  the 
state  of  Indiana  shall  form  and  constitute  a 
township  in  the  aforesaid  county  to  be  known 
by  the  name  of  Michigan  township,  and  the 
sheriff  of  said  county  is  ordered  to  notify 
the  citizens  of  the  aforesaid  township  by 
written  notification  to  meet  at  the  house  of 
Lewis  Shirley  in  said  township  on  the  18th 
of  December  next  to  elect  one  justice  of  the 
peace  in  and  for  said  township. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
ranges  one  and  two  west  of  the  second  prin- 
cipal meridian  of  the  state  of  Indiana  shall 
form  and  constitute  one  township  to  be  known 
by  the  name  of  Deschemin  township,  and  the 
sheriff  is  ordered  to  give  the  citizens  of  the 
said  township  written  notification-  according 
to  law  to  hold  an  election  at  the  house  of 
John  Drullinger  in  said  township  to  elect  one 
justice  of  the  peace  in  and  for  said  township 
on  the  18th  day  of  December  next. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
from  the  second  principal  meridian  of  the 
state  until  the  center  of  range  two  east  shall 
form  and  constitute  a  township  in  said  county 
to  be  known  by  the  name  of  German  township, 
and  the  sheriff  is  hereby  ordered  to  give  pub- 
lic notice  to  the  citizens  of  said  township  ac- 
cording to  law  for  the  qualified  voters  to  meet 
at  the  house  of  David  Miller  in  said  township 
to  elect  one  justice  of  the  peace  in  and  for 


said  township  on  the  18th  day  of  December 
next. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  That  all 
the  district  of  country  lying  and  being  from 
the  center  of  range  two  east  of  the  second 
principal  meridian  of  the  state  and  thence 
running  east  to  the  eastern  boundary  of  St. 
Joseph  county  shall  form  and  constitute  one 
township  to  be  known  and  designated  by  the 
name  of  Portage  township." 

Michigan  township,  strictly  speaking,  was 
not  a  part  of  St.  Joseph  county-.  As  described 
in  section  seven  of  the  act  of  January  29, 
1830,  organizing  the  county,  this  township 
embraced  "all  the  territoiy  lying  west  of  said 
county,  to  the  state  line. ' '  It  was  further  said 
in  the  same  section,  that  this  territory  wa.s 
"attached  to  the  said  county  of  St.  Joseph, 
for  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction ;  and  the 
citizens  residing  within  the  bounds  so  includ- 
ed, shall  be  entitled  to  all  the  privileges  and 
immunities,  and  be  subject  to  all  the  taxes, 
impositions  and  assessments,  of  the  citizens  of 
the  county  of  St.  Joseph."  The  township  lay 
almost  wholly  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan,  from  which  it  received  its  name. 
It  included  the  western  part  of  the  present 
county  of  La  Porte  and  the  northern  parts 
of  the  present  counties  of  Starke,  Porter  and 
Lake. 

Deschemin  township  consisted  of  territory 
now  embraced  within  eastern  La  Porte,  north- 
ern Starke,  and  western  St.  Joseph.  The  towns 
of  new  Carlisle  and  Walkerton,  in  St.  Joseph 
county;  and  Hudson,  Rolling  Prairie  and 
Stillwell,  in  La  Porte  county,  are  within  what 
was  Deschemin  township.  The  name  of  the 
township  is  evidently  a  corruption  of  the 
French  words  Du  Chemin,  the  designation 
formerly  given  to  Hudson  Lake.  Lac  Du  Che- 
min, now  Hudson  Lake,  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  the  small  lakes  of  northern  Indiana, 
Wcis  in  the  heart  of  Deschemin  township.  The 
name,  Lac  Du  Chemin,  that  is.  the  "Lake  of 
the  Road,"  had  reference  to  the  Great  Sauk 
trail,  since  known  as  the  Chicago  road,  which 
passed  close  to  the  south  edge  of  the  lake. 


164 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    J*OSEPH    COUNTY. 


The  Sauk  trail  runs  west  by  south,  through 
the  north  part  of  the  present  Warren  and 
Olive  townships.  It  passes  through  the  old 
towns  of  Terre  Coupee,  formerly  called  also 
Prairie  Coupee ;  Hudson,  fonnerly  called 
Lakeport,  on  Lac  Du  Chemin,  or  Hudson 
lake;  La  Porte  and  Door  village,  and  thence 
on  to  Chicago.* 

German  township,  as  laid  out  by  the  board 
of  justices,  embraced  the  eastern  half  of  the 
present  towTiship  of  Olive,  all  of  Warren,  and 
parts  of  German,  Portage,  Greene,  Liberty 
and  Union,  in  St.  Joseph  county;  besides  the 
northwest  part  of  Marshall  county.  North 
Liberty,  in  St.  Joseph  county;  and  Teegar- 
den,  Tyner  City,  La  Paz  and  Plymouth,  in 
Marshall  county,  are  within  the  limits  of  our 
old  German  township.  The  original  plat  of 
Plymouth,  now  the  county  seat  of  Marshall 
county,  is  on  record  in  plat  book  number  one 
of  St.  Joseph  county,  at  page  thirteen.  It 
was  acknowledged  by  the  proprietors,  John 
Sering,  James  Blair  and  William  Polke, 
October  11,  13  and  20,  respectively,  A.  D., 
1834,  before  Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  Recorder  of 
St.  Joseph  county. 

Portage  township,  as  laid  out  by  the  board 
of  justices,  extended  east  from  the  former 
German  township  to  within  three  miles  of  the 
present  eastern  boundary  of  the  county.  The 
three  mile  strip  now  on  the  east  side  of  St. 
Joseph  county  was  then  a  part  of  Elkhart 
county.  Lakeville,  Woodland,  Wyatt,  Mish- 
awaka,  Notre  Dame  and  South  Bend  are 
within  the  limits  of  our  old  Portage  township. 
Bremen,  Marshall  county,  is  within  the  same 
limits.  Osceola  was  in  what  is  now  Elkhart 
county. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  names  of  German 
and  Portage  townships,  with  parts  of  their 
respective  territories,  have  been  retained  by 
this  county.  No  part  of  Michigan  township 
however,  was  at  any  time  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  county ;  and  only  a  small  part  of 
Deschemin  township.     These  last  names  have 

a.     See  map:    "Territory  of  Michigan,  by  John 
Farmer,  1835." 


gone  from  us  with  the  territoiy  to  which  they 
were  attached.  Michigan  township,  in  La 
Porte  county,  is  a  part  of  the  original  ]\Iichi- 
gan  township  of  St.  Joseph  county;  and  has 
retained  the  name  from  the  time  when  it  was 
first  given  by  our  board  of  justices.  The  city 
of  Michigan  City  is  within  the  same  township. 

V.      THE  BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS. 

Sec.  1. — Act  op  Organization. — There  is 
no  record  of  any  action  taken  by  our  first  and 
only  board  of  justices  after  their  fourth 
meeting,  held  November  25,  1830.  By  an  act 
approved  January  19,  1831,"  the  general  as- 
sembly changed  the  law  regulating  the  trans- 
action of  county  business,  substituting  a  board 
of  commissioner  for  the  board  of  justices 
and  introducing  many  other  important  provi- 
sions. The  act  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  wis- 
est ever  passed  by  our  legislature,  and  consti- 
tutes a  most  comprehensive  and  simple  code 
of  government  for  the  counties  of  the  state. 
The  law  then  passed  has  been  modified  in 
several  particulars  since  its  first  enactment; 
but  the  main  principles,  and  even  much  of  the 
language,  remains  unchanged.  The  act  also 
illustrates  the  early  history  of  county  govern- 
ment in  our  state ;  and  while  many  of  its  pro- 
visions have  since  been  revised  or  amended, 
yet  it  merits  a  place  in  this  work  as  a  histori- 
cal document  of  the  highest  interest.  It  is 
therefore  here  given  in  full : 

"An  act  to  regulate  the  mode  of  doing 
County  Business  in  the  several  Counties  in 
this  State. 

"Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  That  there 
shall  be  and  hereby  is  organized  in  each 
county  in  this  state,  a  board  of  commissioners 
for  transacting  county  business,  to  consist  of 
three  qualified  electors,  any  two  of  whom  shall 
be  competent  to  do  business,  to  be  elected  by 
the  qualified  electors  of  the  several  counties 
respectively,  on  the  first  Monday  in  August 
next,  as  general  elections  are  conducted.  Pro- 
vided, however.  In  voting  for  commissioners, 

a.    Revised  Statutes,  1831,  p.  129. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


165 


the  ticket  shall  always  show  which  is  voted 
for,  for  first,  second  or  third  district,  and 
should  there  be  two  or  more  candidates  in  any 
one  district,  the  person  having  the  highest 
number  of  votes,  shall  be  elected  for  such  dis- 
trict. 

"Sec.  2.  At  the  first  election  in  pursuance 
of  this  act,  the  person  having  the  highest 
number  of  votes  shall  serve  three  years;  the 
person  having  the  next  highest  number  of 
votes  shall  serve  two  years,  and  the  person 
having  the  next  highest  number  of  votes  shall 
serve  one  year;  and  thereafter  annually,  one 
commissioner  shall  be  elected  who  shall  serve 
three  years,  and  each  commissioner  elected 
according  to  the  provisions  of  this  act,  shall 
continue  in  office  until  his  successor  is  elected 
and  qualified;  but  if  two  or  more  persons 
shall  have  an  equal  number  of  votes  as  above, 
their  grade  shall  be  determined  by  lot  by  the 
clerk,  in  the  presence  and  under  the  direction 
of  the  returning  officers. 

"Sec.  3.  Each  person  elected  as  a  com- 
missioner, shall,  on  receiving  a  certificate  of 
his  election,  take  the  oath  or  affirmation  re- 
quired by  the  constitution  of  this  state,  before 
some  person  legally  authorized  to  administer 
the  same;  which  oath  or  affirmation,  being 
certified  on  the  back  of  such  certificate,  under 
the  hand  and  seal  of  the  person  administering 
the  same,  shall  be  sufficient  authority  for  such 
commissioner  to  take  his  seat  with,  and  act  as 
a  member  of  the  board,  during  the  time  for 
which  he  was  elected. 

"Sec.  4.  The  commissioners  thus  elected 
and  qualified,  shall  be  considered  a  body  cor- 
porate and  politic,  by  and  under  the  name 
and  style  of  the  board  of  commissioners  of 

the  county  of   ,  and  as  such 

by  and  under  such  name  and  style,  may  sue 
and  be  sued,  plead  and  be  impleaded,  defend 
and  be  defended,  answer  and  be  answered 
unto,  in  any  court  either  of  law  or  equity,  and 
do  and  transact  all  business  on  behalf  of  their 
respective  counties,  that  may  be  assigned 
them  from  time  to  time  by  law;  and  in  all 
cases    w^here    their    respective    counties    may 


have  been  injured,  or  may  hereafter  be  in- 
jured, in  their  goods,  chattels,  lands,  tene- 
ment^,  rights,  credits,  effects  or  contracts; 
sucii  commissioners  shall  and  may,  by  and 
under  their  corporate  name  and  style,  with- 
out setting  out  their  individual  names,  bring 
any  suit  or  suits,  action  or  actions,  either  in 
law  or  equity,  which  may  be  best  calculated 
to  obtain  redress  for  any  such  injury,  in  the 
same  way  or  manner  that  private  individuals 
might  or  could  do,  and  may  in  like  way  and 
manner,  by  and  under  their  corporate  name 
and  style,  be  sued,  by  any  person  or  persons 
having  any  manner  of  claims  against  such 
county. 

"Sec.  5.  The  board  of  commissioners  shall 
meet  at  the  court  house,  in  each  and  every 
county,  for  the  purpose  aforesaid,  or  at  the 
usual  place  of  holding  the  circuit  court  in 
such  county,  on  the  first  J\Iondays  in  January, 
March,  May,  September,  and  November,  in 
each  and  every  j^ear,  and  may  sit  three  days 
at  each  term,  if  the  business  of  the  county 
shall  require  it :  Provided,  however,  if  the 
circuit  court  shall  meet  on  any  of  the  before 
mentioned  days,  the  commissioners  shall  meet 
on  the  Monday  preceding. 

"Sec.  6.  The  clerk  of  the  circuit  court 
shall,  by  virtue  of  his  office,  attend  the  meet- 
ing of  the  board  of  conunissioners,  and  keep  a 
record  of  their  proceedings,  and  do  such  other 
business  as  he  shall  be  required  by  law  to  do ; 
and  the  sheriff  of  the  county  shall  also,  by 
himself  or  deputy,  attend  said  board  and  exe- 
cute their  orders." 

a.  The  duties  of  the  sheriff  as  fixed  by  this  sec- 
tion remain  substantially  unchanged;  he  con- 
tinues to  be  the  executive  officer  of  the  board,  and 
executes  its  orders  as  he  does  those  of  the  Circuit 
Court. 

The  duties  here  assigned  to  the  clerk  of  the 
Circuit  Court  have,  however,  since  the  year  1841. 
been  performed  by  the  County  Auditor.  By  an 
act  approved  February  12,  1841,  the  office  of 
County  Auditor  was  created.  By  section  eight  of 
that  act  it  was  provided  that  the  auditor,  by  vir- 
tue of  his  office,  should  be  "clerk  to  the  board  of 
County  Commissioners."  By  section  fifty-three 
the  clerk  was  required  to  turn  over  to  the  auditor 
all  books,  papers,  etc.,  relative  to  county  busi- 
ness; and  by  section  fifty-four  all  the  duties  of 
clerks  in  relation  to  county  affairs  were  required 
to  be  performed  by  the  auditor.  The  auditor  is, 
in  effect,  the  County  Clerk:  while  the  clerk  of  the 
Circuit  Court  performs  the  duties  of  a  court  of- 
ficer only.  See  Acts  1841.  pp.  10-24,  R.  S.  1843, 
p.  189. 


166 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


"Where  money  has  been  advanced  by  any 
clerk,  or  other  county  officer,  for  the  use  and 
benefit  of  his  county,  pursuant  to  the  requisi- 
tions of  law,  the  board  doing  county  business 
shall  order  such  money,  so  advanced,  to  be 
first  paid :  and  where  there  is  any  judgment 
or  .judgments  against  any  county  in  this  state, 
the  board  may  in  their  discretion  order  when 
and  in  what  manner  such  judgment  or  judg- 
ments, shall  be  discharged,  not  inconsistent 
with  the  constitution  of  this  state  or  of  the 
United  States,  any  law  to  the  contrary^  not- 
withstanding. And  when  any  county  shall 
owe  the  commissioners  for  locating  any  seat  of 
justice  therein,  such  claims  shall  be  preferred 
to  any  other  against  said  county ;  and  the  col- 
lector shall  receive  the  said  orders  for  com- 
missioners' wages,  and  shall  pay  the  same  out 
of  the  first  monies  that  shall  come  to  his 
hands,  after  such  orders  shall  be  presented  to 
him,  and  the  said  orders  accepted  shall  be  a 
sufficient  voucher  in  the  hands  of  such  col- 
lector for  any  claims  the  county  may  have 
against  him,  to  their  full  amount. 

"Sec.  8.  When  two  only  of  the  members 
shall  be  present  at  the  meeting  of  the  board, 
and  a  di\asion  shall  take  place  on  any  ques- 
tion, it  shall  be  continued  until  the  next  meet- 
ing, before  it  shall  be  finally  determined. 
When  any  vacancy  shall  happen  in  the  office 
of  commissioner,  the  circuit  court  of  the 
county,  or  the  two  associate  justices  in  vaca- 
tion, shall  appoint  a  suitable  person  or  per- 
sons to  fill  such  vacancy  until  the  next  annual 
election  of  commissioners,  when  such  vacancy 
shall  be  filled  by  an  election  by  the  electors  of 
the  county. 

"Sec.  9.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  board 
of  commissioners  at  their  ^lay  session,  in  each 
year,  to  receive  and  inspect  the  listers'  books, 
and  levy  a  county  tax  according  to  law,  and 
cause  their  clerk  to  make  out  a  duplicate  for 
collection  accordingly. 

"See.  10.  The  commissioners  of  each 
county  respectively,  shall  have  and  use  a  com- 
mon seal,  for  the  purpose  of  sealing  their  pro- 
ceedings ;  and  copies  of  the  same,  when  signed 


and  sealed  by  the  said  connnissi oners,  and 
attested  by  their  clerk,  shall  be  good  evidence 
of  such  proceedings,  on  the  trial  of  any  cause, 
in  any  of  the  courts  of  this  state.  The  com- 
missioners aforesaid,  at  their  session  in 
November,  or  when  the  circuit  term  prevents 
their  meeting  in  November,  then  "at  their  first 
meeting  thereafter,  in  every  year,  shall  make 
a  fair  and  accurate  statement  of  the  receipts 
and  expenditures  of  the  preceding  year,  and 
have  the  same  set  up  at  the  court  house  door, 
and  at  two  other  public  places  in  their  county 
respectively,  and  published  in  some  news- 
paper in  their  county,  if  there  be  any ;  and  if 
the  said  commissioners,  or  either  of  them, 
after  accepting  their  appointment,  shall 
neglect  or  refuse  to  do  his  or  their  duty,  in 
office,  he  or  they  so  offending,  shall,  on  con- 
viction by  indictment  before  tue  circuit  court 
of  the  proper  county,  be  fined  in  any  sum  not 
exceeding  one  hundred  dollars. 

"Sec.  11.  And  it  is  hereby  made  the  duty 
of  the  present  boards  doing  the  business  of 
the  several  counties,  to  meet  on  the  first  Mon- 
day of  May,  eighteen  hundred  and  thirty-one, 
and  lay  their  respective  counties  off  into  three 
equal  commissioner's  districts,  numbered  in 
nimierical  order,  one,  two,  and  three ;  and  one 
commissioner  shall  be  elected  in  each  of  said 
districts,  by  a  vote  of  the  whole  county;  and 
said  districts  when  so  laid  off,  may  be  altered 
once  in  every  three  years  thereafter,  if  justice 
require  it,  and  not  oftener :  Provided,  how- 
ever, that  nothing  in  this  act  shall  be  so  con- 
strued as  to  affect  the  term  of  office  of  any 
commissioner  heretofore  elected.  But  when  a 
vacancy  shall  occur  in  any  board  of  commis- 
sioners, now  in  existence,  the  same  shall  be 
supplied  by  a  person  to  be  elected  from  one 
of  such  districts,  in  numerical  order. 

"Sec.  12.  That  all  the  duties  heretofore 
required  of  the  boards  doing  county  business, 
in  the  several  counties  in  this  state,  and  not 
included  or  otherwise  directed  in  this  act,  be 
and  the  same  is  hereby  made  the  duty  of  said 
commissioners,  to  do  and  perform,  in  the  same 
manner  as  though  it  were  named  in  this  act. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


167 


"Sec.  13.  The  commissioners  so  elected 
and  qualified,  shall  each  receive  two  dollars 
per  day,  for  each  and  every  day  that  they 
may  necessarily  be  employed  in  transacting 
the  county  business ;  and  said  board  of  com- 
missioners, when  organized,  shall  possess  the 
powers  and  authority  heretofore  given  to  the 
county  board  of  justices. 

' '  Sec.  14.  All  suits,  pleas,  plaints,  prosecu- 
tions,^  and  proceedings,  which  may  be  pending 
in  any  court,  to  be  tried  for  or  against  any 
board  of  justices,  previous  to  the  taking- 
effect  of  this  act,  shall  be  prosecuted  to  final 
judgment  and  execution,  in  the  same  name 
and  manner,  as  the  same  might  have  been 
done,  had  this  law  not  been  passed;  and  all 
contracts  either  written  or  verbal,  made  by 
such  board  of  justices,  previous  to  the  taking 
effect  of  this  act,  shall  remain  valid  in  law 
and  equity,  and  suit  may  be  thereupon 
brought,  in  the  same  way  and  manner  as  the 
same  might  have  been,  had  this  act  not  have 
been  passed,  with  this  difference,  that  the  cor- 
porate name  of  the  board  of  commissioners 
shall  be  used,  instead  of  the  name  of  the  board 
of  justices. 

' '  Sec.  15.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  clerks 
of  the  several  boards  doing  county  business, 
to  keep  fair  books,  wherein  shall  be  kept  the 
accounts  of  the  county,  to  attest  all  orders 
issued  by  the  board  for  the  payment  of 
money,  and  enter  the  same  in  numerical  order, 
in  a  book  to  be  kept  for  that  purpose;  and 
shall  copy  into  their  said  books  the  reports 
of  the  treasurer  of  the  receipts  and  disburse- 
ments of  their  respective  counties,  and  when- 
ever the  duplicate  shall  be  put  into  the  hands 
of  the  collector,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  said 
clerks  to  send  a  statement  of  the  sum  where- 
with such  collector  stands  charged,  to  the 
county  treasurer. 

' '  Sec.  16.  When  any  person  has  an  attested 
county  order  in  his  name,  of  a  larger  amount 
than  his  county  tax,  and  is  desirous  to  appro- 
priate a  part  of  such  order  to  the  payment  of 
such  tax,  he  is  hereby  authorized  to  apply  to 
the  clerk  of  the  board  doing  county  business, 


whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  give  to  the  holder 
of  such  order,  and  in  exchange  therefor, 
two  or  more  attested  county  orders,  making 
together  the  same  amount  with  the  original 
order,  which  shall  thereupon  be  cancelled; 
and  such  clerk  shall  insert  in  every  such 
order,    that   the    same   with   others,    were    so 

given  in  exchange  to for 

such  original  order,  together  with  the  number 
and  amount  of  such  original  order;  one  of 
which  orders  shall  be  for  the  amount  of  his 
tax,  and  shall  appear  on  its  face  to  be 
intended  for  the  payment  thereof. 

"Sec.  17.  Whenever  any  person  shall  ex- 
hibit any  claim  against  any  county,  for  serv- 
ices rendered,  for  which  the  fund  arising 
from  the  sale  of  lots,  or  otherwise,  at  the 
county  seat,  is  specially  appropriated,  and 
those  funds  have  been  fully  expended,  it  shall 
be  the  duty  of  the  board  doing  county  busi- 
ness, to  give  such  claimant  an  order  on  the 
county  treasury,  for  such  sum  as  may  be  due 
to  such  claimant,  to  be  paid  out  of  any 
monies  not  otherwise  appropriated. 

"Sec.  18.  Every  collector  of  county  t-axes 
is  hereby  required  to  receive  any  regularly 
attested  county  order,  made  by  the  board 
doing  county  business,  when  the  same  may  be 
tendered  to  him  by  any  person  in  payment  of 
such  person's  taxes,  due  such  county. 

"Sec.  19.  No  collector,  or  other  person 
doing  county  business,  shall,  either  directly 
or  indirectly,  purchase  or  receive  in  pajTiient, 
exchange,  or  in  any  way  whatever,  any  de- 
mand against  his  county,  or  any  county  order 
for  a  claim  allowed  by  the  board  doing  county 
business,  at  any  time  during  the  period  foi- 
which  he  may  be  elected,  for  a  less  amount 
than  that  expressed  on  the  face  of  such  order 
or  demand  against  the  county;  and  every  per- 
son elected,  or  ajipointed  to  do  county  busi- 
ness, shall,  before  entering  on  the  duties  of 
his  office,  take  an  oath  not  to  violate  the  pro- 
visions of  this  section;  and  any  collector  or 
other  person  doing  county  business,  offending 
against  the  provisions  of  this  section,  on  con- 
viction thereof  upon  indictment  or  present- 


168 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


ment,  shall  be  fined  for  every  such  offense,  in 
any  sum  not  exceeding  five  hundred  dollars. 

"Sec.  20.  That  the  qualified  voters  resid- 
ing within  the  several  townships  of  the  sev- 
eral counties  of  this  state,  shall  meet  together 
at  the  usual  places  of  holding  general  town- 
ship elections,  on  the  first  Monday  in  April 
next;  and  annually  on  the  first  Monday  in 
April  thereafter,  for  the  purpose  of  electing 
as  many  constables  in  each  township  as  there 
are  justices  of  the  peace  within  the  same,  and 
shall  at  the  same  time  elect  one  inspector  of 
elections  for  each  township,  two  fence  view- 
ers, two  overseers  of  the  poor,  and  as  many 
supervisore  of  highways  as  there  are  now  or 
may  hereafter  be  allotted  to  the  respective 
townships  by  the  proper  board  of  commission- 
ers; and  in  all  cases  of  failure  on  the  part 
of  the  qualified  voters,  to  elect  any  such  town- 
ship officers,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  board 
of  commissioners,  at  the  next  session  after  the 
time  such  election  should  have  been  held,  to 
appoint  such  officers,  to  remain  in  office  until 
the  time  for  the  next  election.  Nothing  in 
this  act  shall  be  so  construed  as  to  affect  or 
repeal  the  laws  now  in  force,  regulating  the 
manner  of  doing  business,  in  the  counties  of 
Dearborn  and  Switzerland,  except  as  to  the 
election  of  township  supervisor. 

"See.  21.  The  above  named  township 
officers  shall  possess  the  same  qualifications, 
and  perform  the  same  duties,  as  are  required 
of  such  officers  by  the  laws  now  in  force ;  the 
said  township  elections  to  be  held  and  con- 
ducted in  the  same  manner  that  general  and 
township  elections  are  now  held  and  con- 
ducted, and  the  constables  shall  give  such 
bond  and  security,  for  the  performance  of 
their  duty,  as  is  now  required  by  law. 

' '  Sec.  22.  That  the  board  of  commissioners 
shall,  so  soon  as  may  be  after  the  first  election 
held  under  the  provisions  of  this  act,  divide 
the  several  townships  within  their  respective 
counties,  into  as  many  highway  districts  as 
they  may  deem  necessary;  which  districts 
shall  be  designated  and  numbered  in  numeri- 
cal order,  and  recorded  by  the  clerk  of  the 


board  of  commissioners.  Where  any  vacancy 
shall  happen  in  any  of  the  township  officers, 
the  said  board  of  commissioners  shall,  at  their 
next  session,  appoint  a  suitable  person  or  per- 
sons to  fill  such  vacancy  until  the  next  annual 
election  for  township  officers,  when  such 
vacancy  shall  be  filled  by  an  election  of  the 
electors  of  the  township. 

"See.  23.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  said 
inspectors  of  elections  in  each  township, 
within  three  days  after  such  election,  to  make 
out  and  deliver  to  the  clerk  of  the  circuit 
court,  a  list  of  the  several  township  officers, 
whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  make  out  certificates 
of  the  election  of  the  person  or  persons 
elected,  and  the  sheriff  of  said  county  shall 
deliver  the  same  to  the  township  officers  so 
elected. 

"Sec.  21.  The  circuit  courts  in  counties 
where  court  houses  shall  not  have  been 
erected,  shall  be  holden  for  the  time  being,  at 
the  place  designated  by  law  or  selected  by  the 
court ;  and  the  boards  of  commissioners  in 
such  counties,  shall  with  all  convenient  speed, 
proceed  to  the  completion  of  a  court  house, 
jail  and  other  public  buildings  for  the  same, 
and  keep  the  same  in  repair. 

"Sec.  25.  The  board  of  commissioners,  in 
their  respective  counties,  at  their  first  meeting 
after  the  passage  of  this  act,  or  some  subse- 
quent meeting's,  shall  appoint  some  fit  person, 
as  trustee  of  the  public  seminary  of  their 
respective  counties,  who,  on  acceptance  of 
such  appointment,  shall  take  an  oath  of  office, 
faithfully  to  discharge  the  duties  of  his  said 
office  according  to  law,  and  also  give  bond, 
payable  to  the  state  of  Indiana,  with  two 
sufficient  securities,  in  the  penal  sum  of 
double  the  amount  as  near  as  may  be,  of  the 
funds  of  the  county  seminary,  conditioned  for 
the  faithful  performance  of  the  duties  of  his 
office,  and  for  paying  over  all  monies,  and  de- 
livering over  all  books,  bonds,  and  papers,  that 
may  be  in  his  hands  as  trustee,  to  his  succes- 
sor in  office,  when  his  term  of  service  shall 
have  expired  agreeably  to  law;  which  bond 
shall  be  filed  in  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  the 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


169 


proper  county,  and  shall  not  be  void  on  one 
recovery,  but  may  be  put  in  suit  from  time  to 
time,  as  often  as  occasion  may  require :  Pro- 
vided, however.  That  this  act  shall  in  no  way 
be  construed,  so  as  to  interfere  with  or  repeal 
any  existing  laws,  respecting  the  county  semi- 
nary of  Switzerland  county,  or  any  other 
county,  for  which  special  laws  relative  to 
county  seminaries  have  heretofore  been  en- 
acted. 

"Sec.  26.  The  board  of  commissioners, 
shall  annually  allow  the  clerk  and  sheriff  of 
their  county,  such  compensation  for  their 
extra  services,  rendered  the  board  of  commis- 
sioners, the  circuit  court  of  such  county,  and 
the  county,  in  any  manner  whatever. 

"Sec.  27.  The  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners in  each  and  every  county,  shall  cause 
a  pound  to  be  erected  at  or  near  the  several 
court  houses,  with  a  good  and  sufficient  fence, 
gate,  lock  and  key,  where  estray  horses,  mules 
and  asses  may  be  kept,  on  the  first  day  of  the 
terms  of  the  circuit  courts ;  and  the  said  board 
shall  also  appoint  some  fit  person,  who  shall 
take  charge  of  said  pound,  and  keep  the  same 
in  repair,  and  whose  duty  it  shall  also  be  to 
attend  at  the  said  pound,  on  the  several  court 
days,  during  the  time  such  estrays  are 
directed  to  continue  there,  with  the  keep  of 
the  same ;  and  the  said  board  shall  make  such 
reasonable  allowance  for  the  erecting  and 
keeping  such  pound  as  to  them  shall  seem 
proper,  to  be  paid  out  of  the  county  treasury ; 
and  any  person  being  appointed  and  under- 
taking the  charge  of  said  pound,  and  failing 
to  discharge  his  duties  agreeably  to  the  direc- 
tions herein  expressed,  shall  forfeit  and  pay 
to  the  person  injured,  the  sum  of  eight  dol- 
lare  for  every  such  offense,  with  costs,  recov- 
erable before  any  .justice  of  the  peace  of  the 
county  where  such  offense  shall  have  been 
committed. 

' '  Sec.  28.  From  all  decisions  of  the  several 
boards  of  commissioners,  there  shall  be 
allowed  an  appeal  to  the  circuit  court,  by  any 
person  or  persons  aggrieved ;  and  the  person 
or  persons  appealing,  shall    take    the   same 


within  thirty  days  after  such  decision,  by 
giving  bond  with  security,  to  the  acceptance 
of  the  clerk  of  such  board,  conditioned  for  the 
faithful  prosecution  of  such  appeal  and  the 
payment  of  costs  already  accrued,  and  which 
may  thereafter  accrue,  if  the  same  shall  be 
adjudged  by  the  said  court,  to  be  paid  by  such 
appellant;  and  the  clerk  shall  docket  such 
appeal,  with  the  cases  pending  in  the  circuit 
court,  within  twenty  days  after  the  taking 
of  such  appeal." 

Sec.  2. — Our  First  Commissioners. — The 
first  commissioners  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
elected  on  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1831, 
in  pursuance  of  the  provisions  of  section  one 
of  the  foregoing  act,  were  Aaron  Stanton, 
David  Miller  and  Joseph  Rohrer.  As  appear 
from  section  eleven  of  said  act,  it  was  made 
the  duty  of  the  board  of  justices  in  each 
county  to  hold  a  meeting  on  the  first  Monday 
in  May,  1831,  "and  lay  their  respective 
counties  off  into  three  equal  commissioner's 
districts,  numbered  in  numerical  order,  one, 
two  and  three ' ' ;  and  it  was  further  provided 
in  the  same  section  that  "one  commissioner 
shall  be  elected  in  each  of  said  districts,  by  a 
vote  of  the  whole  county. ' '  It  seems,  however, 
that  no  meeting  of  the  board  of  justices,  such 
as  provided  for  in  the  act,  was  held;  and  the 
county  was  therefore  not  divided  into  com- 
missioner's districts  as  contemplated  by  the 
legislature.  Our  first  commissioners  were 
consequently  not  chosen  by  districts,  as  re- 
quired by  the  act ;  and  some  doubt  arose  as  to 
the  legality  of  their  election.  To  remedy  this 
irregularity,  the  legislature  passed  the  follow- 
ing legalizing  statute,  approved  January  31, 
1832 :« 

"An  act  legalizing  the  proceedings  of  the 
board  of  commissioners  of  St.  Joseph  county. 

"Whereas,  It  has  been  represented  to  this 
General  Assembly,  that  there  were  three  jus- 
tices of  the  peace  elected  in  the  county  of  St. 
Joseph,  to  transact  county  business,  two  of 
whom  shortly  afterwards  removed  from  said 
county,     and    thereby    said    board    became 

c.    Acts  1831,  p.  105. 


170 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


vacant ;  and  that  agreeably  to  an  act,  ap- 
proved January  19th,  1831,  regulating  the 
mode  of  doing  county  business  in  the  several 
counties  in  this  state,  there  were  three  com- 
missioners elected  without  regard  to  district- 
ing, who  have  since  laid  the  same  off  in  com- 
missioner districts;  Therefore, 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly 
of  the  State  of  Indiana,  That  the  election  of 
said  commissioners,  and  all  proceedings  relat- 
ing thereto  in  St.  Joseph  county,  and  the  pro- 
ceedings of  said  board,  so  far  as  relates  to  lay- 
ing off  the  same  in  districts,  be,  and  the  same 
are  hereby  legalized." 

VI.      EARLY   COUNTY  RECORDS. 

Sec.  1. — Organization  of  the  Board. — 
The  story  of  the  development  of  our  county 
during  its  formative  period,  the  changes  in 
the  county  boundaries,  the  location  of  the 
county  seat,  the  erection  of  county  buildings, 
the  formation  of  the  different  townships,  and 
many  other  matters  connected  with  the  organi- 
zation of  the  new  county,  can  be  found 
nowhere  so  fully  and  satisfactorily  detailed 
as  in  the  records  of  the  county  board  during 
the  early  years  of  our  history.  The  chief  part 
of  the  records  of  the  board  of  justices  has 
already  b^en  given.  The  first  records  of  the 
board  of  county  commissioners  are  of  equal 
historical  interest.  These  records  open  as  fol- 
lows : 

"In  pursuance  of  an  act  of  the  general 
avssembly  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  approved 
January  the  19th,  1831,  the  board  of  commis- 
sioners met  at  the  house  of  Alexis  Coquillard 
in  said  county  on  the  first  Monday  of  Septem- 
ber, A.  D.,  1831,  at  12  o'clock  on  said  day. 

"David  Miller  now  produces  his  certificate 
of  election,  in  the  words  and  figures  follow- 
ing, to-wit : 

"  'State  of  Indiana,  St.  Joseph  County,  ss. 
I,  L.  M.  Taylor,  clerk  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit 
court,  do  hereby  certify  that  David  Miller 
has  been  elected  county  commissioner  in  said 
county  and  that  he  received  the  second  high- 
est number  of  votes  of  said  county  and  that 
he  is  entitled  to  serve  for  the  term  of  two 
years  from  the  date  hereof  and  until  his  suc- 
cessor is  elected  and  qualified. 


"  'In  testimony  whereof  I  have 
hereunto  set  my  hand  and  affixed 
the  adopted  seal  of  the  St.  Joseph 
Circuit  Court,  at  South  Bend,  this 
fourth  day  of  August,  A.  D.,  1831. 
"  'L.  M.  Taylor,  Clerk.' 
' '  On  the  back  of  which  certificate  is  the  fol- 
lowing endorsement,  to-wit: 

■  "  'State  of  Indiana,  St.  Joseph  County,  ss. 
Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  5th  day  of  Sep- 
tember, A.  D.,  1831,  personally  appeared  be- 
fore me,  the  undersigned,  an  acting  justice  of 
the  peace  in  and  for  said  county,  the  within 
commissioned,  David  Miller,  who  being  duly 
affirmed  saith  that  he  will  support  the  consti- 
tution of  the  United  States  and  also  the  con- 
stitution of  the  State  of  Indiana,  and  also 
faithfully  and  impartially  execute  the  within 
office  of  county  commissioner  according  to  law 
and  the  best  of  his  abilities  and  judgment,  and 
that  he  will  not,  either  directly  or  indirectly 
buy,  receive  or  take  any  county  order,  allow- 
ance or  claim  against  said  county  during  his 
continuance  in  office  for  a  less  amount  than 
that  expressed  on  the  face  of  such  order  or 
demand  against  said  county. 

"  'Given    under   my   hand    and 
seal  the  date  first  above  written. 

"  'Levi  F.  Arnold, 
(Seal)  '"J.  of  P.'" 

Joseph  Rohrer  also  appeared  and  qualified 
in  like  manner.  Having  received  the  third 
highest  number  of  votes,  he  was,  according  to 
the  provisions  of  section  two  of  the  act  of 
January  19,  1831,  declared  to  be  a  member  of 
the  board  of  commissioners  for  one  year. 
Aaron  Stanton,  the  third  commissioner,  who 
was  elected  for  three  years,  did  not  appear 
and  qualify  until  the  third  day  of  the  term, 
Wednesday,  September  7,  1831.  That  part  of 
the  oath  of  the  county  commissioners  relating 
to  county  orders  was  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  section  nineteen  of  the  act,  ap- 
proved January  19,  1831,  creating  boards  of 
county  commissioners. 

Sec.  2. — Adoption  of  a  County  Seal. — In 
the  afteraoon  of  the  first  day's  session  a  form 
of  county  seal  was  adopted  by  an  order  read- 
ing as  follows : 

"The  board  adopt  the  following  for  the 
purpose  of  sealing  their  proceedings  which  is 
engraved   with    St.   Joseph  County,   Indiana, 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


171 


[around  the  margin ],  with  the  insignia  of  an 
eagle  engraved  on  it  [that  is,  on  the  face  of 
the  seal]  ;  which  will  more  fully  appear  by  an 
impression  being  made  on  the  margin  of  this 
page. ' ' 

The  impression  of  the  seal,  found  on  the 
margin  of  the  page  of  the  old  record  and  re- 
ferred to  in  the  order,  shows  the  words,  "St. 
Joseph's  County,  Indiana,"  instead  of  "St. 
Joseph  County,  Indiana,"  as  required  by  the 
order.    The  later  form  is  the  one  now  in  use. 

Sec.  3. — Other  Orders. — The  remaining 
orders  of  the  first  day  of  the  sesision  are  as 
follows : 

"The  board  of  commissioners  now  proceed 
to  select  a  list  of  grand  jurors  for  the  Novem- 
ber term  of  the  circuit  court,  and  draw  from 
the  box  the  following  names : 

"Gaya^  Munger.  Horace  Wood,  Jacob  Rit- 
ter,  John  Banker,  William  Garwood,  Alexan- 
der Blake,  James  S.  Garoutte,  John  Wells, 
Samuel  Rupel,  H.  Carpenter,  Andrew  Shaw, 
Peter  Johnson,  Orra  Morrs,  Charles  Oaster- 
house,  Samuel  L.  Cottrell,  John  Rupel, 
Samuel  Harberson,  Henly  Clyburn. 

"And  also  the  board  then  proceed  to  select 
the  petit  jurors  for  said  term : 

"Jacob  Eutzler,  John  Welsh.  Joseph  Pem- 
berton,  Joseph  Osborn,  E.  H.  Brown,  Benja- 
min Gillbreath,  Wyley  Jones,  John  Martin- 
dale,  sen.,  Zachariah  Grant,  Jesse  Skinner, 
Scott  West,  James  Highly,  John  Treaver, 
Benjamin  Coquillard,  John  Smith,  sen., 
Jacob  Egbert,  Nathan  B.  Nicols,  Ezekiel 
Thomas,  Lewis"  Shirley,  John  Hague,  Chris- 
tian Holler,  Charles  Roe,  Jr.,  David  Pagin, 
Robert  Redding. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  That  L. 
M.  Taylor,  clerk,  be  allowed  out  of  the  county 
treasury  the  sum  of  forty-eight  dollare  for 
blank  books,  a  county  seal  and  blank  paper 
purchased  by  him  for  the  use  of  said  county. 

' '  Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  That  the 
sum  of  seventy-five  cents  be  allowed  out  of 
the  county  treasury  for  each  wolf  scalp  over 
six  months  old  and  thirty-seven  and  a  half 
cents  for  each  wolf  scalp  under  six  months 


old,  agreeable  to  the  act  to  encourage  the 
killing  of  wolves,  approved  February  10th, 
1831." 

On  the  second  day  of  their  first  term,  the 
board  of  commissioners  made  the  following 
orders : 

Sec  .  4. — Exemptions  From  Taxation. — 
"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  That  the 
following  persons  be  exempt  from  paying  a 
poll  tax,  either  for  state  or  county  purposes: 
John  Clyburn,  Samuel  Johnson,  John  Martin- 
dale,  sen.,  Basil  Sperry — for  the  year  1831." 

The  reasons  for  this  exemption  are  not 
given.  According  to  section  one  of  the  reve- 
nue law  then  in  force,  approved  February 
10,  1831,^*  a  poll  tax  of  thirty-seven  and  one- 
half  cents  was  to  be  assessed  "on  each  male 
inhabitant  between  twenty-one  and  sixty  years 
of  age";  but  the  board  was  given  "discre- 
tionary power  to  exempt  any  person  over  the 
age  of  fifty  years  from  the  payment  of  a  poll 
tax,  who  is  unable  to  pay  the  same,  or  on 
account  of  bodily  disability. ' '  It  is  also  pro- 
vided in  section  two  of  the  same  act,  "That 
all  persons  who  have  served  in  the  land  or 
naval  service  of  the  United  States,  during  the 
revolutionary  war,  be  and  they  are  hereby 
exempt  from  the  payment  of  a  poll  tax  and  a 
tax  upon  personal  property. ' '  To  secure  this 
exemption  the  soldier  was  required  to  make 
affidavit  before  some  justice  of  the  county, 
"That  he  has  served  in  the  land  or  naval 
service  of  the  United  States  during  the  revolu- 
tionary war,  three  months  or  upwards;  for 
the  taking  of  which  affidavit,  the  justice  shall 
not  be  entitled  to  receive  any  fee  or  compen- 
sation whatever."  Similar  favors  were  after- 
wards given  to  soldiers  of  the  Mexican  war, 
by  acts  approved  January  14,  1847.'' 

The  order  for  the  first  ferry  over  the  St. 
Joseph  river  was  as  follows: 

Sec.  5. — The  First  Ferry  and  Steamboat 
Landing. — "Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid, 
that  a  ferry  be  established  at  the  east  end  of 
Water  .street   [now  T^a  Salle  avenue  1,  in  the 

a.  Revised  Statutes  1831.  p.  426. 

b.  Acts  1846,  pp.  59  and  74. 


172 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


town  of  South  Bend,  over  the  St.  Joseph 
river, °^  and  that  there  be  a  tax  assessed  there- 
on to  the  amount  of  two  dollars ;  and  that  N.  B. 
Griffith  be  licensed  to  keep  the  aforesaid  ferry, 
and  that  the  said  Griffith  be  required  to  keep 
a  good  and  sufficient  flat,  or  boat,  to  convey- 
conveniently  over  said  river  two  horses  and 
a  wagon  at  one  time. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that  the 
following  be  the  rates  of  ferriage  at  the  ferry 
established  at  the  town  of  South  Bend,  to- 
wit :  For  each  person,  6i/4  cents;  for  a  man 
and  horse,  I214  cents;  for  one  horse  and  a 
wagon  or  carriage,  25  cents ;  for  two  horses 
and  w^agon,  3I14  cents ;  for  each  additional 
horse,  with  a  wagon  as  above,  614  cents;  for 
oxen  in  wagons  the  same  rates  as  horses ;  for 
loose  cattle,  three  cents  a  head ;  for  hogs  and 
sheep,  two  cents  a  head. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that  the 
said  N.  B.  Griffith  be  required  to  keep  twelve 
hands  to  attend  the  aforesaid  ferry." 

The  following  orders  were  also  made  on 
the  second  day  of  said  September  term: 

Sec.  6. — Licenses  to  do  Business. — "Or- 
dered by  the  board  aforesaid,  that  five  dollars 
shall  be  the  amount  to  be  assessed  on  each 
tavern  license  and  retailer  of  spirituo\is  or 
strong  liquors,  foreign  and  domestic  groceries. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
there  be  assessed  on  each  license  to  vend 
w^ooden  clocks  in  said  county  the  sum  of 
eight  dollars  per  annum. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
Peter  Johnson  be  allowed  a  tavern  license  to 
keep  a  tavern  at  the  town  of  South  Bend  by 
his  payment  into  the  county  treasury  of  the 
sum  of  five  dollars,  to  commence  on  the  1st 
of  August,  1831. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
Benjamin  Coquillard  be  licensed  to  keep  a 
tavern  at  the  town  of  South  Bend  by  his 
paying  into  the  county  treasury  the  sum  of 
five  dollars. 

"Ordered    by    the    board    aforesaid,    that 

a.  A  steamboat  landing  was  established  at  the 
same  place. 


Calvin  Lilly  be  licensed  to  keep  a  tavern  at 
the  town  of  South  Bend  by  his  paying  into 
the  county  treasury  the  sum  of  five  dollars. 

' '  Ordered,  that  the  American  Fur  company 
be  licensed  to  vend  foreign  merchandise  in 
said  county  one  year  from  the  date  hereof 
by  their  paying  into  the  county  treasury  the 
sum  of  ten  dollars. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
George  Sumption  be  allowed  the  sum  of  one 
dollar  and  fifty  cents  out  of  any  money  in 
the  treasuiy  not  otherwise  appropriated  for 
two  wolf  scalp  certificates. 

"Ordered  by  the  board,  that  Horatio 
Chapin  be  required  to  pay  into  the  county 
treasury  the  sum  of  eleven  dollars  for  a 
license  to  vend  foreign  goods  in  said  county 
for  one  year  from  the  date  hereof. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
David  Pickering,  deputy  sherifi^  of  Allen 
county  be  allowed  the  sum  of  five  dollars  for 
notifying  the  commissioners  to  re-locate  the 
seat  of  justice  of  St.  Joseph  county. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
Lewis  Shirley  be  allowed  the  sum  of  two  dol- 
lars for  services  rendered  in  making  a  return 
of  the  annual  election  from  Michigan  town- 
ship. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid.  That 
John  Drullinger  be  allowed  the  sum  of  one 
dollar  for  sei'vices  rendered  in  making  a  re- 
turn of  the  annual  election  from  Deschemin 
township. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid.  That 
each  person  of  the  grand  and  petit  juries  be 
allowed  the  sum  of  fifty  cents  for  their  ser- 
vices rendered  in  attending  the  November 
term  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit  court;  and  the 
orders  shall  be  issued  by  the  clerk  on  satis- 
faction being  made  of  their  respective  at- 
tendances." 

The  jurors,  grand  and  petit,  thus  allowed 
fifty  cents  each  for  their  services,  on  strict 
proof  furnished  of  their  actual  attendance, 
were  the  second  set  of  jurors  that  were 
selected  in  St.  Joseph  county.  The  jurors 
selected  the  previous  year  by  the  board  of 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


173 


justices  were  not  called  into  service  nor  is 
there  any  record  other  than  that  here  given 
of  the  service  of  jurors  selected  in  1831. 

Indeed  it  does  not  appear  that  the  Novem- 
ber term,  1831,  of  the  St.  Joseph  Circuit 
court  was  ever  held.  The  presiding  judge 
failed  to  appear,  although  the  jurors  were 
selected  and  summoned.  This  neglect  occa- 
sioned some  complaint,  as  may  be  inferred 
from  a  communication  from  "One  of  the  peo- 
ple" which  appeared  in  the  second  number 
of  the  Northwestern  Pioneer.  The  judge  is 
there  severely  upbraided  for  neglect  of  duty, 
"notwithstanding  he  is  paid  a  salary  of  seven 
himdred  dollars  a  year  for  his  services.  "'^ 

VII.    LOCATION  OF  THE  COUNTY  SEAT.     ' 

Sec.  1.— St.  Joseph,  the  First  County 
Seat. — The  board  of  justices,  as  we  have  seen, 
held  their  sessions  at  the  house  of  Alexis 
Coquillard,  in  South  Bend.  The  board  of 
commissioners  did  likewise.  The  St.  Joseph 
circuit  court  was  also  hoi  den  in  the  same 
hospitable  mansion. '^  Indeed  for  several 
years  after  the  organization  of  the  county 
the  seat  of  justice  was  actually  at  the  house 
of  Alexis  Coquillard.  Theoretically,  however, 
the  county  seat  was  for  a  time  on  the  farm 
of  William  Brookfield,  in  a  town  laid  out  by 
him  at  the  portage  of  the  St.  Joseph.  This 
town  was  called  St.  Joseph.  Though  named 
as  the  first  county  seat,  it  was  never  in  fact 
more  than  a  town  on  paper.  The  location  of 
the  county  seat  at  St.  Joseph  was  made  by 
the  commissioners  appointed  under  section 
three  of  the  act  for  the  formation  of  St. 
Joseph  and  Elkhart  counties.  This  action 
of  the  locating  commissioners  never  gave 
satisfaction  to  the  people  of  the  county.  A 
petition  asking  for  the  appointment  of  other 
commissioners  to  relocate  the  county  seat  was 
circulated  amongst  the  settlers,  received  over 

a.  "The  Northwestern  Pioneer  and  St.  Joseph's 
Intelligencer,  South  Bend,  Indiana,  Wednesday, 
November  23,  1831." 

b.  See  Sec.  4  of  the  Act  for  the  formation  of 
the  counties  of  St.  Joseph  and  Elkhart,  set  out 
in  bubdivision  2  of  this  chapter. 


one  hundred  and  twenty-five  signatures,  and 
was  laid  before  the  legislature  that  convened 
at  Indianapolis,  December  6,  1830.  That 
body,  in  an  act  approved  February  1,  1831," 
granted  the  prayer  of  the  petitioners,  the  act 
being  as  follows : 

Sec.  2. — Act  to  Re-Locate  the  County 
Seat. — "An  act  to  Re-locate  the  County  Seat 
of  St.  Joseph  county. 

"Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  general 
assembly  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  that  Absalom 
Holcomb  and  William  N.  Hood  of  Allen 
county,  John  Scott  of  Cass  county,  Chester 
Sage  and  John  Jackson  of  Elkhart  county, 
are  hereby  appointed  commissioners  to  review 
and  should  they  judge  expedient,  to  re-locate 
the  county  seat  of  St.  Joseph  county.  The 
said  commissioners  shall  convene  at  the  house 
of  William  Brookfield,  in  the  said  county  of 
St.  Joseph,  on  the  second  Monday  of  May 
next,  and  shall  immediately  proceed  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  assigned  them  by  law.^  It 
is  hereby  made  the  duty  of  the  sheriff  of 
Allen  county,  to  notify  the  said  commis- 
sioners, either  in  person  or  by  written  noti- 
fication, of  their  appointment,  on  or  before 
the  first  day  of  May  next ;  and  the  said  sheriff 
shall  receive  from  the  said  county  of  St. 
Joseph,  so  much  as  the  county  commissioners 
of  said  county  shall  deem  just  and  reasonable, 
who  are  hereby  authorized  to  allow  the  same 
out  of  any  monies  in  the  county  treasury,  in 
the  same  manner  as  other  monies  are  paid. 

"Sec.  2.  Should  said  commissioners  after 
examination  of  the  present  seat  of  justice  of 
said  county,  be  of  opinion  that  the  public 
interest  demands  a  removal  or  re-location  of 
said  seat  of  justice,  they  shall  then  proceed 
and  be  governed  in  all  respects  by  the  law 
forming  said  county  of  St.  Joseph,*'  as  though 
they  had  been  appointed  to  fix  the  said  county 
seat,  at  the  formation  of  said  county. 

a.  Acts  1830,  p.  21. 

b.  See  Sec.  3  of  the  act  for  the  formation  of 
the  counties  of  St.  Joseph  and  Ellvhart,  and  note 
a,  Subd.  2,  of  this  chapter. 

c.  The  law  referred  to  is  set  out  in  full  in 
Subd.  2,  of  this  chapter. 


174 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


"Sec.  3.  That  the  county  agent  and  all 
other  officers  within  the  said  county,  when 
the  county  seat  is  hereby  located,  shall  be 
governed  in  all  respects  by  the  law  forming 
said  county,  as  though  the  county  seat  had 
been  satisfactorily  fixed  by  the  first  commis- 
sioners appointed  for  that  purpose. 

"Sec.  4.  Should  the  commissioners  hereby 
appointed,  fix  the  county  seat  at  any  other 
place  than  that  fixed  by  the  former  commis- 
sioners, then  the  said  county  commissioners 
shall  deliver  over  to  William  Brookfield,  and 
to  all  other  persons  who  may  have  donated 
to  said  county,  all  monies,  lands  and  other 
effects  which  they  may  have  given  to  said 
county,  as  a  consideration  for  said  county 
seat. ' ' 

Sec.  3. — Re-Location. — The  report  of  the 
commissioners  so  appointed  by  the  legislature 
to  re-locate  the  county  seat  of  St.  Joseph 
county  appears  of  record  in  the  proceedings 
of  the  third  and  last  day's  session  of  the  first 
term  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners, 
Wednesday,  September  7,  1831.  The  record 
is  as  follows : 

"The  commissioners"  report  which  was 
filed  in  the  clerk's  office  in  vacation  of  said 
[county]  board  is  now  brougnt  into  court  to 
be  made  a  matter  of  record  here,  to- wit : 

"  'The  undersigned  commissioners  ap- 
pointed by  an  act  of  the  legislature  of  the 
state  of  Indiana,  at  their  session  in  the  year 
A.  D.  1831,  entitled  an  act  to  re-locate  the 
county  seat  of  St.  Joseph  county,  met  at  the 
house  of  William  Brookfield.  in  the  said 
county  of  St.  Joseph,  on  the  second  Monday 
of  May,  A.  D.  1831 ;  and  after  being  duly 
sworn  as  the  law  directs,  proceeded  immedi- 
ately to  examine  the  present  seat  of  justice 
for  said  county  of  St.  Joseph,  and  are  of 
opinion  that  public  interest  requires  a  re- 
moval of  said  seat  of  justice,  and  immediately 
proceeded  to  select  a  suitable  site  for  the 
county  seat  of  said  county  of  St.  Joseph ;  and, 
after  making  all  the  examinations  required  by 
law,  have  selected  the  town  of  South  Bend,  as 
laid  out  and  recorded  on  the  records  of  said 


county,  and  have  hereby  established  the  same ; 
and  have  received  from  the  persons  herein- 
after mentioned  the  following  donations  in 
lands,  lots  and  obligations  for  the  payment 
of  the  sums  of  money  stipulated  in  the  follow- 
ing bonds,  to-wit :  The  bonds  of  Lathrop  M. 
Taylor  and  Alexis  Coquillard,  guaranteed  by 
Samuel  Hanna,  Joseph  Rohrer,  Samuel  Stude- 
baker  and  D.  H.  Coldrick  for  the  conveyance 
to  the  use  of  the  county,  for  the  following 
distinguished  lots  in  the  town  of  South  Bend : 
Lots  Nos.  274.  275,  276,  277,  278,  279,  400, 
401,  402.  296,  299,  302,  344,  323  and  257. 
And  also  the  lots  specified  in  said  bond  to 
religious  societies,  school  purposes  and  four 
acres  of  land  described  in  said  bonds  for  a 
public  graveyard,  in  addition  to  the  lots  and 
ground  set  apart  and  marked  on  the  plat  of 
said  town  for  a  public  square,  religious  and 
school  purposes.  And  also  the  joint  bond  and 
obligation  of  the  above  mentioned  Lathrop  M. 
Taylor,  Alexis  Coquillard,  Joseph  Rohrer, 
Samuel  Studebaker,  Samuel  Hanna  and 
David  Coldrick  for  the  payment  of  three 
thousand  dollars  to  the  commissioners  of  said 
county,  payable  in  the  annual  installments  of 
one  thousand  dollars  each.  Which  said  several 
bonds  and  obligations  are  hereby  particularly 
referred  to  and  made  a  part  of  this  report; 
all  of  which  bear  date  herewith. 

"  'In  witness  whereof  we  have 
hereunto     set     our     hands     this 
twelfth  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1831. 
"  'Absalom   Holcomb, 
"  'William  N.  Hood, 
"  'Chester  Sage, 
"  'John  Jackson, 

"  'Commissioners. 
"  'Know  all  men  by  these  presents.  That 
we  Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  Alexis  Coquillard, 
Joseph  Rohrer,  Samuel  Studebaker,  Samuel 
Hanna  and  David  Coldrick,  do  hereby  bind 
and  obligate  ourselves  and  our  heirs  and 
representatives  to  well  and  truly  pay  or 
cause  to  be  paid  unto  the  commissioners  of 
the  county  of  St.  Joseph,  in  the  state  of 
Indiana,  or  their  successors  in  office,  in  the 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


175 


full  and  just  sum  of  three  thousand  dollars, 
to  be  paid  as  follows:  One  thousand  in  one 
year  from  the  signing  and  ensealing  of  this 
bond,  and  one  thousand  in  two  years  and  the 
residuary  one  thousand  in  three  years;  in 
consideration  that  the  county  seat  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  in  the  state  aforesaid,  shall 
be  permanently  located  at  the  South  Bend, 
in  said  county.  ^ 

"  '  In  testimony  whereof  w  i  have 
hereunto  set  our  hands  and  seals 
on  this  the  twelfth  day  of  May, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  eighteen 
hundred  and  thirty-one. 

"  'Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  (Seal.) 
"  'Alexis  Coquillard,   (Seal.) 
"  'Joseph  Rohrer,  (Seal.) 
"  'Samuel  Studebaker,  (Seal.) 
"  'Samuel   Hanna,    (Seal.) 
"  'D.  H.  Coldrick,  (Seal.) 
"  'Attest:     Horace  Wood,  Hiram  Dayton. 
"  'Know  all  men  by  these  presents.  That  we, 
Lathrop  M.  Taylor  and  Alexis  Coquillard,  do 
by  these  presents  obligate  ourselves  and  our 
representatives  well  and  truly  to  convey  and 
donate  by  an  indisputable  title  to  the  county 
agent  whom  the  commissioners  shall  appoint 
agent  of  the  county  of   St.   Joseph,   in   the 
state  of  Indiana,  for  the  use  of  said  county, 
fifteen  in  lots  situated  in  the  town  of  South 
Bend,  and  designated  on  the  plat  of  said  town 
by  being  numbered,  274,  275,  276,  277,  278, 
279,  400,  401.  402,  296,  299,  302,  344,  323  and 
257 ;  and  to  give  and  donate  and  convey  in  lot 
number  341  on  said  town  plat  to  and  for  the 
use   of    a    religious    denominawon    of   people 
called  the  United  Brethern,  to  build  thereon 
a  church  for  worship ;  also  in  lot  number  four 
hundred  and  three  on  said  town  plat  for  the 
same  purpose  for  the  German  Baptist  congre- 
gation ;  also  in  lot  number  two  hundred  and 
thirty-four  on  said  town  plat  for  a  church  for 
the  denomination  commonly  called  the  Pres- 
byterian ;  also  to  give  and  donate  for  the  use 
and  convenience  of  said  town  four  acres  of 
land  on  the  east  half  of  the  southwest  quarter 
of   section   number   twelve    in   town   niunber 


thirty-seven  of  range  number  two  east,  to  be 
dedicated  and  used  as  a  public  graveyard ; — 
all  of  which  said  several  donations  are  to  be 
legally  conveyed  in  a  reasonable  time  after 
the  patents  shall  have  issued  to  the  said  Co- 
quillard and  Taylor;  in  consideration  that 
the  county  .seat  shall  be  permanently  located 
at  South  Bend,  in  said  county. 

' '  '  Witnessed  our  hands  and  seals 
on  this  twelfth  day  of  May,  1831. 
"  'Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  (Seal.) 
"  'Alexis  Coquillard,   (Seal.) 
"  'Attest:    Horace  Wood,  Hiram  Dayton. 
' '  '  Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  That  we, 
Samuel  Hanna,  Joseph  Rohrer.  Samuel  Stude- 
baker and  David  Coldrick,  do  bind  and  obli- 
gate ourselves  and  our  representatives,  under 
a  penalty  of  two  thousand  dollars,  to  secure 
and  guarantee  the  stipulations  and  obligations 
of  the  said  Coquillard  and  Taylor  in   their 
above  bond,  according  to  the  true  spirit  and 
equitable  meaning  thereof,  waving  all   legal 
technicalities  or  inaccuracies,  if  any  there  be. 
"  'Witness  our  hands  and  seals 
on  this  twelfth  day  of  May,  1831. 
"  'Samuel  Hanna,  (Seal.) 
"  'Joseph  Rohrer,  (Seal.) 
"  'Samuel  Studebaker,  (Seal.) 
"  'D.  H.  Coldrick,  (Seal.) 
"  'Attest:  Horace  Wood,  Hiram  Dayton.'  " 
Sec_    4. — South    Bend    the    Permanent 
County    Seat. — Thus    was   the    county   seat 
definitely  and  permanently  fixed  at  the  new 
town  near  the  south  bend  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river,    laid    out   March   28,    1831,   by    Alexis 
Cofiuillard  and  Lathrop  Minor  Taylor.     The 
effort   of  William   Brookfield,   our  first  sur- 
veyor and  one  of  the  most  distinguished  of 
our    early   settlers,    to    build    up    a    business 
center  at  the  old  portage  was  a  natural  but  a 
mistaken  one.     It  is  true  that  commerce  had 
gone  by  the  St.  Joseph-Kankakee  portage  for 
unknown    ages.      The    ancient    tradere    went 
from  the  lakes  up  the  St.  Joseph,  over  the 
portage,  down  the  Kankakee  and  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  so  reached  all  the  countries  border- 
injj  on  the  gulf  and  the  south  seas;  and  that 


176 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  return  was  by  the  same  ancient  route. 
But  that  day  was  past.  Commerce  had  taken 
new  lines.  Detroit,  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago 
had  become  gathering  points ;  and  the  trails 
and  traces  to  and  from  these  points,  and  from 
these  points  to  the  Atlantic  coast,  were 
gradually  taking  direction  and  form.  North 
and  south  was  the  Michigan  road.  And  the 
south  bend  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  w^as  on 
the  new  lines.  The  old  routes  became  filled 
with  dust  and  ^  leaves  and  overgrown  with 
grass;  while  the  new  routes  were  worn  and 
traveled  and  improved  from  year  to  year. 
Coquillard  and  Taylor  had  chosen  wisely  and 
labored  effectively.  The  county  seat  was 
located  in  the  proper  place. 

VIII.    THE  TOWNSHIPS  RE-ORGANIZED. 

Not  only  was  the  'first  location  of  the 
county  seat  unsatisfactory  to  the  people,  but 
also  the  division  of  the  county  into  the  town- 
ships of  Michigan,  Deschemin,  German  and 
Portage,  as  made  by  the  board  of  justices. 
Accordingly,  on  September  7,  1831,  on  the 
third  day's  session  of  the  first  term  of  the 
board  of  commissioners,  after  the  entry  of 
the  record  in  relation  to  the  county  seat,  the 
following  important  orders  were  made  in  re- 
lation to  the  townships  of  the  county;  and 
also  in  relation  to  commissioners'  districts: 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  That  so 
much  of  the  ordens  of  the  board  of  justices 
held  on  the  25th  day  of  November,  1830,  as 
regards  the  laying  off  of  townships  in  said 
county  be  hereby  repealed  and  set  aside. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid.  That 
ranges  two  and  three  east  of  the  second 
principal  meridian  of  the  state  of  Indiana, 
so  much  as  lies  in  said  county,  shall  form  one 
township  in  said  county,  and  shall  be  kno\\Ti 
by  the  name  of  Portage  township.  All  elec- 
tions in  said  township  shall  be  held  in  the 
town  of  South  Bend.  Said  township  shall 
form  the  first  county  commissioner  district  in 
said  county. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  That 
range  number  one  east  and  range  number  one 


west  of  the  second  principal  meridian  of  the 
state  of  Indiana  shall  form  a  township  in  said 
county,  to  be  known  by  the  name  of  Center 
township,  and  all  elections  in  said  township 
shall  be  held  at  John  Drulinger's.  Said 
township  shall  form  the  second  county  com- 
missioner district  in  said  county. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  That 
all  the  territory  lying  west  of  the  range  line 
dividing  ranges  number  one  and  number  two 
west  of  the  second  principal  meridian  of  the 
state  of  Indiana  shall  fonn  and  constitute  a 
township,  to  be  known  by  the  name  of  High- 
land township,  and  the  elections  in  said  town- 
ship shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Jacob  Miller, 
in  said  township.  The  said  township  shall 
form  the  third  county  commissioner  district 
in  said  county. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  That 
Hiram  Dayton  be  appointed  Inspector  of 
Elections  in  Portage,  and  John  Egbert  shall 
be  appointed  Inspector  of  Elections  in  Center 
township,  and  also  that  Chapel  W.  Brown  be 
appointed  Inspector  of  Elections  in  Highland 
township. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  That 
on  the  fourth  Saturday  of  Inst,  the  qualified 
electors  in  Portage  township  be  authorized 
to  elect  one  justice  of  the  peace  at  South 
Bend,  in  said  township ;  and  that  the  qualified 
electors  of  Center  township  be  authorized  to 
elect  one  justice  of  the  peace  in  said  township 
on  the  fourth  Saturday  as  aforesaid ;  and  also 
that  the  qualified  electors  of  Highland  town- 
ship be  authorized  to  elect  one  justice  of  the 
peace  in  said  township  on  the  fourth  Satur- 
day, Inst. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  That 
the  sheriff  be  required  to  notify  the  qualified 
electors  of  said  county  to  meet  in  the  several 
townships  as  organized  by  this  board  to  meet 
at  the  several  places  in  said  townships,  to 
elect  associate  judges."" 

It  will  be  seen  that  Highland  township,  as 
laid  out  by  the  board  of  commissioners,  in- 

a.  The  organization  of  our  courts  will  be  given 
in  another  place. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


177 


eluded  one  more  range  than  did  Michigan 
township,  as  laid  out  by  the  board  of  justices. 
The  east  line  of  Michigan  township  was  "the 
range  line  dividing  ranges  two  and  three 
west;"  while  the  east  line  of  Highland  town- 
ship was  ' '  the  range  line  dividing  ranges  num- 
ber one  and  number  two  west."  No  part 
of  either  of  those  primitive  townships  was 
within  the  present  limits  of  St.  Joseph  county. 
Highland  township  included  the  greater  part 
of  what  is  now  La  Porte  county  and  all  of 
Porter  and  Lake. 

Center  township,  as  laid  out  by  the  board 
of  commissioners,  included  the  w^est  half  of 
range  one  west,  now  in  Laporte  county,  and 
likewise  so  much  of  the  east  half  of  said 
range  as  is  also  in  said  county.  The  rest 
of  old  Center  township,  being  the  remainder 
of  range  one  west  and  all  of  range  one  east, 
— except  parts  on  the  south  afterwards  at- 
tached to  Marshall  and  Starke  counties — are 
still  in  St.  Joseph  county.  The  east  line  of 
Center  township  was  the  range  line  between 
ranges  one  and  two  east,  being  the  line  which 
now  divides  our  present  Warren  township 
from  German  and  Portage.  The  townships  of 
Olive,  Warren  and  Lincoln,  as  now  consti- 
tuted, with  the  greater  part  of  Greene  and 
almost  all  of  Liberty,  were  then  in  Center 
township. 

Portage  township,  as  laid  out  by  the  board 
of  commissioners,  took  in  all  of  the  county 
embraced  in  ranges  two  and  three  east.  That 
included  the  present  townships  of  German, 
Clay,  Portage,  Center  and  Union,  with  parts 
of  Greene,  Liberty,  Harris,  Penn  and  Madi- 
son. The  west  half  of  range  four,  being  a 
strip  three  miles  in  width  on  the  east  side 
of  the  county  as  at  present  constituted,  was 
then  in  Elkhart  county. 

IX.    THE  COUNTY  BOUNDARIES. 

St.  Joseph  county,  as  formed  by  the  act 
of  January  29,  1830,  extended  east  and  west 
across  five  ranges  of  congressional  townships, 
and  reached  south  from  the  Michigan  line 
a  distance  of  thirty  miles.      To  this  thirty 

12 


miles  square  was  added,  for  jurisdictional 
purposes,  all  the  territory  west  to  the  Illinois 
state  line.  Other  unorganized  territory  was 
afterwards  attached  for  like  purposes  on  the 
south.  This  attached  territory,  as  we  have 
seen,"  was  by  the  board  of  justices  erected 
into  a  township  of  St.  Joseph  county,  and 
named  Michigan  township.  The  board  of 
commissioners  added  to  Michigan  a  range  of 
congressional  townships  on  the  east,  and 
called  the  whole  territory  Highland  town- 
ship. 

Not  counting  the  attached  territory  on  the 
west,  St.  Joseph  county  proper  then  included 
nearly  one-half  of  the  present  county  of  La 
Porte,  and  also  nearly  one-half  of  the  present 
counties  of  Marshall  and  Starke.  The  act  of 
February  10,  1831,  defining  the  boundaries 
of  all  the  counties  of  the  state,'*  left  unchanged 
the  boundaries  of  St.  Joseph  county  as  fixed 
by  the  act  of  its  organization,  January  29, 
1830. 

The  county  of  La  Porte  was  formed  by  an 
act  of  the  legislature,  approved  January  9, 
1832.  In  this  act  the  east  boundary  of  La 
Porte  is  declared  to  be,  "the  center  line  of 
range  number  one  west,"  extending  south 
twenty-two  miles  from  the  north  boundary 
line  of  the  state.''  Thus,  not  counting  the 
attached  territory  west  to  the  Illinois  line, 
which  had  constituted  our  Michigan  town- 
ship, and  nearly  all  of  our  Highland  txDwn- 
ship,  the  legislature,  in  one  act,  took  from  St. 
Joseph  county  a  range  and  a  half  of  congres- 
sional townships  on  the  west,  and  made  them 
part  of  the  new  county  of  La  Porte. 

As  if  to  make  up  for  this  loss  on  the  west, 
the  same  legislature,  a  few  days  afterwards, 
by  an  act  approved  January  31,  1832,**  took 
three  miles  from  P^lkhart  and  added  it  to 
St.  Joseph.  The  act  is  short,  and  reads  as 
follows : 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  general  assembly  of 

a.     See  Siibd.  4,  of  this  chapter. 

1).     Revised  Statutes  of  Indiana,   1831,   pp.   110- 

128 

c.  Acts  1831,  p.  9. 

d.  Acts  1831,  p.  114. 


178 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


the  state  of  Indiana,  That  the  boundary  line 
between  the  counties  of  Elkhart  and  St. 
Joseph,  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  changed, 
and  that  the  same  shall  be  a  north  and  south 
line,  three  miles  east,  and  parallel  with  range 
line  number  three  east  of  the  second  princi- 
pal meridian  line.  And  all  that  portion  of 
territory  so  stricken  off  of  Elkhart  county,  be, 
and  the  same  is  hereby  attached  to,  and  shall 
constitute  a  part  of  St.  Joseph  county. ' ' 

The  net  result  of  both  those  acts  of  the 
legislature  of  1831  was  to  move  St.  Joseph 
county  three  miles  to  the  east,  giving  us  half 
a  range  on  the  east  and  taking  from  us  a 
range  and  a  half  on  the  west,  and  so  reducing 
the  width  of  the  county  along  the  north 
boundary  line  of  the  state  from  thirty  miles 
to  twenty-four  miles.  This  left  us  a  half 
range  west  of  the  second  principal  meridian 
and  three  and  a  half  ranges  east  of  the  same 
meridian. 

The  next  act  of  the  legislature  that  inter- 
fered with  the  boundaries  of  the  county  was 
that  approved  February  7,  1835,^  entitled 
"An  act  laying  out  all  the  unorganized  terri- 
tory to  which  the  Indian  title  has  been  ex- 
tinguished in  this  state,  into  a  suitable  num- 
ber of  counties,  and  for  other  purposes." 

Section  nine  of  that  act  defined  the  north 
line  of  jMarshall  county  as  the  north  line  of 
congressional  township  thirty-four,  being  the 
same  as  the  south  line  of  our  present  town- 
ship of  Lincoln  extended  east.  This  bound- 
ary, while  taking  seven  miles  and  a  half  off 
the  south  end  of  St.  Joseph  county,  still  left 
us  the  whole  of  congressional  township  thirty- 
five,  including  the  sites  of  the  present  towns 
of  Bremen,  La  Paz  and  Teegarden,  besides 
the  right  of  way  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio 
railroad  from  the  eastern  to  the  western 
boundary  of  the  coimty. 

By  section  ten  of  the  same  act,  the  north 
line  of  Starke  county  was  defined  to  be  the 
north  line  of  the  same  congrassional  township, 
thirty-four.     This  boundary  left  the  territory 

a.     Acts  1834,  pp.  44-47. 


of  the  present  Lincoln  township  within  our 
county,  as  it  has  remained  ever  since. 

Although  the  boundaries  of  Marshall 
county  were  fixed  by  the  act  of  February  7, 
1835,  yet  the  county  was  not  organized  until 
the  succeeding  session  of  the  legislature.  The 
act  passed  for  that  purpose  was  approved 
February  4,  1836.'*  The  eighth  section  of 
that  act  appears  to  have  no  proper  connection 
with  the  other  sections :  it  seems  to  be  attached 
to  the  act  rather  than  to  be  a  part  of  it.  The 
section,  however,  did  seriously  affect  the 
interests  of  St.  Joseph  county.  It  reads  as 
follows : 

"Sec.  8.  The  northern  boundary  line  ot 
the  county  of  Marshall  shall  be  extended  to 
an  east  and  west  line  running  through  the 
center  of  township  thirty -five  north." 

A  strip  three  miles  in  width  was  thus  taken 
from  St.  Joseph  county  and  added  to  Marshall 
county,  leaving  a  part  of  Lincoln  township 
in  St.  Joseph  county  projecting  between  ]Mar- 
shall  and  La  Porte  counties,  to  a  distance  of 
three  •  miles  south  of  the  remainder  of  St. 
Joseph  county. 

In  an  act  approved  February  16,  1839,  en- 
titled "An  act  to  define  the  boundaries  of 
the  counties  of  St.  Joseph,  ^Marshall,  La  Porte, 
Starke,  Porter  and  Lake,  "^  the  boundaries  of 
St.  Joseph  county  were  left  as  they  had  re- 
mained after  the  act  of  February  4,  1836,  de- 
fining the  north  boundary  of  Marshall  county. 
This  act  of  February  16,  1839,  defined  what 
were  expected  to  be  the  fixed  and  permanent 
boundaries  of  the  county,  in  these  words: 

"St.  Joseph  county  shall  be  bounded  as 
follows,  by  a  line  commencing  on  the  north 
boundary  of  this  state  at  the  intersection 
thereon  of  the  section  line  running  north  and 
south  through  the  center  of  range  four  east: 
thence  south  to  the  center  of  township  thirty- 
five  north ;  thence  west  to  the  second  meridian , 
line,  being  that  line  between  ranges  one  east 
and  one  west;  thence  south  to  the  township 
line  between  townships  thirty-four  and  thirty - 

a.  Acts  1835,  pp.  49,  50. 

b.  Acts  1838,  p.  70. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


179 


five  north;  thence  west  to  the  section  line 
running  north  and  south  through  the  center 
of  range  one  west;  thence  north  by  said  sec- 
tion line  to  the  north  boundary  of  this  state; 
thence  east  to  the  place  of  beginning." 

St.  Joseph  county  seemed  at  last  to  have 
found  herself,  to  have  reached  the  definite 
and  fixed  limits  of  her  physical  entity.  For 
ten  years  her  integrity  as  a  county  was  re- 
spected, and  no  further  attempt  was  made  to 
interfere  with  her  defined  boundaries.  But 
by  an  act  approved  January  16,  1849,^  the 
legislature  provided: 

"That  the  territory  which  now  belongs  to 
St.  Joseph  county,  described  as  follows:  Be- 
ginning at  the  present  county  line,  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  section  twenty-two,  town- 
ship thirty-seven  north,  range  one  west; 
thence  with  the  north  line  of  said  section,  and 
that  of  section  twenty-three,  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  said  section  twenty-three;  thence 
south  with  the  section  line,  until  it  shall  strike 
the  great  Kankakee  river;  thence  with  said 
river  to  the  present  county  line,  may  be  at- 
tached to  the  county  of  La  Porte,  upon  the 
conditions  following. ' ' 

One  of  the  conditions  upon  which  the  trans- 
fer of  territory  should  take  place  is  set  out 
in  section  four  of  the  act,  in  which  it  was 
provided  that,  "The  county  commissioners  of 
said  county  of  St.  Joseph,  shall,  and  they  are 
hereby  authorized  to,  decide  at  their  regular 
June  term,  1849,  w^hether  said  territory  shall 
be  attached  as  aforesaid. ' '  Should  our  board 
of  commissioners  agree  to  the  change  it  should 
take  place.  "But,"  it  was  further  provided 
in  the  same  section,  "in  case  said  board  of 
county  commissioners  do  not  decide  in  favor 
of  attaching  the  territory  as  aforesaid,  to 
the  said  county  of  La  Porte,  then  and  in  that 
case  the  said  territory  shall  be  and  remain 
a  part  and  parcel  of  said  county  of  St. 
Joseph. ' ' 

As  might  be  anticipated,  there  was  much 
opposition  to  the  scheme  on  the  part  of  the 
people  of  St.  Joseph  county;  and  the  board 

a.     Local  Laws  of  Indiana,  1848,  p.  32. 


of  county  commissioners  accordingly  refused 
to  concur  in  the  action  of  the  legislature.  At 
the  regular  June  term,  1849,«  of  the  board 
it  was  therefore  formally  ordered,  ' '  That  said 
territory  shall  not  be  set  off  as  a  part  of  the 
territory  of  La  Porte  county." 

The  people  of  the  disputed  territory  were, 
however,  bent  on  having  the  sections  trans- 
ferred to  La  Porte  county.  It  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  their  reasons  in  favor  of  the 
project  were  plausible.  The  territory  in  ques- 
tion was  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  Kan- 
kakee river;  and  it  was  then  impossible  to 
go  directly  across  the  river  and  marshes  to 
the  county  seat  of  St.  Joseph  county.  It  was 
the  old  trouble,  over  again,  of  the  first  survey 
of  the  Michigan  road  from  Michigan  City, 
directly  across  the  Kankakee  swamps,  to  Lo- 
gansport.  Such  roads  were  impossible  of  con- 
struction in  those  days.  The  people  to  the 
west  of  the  Kankakee  quite  naturally,  there- 
fore, preferred  to  go  to  the  county  seat  of 
La  Porte  county,  both  for  their  marketing 
and  also  to  attend  to  such  business  as  must 
be  transacted  in  the  court  house. 

The  matter  came  again  before  the  legis- 
lature at  the  ensuing  session ;  and,  by  an  act 
approved  January  14,  1850,^  the  transfer  of 
the  territory  was  made  absolute,  without  any 
consent  asked  for  or  given  by  St.  Joseph 
county.  A  touch  of  patriotic  sentiment  was 
given  to  the  severance  of  the  territory,  by 
providing  in  the  act  that  the  sections  in  ques- 
tion should  be  attached  to  and  become  a  part 
of  La  Porte  county  from  and  after  July  4, 
1850. 

So  was  St.  Joseph  county  reduced  in  size 
from  its  original  thirty  miles  square,  and 
attached  territory,  to  its  present  dimen- 
sions. Some  slight  movements  were  after- 
wards made  to  limit  still  further  the 
size  of  the  county.  Citizens  on  the  east 
side  of  the  county  at  one  time  tried  to  per- 
suade the  commissioners  that  they  should  be 
attached  to  Elkhart  county;  and  citizens  of 


a. 


Commissioners'  Record  No.  3,  p.   285. 
Acts,  1849,  pp.  114,  115. 


180 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  west  side  of  the  county  filed  like  petitions, 
with    a    view    to    the    formation    of   another 
county  made  up  in  part  of  St.  Joseph  and  in 
part  of  La  Porte  territory,  and  having  New 
Carlisle   as   a   county  seat.      These   petitions 
were  before  our  county  board  for  several  ses- 
sions,  each,   but  were   all   finally   dismissed. 
Another  movement  developed  at  one  time  in 
the  southwest  part  of  the  county,  with  a  view 
to  the  formation  of  a  county  out  of  parts  of 
St.   Joseph,  Marshall,   Starke  and  La  Porte 
counties,  and  having  Walkerton  as  the  county 
seat.     There  was  more  reason  for  this  move- 
ment than  for  either  of  the  others,  the  south- 
west part  of  this  county  not  being  of  easy 
access  to  the   county  seat.     But  afterwards 
came  improved  gravel  roads,  not  to  speak  of 
the  Three  ''I"  railroad;  and  North  Liberty 
and  Walkerton  at  once  found  themselves  in 
easy  reach  of  the  city  on  the  St.  Joseph,  and 
more  closely  knit  to  the  county  of  which  they 
form  so  important  a  part.     Every  inhabitant 
has  long  since  become  proud  of  his  citizenship 
in  the  good  old  county  of  St.  Joseph. 

The  county  is  now  twenty-four  miles  in 
length,  east  and  west,  measured  along  the 
boundary  between  Indiana  and  Michigan; 
and   nineteen   and   one-half  miles   in   width, 


north  and  south,  measured  along  the  bound- 
ary between  St.  Joseph  and  Elkhart  counties. 
To  these  dimensions  are  to  be  added  the  nine 
sections  of  Lincoln  township,  bounded  on  the 
east  by  Marshall  county,  on  the  south  by 
Starke  and  on  the  west  by  La  Porte.  And 
from  these  dimensions  must  be  deducted  the 
fourteen  full  and  five  fractional  sections  at- 
tached to  La  Porte  county  by  the  act  of 
January  14,  1850. 

Notwithstanding  the  loss  of  territory  on  the 
west  and  on  the  south,  our  county  is  still  one 
of  the  largest,  as  it  is  one  of  the  best,  in  the 
state.  The  limits  of  the  county  are,  on  all 
sides,  within  congressional  townships  thirty- 
five,  thirty-six,  thirty-seven  and  thirty-eight, 
north ;  and  Avithin  ranges  one,  west,  and  one, 
two,  three  and  four,  east,  of  the  second  prin- 
cipal meridian  of  Indiana.  It  is  the  central 
county  on  the  north  boundary  of  the  state. 
The  county  contains  within  its  borders  the 
source  and  a  large  part  of  the  valley  of  the 
Kankakee.  We  have  no  less  than  five  prairies 
of  various  sizes,  one  of  them,  Terre  Coupee, 
the  finest  in  the  state ;  while,  with  Elkhart 
county,  we  claim  as  ours  the  whole  of  the 
St.  Joseph  valley  within  the  state  of  Indiana. 


Lathrop  M.  Taylor 


CHAPTER  VI. 


COUNTY  BUSINESS. 

I.     ADMINISTRATIVE  OFFICERS  AND  BOARDS.  lie  was  therefore  the  keeper  of  the  county 

Sec.  1. — The  Ci^rk. — Lathrop  Minor  Tay-  I'ecords.    He  thus  united  in  himself  the  duties 

lor  and  Alexis  Coquillard  continued  for  many  °^  ^^^^  present  offices  of  clerk  of  the  circuit 

years  largely  to  divide  with  one  another  the  °°^^^^'   county  recorder  and  county  auditor, 

honors    and    responsibilities    attendant    upon  ^^^  original  records  in  each  of  those  offices 

the    development    of    the    new    county.     In  ^^'^    ^^    *^^   handwriting    of   L.    M.    Taylor, 

friendly  rivalry  they  had  established  on  "the  '^'o^ards   the   end  of  his   term   appears   the 

Big  St.  Joseph's  of  the  Lake"  the  two  trad-  ^^^^^  ^^  ^  deputy,  Thomas  S.  Stanfield,  who 

ing  posts  about  which  gathered  the  early  set-  ^^^^  afterwards  to  become  one  of  the  strong 

tlement;    together  they  had  purchased  from  characters   of  the  county  and   of  the  state, 

the  government  the  land  upon  which  they  had  '^^^^    three   modest    little    blank    books    with 

laid  out  the  new  town  at  the  south  bend  of  which  Mr.  Taylor  began  the  records  of  the 

the  river,   and  by  their  united  efforts  they  co^^iity  business  as  clerk  of  the  court,  clerk 

had  succeeded  in  causing  the  removal  of  the  ^^  *^^*^  county  board  and  county  recorder  still 

county   seat    to    the    town    thus    established,  remain  in  good   condition;    except  that  the 

From  the   organization  of  the   county  "the  recorder's  records  are  somewhat  injured  by 

house  of  Alexis  Coquillard"  appears  in  the  frequent  handling. 

records  for  several  years  as  the  place  of  hold-  Lathrop  M.  Taylor's  term  lasted  for  seven 

ing  the  sessions  of  the  circuit  court,  the  board  years.     He  was  succeeded,   in   1837,   in  the 

of  justices  and  the  board  of  commissioners,  office  of  clerk  of  the  circuit  court,  by  Tyra 

All  these  records,  too,  show  the  name  of  W.  Bray,  who  also  held  for  seven  years.  John 

Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  L.  M.  Taylor  or  Lathrop  F-  Lindsay,  the  last  clerk  under  the  constitu- 

Minor    Taylor,    as    it    was    written    on    dif-  tion  of  1816,  was  in  office  from  1844  to  1851. 

ferent  occasions.  "-    At  the  first  election  held  Under  the  constitution  of  1851  the  term  of 

in  the  county,  the  first  ^Monday  in  August,  office  was  reduced  to  four  yeare,  and  the  in- 

1830,  Mr.    Taylor   was   elected   clerk   of  the  eumbent    rendered    ineligible    to    more    than 

circuit  court  and  also  county  recorder.     Sec-  two  successive  terms.     Samuel  M.  Chord  was 

tion  ten  of  article  eleven  of  the  constitution  clerk  for  two  terms,  or  until  1859.     He  was 

of  1816  provided  that  the  same  person  might  succeeded  by  Elias  V.  Clark,  who  also  served 

hold  both  these  offices.     He  was  also  author-  two   terms,   or  until   1867.     Mr.    Clark   was 

ized  by  statute  to  act  as  clerk  of  the  county  succeeded    by    George    W.    Matthews,    called 

board  or  as  county  clerk.^     As  such  officer  sometimes   the   younger,   to   distinguish   him 

from  the  elder  George  W.  Matthews,  formerly 

a.     See  Deed  Record  B,  pp.  579,  580,  581,  for  his  ^^,,„+.,  „„^^+^„ 

different  signatures.  county  auditor. 

&.    See  Sec.  6,  act  approved  January  17,  1831.  Mr.  Matthews  was  succeeded,  in  1875,  by 

181 


182 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Edwin  Nicar,  and  Mr.  Nicar  by  Timothy  E. 
Howard,  who  was  himself  succeeded  in  1883 
by  George  H.  Alward,  the  elder.  Mr.  Alward 
died  during  his  term,  November  11,  1885, 
and  the  county  commissioners  appointed  his 
son,  also  George  H.  Alward,  to  fill  out  his 
term.  In  1886  William  C.  McMichael  be- 
came clerk,  and  in  1895,  George  M.  Fountain. 
In  1903,  George  H.  Alward  became  clerk 
again,  by  election,  and  in  1907  was  succeeded 
by  the  present  incumbent,  Frank  P.  Chris- 
toph.  Thirteen  different  men  have  filled  the 
office  of  clerk  of  the  circuit  court  from  the 
organization  of  the  county. 

Sec.  2. — The  Recorder. — On  the  expiration 
of  Lathrop  M.  Taylor's  term  as  county  re- 
corder, in  1837,  he  was  succeeded  by  William 
H.  Patteson,  who  served  for  two  terms,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Lott  Day,  Jr. 

By  an  act  approved  February  16,  1852,* 
the  county  recorder  was  required  to  provide 
an  official  seal  for  his  county.  Before  any 
such  seal  should  be  used,  it  was  provided  in 
the  act  that  "an  accurate  description  of  the 
impression  thereof,  attested  by  the  proper 
recorder,  and  the  impression  of  such  seal, 
shall  be  filed  in  the  office  of  the  clerk  of 
the  circuit  court,  and  by  said  clerk  recorded 
in  the  order  book  of  said  court." 

On  February  28,  1853,  Mr.  Day,  then  re- 
corder, adopted  a  seal  for  his  office,  and  filed 
for  record  in  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  the  St. 
Joseph  circuit  court  a  description  reading  as 
follows :  ' '  Said  seal  is  about  one  and  one-half 
inch  in  diameter,  with  two  circles  on  the 
outer  edge,  between  which  are  the  following 
words,  'Recorder  of  St.  Joseph  County,  In- 
diana.' Inclosed  in  the  inner  circle  or  center 
of  said  seal  is  the  following  design :  An  axe- 
man and  two  trees;  and  in  the  distance  a 
buffalo  and  rising  sun."  An  impression  of 
the  seal  appears  on  the  margin  of  the  order 
book.^ 

Mr.    Day    was    succeeded    as    recorder   by 

a.  Vol.  I,  R.  S.,  1852,  pp.  427,  428. 

b.  See  Order  Book  St.  Joseph  Circuit  Court, 
No.  7,  p.  436. 


Reece  J.  Chestnutwood,  the  elder,  who  held 
the  office  until  1867.  Mr.  Chestnutwood  is 
still  (1907)  living  in  the  city  of  South  Bend, 
in  the  ninety-second  year  of  his  age. 

Alexander  N.  Thomas  became  recorder  in 
1867  and  served  for  eight  years,  being  suc- 
ceeded, in  1875,  by  John  Groff.  Harrison  G. 
Beemer  succeeded  to  the  office  in  1879,  and 
w^as  himself  succeeded  in  1883  by  Thomas 
M.  Howard,  who  served  for  eight  years.  Will- 
iam D.  Shimp  became  recorder  in  1891,  Jere- 
miah Hilclebrand  in  1895,  and  Josiah  P.  Reed 
in  1899.  Noah  Lehman,  the  recorder  elect, 
will  take  the  office  January  1,  1908. 

Sec.  3. — The  Auditor. — By  an  act  ap- 
proved February  12,  1841,*  the  office  of  coun- 
ty auditor  was  created.  The  auditor  was  by 
the  act  made  clerk  of  the  board  of  county 
commissioners,  or  virtually  county  clerk,  and 
was  required  to  perform  all  the  duties  in 
relation  to  county  business  theretofore  en- 
joined upon  the  clerk  of  the  circuit  court. 
After  the  expiration ,  of  the  term  of  L.  M. 
Taylor,  in  1837,  his  successor,  Tyra  W.  Bray, 
as  clerk  of  the  circuit  court,  continued  to 
act  as  clerk  of  the  board  of  commissioners 
until  the  enactment  of  the  foregoing  statute 
and  the  election,  on  the  first  Monday  of 
August,  1841,  of  George  W.  Matthews,  the 
elder,  who  was  the  first  county  auditor. 
Schuyler  Colfax,  who  was  a  stepson  of  Mr. 
jMatthews,  acted  as  deputy  auditor  during  his 
incumbency.  This  was  the  first  experience  in 
public  life  of  the  man  who  was  afterwards 
three  times  speaker  of  the  national  house  of 
representatives  and  also  vice-president  of  the 
United  States.  Mr.  Matthews  served  as  coun- 
ty auditor  until  his  resignation  August  1, 
1849.  The  board  of  commissioners  selected 
Aaron  B.  Ellsworth  to  fill  the  vacancy,  and 
in  1851  Mr.  Ellsworth  was  elected  by  the 
people,  and  held  the  office  until  1859,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Woolman  J.  Holloway. 
Mr.  Holloway  held  the  office  until  1867,  and 
was  then  succeeded  by  Alfred  Wheeler.  Mr. 
Wheeler  was  succeeded,  in  1875,  by  William 

a.     Acts,  1840,  pp.  10-24. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


183 


D.  Smith,  and  Mr.  Smith  in  1883  by  Aaron 
Jones.  Then  followed  Robert  Myler,  George 
W.  Loughman,  John  M.  Brown,  and  John  W. 
Harbou,  the  present  incumbent,  whose  second 
term  will  begin  January  1,  1908. 

Sec.  4. — The  County  Agent. — The  county 
agent  was  an  officer  having  charge  of  the  real 
estate  and  other  property  of  the  county.  His 
duties  in  the  beginning  seem  to  have  been 
confined  to  affairs  connected  with  the  organi- 
zation of  new  counties,  and  were  provided 
for  in  section  four  of  the  act  to  establish 
seats  of  justice  in  new  counties,  approved 
January  24,  182-4."^  He  was  to  be  appointed 
by  the  board  doing  county  business,  and  was 
the  fiscal  officer  of  the  county. 

William  Brookfield  was  appointed  by  the 
board  of  justices  as  the  first  agent  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  at  a  called  session  of  the  board 
held  for  that  purpose,  ' '  at  the  house  of  Alexis 
Coquillard  in  said  county,  on  Tuesday,  the 
14th  day  of  September,  1830."  The  order  of 
appointment  reads: 

"Ordered  by  the  board  of  justices  of  St. 
Joseph  county  that  William  Brookfield  be  ap- 
pointed agent  of  St.  Joseph  county;  and  he 
is  required  to  give  bond  and  security  in  the 
penal  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars.  Alexis 
Coquillard  and  Lathrop  M.  Taylor  are  ac- 
cepted by  said  board  as  his  securities." 

On  September  7,  1831,  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  appointed  John  Egbert  as  the 
second  county  agent,  in  the  following  order: 

' '  Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that  John 
Egbert  be  appointed  county  agent  of  said 
coimty,  and  he  is  required  to  give  bond  under 
the  penalty  of  six  thousand  dollars.  Jacob 
Egbert  and  William  McCartney  are  approved 
of  by  the  board  as  his  securities." 

At  the  January  term,  1832,  the  board  made 
the  following  allowance:  "Ordered  by  the 
board  aforesaid,  that  John  Egbert  be  allowed 
the  sum  of  six  dollars  for  his  services  for  the 
past  year  as  county  agent."  At  the  Septem- 
ber term,  1832,  he  was  allowed  fifteen  dollars 
additional  for  his  services  to  that  date. 

a.  R.  S.,  1831,  pp.  459-463;  R.  S.,  1838,  pp. 
505-509. 


At  the  September  term,  1832,  the  following 
order  of  appointment  was  made : 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that  An- 
thony Defrees  be  appointed  county  agent  in 
and  for  said  county,  in  the  room  of  John 
Egbert  resigned ;  and  said  Defrees  is  required 
to  give  bond  and  security  in  the  penalty  of 
six  thousand  dollars.  Peter  Johnson,  L.  M. 
Taylor  and  Jacob  Hardman  are  approved  of 
by  the  board  as  his  securities." 

The  most  important  duties  transacted  by 
the  county  agent  of  this  county  were  the  ne- 
gotiations for  the  sale  of  the  town  lots  do- 
nated to  the  county,  in  consideration  of  the 
location  of  the  county  seat,  first  at  Mr.  Brook- 
field's  town  of  St.  Joseph's,  and  afterwards 
at  South  Bend;  and  also  matters  in  relation 
to  the  erection  of  the  county  buildings.  The 
office  was  abolished  and  its  duties  transferred 
to  the  county  auditor,  subject  to  the  orders  of 
the  board  of  county  commissioners,  by  an 
act  approved  May  13,  1852.« 

Sec.  5. — The  Sheriff. — Although  the  con- 
stitution of  1816  provided  for  the  election 
of  both  a  sheriff  and  a  coroner,  yet  neither  of 
these  officers  is  mentioned  in  the  act  of  Janu- 
ary 29,  1830,  for  the  formation  of  St.  Joseph 
county.  None  seems  to  have  been  elected, 
nor  is  there  any  record  of  the  appointment  of 
either  such  officer  by  the  board  of  justices  or 
by  the  board  of  commissioners. 

The  legislature,  however,  by  an  act  ap- 
proved February  9,  1831,^  seems  to  have  rec- 
ognized that  Samuel  L.  Cottrell  was  appointed 
by  the  board  of  justices  as  our  first  sheriff, 
for  the  year  1830.     The  act  is  as  follows: 

"Whereas,  it  is  represented  to  this  general 
assembly,  that  Samuel  L.  Cottrell  acted  as 
sheriff'  to  the  board  of  justices  of  the  county 
of  St.  Joseph,  from  the  month  of  August  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  thirty,  to  the  month  of  Novem- 
ber in  the  same  year,  without  being  legally 
elected  and  commissioned:  and  some  doubts 
having  arisen  as  to  the  legality  of  the  pro- 

a.     Special  and  Local  Acts,  1852,  p.  32. 
1).     Special  Acts,  1830,  pp.  97,  98. 


184 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


ceedings  of  said  board  in  consequence  there- 
of ;    wherefore, 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  general  assembly  of 
the  state  of  Indiana,  that  the  acts  and  pro- 
ceedings of  said  board  of  justices  of  the 
county  of  St.  Joseph,  for  and  during  the 
time  aforesaid,  be  and  the  same  are  hereby 
declared  as  legal  and  valid,  as  if  the  said 
Samuel  L.  Cottrell  had  been  sheriff  of  said 
county,  according  to  law,  at  the  taking  place 
thereof. ' ' 

The  board  of  commissioners  also,  by  an  or- 
der entered  on  the  third  day  of  their  first 
term,  September  7.  1831,  recognized  Mr. 
Cottrell  as  having  acted  as  sheriff  during  the 
first  year  of  our  county  history,  and  made 
him  an  allowance  for  his  services,  as  follows: 
"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
Samuel  L.  Cottrell  be  allowed  the  sum  of 
twenty-two  dollars  for  services  rendered  said 
county  as  sheriff." 

The  sheriffs  succeeding  Samuel  L.  Cottrell 
were :  Benjamin  McCarty,  1831 ;  Scott  West, 
1832;  Daniel  A.  Fullerton,  1832  to  1833; 
Samuel  L.  Cottrell,  1833  to  1838 ;  Charles  M. 
Tutt,  1838  to  1842;  Lott  Day,  sr..  1842  to 
1846;  Lott  Day,  jr.,  1846  to  1850;  Ralph 
Staples,  1850  to  1852;  Benjamin  F.  Miller, 
1852  to  1856;  Evan  C.  Johnson.  1856  to  1360; 
Nelson  Ferris,  1860  to  1864:  Solomon  W. 
Palmer,  1864  to  1868 ;  George  V.  Glover,  1868 
to  1872 ;  Joseph  Turnock,  1872  to  1876 ;  Rob- 
ert Hardy,  1876  to  1878:  James  Dougherty, 
1878  to  1880 ;  Zachariah  M.  Johnson,  1880  to 
1884 ;  George  Rockstroh,  1884  to  1886 ;  John 
Finch,  1886  to  1890 ;  Andrew  J.  Ward,  1890 
to  1894;  James  C.  Eberhart.  1894  to  1898; 
Charles  E.  McCarty.  1898  to  1903;  Schuyler 
C.  Robinson,  1903  to  1905 ;  David  J.  Schafer, 
1905  to  — . 

Sec.  6. — The  Coroner. — The  office  of  cor- 
oner, closely  related  to  that  of  sheriff,  was 
held  by  Samuel  L.  Cottrell  beginning  in 
1834 ;  Edmund  Pitts  Taylor,  1835 ;  Daniel  D. 
Custard,  1838;  Jacob  Hardman,  1840;  Leon- 
ard B.  Rush,  1841;  Israel  De  Camp,  1843; 
Truman  Fox,  1845:  Richmond  Tuttle,  1847; 


Allen  Bassett,  1852;  Aaron  A.  Webster, 
1854;  Andrew  H.  Long,  1856;  Daniel  Day- 
ton, 1874;  Israel  Underwood,  1876;  John  C. 
Miller,  1878;  Alexander  Rixa,  1880;  Corne- 
lius H.  Myers,  1881;  Hugh  T.  Montgomery, 
1884;  Erastus  M.  Drollinger,  1890;  James  A. 
Varier,  1892;  Richard  B.  Dugdale,  1894; 
Callie  A.  Rennoe,  1900;  Henry  C.  Holtzen- 
dorff,  1904 ;  Stanley  A.  Clark,  1906. 

Sec.  7.— The  Treasurer.— The  office  of 
county  treasurer  wa.s  at  first  an  appointive 
one.  By  an  act  approved  January  8,  1831,« 
it  was  made  the  duty  of  the  boards  doing 
county  business,  "at  their  first  meeting  after 
the  first  day  of  February  annually,  to  ap- 
point some  respectable  elector  as  county  treas- 
urer." This  officer  was  required  to  give  bond 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  board,  and  to  per- 
form duties  similar  to  those  now  required. 
His  compensation  was  fixed  at  "one  and  a 
half  per  centum,  for  all  moneys  received,  and 
one  and  a  half  per  centum,  for  all  moneys 
paid  out  for  the  county;  excepting,  how- 
ever, moneys  arising  from  the  sale  of  lots  at 
county  seats,  in  which  case  he  shall  receive 
no  more  than  two  per  centum  for  both  re- 
ceiving and  paying  out." 

As  we  have  already  seen,  John  D.  Lasly 
was  appointed  by  the  board  of  justices  as 
first  treasurer  of  the  county  for  the  year 
1830.  This  was  the  first  order  made  by  our 
first  county  board.'^ 

Aaron  Miller  was  appointed  second  treas- 
urer of  the  county,  by  an  order  of  the  board 
of  county  commissioners,  made  September 
7,  1831,  as  follows: 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
Aaron  Miller  be  appointed  county  treasurer 
of  said  county,  from  this  time  until  the  first 
of  March  next,  and  until  his  successor  be 
appointed  and  qualified ;  and  that  said  Aaron 
Miller  is  required  to  give  bond  with  good  se- 
curity in  the  penal  sum  of  two  thousand 
dollars.     William  IMcCartney  and  Benjamin 

0.  Revised  Statutes,  1831,  p.  136;  R.  S.,  1838, 
p.  158. 

&.     See  Chap.  5  of  this  work,  Subd.  4. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


185 


McCarty  are  approved  by  the  board  as  se- 
curity." John  T.  McLelland  was  appointed 
treasurer  in  1834. 

By  an  act  approved  February  12,  1841," 
the  office  was  made  elective  by  the  people, 
and  the  term  tixed  at  three  years.  The  con- 
stitution of  1851  made  the  office  a  constitu- 
tional one,  but  shortened  the  term  to  two 
years,-  also,  as  in  case  of  other  county 
officers,  limiting  the  incumbent  to  two  suc- 
cessive terms.  ^ 

From  the  time  when  the  office  was  made 
elective  the  county  treasurers  have  been  as 
follows:  Albert  Monson,  1841;  John  K. 
Wright,  1850;  Robert  B.  Nicar,  1851;  Solo- 
mon Miller,  1856;  John  H.  Harper,  1860; 
Ezekiel  Greene,  1864;  Hiram  Miller,  1868; 
David  B.  Creviston,  1872;  C.  Henry 
Sheerer,  1876;  John  Hay,  1878;  Frederick 
Lang,  1880 ;  Emanuel  R.  Wills,  1884 ;  George 
H.  Stover,  1888 ;  Simon  Yenn,  1892 ;  William 
H.  Oren,  1894 ;  John  W.  Zigler,  1898 ;  Adam 
Hunsberger,  1903;  William  C.  Stover,  1907. 

The  bonds  given  by  the  county  treasurer 
from  time  to  time  may  be  some  indication  of 
the  constant  growth  of  the  county  since  its 
organization.  As  we  have  seen,  the  first 
treasurer,   John   D.   Lasly,  was  required,  in 

1830,  to  give  a  bond  in  the  sum  of  one  thous- 
and dollars ;  and  the  second,  Aaron  Miller,  in 

1831,  in  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars. 
John  K.  Wright,  in  1850,  gave  a  bond  of 
forty -three  thousand  dollars;  Robert  B. 
Nicar,  in  1851,  a  bond  of  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars; Solomon  Miller,  in  1856,  eighty  thous- 
and dollars :  and  the  same  treasurer,  in  1858, 
one  hundred  thousand;  John  H.  Harper,  in 
1860,  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand; 
Hiram  Miller,  in  1870,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand;  Simon  Yenn,  in  1892,  three  hun- 
dred thousand;  William  H.  Oren,  in  1894, 
four  hundred  thousand;  and  Adam  Huns- 
berger, in  1903,  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
thoiisand.  William  C.  Stover,  the  present 
county  treasurer,  who  is  also  ex-offieio  city 

a.  Acts,  1840,  p.  27. 

b.  Constitution,  1851,  Sec.  2,  Art.  6. 


treasurer  of  South  Bend,  has  given  a  bond 
of  nine  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

Sec.  8. — The  Surveyor. — County  survey- 
ors, as  appears  from  an  act  approved  Feb- 
ruary 4,  1831,*  were  originally  "appointed 
in  each  and  every  county,  by  the  boards  do- 
ing county  business  in  the  respective  coun- 
ties." Afterwards,  by  an  act  approved  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1833,^  the  power  of  appointment  to 
this  office  was  placed  in  the  circuit  court, 
and  the  duration  of  the  office  was  fixed  at 
three  years.  The  right  of  appointment  was 
still  later  placed  again  in  the  county  board, 
but  the  term  remained  three  years.'' 

While  it  does  not  appear  from  any  order 
of  record  made  by  the  board  of  justices  that 
any  surveyor  was  appointed  by  that  board, 
yet  it  is  quite  evident  that  William  Brook- 
field  acted  in  that  capacity  during  the  years 
1830  and  1831.  He  was  a  deputy  United 
States  surveyor,  and  made  the  first  land  sur- 
veys of  the  county.  He  platted  his  o\^ti 
town  of  St.  Joseph's,  the  first  county  seat; 
and  also  platted  for  Coquillard  and  Taylor 
the  toA\Ti  of  South  Bend,  the  permanent 
county  seat. 

To  the  plat  of  South  Bend  there  is  ap- 
pended the  following  certificate : 

"The  scale  by  which  this  town  is  laid  off 
is  ten  rods  to  the  inch. 

"Wm.  Brookfield, 

' '  Surveyor. 

"March  28,   1831." 

William  Clark  was  appointed  the  second 
county  surveyor  by  an  order  of  the  board 
of  county  commLssioners,  made  November  1, 
1831,  as  follows: 

' '  Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that  Wil- 
liam Clark  be  appointed  county  surveyor  in 
and  for  said  county." 

On  the  same  day  the  following  order  was 
likewise   entered:      "Ordered   by   the   board 

a.  Indiana  R.  S.,  1831,  pp.  516-518;  R.  S.,  1838, 
pp.  576-578. 

b.  Acts,  1832,  pp.  106-108;  R.  S.,  1838,  pp.  578- 
580. 

c.  See  R.  S.,  1843,  p.  103. 


186 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


aforesaid,  that  William  Clark,  the  county 
surveyor,  be  requested  to  procure  certified 
copies  from  the  registers  of  the  diiferent 
land  offices  wherein  the  lands  lying  in  said 
county  have  been  sold,  the  field  notes  of  the 
townships,  ranges,  sections,  fractional  sec- 
tions and  quarter  sections,  as  originally  sur- 
veyed; and  deposit  the  same  in  the  recorder's 
office  of  said  county,  according  to  law. ' ' 

Tyra  W.  Bray  was  appointed  surveyor  by 
the  board  of  commissioners  at  the  September 
term,  1832.  He  held  the  office  until  1836, 
when  Thomas  P.  Bulla  succeeded  to  the  of- 
fice ;  and  thereafter  continued  to  hold  it  until 
1856,  serving  the  last  four  years  by  election 
under  the  new  constitution. 

In  1851  the  office  became  a  constitutional 
one,  and  elective  by  the  people  of  the  count^^ 
The  term  was  fixed  at  two  years,  but  there 
was  no  limitation  as  to  the  number  of  terms 
which  an  incumbent  might  fill.* 

Milton  W.  Stokes  succeeded  Thomas  B. 
Bulla  in  1856,  and  held  the  office  until  March 
12,  1864,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Wil- 
liam D.  Bulla,  who  held  until  December  5, 
1865.  William  J\I.  Whitten  became  surveyor 
in  December,  1865,  and  held  the  office  until 
1868,  when  Milton  V.  Bulla  was  elected:  he 
continued  in  office  until  1872.  In  1872,  Mr. 
Whitten  was  again  elected.  In  1874,  Arthur 
Joseph  Stace  became  county  surveyor  and 
held  the  office  until  1880 ;  when  ]\Ir.  Wliitten 
was  again  elected.  j\Ir.  Whitten  held  the 
office  from  1880  until  1888 ;  when  Benjamin 
F.  Waldorf  was  elected,  continuing  in  office 
until  1892.  In  1892  William  E.  Graves  was 
elected;  and  in  1894,  George  H.  Leslie. 
Frederick  W.  Keller  succeeded  to  the  office 
in  1899  :  and  Titus  E.  Kinzie,  the  present  in- 
cumbent, became  surveyor  in  1905. 

Sec.  9. — The  County  Board.^ — The  first 
county  board,  called  the  board  of  justices, 
and  consisting  of  Lambert  MeCombs,  Adam 
Smith  and  Levi  T.  Arnold,  served  but  a  part 
of  the  year  1830.     Elected  in  August  of  that 

a.  Sec.  2.  Art.  6,  Constitution  of  1851;  1  R.  S., 
1852,  p.  469;    1  Gavin  and  Hord,  p.  595. 


year,  their  official  action  seems  to  have  come 
to  an  end  with  their  fourth  session,  in  No- 
vember, 1830. 

The  first  board  of  commissioners,  elected 
in  August  1831,  consisted  of  Aaron  Stanton, 
elected  for  three  years;  David  Miller,  for 
two  years;  and  Joseph  Rohrer,  for  one  year. 
Thereafter,  the  requirement  of  the  act  or- 
ganizing the  board  was,  that  each  year  one 
commissioner  should  be  elected  for  three 
years,  from  the  district  represented  by  the 
commissioner  whose  term  should  expire  at 
the  end  of  the  current  year.  The  term  of 
each  commissioner  was  fixed  at  three  years; 
and  in  case  of  a  vacancy  the  commissioner 
elected  should  serve  only  until  the  end  of  the 
term,  the  design  being  that  one  commissioner 
should  go  out  and  one  come  in  each  year. 

At  the   election   held  on   the  first  day  of 
Augaist,  1832,  John  Ireland,  of  the  first  dis- 
trict,   was    elected    commissioner    for    three 
yeara,  to  succeed  Joseph  Rohrer,  whose  term 
expired   that   year.      At   the    same   election, 
John  Martindale,  of  the  second  district,  was 
elected  commissioner  for  one  year  "to  fill  a 
vacancy    occasioned    by    the    resignation    of 
David  Miller."     And   at  the  same   election 
Benjamin    Hardman,  of    the    third    district, 
was  elected  commissioner  for  two  years,   to 
fill  the  vacancy  apparently  occasioned  by  the 
departure  of  Aaron  Stanton  from  the  county. 
Afterwards    commissioners   were    elected    for 
full   terms   or   to   fill  vacancies,   as   follows: 
In  1833,  Lott  Day  and  Rejoiolds  Dunn;  in 
1835.   Orlando   ]\I.   Hurd;   in   1836.  William 
H.  Patteson;    in  1837,  George  Holloway  and 
Alonzo    Delano;    in  1840,    Thomas    D.    Vail; 
in  1841,    Oilman  Towle ;    in  1842,    ^Matthew 
B.  Hammond;  in  1843,  Thomas  D.  Vail;  in 
1844,    Oilman    Towle:    in    1845,    i\Iatthew   B. 
Hammond;    in    1846,    Ranson    Hubbard;    in 
1847.    Oilman    Towle;    in    1848,    Samuel   M. 
Chord:   in   1849,   John   Drulinger;   in   1850, 
Oilman   Towle;   in   1851,   Edwin  Pickett;   in 
1852,     John     Drulinger;     in     1853,     Oilman 
Towle;   in   1854,    John    Hammond;   in   1855, 
John  Drulinger;  in  1856,  Oilman  Towle;  in 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


187 


1857,  John  Hammond;  in  1858,  James  C. 
Williams ;  in  1859,  William  F.  Bulla ;  in  1860, 
Francis  R.  Tutt;  in  1861,  James  C.  Wil- 
liams; in  1862,  Oilman  Towle;  in  1863, 
Clement  Studebaker ;  in  1864,  Nathaniel 
Frame ;  in  1865,  Oilman  Towle ;  in  1866,  John 
C.  Knoblock;  in  1867,  Nathaniel  Frame;  in 
1868,  Oilman  Towle.  (There  was  no  elec- 
tion in  1869,  for  the  reason  that  the  legisla- 
ture had  provided  for  biennial  elections, 
instead  of  annual  elections,  as  formerly.  Had 
there  been  an  election  in  1869,  commissioner 
John  C.  ,Knoblock's  successor  would  then 
have  been  chosen;  as  it  was,  Mr.  Knoblock 
held  over  until  the  election  of  Dwight  Dem- 
ing,  his  successor,  in  1870.  Mr.  Deming, 
through  a  misundertsanding,  held  his  office 
for  three  years,  instead  of  holding  for  two 
years  only,  and  so  filling  out  the  term  for 
which  Mr.  Knoblock  had  held  one  year. 
Many  errors  of  this  kind  occurred  at  this 
time  in  different  counties.  To  correct  these 
mistakes,  and  restore  the  terms  to  the  reg-ular 
length  of  three  years,  one  commissioner  com- 
ing in  each  year,  as  intended  by  the  original 
act  of  January  19,  1831,  organizing  the 
board  of  county  commissioners;*  the  legisla- 
ture passed  a  remedial  act,  approved  March 
7,  1885.^  In  accordance  with  the  provisions 
of  this  act  of  1885,  the  term  of  commissioner 
Jacob  Eaton  was  afterwards  extended  from 
1885  to  1890,  and  thus  the  error  which  had 
existed  from  1872  to  1890  in  the  terms  of  the 
commissioners  of  the  second  district  was  cor- 
rected. Since  1890,  the  terms  are  each  three 
years,  and  one  commissioner  succeeds  to  the 
office  each  year,  according  to  the  original 
plan  of  the  act  of  1831.^  In  1870,  Dwight 
Deming  became  county  commissioner;  in 
1871,  Albert  Cass;  in  1873.  Dwight  Deming; 
in  1874,  John  Ernsperger;  in  1876,  Dwight 
Deming  and  William   D.   Rockhill;   in   1877, 

a.     R.  S.,  1831,  p.  129. 

ft.     Acts,   1885,   pp.    69,   70. 

r.  See  Commissioners'  Record,  No.  11,  for  the 
opinion  of  the  county  attornery,  according  to 
which  the  error  in  commissioners'  terms  was  cor- 
rected. 


John  Ernsperger;  in  1879,  Dwight  Deming 
and  William  D.  Rockhill;  in  1880,  Newton 
Jackson  and  Charles  O.  Towle ;  in  1882,  Isaac 
Early  and  Samuel  Bowman ;  in  1883,  Charles 
O.  Towle;  in  1885,  Jacob  Eaton  and  Dixon 
W.  Place;  in  1886,  Charles  O.  Towle;  in 
1888,  Dixon  W.  Place;  in  1889,  James 
Dougherty;  in  1890,  Jacob  Eaton;  in  1891, 
John  Olinger;  in  1892,  James  Dougherty;  in 
1893,  John  N.  Lederer;  in  1894,  Peter  H. 
Reaves;  in  1895,  John  D.  Fulmer;  in  1896, 
Samuel  Bowman;  in  1897,  Peter  H.  Reaves; 
in  1898,  John  D.  Fulmer;  in  1899,  Samuel 
Bowman;  in  1900,  Isaac  Newton  ]\Iiller;  in 
1901,  Marion  B.  Russ.  (In  1901,  the  legis- 
lature, by  an  act  in  force  March  11,  1901," 
provided  that  the  terms  of  county  officers, 
including  those  of  county  commissioners 
should  "begin  on  the  first  day  of  January 
next  following  the  term  of  office  of  the  present 
incumbent.")  In  1903,  Herman  A.  Fohulka 
succeeded  to  the  office  of  county  commis- 
sioner; in  1904,  Isaac  Newton  Miller;  in 
1905,  Marion  B.  Russ;  in  1906.  Barney  C. 
Smith ;  and  in  1907,  Daniel  A.  White. 

II.     THE   CIRCUIT    COURT. 

Sec.  1. — The  President  and  Associate 
Judges. — By  article  fifth  of  the  constitution 
of  1816,  it  was  provided  that,  "The  judiciary 
power  of  this  state,  both  as  to  matters  of 
law  and  equity,  shall  be  vested  in  one  su- 
preme court,  in  circuit  courts,  and  in  such 
other  inferior  courts  as  the  general  assembly 
may  from  time  to  time  direct  and  estab- 
lish." 

The  same  article  of  the  constitution 
further  provided.  That  the  circuit  courts 
should  each  "consist  of  a  president,  and  two 
associate  judges";  that  the  state  should  be 
divided  into  three  circuits,  for  each  of  which 
a  president  should  be  appointed,  who  should 
reside  within  his  circuit ;  that  the  legislature 
might  increase  the  number  of  circuits  and 
presidents  as  the  exigencies  of  the  state  might 
from  time  to  time  require ;   that  all  judges 

a.     Acts,  1901,  p.  411. 


188 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


should  "hold  their  offices  during  the  term  of 
seven  years,  if  they  shall  so  long-  behave  well, 
and  shall,  at  stated  times,  receive  for  their 
services,  a  compensation  which  shall  not  be 
diminished  during  their  continuance  in  of- 
fice;" and  that,  "The  presidents  of  the  cir- 
cuit courts  shall  be  appointed  by  joint  ballot 
of  both  branches  of  the  general  assembly; 
and  the  associate  judges  of  the  circuit  courts 
shall  be  elected  by  the  qualified  electors  in 
the  respective  counties."  There  was  this 
further  provision,  that  "The  president 
alone,  in  the  absence  of  the  associate  judges, 
or  the  president  and  one  of  the  associate 
judges,  in  the  absence  of  the  other,  shall  be 
competent  to  hold  a  court,  as  also  the  two 
associate  judges,  in  the  absence  of  the  presi- 
dent shall  be  competent  to  hold  a  court,  ex- 
cept in  capital  cases,  and  cases  in  chan- 
cery. ' ' 

In  the  act  approved  January  24,  1831,^ 
the  legislature  provided  that  the  president 
should  receive  a  salary  of  seven  hundred  dol- 
lars a  year,  to  be  paid  out  of  the  state 
treasury;  and  that  the  associate  judges  should 
receive  two  dollars  per  day,  while  attending 
court,  to  be  paid  out  of  the  county  treasury. 
By  an  act  approved  February  15,  1838,^  it 
was  provided  that,  in  the  absence  of  any 
presiding  judge  of  a  circuit,  any  other  pre- 
siding judge  of  the  state  might  hold  court  in 
such  circuit.  This  was,  in  effect,  a  provision 
for  a  change  of  venue  from  a  judge,  and  was 
so  intended  by  the  legislature  as  shown  by 
the  preamble  to  the  act.  Express  provision 
was  afterwards  made  for  changes  of  venue 
in  case  the  presiding  judge  should  be  disqual- 
ified for  any  cause.  In  such  case  the  special 
judge  was  allowed  three  dollars  a  day  for  his 
services.'' 

Sec.  2. — The  Circuits  Under  the  Consti- 
tution OF  1816. — ^By  an  act  approved  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1831, <^  the  state  was  divided  into 

a.  R.  S.,  1831,  pp.  138-142;  R.  S.,  1838,  pp.  161- 
164. 

b.  R.  S.,  1838,  p.  164. 

c.  R.  S.,  1843,  pp.  646-651. 
(I.      R.  S.,  1831,  pp.  142-146. 


seven  circuits;  the  first  consisting  of  the 
counties  of  Vermilion,  Parke,  Montgomery, 
Fountain,  Warren,  Tippecanoe,  Clinton,  Car- 
roll, Cass  and  St.  Joseph.  In  St.  Joseph 
county  provision  was  made  for  two  terms  of 
court,  beginning  on  the  first  Mondays  of 
May  and  November,  each  year.  By  the 
same  act,  the  terms  in  Cass  county  were  made 
to  begin  on  the  fourth  ]\Iondays  in  April  and 
October;  and,  in  order  to  enable  the  judge  to 
come  immediately  from  Cass  to  St.  Joseph, 
the  legislature,  by  an  act  approved  February 
3,  1832,«  pro\dded  that  the  terms  in  St.  Jo- 
seph county  should  begin  on  the  Mondays 
following  the  terms  in  Cass  county,  which 
provision  in  some  cases  made  a  week's  dif- 
ference in  the  dates  of  the  beginning  of  the 
terms  in  St.  Joseph  county. 

By  an  act  approved  January  7,  1833,^^  the 
eighth  judicial  circuit  was  organized,  con- 
si.sting  of  the  counties  of  Carroll,  Cass, 
Miami,  Wabash,  Huntington,  Allen,  La- 
gi-ange,  Elkhart,  St.  Joseph  and  Laporte. 
Each  of  these  counties  was  given  one  week's 
court,  except  Allen  and  Elkhart  which  were 
given  two  weeks  each.  The  terms  in  Cass 
county  began,  as  formerly,  on  the  fourth 
Mondays  of  April  and  October;  those  in  Al- 
len, on  the  Mondays  succeeding  the  terms 
in  Cass:  those  in  Lagrange  in  like  mariner, 
succeeding  the  terms  in  Allen ;  those  in  Elk- 
hart, succeeding  the  terms  in  Lagi^ange;  and 
those  in  St.  Joseph  succeeding  the  terms  in 
Elkhart.  This  arrangement  usually  brought 
the  terms  of  St.  Joseph  county  in  June  and 
December.  By  a  re-arrangement  of  terms  in 
the  eighth  circuit,  in  an  act  approved  Janu- 
ary 28,  1834,*'  the  terms  of  the  St.  Joseph 
circuit  court  were  transferred  to  the  first  or 
second  weeks  of  April  and  October.  By  an 
act  approved  January  30,  1835,*^  the  terms 
in  St.  Joseph  county  were  again  changed  to 
the  first  weeks  of  April  and  November.     By 

a.  Acts.  1831,  pp.  242-244. 

6.  Acts,  1832,  pp.  4,  5. 

c.  Acts,  1833,  p.  70. 

a.  Acts,  1834,  pp.  57,  58. 


HISTORY  OF  ST.  JOSEPH  COUNTY . 


189 


an  act  approved  February  4,  1836,'^  definite 
days  were  named  for  the  several  counties  for 
the  year  1836,  the  terms  for  St.  Joseph  being- 
Monday,  the  eighteenth  of  April  and  Mon- 
day, the  third  of  October,  of  that  year. 

By  an  act  approved  December  9,  1836,^^ 
the  ninth  judicial  circuit  was  formed,  con- 
sisting of  the  counties  of  Elkhart,  St.  Jo- 
seph, Porter,  Lake,  Newton,  Starke,  Pulaski, 
Marshall,  Fulton  and  Kosciusko.  The  length 
of  the  term  in  St.  Joseph  county  remained 
one  week;  the  terms  to  begin  on  the  first 
Mondays  of  April  and  October.  The  district 
and  terms  of  St.  Joseph  county  remained  un- 
changed in  the  act  dividing  the  state  into 
eleven  districts,  approved  January  28,  1839,^ 
except  that  the  terms  were  made  two  weeks 
each.  By  an  act  approved  January  20,  1841,*^ 
it  was  provided  that  the  terms  in  St.  Joseph 
county  should  begin  on  the  fourth  Mondays 
of  March  and  September. 

In  the  revised  statutes  of  1843  the  various 
laws  in  relation  to  the  twelve  circuit  courts 
of  the  state  were  codified.^ 

By  article  seventh  of  the  constitution  of 
1851,  our  .judiciary  system  was  completely 
changed.  The  associate  judges  were  discon- 
tinued, and  provision  was  made  for  the  elec- 
tion for  six  years  of  one  judge  for  each  cir- 
cuit. By  an  act  approved  June  17,  1852,^ 
the  state  was  divided  into  ten  circuits,  St. 
Joseph  county  continued  to  be  in  the  ninth 
circuit;  which  now  consisted  of  the  counties 
of  Lake,  Laporte,  Porter,  St.  Joseph,  Mar- 
shall, Starke,  Fulton,  White,  Cass,  Pulaski, 
Howard,  Carroll  and  Miami.  By  an  act  ap- 
proved June  18,  1852,s'  the  length  of  each 
term  in  St.  Joseph  county  remained  two 
weeks;  and  the  terms  were  fixed  for  April 
and  October,  each  year,  succeeding  the  terms 
in   Marshall   county.      By    an   act   approved 

a.  Acts,  1835,  pp.  40-42. 

6.  Acts,  1836,  pp.  61,  62. 

c.  Acts,   1838,  pp.  8-12. 

d.  Acts,   1840,   pp.  103-106. 

e.  R.  S.,  1843,  pp.   646-651. 

f.  Special  and  Local  Acts,  1851-2,  p.  101. 

g.  Special  and  Local  Acts,  1851-2,  pp.  102-105. 


January  21,  1853,"  the  eleventh  circuit  was 
created,  and  the  counties  of  White,  Cass, 
Howard,  Carroll  and  Miami  were  transferred 
from  the  ninth  to  the  eleventh  circuit;  while 
Jasper  county  was  for  a  time  added  to  the 
ninth  circuit.  By  an  act  approved  February 
3,  1853,^  the  terms  in  St.  Joseph  county 
continued  to  be  in  April  and  October,  but 
following  the  terms  in  Laporte ;  with  a  pro- 
viso that  the  first  term  of  St.  Joseph  county 
in  that  year  should  begin  on  the  twenty- 
eighth  day  of  February.  By  an  act  approved 
March  1,  1855,^  a  like  arrangement  was  con- 
tinued, except  that  each  term  was  one  week 
earlier.  By  an  act  approved  February  15, 
1859,'^  the  terms  in  St.  Joseph  county  were 
advanced  still  another  week,  following  Porter 
instead  of  Laporte. 

Sec.  3. — -The  Circuits  Under  the  Consti- 
tution OP  1851. — By  an  act  approved  March 
6,  1873,^  the  legislature  re-organized  the  ju- 
dicial circuits  of  the  state,  increasing  the 
number  to  thirty-eight.  In  this  act  it  was 
provided  that  "The  counties  of  Laporte  and 
St.  Joseph  shall  constitute  the  thirty-second 
circuit."  The  terms  in  Laporte  county  were 
made  five  weeks  each,  beginning  on  the  firet 
Monday  in  February,  the  fourth  Monday  in 
April,  the  first  Monday  in  September,  and 
the  third  Monday  in  November,  each  year. 
The  terms  in  St.  Joseph  county  were  made 
four  weeks  each,  beginning  on  the  Mondays 
following  the  Laporte  terms.  The  arrange- 
ment so  made  continued  for  twenty-four 
years ;  when,  by  an  act  approved  January 
30,  1897,^  the  legislature  finally  created  a 
separate  district,  with  unlimited  terms,  for 
St.  Joseph  county.  Section  second  of  that 
act  reads  as  follows : 

"The  county  of  St.  Joseph  shall  constitute 
the  sixtieth  judicial  eircuit,  and  the  terms 
thereof  shall  be  held  as  follows,  to-wit :   Com- 

a.  Acts,  1853,  p.  32. 

h.  Acts,  1853,  p.  35. 

c  Acts,  1855,  p.  66. 

d.  Acts,  1859,  p.  70. 

e  Acts,  1873,  pp.  87-98. 

/=.  Acts,  1897,   pp.  13,  14. 


190 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


mencing  on  the  second  Monday  of  September 
and  first  Monday  of  November,  February  and 
May  of  each  year,  and  shall  continue  in  ses- 
sion so  long  as  the  business  thereof  shall  re- 
quire. ' ' 

It  was  found  that  the  November  term,  as 
so  fixed,  came  too  near  the  September  term; 
hence,  by  an  act  approved  February  28, 
1901,*  this  section  was  so  amended  that  the 
November  term  should  begin  on  the  third 
]\Ionday  of  November  instead  of  upon  the 
first  Monday.  No  further  ehange  has  been 
made,  and  St.  Joseph  county  continues  to  be 
a  circuit  by  itself,  with  four  terms  of  court 
each  year.  The  ternxs  are  practically  con- 
tinuous during  the  year,  beginning  on  the 
second  Monday  of  September,  and  each  term 
ending  just  before  the  beginning  of  the  next 
term,  until  July  in  each  year,  when  a  sum- 
mer vacation   is  taken. 

Sec.  4." — The  First  Session  of  the  Court. 
— The  first  session  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit 
court,  of  which  we  have  any  record,  was  held 
at  a  term  beginning  on  Monday,  November 
29,  1832,  the  day  fixed  by  the  act  of  the 
legislature  approved  February  3,  1832.^ 
According  to  the  provisions  of  this  act,  taken 
in  connection  with  those  of  the  act  of  Febru- 
ary 10,  1831,^  it  would  seem  that  terms  of 
court  should  have  been  held  in  May  and  Oc- 
tober, in  the  year  1831.  and  also  in  May, 
1832.  There  was  dissatisfaction,  as  well  as 
some  sharp  criticism,  for  what  was  looked 
upon  as  neglect  of  official  duty  in  relation  to 
this  matter.  The  county  records  show  that 
juries  were  drawn  by  the  board  of  commis- 
sioners for  a  term  that  should  have  been  held 
in  November,  1831;  as  also  by  the  board  of 
justices  for  a  term  that  should  have  been  held 
in  November  1830.  But  the  records  do  not 
show  that  any  court  was  held  at  either  of 
these  times.*^ 

While,  as  stated,  the  records  do  not  show 

a.      Acts,  1901,  pp.  38,  39. 
h.     Acts,    1831,   pp.    242-244. 
c.      R.  S.,  1831,  pp.  142-146. 

'/.      See  "Early  County  Records,"  Chap.  5,  Subd. 
6,  of  this  work. 


that  the  jurors  selected  for  1830  or  1831  were 
ever  called  to  serve  in  court,  or  indeed  that 
there  was  any  term  of  court  held  in  either  of 
these  years,  yet  there  are  traditions  that  such 
sessions  of  court  were  actually  held.  Mr. 
Timothy  G.  Turner,  w^ho,  in  1867,  published 
a  ' '  Gazetteer  of  the  St.  Joseph  Valley, ' '  tells 
us  of  enquiries  concerning  this  matter  made 
by  him  among  the  older  residents  of  the 
county,  then  living;  and  in  that  publication, 
he  makes  a  statement  of  what  he  learned  as 
to  the  November  term,  1830,  of  the  St.  Joseph 
circuit  court  :* 

"It  is,  however,  a  matter  of  doubt,"  he 
there  says,  "whether  this  court  was  ever 
held.  Mr.  Samuel  L.  Cottrell,  now  living  at 
South  Bend  and  who  was  then  sherifl',  has  an 
indistinct  recollection  that  it  was.  He  thinks 
at  least  one  of  the  county  judges  was  present, 
that  court  was  duly  opened  in  the  woods  near 
the  bank  of  the  river,  below  Water  street, 
and  inunediately  adjourned.  Other  persons 
remember  to  have  been  present  at  some  time, 
about  that  date,  when  a  court  was  held  by 
county  judges;  but  the  first  court  of  which 
there  is  any  record,  and  at  which  there  was 
a  presiding  judge,  was  held  at  South  Bend, 
on  the  29th  day  of  October,  1832,  by  the 
Hon.  John  K.  Porter,  presiding  judge  of  the 
first  judicial  circuit,  to  which  the  county  was 
then  attached.  It  lasted  but  for  one  day, 
and  was  held  in  the  bar  room  of  Calvin 
Lilly's  hotel,  then  standing  on  Michigan 
street,  [on  the  west  side  of  the  street,  be- 
tween Jefferson  and  the  first  alley  north.] 
The  old  building  is  now  in  existence,  and 
Ls  used  by  Studeba.ker  Brothers,  on  Jeffer- 
son street  as  a  ware  room." 

The  proceedings  of  that  first  and  only  day 
of  the  October  term,  1832,  of  the  St.  Joseph 
circuit  court,  as  set  out  in  order  book  number 
one,  are  as  follows : 

"Be  it  remembered,  that  on  the  29th  day 
of  October,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  A.  D. 
1832,  a  term  of  the  circuit  court  for  St.  Jo- 
seph county,  state  of  Indiana,  was  begun  and 

a.     Gazetteer  of  the  St.  Joseph  Valley,  p.  44. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


191 


held  at  the  house  selected  by  the  county  com- 
missioners in  the  to"\\Ti  of  South  Bend. 
Present  John  R.  Porter,  president  judge  of 
the  first  judicial  circuit  of  the  state  of  In- 
diana, also  William  INIeCartney,  Senr.,  and 
John  Banker,  Esqr^.,  associate  judges  of  the 
St.  Joseph  circuit  court;*  also  Andrew  In- 
gram, prosecuting  attorney  of  the  first  ju- 
dicial circuit  of  the  state  of  Indiana;  also 
Daniel  A.  Fullerton,  sheriff  of  said  county, 
and  Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  clerk  of  said  county 
of  St.  Joseph.  And  the  court  was  opened 
in  due  form  of  law.  Now  comes  Daniel  A. 
Fullerton,  sheriff,  and  returns  the  venires 
which  were  heretofore  issued.  The  following 
grand  jurors  appeared  and  answered  to  their 
names,  viz. :  Lowdy  Stevenson,  Eli  Roe, 
Pleasant  Harris,  Nathan  Greene,  Robert  Red- 
ding, Peter  Johnson,  George  Wilkenson,  An- 
thony Defrees,  John  Smith,  sen.,  Stanton 
Porter,  John  Massey,  William  P.  Howe, 
Frederic  Beuter,  William  Runion,  Peter 
Rupel,  Jacob  Harris,  George  Holloway  and 
Jacob  Bowman.  Whereupon  the  court  ap- 
pointed George  Holloway  foreman ;  and  the 
said  grand  jurors  were  severally  sworn,  and 
retired  to  deliberate.  And  Calvin  Lilly  was 
sworn  as  bailiff  for  said  grand  jury. 

"On  motion  of  E.  Egbert,  Esqr.,  J.  A.  Lis- 
ten, E.  Egbert,  A.  Ingram,  Thomas  B. 
Brown,  William  M.  Jenners  and  C.  K.  Green 
were  admitted  to  practice  as  attorneys  and 
eounsellers  at  law  at  the  bar  of  this  court. 

a.  Chapel  W.  Brown  was  one  of  the  associate 
judges,  elected  at  the  first  county  election,  in 
August,  1830.  He,  together  with  Judge  Banker, 
held  the  first  term  of  our  probate  court,  in  Jan- 
uary, 1832.  as  authorized  by  the  act  of  February 
10,  1831,  organizing  the  probate  court.  He  was 
succeeded  by  William  McCartney.  See  Subd.  3, 
Sec.  1,  of  this  chapter,  "The  Probate  Court."  It 
does  not  appear  that  Judge  Brown  ever  sat  in  the 
circuit  court.  In  Subd.  3,  of  this  chapter,  it  is 
shown  that  while  Judge  Brown  was  elected  in 
August,  1830,  he  did  not  qualify  till  the  day  he 
held  probate  court,  January,  1832.  It  would  seem 
that  in  this  interval  William  Brookfield  was  asso- 
ciate judge,  by  appointment,  perhaps.  He  took 
the  acknowledgment  of  the  plat  of  South  Bend 
as  associate  judge,  Mai-ch  28,  1831.  See  Chap.  11, 
Subd.  1,  Sec.  3;  also  Subd.  3.  of  this  chapter, 
Sec.  1. 


"Matthias  Redding  "j 

vs.  V  Petition  for  Divorce. 

Hannah   Redding      ) 

"And  now,  at  this  day,  comes  the  complain- 
ant, by  E.  Egbert,  his  attorney,  and  it  ap- 
pearing to  the  court,  upon  affidavit  filed,  that 
the  defendant  in  this  ease  is  a  non-resident 
of  the  state  of  Indiana,  it  is  thereupon 
ordered  by  the  court  that  the  pendency  of 
this  suit  be  published  for  three  weeks  suc- 
cessively, sixty  days  prior  to  the  next  term 
of  this  court,  in  the  St.  Joseph  Beacon,  a 
paper  published  in  the  town  of  South  Bend, 
notifying  the  defendant  to  appear  at  the 
next  term  of  this  court,  to  answer  said  peti- 
tion ;  or  the  matters  therein  contained  will 
be  heard  in  her  absence. 


"Job  Brookfield 
vs. 

William  Brookfield 


Bill  in  Chancerv 


"And  now,  at  this  day,  comes  the  plaintiff, 
by  his  solicitor;  and  it  appearing  to  the 
court,  upon  affidavit  filed,  that  the  defendant 
in  this  case  is  a  non-resident  of  the  state  of 
Indiana,  it  is  thereupon  ordered  by  the  court 
that  the  pendency  of  this  bill  be  published 
for  three  weeks  successively  (sixty  days  prior 
to  the  next  term  of  this  court),  in  the  St. 
Joseph  Beacon,  a  paper  published  in  the  town 
of  South  Bend,  notifying  the  defendant  to 
appear  at  the  next  term  of  this  court,  and 
plead,  answer  or  demur  to  said  bill :  or  the 
matter  therein  contained  will  be  heard  in  his 
absence. 


Case  for  Libel. 


"Elisha  Egbert 
vs. 

Jacob  Hardman 

"And  now,  at  this  day,  come  the  parties; 
and  this  case  is  dismissed  at  the  plaintiff's 
cost,  for  want  of  a  declaration. 

"Received  my  docket  fee.  J.  A.  Liston,  at- 
torney for  defendant. 


Case  in  Trover. 


"James  Nixon,  Admin. 

vs. 
Orra  Morse 

' '  And  now,  at  this  day,  comes  the  plaintiff, 
and  the  defendant  not  appearing,  this  case 
is  continued  until  the  next  term. 


192 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


"William  Harris 

vs. 
Reuben  Brunson 


Case  in  Slander. 


"And  now,  at  this  day,  comes  the  plaintiff, 
by  his  attorney;  and  this  case  is  dismissed 
at  the  plaintiff's  cost. 

"On  motion  of  A.  Ingram,  it  is  ordered  to 
be  certified  on  the  record,  that  C.  K.  Green, 
an  applicant  for  a  license  to  practice  law,  is 
a  young  man  of  good  moral  character. 

"Thomas  T.  Benbridge 
William  Foster 
Charles  Foster 

and 
Cornelius  Bradlewsey     ^  Debt. 

vs. 
Peter  Johnson 

and 
Pleasant  Harris 

"Now,  at  this  time,  come  the  plaintiffs,  by 
Ingram,  their  attorney,  and  this  cause  is  con- 
tinued by  operation  of  law  until  the  next 
term  of  this  court.     And  time  is  given. 


[A  case  almost  identical  with  the  preced- 
ing case  was  that  of  The  Heirs  of  John  Hall, 
by  their  guardian  and  next  friend,  against 
The  Heirs  of  George  Cicott.] 


In  Chancery. 


"Orra  Morse 
vs. 

James  Nixon 

"And  now,  at  this  time,  comes  the  plain- 
tiff, by  his  counsel,  and  the  defendant,  by 
his  attorney,  comes  also  and  files  his  de- 
murrer, in  these  words  (here  insert),  to  which 
the  plaintiff  files  his  rejoinder.  And  the 
court  thereupon,  after  mature  deliberation, 
sustains  the  said  demurrer  to  the  plaintiff's 
said  bill.  It  is  therefore  considered  by  the 
court  that  the  plaintiff's  said  bill  be  dis- 
missed, with  leave  to  amend  his  bill  in  ninety 
days;  and  the  said  plaintiff'  pay  the  costs  of 
this  demurrer  within  ninety  days,  or  attach- 
ment to  issue, 

"State  of  Indiana  I       Indictment    for    Sell- 
vs.  V  ing   Spirituous  Liquors 

Sarah  McLelland         *»  Indians. 


"Peley  Babcock 
vs. 

John  B.  Cicott,  et  al. 


In   Chancery 


"Now  comes  the  said  plaintiff,  by  Evans, 
his  attorney,  and  files  here  his  bill  against 
the  said  defendants;  and  it  appearing  to  the 
satisfaction  of  this  court  that  Louis  Cicott, 
James  Cicott,  Joseph  Cicott,  Francis  Cicott, 
Mary  Ann  Labada,  Hagget  Fisher,  and  the 
unknown  heirs  of  Ferris  Compo,  deceased, 
heirs  at  law  of  George  Cicott,  deceased,  by 
the  affidavit  of  Benjamin  Coquillard,  defend- 
ants to  said  bill  are  not  inhabitants,  and  live 
without  the  state  of  Indiana;  it  is  therefore 
ordered  that  notice  be  given  of  the  pendency 
of  this  cause  to  the  said  defendants,  by  three 
successive  publications  in  the  St.  Joseph 
Beacon,  a  newspaper  of  general  circulation 
published  in  the  county  of  St.  Joseph  and 
state  aforesaid,  sixty  days  prior  to  the  next 
term  of  this  court,  that  they  be  and  appear 
on  the  first  day  of  the  next  term  of  this 
court,  to  show  cause,  if  any  they  have,  why 
the  prayer  of  said  bill  shall  not  be  granted; 
and  it  is  further  ordered  that  process  issue 
against  the  said  Zachariah  Cicott,  in  this  be- 
half directed,  etc.  And  this  cause  is  con- 
tinued to  the  next  term  of  this  court,  with 
leave  to  the  plaintiff  to  amend  his  bill. 


"Now,  at  this  day,  comes  A.  Ingram,  Esq'"., 
prosecuting  the  pleas  of  the  state  of  Indiana, 
and  the  defendant  comes  also;  and  being  set 
at  the  bar  of  the  court,  and  it  being  de- 
manded of  her  how  she  will  acquit  herself  of 
said  charge,  for  plea  thereto  says  she  is 
guilty.  It  is  therefore  considered  by  the 
court  that  the  said  def*^  do  make  her  fine  to 
the  state  of  Ind.  in  the  sum  of  five  dols.,  and 
that  she  stand  committed  in  the  custody  of 
the  shff.  until  the  fine  and  costs  of  said  suit 
are  paid  or  replevied. 

"The  grand  jury  empanelled  to  enquire 
into  the  body  of  St.  Joseph  county  do  report 
that  they  have  examined  the  jail  of  said 
county,  and  do  find  in  said  jail  one  prisoner; 
and  further  do  find  said  jail  insufficient  and 
uncomfortable. 

"Octo.  29,  1832. 

"George  Holloway, 

"Foreman. 
"Ordered  that  court  adjourn  until  court  in 
course. 

"Signed,  Oct.  29,  1832. 

"John  R.  Porter." 
Sec.    5. — The    Second    Session    of    the 
Court. — The  act  of  January  7,  1833,  as  we 
have    already    seen,    transferred    St.    Joseph 


-'i 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


193 


county  from  the  first  to  the  eighth  judicial 
circuit;  and  also  iixed  the  terms  of  court 
for  June  and  December,  in  each  year.  The 
second  term  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit  court, 
accordingly,  was  held  in  June,  1833.  The 
record  shows  the  court  to  have  been  held  in 
a  "court  house,"  and  also  shows  the  presence 
of  a  new  president  .judge  and  a  new  prose- 
cuting attorney.  The  proceedings  of  this 
second  term  opened  as  follows : 

' '  At  the  June  term  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit 
court,  conmienced  and  held  at  the  court  house 
in  the  town  of  South  Bend,  in  the  county  of 
St.  Joseph  and  state  of  Indiana,  on  the  first 
Monday  of  June,  being  the  third  day  of  June 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  thirty-three. 

"Gustavus  A.  Everts  produced  his  commis- 
sion bearing  date  the  ninth  day  of  January 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  thirty-three,  from  his  excel- 
lency Noah  Noble,  governor  of  the  state  of 
Indiana,  appointing  him  president  judge  of 
the  eighth  judicial  circuit  of  said  state,  for 
and  during  the  term  of  seven  years  from  the 
ninth  day  of  January,  1833. 

"On  the  back  of  which  commission  is  the 
following  endorsement,  to-wit :  '  State  of  In- 
diana, Sixth  Judicial  Circuit,  ss.  I,  Charles 
H.  Test,  president  judge  of  said  sixth  cir- 
cuit, certify  that  Gusta\ais  A.  Everts  per- 
sonally appeared  before  me  on  the  25th  day 
of  February,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1833, 
and  being  duly  sworn  deposeth  and  saith  that 
he  will  support  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States  and  the  constitution  of  the  state  of 
Indiana,  and  that  he  will  well  and  faithfully 
and  impartially  discharge  the  duties  of  presi- 
dent judge  of  the  eighth  judicial  circuit  of 
the  said  state  of  Indiana,  to  the  best  of  his 
abilities. 

'As  witness  my  hand  and  seal,  the  day  and 
year  above  written. 

'Charles  H.  Test.'  " 

Lathrop  M.  Taylor  also  "produces  his  com- 
misvsion  from  his  excellency  J.  Brown  Ray, 
governor    of    the   state    of    Indiana,    bearing 

13 


date  the  eleventh  day  of  August,  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
thirty,  commissioning  him  clerk  of  the  St. 
Joseph  circuit  court  for  the  said  county  of 
St.  Joseph,  for  and  during  the  term  of  seven 
years  from  the  11th  day  of  August,  1830." 
And  endorsed  on  such  commi.ssion  is  his  oath 
of  office,  sworn  to  on  the  twenty-fourth  day 
of  August,  1830,  before  Samuel  L.  Cottrell, 
sheriff  of  St.  Joseph  county. 

So  much  of  the  record  of  said  term  as 
shows  the  names  of  the  jurors  then  sum- 
moned is  also  here  given,  as  indicating  per- 
sons then  prominent  citizens  of  the  county: 

"Daniel  A.  Fullerton,  sheriff  of  the  county 
of  St.  Joseph,  now  returns  into  court  the 
venire  of  the  grand  jury  heretofore  issued, 
and  brings  into  court  the  following  jurors 
named  in  said  venire,  to-wit:  Horatio  Cha- 
pin,  who  was  sworn  as  foreman,  Simeon 
Mason,  William  Roe,  Samuel  Witter, 
Adonijah  Rambo,  Samuel  Ritter,  Warren 
Burk,  James  Garrett,  Abraham  Whitmore 
and  Abraham  Smith,  ten  in  number,  being  of 
the  regular  panel  of  grand  jurors.  The 
sheriff  now  summons  the  following  by- 
standers, to-wit:  John  D.  Lasley,  Londy 
Stephenson,  John  Becraft,  William  Stanfield 
and  John  Ireland,  who  being  accepted  by 
the  court,  together  with  the  above  named  ten 
of  the  regular  panel,  were  sworn  as  the  grand 
jury  of  this  term;  who  retired  under  the 
charge  of  Reuben  Hildreth,  a  sworn  bailiff, 
to  deliberate  upon  matters  touching  their 
present  service. 

' '  The  following  grand  jurors  of  the  resrular 
panel,  being  three  times  solemnly  called,  an- 
swer not,  to-wit:  Samuel  Newman,  Lot  Day, 
John  Egbert,  Daniel  Edwards,  James  Palmer, 
Henry  Augaistine  and  John  Weaver,  but  here- 
in wholly  make  default.  It  is  therefore  or- 
dered by  the  court  that  an  attachment  do 
issue  against  the  above  named  delinquents, 
returnable  at  the  first  day  of  the  next  term 
of  this  court,  to  render  excuse,  if  any  they 
have,  for  failing  appear  as  grand  jurors." 

An  order  followed,  admitting  certain  well 


194 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


known  lawyers  to  practice  in  court,  as  fol- 
lows: "On  motion  of  J.  A.  Liston.  John  B. 
Chapman,  Martin  M.  Ray,  D.  H.  Coleriek. 
Joseph  L.  Jernegan,  Samuel  C.  Sample  and 
William  0.  Ross  are  admitted  to  practice  as 
attorneys  and  connsellers  of  law  at  the  bar  of 
this  court,  and  they  are  severally  sworn  as 
such. ' ' 

The  seal  of  the  court  was  also  adopted  ac 
ihis  term,  by  the  following  order:  "The 
court  now  devise  aaid  adopt  a  seal,  and  order 
a  description  thereof  to  be  recorded,  which  is 
done  as  follows:  'Indiana.  St  Joseph 
County. '  The  device  whereof  is  an  eagle, 
bearing  in  his  talons  a  bunch  of  darts,  an 
olive  branch  and  an  escutcheon.  An  impress 
of  which  said  seal  is  annexed  to  this  entry 
and  description." 

At  this  second  term  of  the  St.  Joseph  cir- 
cuit court  a  considerable  increase  was  shown 
in  litigation.  During  the  six  days'  session 
there  were  thirty-six  cases  considered  by  the 
court,  distributed  as  follows:  Domestic'  at- 
tachment, two ;  attachment  for  contempt,  one ; 
action  on  bond,  one;  forfeiture  of  recogni- 
zance, two ;  to  keep  the  peace,  one ;  trespass, 
two:  trespass  in  trover  and  case,  one;  insol- 
vency, two ;  divorce,  two ;  chancery  cases,  five ; 
suppression  of  ferry  license,  one ;  appeal  from 
county  commissioners  as  to  ferry  license,  one ; 
appeals  from  justice  of  the  peace,  fifteen. 

It  is  shown  by  the  record  of  this  June  ses- 
sion that  Jolui  IB.  Chapman  appeared  in 
court  and  produced  his  commission  from 
jXoah  Noble,  governor  of  the  state,  commis- 
sioning him  as  prosecuting  attorney  of  the 
eighth  judicial  circuit  for  the  term  of  two 
years  from  the  tenth  day  of  Januarj^  1833. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  the  term  the  grand 
jury  made  their  report  the  record  being  as 
follows : 

"The  grand  jury  now  come  into  court,  and 
return  into  court  sundry  bills  of  indictment 
found  by  them,  and  sig-ned  by  their  foreman 
as  true  bills;  which  are  filed  by  the  clerk  as 
such.  And  the  grand  jury  further  make  the 
following '  presentment  of  the  insufficiency  of 


the  county  jail,  to-wit:  The  grand  jurors 
for  the  state  of  Indiana,  empanelled,  sworn 
and  charged  in  the  circuit  court  of  St.  Joseph 
county  to  enquire  in  and  for  the  body  of  the 
county  aforesaid,  upon  their  oath  present  that 
they  have  examined  the  jail  of  the  county 
aforesaid,  and  find  that  the  same  has  been 
broken  open  by  some  person  to  them  un- 
known, by  cutting  a  log  from  one  side,  ren- 
dering the  said  jail  insufficient  for  the  deten- 
tion of  prisoners;  and  we  further  present 
that  the  said  jail  is  wholly  insufficient  for  the 
safe  keeping  of  prisoners  in  other  respects. 

"H.   Chapin, 
"Foreman  of  Grand  Jury." 

The  following  orders  relating  to  the  re- 
port of  the  grand  jury  and  to  jury  service 
were  made : 

"Ordered  by  the  court  that  writs  of  ca- 
pias ad  respondendum  do  issue,  on  all  indict- 
ments found  at  the  present  term ;  and  that 
each  of  the  defendants  in  said  bills  named 
are  required  to  enter  into  a  recognizance  in 
the  sum  of  $25.00,  with  surety  in  the  like 
sum,  except  where  a  different  amount  is  en- 
dorsed on  said  bills. 

"It  is  ordered  by  the  court  that  the  clerk 
of  this  court  certify  to  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  the  number  of  days  the  grand 
jurors  and  petit  jurors  served  at  this  term 
of  the  circuit  court ;  as  also  the  number  of 
days  the  associate  judges  served  at  this 
term. ' ' 

The  names  of  the  associate  judges  are  not 
mentioned  in  the  proceedings  of  the  term,  the 
record  of  each  day's  proceedings  being 
signed  only  "G.  A.  Everts." 

The  following  entries  are  also  shown : 

"On  motion  of  Samuel  C.  Sample,  Esq.. 
Albert  S.  White  is  admitted  to  practice  as 
an  attx)rney  and  counsellor  at  law,  and  is 
sworn  as  such. 

"On  motion  of  Albert  S.  White,  Esqr., 
Hugh  McCulloch,  Esqr.,  is  admitted  to  prac- 
tice as  an  attorne.y  and  counsellor  at  law 
at  the  bar  of  this  court,  and  is  sworn  as 
such. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


195 


"On  motion  of  Jonathan  Listen,  Esqr.,  it 
is  ordered  by  the  court  to  be  certified  of  rec- 
ord that  John  D.  Defrees,  an  applicant  for  a 
'license  to  practice  as  an  attorney  and  coun- 
sellor at  law,  is  a  man  of  good  moral  char- 
acter. ' '« 

Sec.  6. — Other  Sessions  of  the  Court 
Under  the  Old  Constitution. — The  record 
for  the  December  term,  1833,  beginning  Mon- 
day. December  9,  1833,  shows  that  Gustavus 

A.  Everts  was  present  as  president  judge  and 
William  IMcCartney  and  John  Banker  as 
associate  judges.  Lathrop  M.  Taylor  was 
clerk;  Samuel  L.  Cottrell,  sheriff,  and  John 

B.  Chapman,  prosecuting  attorney. 

The  jurors  attached  to  show  cause  why 
they  should  not  be  punished  as  for  contempt 
for  failing  to  attend  at  the  June  term  were 
each  found  to  have  had  suflficient  excuse,  and 
were  discharged. 

Ten  cases  of  indictments  for  selling 
spirituous  liquors  were  considered  by  the 
court  at  this  term.  There  was  one  conviction, 
the  trial  being  by  a  jury,  and  a  fine  of  twelve 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  and  costs  was  assessed 
against  the  defendant.  Three  divorces  w^ere 
granted.  The  grand  jury  again  found  the 
jail  "wholly  insufficient  for  the  confinement 
of  prisoners,  there  being  a  large  hole  in  one 
corner  of  said  jail  and  otherwise  deficient 
and  wanting  much  repair."  Among  the  in- 
dictments returned  was  one  ' '  for  keeping  and 
exhibiting  a  gaming  table,"  and  the  defen- 
dant was  required  to  enter  into  a  recogni- 
zance in  the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars,  and 
bail  in  the  like  sum. 

The  final  order  of  adjournment  at  this 
term  was  signed  only  by  the  associate  jus- 
tices, William  McCartney  and  John  Banker. 
Chapel  W.  Brown  does  not  appear  in  the 
records  of  the  circuit  court  as  one  of  the  as- 
sociate judges,   although  he  sat   with  Judge 

a.  See  act  approved  January  31,  1824,  R.  S.-, 
1831,  pp.  84-87,  regulating  admission  of  attorneys 
to  practice  law;  also  acts  approved  January  31, 
1825,  December  28,  1827.  February  17,  1838,  R.  S., 
1838,  pp.  83-87;  R.  S.,  1843,  pp.  660-664. 


Banker  at  a  term  of  the  probate  court  held 
in  1832.     (See  note,  supra.) 

The  act  of  January  28,  1834,  brought  the 
first  term  of  our  circuit  court  for  that  year 
in  April.«  The  session  convened  on  Monday, 
April  7,  1834.  The  judges  and  other  officers 
were  the  same  as  at  the  December  term, 
1833,  and  the  character  of  the  litigation  was 
but  little  different.  The  final  order  of  ad- 
journment was  again  signed  by  the  associ- 
ate judges,  this  time  with  the  explanation, 
"previous  to  signing  Judge  Everts  having 
left  the  bench. "  - 

At  the  October  term,  1834,  the  officers  of 
court  were  unchanged,  except  the  prosecut- 
ing attorney.  In  the  following  entry  it  is 
shown  that  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  of  the  local  bar  was  advanced  to  that 
position : 

"Now  comes  into  court  Sanuiel  C.  Sample, 
Esqr.,  and  produces  a  commission  from  his 
excellency,  Noah  Noble,  governor  of  said 
state,  commissioning  him,  the  said  Sample, 
prosecuting  attorney  of  the  eighth  judicial 
circuit.  On  the  back  of  which  commission 
was  the  oath  of  office  endorsed." 

At  this  term  there  were  numerous  prose- 
cutions for  violations  of  law, — gaming, 
selling  liquor  to  Indians,  affray,  assault  and 
battery,  contempt  of  court,  to  keep  the  peace, 
rout,  drunkenness,  burglary,  larceny,  as  also 
cases  of  slander. 

The  grand  jury  again  reported  "that  the 
jail  of  said  county  is  totally  insufficient  in 
point  of  strength  to  confine  prisoners,  and 
that  the  same  wants  repairing.  The  same  we 
find  clean  and  wholesome. 

"Signed,  Reynolds  Dunn,  Foreman  of  the 
grand  jury." 

On  this  report  it  was  "ordered  by  the 
court  that  the  clerk  of  this  court  certify  down 
to  the  board  of  county  commissioners  a  copy 
of  the  aforesaid  jail  report,  together  that  it  is 
the  order  of  this  court  that  said  commission- 
ers have  said  jail  repaired  in  a  good  and 
substantial  manner  to  contain  prisoners." 

a.     Acts,  1833,  p.  70. 


196 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


John  B.  Niles  was  at  this  term  admitted  to 
practice  law. 

On  Thursday,  the  first  day  of  January, 
1835,  a  special  term  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit 
court  was  held  for  the  trial  of  Alexis  Provon- 
cille,  indicted  for  burglary  and  larceny.  The 
following  jury  was  empanelled  to  try  the 
case:  Simeon  Mason,  Ezekiel  Thomas,  John 
Rudduck,  Jr.,  Londy  Stephenson,  Seymore 
Stilson,  John  Rose,  Alexander  Blake,  Tim- 
othy Mate,  Henry  Smith,  Francis  R.  Tutt, 
William  Middleton  and  Samuel  Good, — 
"twelve  good  and  lawful  men,  householders 
and  freeholders  of  the  said  county  of  St. 
Joseph,  who  are  chosen,  elected,  tried  and 
sworn  to  well  and  truly  try  the  issue  joined, 
as  aforesaid."  The  defendant  was  convicted, 
and  was  sentenced  to  state's  prison  for  two 
years  and  fined  five  dollars.  This  was  the 
first  case  of  imprisonment  in  the  state's 
prison  from  St.  Joseph  county. 

At  the  April  term,   1835,  the   officers   re- 
mained as  before.     The  prosecutions  for  vio- 
lations of  the  criminal  law  continued  numer- 
ous, particularly  those  for  gambling,  and  for 
keeping  gaming  tables.     There  were  two  in- 
dictments  for   vending   merchandise   without 
license,  and  one  for  betting  on  a  horse  race. 
At  the  October  term,  1835,  the  officers  of 
the  court  were  unchanged,  and  the  character 
of  the  litigation   continued  to  show  numer- 
ous violations  of  the  criminal  law.    Gambling 
was  still  the  chief  offense,  but  there  were  also 
nine     indictments     for     selling     intoxicating 
liquors  without  a  license,  and  one  for  selling 
spirituous   liquors   to   Indians.      Two   indict- 
ments  were   returned   for  violations   of   the 
astray  laws.     There  were  actions  also  to  keep 
the  peace,  and  several  suits  for  slander. 

At  the  October  term,  1836,  Samuel  C. 
Sample  was  presiding  judge,  and  Joseph  L. 
Jernegan  prosecuting  attorney.  The  associ- 
ate judges  remained  as  before. 

At  the  October  term.  1837,  John  Ireland 
and  Reynolds  Dunn  appeared  as  associate 
judges;  and  an  innovation  is  shown  upon  the 


records — all  three  judges  signing  their  names 
to  the  orders. 

At  the  October  term,  1839,  Peter  Johnson 
appears  as  associate  judge,  and  William  C. 
Hanna  as  prosecuting  attorney. 

At  the  October  term,  1840,  Gustavus  A. 
Everts  was  prosecuting  attorney;  and  at  the 
April  term,  1841,  the  office  was  again  filled 
b}^  William  C.  Hanna. 

At  the  September  term.  1842,  John  H. 
Bradley  appeared  as  prosecuting  attorney; 
and  at  the  March  term,  1843,  Ebenezer  Cham- 
berlain. 

At  the  September  term,  1843,  John  B. 
Niles  was  president  judge,  and  Reuben  L. 
Farnsworth  prosecuting  attorney. 

At  the  March  term,  1844,  Ebenezer  M. 
Chamberlain  became  president  judge,  and  at 
the  September  term  of  the  same  year  Powers 
Green  and  John  D.  Robertson  became  asso- 
ciate judges. 

At  the  October  term,  1846,  Joseph  H. 
Mather  succeeded  to  the  office  ©f  prosecut- 
ing attorney. 

At  the  October  term,  1848,  George  Pierson 
was  prosecuting  attorney,  and  at  the  April 
term,  1849,  Theodore  S.  CoMdes.  Philo  Ben- 
nett was  associate  judge  at  the  September 
term,  1851,  and  James  S.  Frazer,  afterwards 
judge  of  the  supreme  court,  was  prosecuting 
attorney  at  the  same  term. 

Sec.  7.- — Sessions  op  the  Court  Under 
THE  New  Constitution. — Under  the  consti- 
tution of  1851,  which  took  effect  on  the  first 
day  of  November  in  that  year,  the  offices  of 
president  judge  and  associate  judges  were 
discontinued.  The  office  of  circuit  judge  sim- 
ply took  the  place  of  president  judge,  al- 
though the  several  president  judges  were  con- 
tinued in  office  until  the  ends  of  their  re- 
spective terms.  By  the  act  of  June  18,  1852," 
re-arranging  the  circuits,  it  became  doubtful 
on  what  day  the  October  term  of  the  St. 
Joseph  circuit  court  for  that  year  should  be- 
gin. Accordingly  Judge  Robert  Lowry, 
a.     Special  and  Local  Acts,  1851-2,  pp.  102-105. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


197 


who  was  here  to  preside  at  that  term,  en- 
tered the  following  order: 

"It  being  the  opinion  of  the  majority  of 
the  bar  of  this  court  that  there  may  be  much 
doubt  -whether  court  can  be  legally  held  in 
this  county  commencing  on  this  day,  under 
the  laws  heretofore  in  force;  that  by  the  act 
of  the  last  session  of  the  general  assembly  the 
old  law  may  be  considered  as  being  repealed 
and  a  different  day  fixed  for  holding  said 
court  in  this  county.  It  is  therefore  ordered 
by  the  court  that  all  writs,  suits,  complaints 
and  proceedings  pending  in  said  court,  both 
civil  and  criminal,  be  and  are  hereby  con- 
tinued until  court  in  course,  and  that  publi- 
cation hereof  be  made  in  the  St.  Joseph  Val- 
ley Register.  And  court  adjourned  until 
court  in  course. 

"Sig-ned  October  4th,  1852. 

"R.    LOWRY." 

At  the  February  term,  1853,  Thomas  S. 
Stanfield  presided  as  "judge  of  the  ninth 
judicial  circuit,  and  ex  officio  judge  of  the 
St.  Joseph  circuit  court,"  as  was  then  the 
official  title  of  our  circuit  judge.  Don  J. 
Woodward  was  the  prosecuting  attorney  at 
this  term.  Alvin  S.  Dunbar  appeared  as 
deputy  prosecutor  under  Mr.  Woodward  for 
several  terms. 

There  was  a  special  June  session  in  the 
year  1853,  at  which  the  Hon.  William  E. 
Stuart,  one  of  the  judges  of  the  supreme 
court,  presided,  for  the  reason  that  Judge 
Stanfield  had  been  interested  as  attorney  in 
several  ca.ses  then  on  the  docket. 

At  the  April  term,  1855,  Morgan  H.  Weir 
was  prosecuting  attorney,  but  frequently  ap- 
peared by  William  G.  George,  as  deputy,  or 
as  special  prosecutor  appointed  by  the  court. 
Mr.  Weir  resigned  during  the  next  year. 

At  the  April  term,  1857,  Albert  G.  Deavitt 
was  judge  and  Mark  L.  De  Motte,  who  had 
been  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the 
rasignation  of  Judge  Stanfield,  became  ill 
after  his  appointment  and  was  succeeded  by 
John  B.  Niles,  prosecuting  attorney.  Mr. 
De  Motte,  prosecuting  attorney,  usually  ap- 


peared by  William  G.  George,  and  sometimes 
by  James  Davis,  special  prosecutors. 

At  the  April  term,  1858,  Andrew  L.  Os- 
born  was  judge.  At  this  term  the  court  pro- 
mulgated and  had  spread  of  record  a  set  of 
rules  for  the  government  of  the  business  of 
the  court.  Reuben  L.  Farnsworth  wa^*  ap- 
pointed special  prosecuting  attorney.  As 
Judge  Osborn  was  disqualified  to  try  a  num- 
ber of  cases  in  which  he  had  been  attorney, 
there  was  a  special  term  for  June,  1858,  at 
which  Charles  H.  Test,  judge  of  the  twelfth 
circuit,  presided.  At  the  April  term,  1859, 
Thomas  S.  Stanfield  was  appointed  special 
judge,  and  William  B.  Biddle  appeared  as 
prosecuting  attorney.  In  April,  1861,  D.  J. 
Phillips  was  prosecuting  attorney,  and  in 
April,  1865,  Aaron  Gurney. 

At  the  April  term,  1867,  Alvin  S.  Dunbar 
was  appointed  special  judge,  to  hold  for  the 
term  instead  of  the  Hon.  Andrew  L.  Osborn, 
who  was  ill.  At  the  October  term  of  the 
same  year  William  H.  Calkins,  afterwards 
representative  in  Congress,  was  prosecuting 
attorney. 

At  the  April  term,  1871,  Thomas  S.  Stan- 
field was  again  circuit  judge,  and  at  the  same 
term  Michael  L.  Essick  became  prosecuting 
attorney. 

At  the  March  term,  1873,  the  thirty-second 
judicial  circuit  was  fonned,  consisting  of  St. 
Joseph  and  Laporte  counties.  Four  terms, 
each  for  four  weelis,  were  assigned  to  St. 
Joseph  county.  Judge  Stanfield  continued 
to  preside  as  judge  of  the  new  circuit.  An 
important  order  for  the  rearrangement  and 
improvement  of  the  court  room  and  the 
clerk's  and  sheriff's  offices  was  made  at  this 
term.  It  was  one  of  the  most  commendable 
a.cts  of  Judge  Stanfield 's  public  life,  though 
for  a  time  it  occasioned  much  adverse  criti- 
cism. 

At  the  June  term,  1873,  George  Ford,  by 
appointment  of  Governor  Thomas  A.  Hen- 
dricks, appeared  as  prosecuting  attorney; 
and  at  the  December  term  of  that  year  James 
A.   Crawley  became  prosecutor.     At  the  De- 


198 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


cember  term,  1875,  George  Ford  again  at- 
tained to  the  office,  and  continued  to  hold  it 
for  many  years,  until  he  was  elected  to 
congress. 

At  a  special  term,  opened  on  July  25,  1876, 
the  Hon.  Horace  P.  Biddle,  judge  of  the  su- 
preme court  of  the  state,  presided  in  the 
trial  of  important  cases.  Judge  Stanfield  hav- 
ing personal  interests,  by  reason  of  which  he 
deemed  it  improper  for  him  to  preside. 

At  the  December  term,  1876,  the  Hon. 
Daniel  Noyes  appeared  for  the  first  time  as 
judge  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit  court.  He 
continued  thereafter  to  preside  for  the  period 
of  eighteen  years. 

At  the  March  term,  1885,  Andrew  J.  Eg- 
bert was  prosecuting  attorney,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded at  the  December  term,  1887,  by  Abra- 
ham L.  Brick,  who,  like  Mr.  Ford,  held  the 
office  until  his  election  to  congress. 

An  adjourned  term  of  court  was  held,  be- 
ginning July  23,  1889,  at  which  the  Hon. 
Joseph  A.  S.  Mitchell,  then  a  member  of  the 
state  supreme  court,  took  the  bench  for  the 
trial  of  an  intricate  case  involving  the  rights 
of  the  various  owners  of  the  water  power 
generated  by  the  dam  in  South  Bend  over 
the  St.  Joseph  river.  By  agreement  of  par- 
ties Judge  Mitchell  appointed  former  su- 
preme Judge  James  S.  Frazer  referee,  to 
hear  and  report  upon  the  evidence.  The 
case  was  finally  adjudicated  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all  parties,  chiefly  by  reason  of  the 
measurements  and  well-considered  system  of 
weirs  devised  by  civil  engineer  John  F. 
Meighan  and  adopted  by  the  court. 

Judge  Stuart,  Judge  Biddle  and  Judge 
Mitchell  were  the  only  judges  of  our  supreme 
court  to  sit  in  the  St.  Joseph  circuit  court  in 
the  trial  of  causes  during  their  terms  as 
judges  of  our  highest  court.  Almost  as  great 
honor  Avas  done  us  by  that  eminent  jurist, 
James  S.  Frazer,  who,  however,  had  left  the 
supreme  b'^neh  before  sitting  here  as  referee 
in  our  noted  hydraulic  case. 

In  December,  1891,  Peter  D.  Connolly  was 
prosecuting   attorney.      He    was    one    of   our 


most  promising  young  lawyers,  but  very  soon 
failed  in  health.  His  deputy,  Francis  M. 
Jackson,  acted  for  him  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  time,  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Con- 
nolly in  the  spring  of  1893.  Mr.  Jackson  was 
appointed  by  the  court  special  prosecutor  for 
the  May  term,  1893,  and  soon  after  was  com- 
missioned by  Governor  Claude  Matthews  to 
fill  the  office  until  the  beginning  of  the  term 
of  Mr.  Connolly's  successor,  Oliver  M.  Cun- 
ningham, in  the  fall  of  the  same  year. 

In  1894  the  Hon.  Lucius  Hubbard  took 
his  seat  as  judge  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit 
court,  and  in  1895  the  Hon.  John  C.  Richter, 
now  judge  of  the  Laporte  circuit  court,  be- 
came prosecuting  attorney  of  the  circuit.  In 
1897  St.  Joseph  county  became  the  sixtieth 
circuit  of  the  state,  and  Judge  Hubbard  was 
retained  as  first  judge  of  the  new  circuit. 
Thomas  W.  Slick  ,  was  the  prosecuting  at- 
torney. 

In  1900  the  Hon.  Walter  A.  Funk  became 
judge,  an  office  to  which  he  was  last  year  re- 
elected. In  1901  George  E.  Clarke  became 
prosecuting  attorney.  He  held  the  office  until 
1905,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  George  A. 
Kurtz.  The  present  prosecuting  attorney, 
Joseph  E.  Talbot,  took  his  office  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  current  year. 

Of  the  judges  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit 
court,  Samuel  C.  Sample,  Thomas  S.  Stan- 
field,  Albert  G.  Deavitt,  Lucius  Hubbard  and 
Walter  A.  Funk  were  at  the  time  of  their 
incumbency  citizens  of  this  county,  as  were 
also  the  following  named  prosecuting  attor- 
neys :  Samuel  C.  Sample,  Joseph  L.  Jernegan, 
George  Ford,  Andrew  J.  Egbert,  Abraham  L. 
Brick,  Peter  D.  Connolly,  Francis  M.  Jack- 
son, Oliver  M.  Cunningham,  Thomas  W. 
Slick,  George  E.  Clarke,  George  A.  Kurtz 
and  Joseph  E.  Talbot.  The  remaining 
judges  and  prosecuting  attorneys  were  citi- 
zens of  other  counties  attached  to  our  judicial 
circuit. 

III.       THE    PROBATE    COURT. 

Acting  under  the  provisions  of  article  fifth 


THE 

NEW  YORK 

'PUBLIC   L!9--*ARy1 

\^AM«r,  Lenex  and  T\ld«n  , 
founsatlnnj, 
1 803     . 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


199 


of  the  constitution  of  1816,  authorizing  the 
establishment  of  courts  inferior  to  the  cir- 
cuit court,  the  legislature,  by  an  act  approved 
February  10,  1831,*  provided  for  the  or- 
ganization in  each  county  of  a  probate  court, 
consisting  of  one  judge,  to  be  elected  every 
seven  years  by  the  voters  of  the  county.  The 
court  was  given  "original  and  exclusive  ju- 
risdiction in  all  matters  relating  to  the  pro- 
bate of  last  wills  and  testaments,- — granting 
of  letters  testamentary,  letters  of  administra- 
tion, and  of  guardianship;  including  also 
"the  protection  of  minors,  idiots  and  lunatics, 
and  the  security  and  disposition  of  their  per- 
sons and  estates."  The  probate  court  was 
also  given  concurrent  jurisdiction  with  the 
circuit  court  in  actions  "in  favor  of  or 
against  heirs,  devisees,  legatees,  executors, 
administrators,  or  guardians,  and  their 
sureties  and  representatives;"  also  "in  the 
partition  of  real  estate."  and  some  other  like 
cases. 

The  procedure  as  to  pleadings,  writs,  trial, 
judgment,  executions,  etc.,  was  in  all  respects 
.similar  to  that  in  the  circuit  court,  including 
the  right  to  trial  by  jury.  There  might  be  an 
appeal  either  to  the  circuit  court,  or  directly 
to  the  supreme  court.  The  clerk  of  the  cir- 
cuit court  and  the  sheriff  of  the  county  were 
alike  officials  of  the  probate  court.  As  finally 
fixed  by  statute,  the  court  met  regailarly  on 
the  second  Mondays  of  February,  May, 
August  and  November, — except  in  case  the 
circuit  court  or  the  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners should  be  in  session  on  such  day, 
when  the  probate  court  was  to  sit  on  the  suc- 
ceeding Monday.  The  sessions  of  the  court 
were  limited  to  six  days,  and  the  compensa- 
tion of  the  judge  was  three  dollars  per  day. 

Sec.  1. — The.  First  Session. — The  first 
term  of  the  St.  Joseph  probate  court  was  held 
on  the  fifth  day  of  January,  1832.  This  term 
was  held  by  the  associate  judges  of  the  cir- 
cuit court,  as  provided  in  the  act  of  Febru- 

a.  R.  S..  1831,  pp.  154-180.  See  also  Act  ap- 
proved Feb.  17,  1838;  R.  S.,  1838,  pp.  172-199;  and 
R.  S.,  1843,  pp.  664-670. 


ary  10,  1831,  for  the  organization  of  the  pro- 
bate court,  there  being  at  the  time  no  pro- 
bate judge  qualified  to  hold  the  court.  Pre- 
vious to  the  holding  of  this  term  of  court  the 
clerk,  as  authorized  by  the  same  statute,  had 
issued  letters  testamentary  on  one  estate,  and 
letters  of  administration  on  another.  The 
record  of  those  first  letters  issued  in  this 
county,  and  also  the  record  of  the  first  ses- 
sion of  our  probate  court,  were  entered  up  in 
the  order  book  as  follows: 

"Joseph  Garwood,  Ex'"      ) 
of  Jonathan  Garwood,   j 

"On  application  of  Joseph  Garwood  to 
the  clerk  of  the  St.  Joseph  probate  court,  let- 
ters testamentary  issued  to  the  said  Joseph 
Garwood  on  the  estate  of  his  father,  Jonathan 
Garwood,  late  of  said  county,  deceased,  in 
vacation  of  said  court,  by  his  filing  bond  with 
John  Wills  and  John  Drulent  as  his  securi- 
ties, in  the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars. 


"John  D.  Lasly,  Adm'" 
of  Basile  Prunie. 


( 


"On  application  of  John  D.  Lasly  to  the 
clerk  of  the  St.  Joseph  probate  court,  letters 
of  administration  issued  to  the  said  John  D. 
Lasly  on  the  estate  of  Basile  Prunie,  late  of 
said  county,  deceased,  in  vacation  of  said 
court,  by  his  filing  bond  with  Alexis  Coquil- 
lard  and  Peter  F.  Navarre  as  his  securities, 
in  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars. 

"At  the  first  term  of  the  St.  Joseph  pro- 
bate court,  begun  and  held  on  Thursday,  the 
fifth  day  of  January.  A.  D.  1832,  at  the  house 
of  Calvin  Lilly,  in  the  town  of  South  Bend, 
in  a  room  furnished  by  Alexis  Coquillard,  it 
not  being  convenient  for  said  Coquillard  to 
furnish  a  room  in  his  house,  as  provided  by 
law ;  before  the  honorable  John  Banker  and 
Chapel  W.  Brown,  associate  judges  of  the  St. 
Joseph  circuit  court  and  sole  judges  of  this 
court,  there  being  no  probate  judge  qualified 
in  said  county  according  to  law  to  hold 
court. 

"At  the  hour  of  eleven  o'clock  appears 
John  Banker  and  produces  a  commission  from 


200                                     HISTORY   OF^  ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY. 

his  excellency,  J.  Brown  Ray,  governor  of  the  not  held  for  more  than  a  year  after  the  first, 

state  of  Indiana,  commissioning  him,  the  said  The  record  opens  as  follows : 

John  Banker,  an  associate  judge  of  the   St.  "At  the  February  term  of  the  St.  Joseph 

Joseph  circuit  court  for  term  of  seven  yeare  probate  court  appears  James  P.  Antrim,  at 

from  the  eleventh  day  of  August,  1830,  dated  the  hour  of  eleven  o'clock  on  the  second  Mon- 

at    Indianapolis    the    24th    day    of    October,  day  of  February,  being  the  eleventh  day  of 

A.  D.  1831."                    ,  February,  A.  D.  1833,  at  the  house  of  Calvin 

Endorsed    upon    Judge    Banker's    commis-  Lilly,  in  the  town  of  South  Bend,  in  a  room 

sion  was  his  oath  of  office,  taken  on  December  provided  by  the  county  commissioners  of  the 

8,  1831,  before  Israel  H.  Rush,  a  justice  of  said  county  of  St.  Joseph,   and  produces  a 

the   peace.     A   like   record   is   made   of   the  conunission    in    the    words    and    figures    fol- 

commission  and  oath  of  office  of  Chapel  W.  lowing: 

Brown,    the   other   associate   judge.      Judge  'Noah  Noble,   Governor    of    the    State    of 

Brown's   oath  of   office,   however,   was   taken  Indiana,  To  all  who  shall  see  these  presents, 

before  Levi  F.  Arnold,  justice  of  the  peace.  Greeting:     Know  ye,  that,  in  the  name  and 

on  January   5,   1832,  the  day  on  which  the  by  the  authority  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  I 

court  was  held.     It  thus  appears  that  Judge  do  hereby  appoint  and  commission  James  P. 

Bro\TO  waited  from  his  election,  in  August,  Antrim  probate  judge  for  St.  Joseph  county, 

1830,  until  Januarv;,  1832,  before  qualifying,  to  serve  as  such  until  a  successor  is  appointed 

As  there  is  no  further  record  of  his  services,  and  commissioned. 

it  is  probable  that  his  only  official  action  was  '  In  testimony  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set 

that  taken  as  ex  officio  probate  judge  on  Jan-  my  hand  and  caused  to  be  affixed  the  seal  of 

uary  5,  1832.*  the  state  of  Indiana  at  Indianapolis,  this  10th 

The  only  orders  made  by  the  court  at  this  day  of  December,  A.  D.  1832,  the  seventeenth 

first  session  were  to  confirm  the  appointments,  year  of  the  state,   and  of  the  independence 

of  executor  and  administrator,  made  by  the  of  the  United  States  the  fifty-seventh, 

clerk  prior  to  the  session;  and  also  to  adopt  a  'N.  Noble. 

seal  for  the  probate  court.     The  last  order  'By  the  Governor, 

reads  as  follows:  'James   Morrison, 

"The  court  now  here  adopt  the  following  'Secretary  of  State.' 

seal,  to- wit :  Marked  with  letters  thereon,  St.  "  On  the  back  of  which  commission  is  the 

Joseph  County,  Indiana,  with  a  spread  eagle  following  endorsement,  to-wit: 

thereon,   an   impression   whereof  is  made   on  'This  day  came  James  P.  Antrim  and  af- 

the  margin  of  this   page ;   which  this   court  firmed  that  he  would  support  the  constitution 

will  use  for  the  purpose  of  sealing  their  or-  of   the   United    States    and   the    constitution 

ders,  decrees  and  other  proceedings  thereof."  of  Indiana,  and  that  he  would  to  the  best  of 

The  order  of  adjournment  of  this  first  one-  his    abilities    and    judgment    faithfully    dis- 

day  term  of  court  then  followed:     "And  no  charge  the  office  of  probate  judge,  in  and  for 

further  business  appearing  before  the  court  St.  Joseph  county. 

it  adjourned  until  court  in  course.  'January,  the   18th  day,  A.   D.   1833,   af- 

"C.  W.  Brown.  firmed  before  me. 

"John  Banker.  .'Samuel  Martin, 

"Signed  Jany.  5,  1832."  'Justice  of  the  Peace.' 

Sec.  2.— Further  Sessions  of  the  Court.  "And  thereupon  a  probate  court  is  held." 

— The  second  term  of  the  probate  court  was  The  only  business  transacted  at  this  second 

a.     See  Note,  Subd.   2,  of  this  chapter,   Sec.  4.  ^^™   ^^  *^^^   P^°'^^^e   ^^^^^^  ^^^^  the   appoint- 

See  also  C?hap.  11,  Subd.  1,  Sec.  3.  ment    of   Samuel    Garwood    as    administrator 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


201 


of  the  estate  of  Pricillia  Garwood,  and  the  or- 
dering- of  a  citation  to  require  John  D.  Lasly 
to  file  a  sale  bill  and  make  settlement  of  the 
estate  of  Basile  Prnnie. 

At  the  February  term,  1834,  Elisha  Eg- 
bert appeared  as  judge  of  the  probate  court. 
Judge  Eg-bert  continued  to  preside  until  the 
November  term,  1838,  when  John  J.  Deming 
succeeded  to  the  office.  In  1846  Edward  F. 
Dibble  became  judge,  and  in  1848  Judge  Eg- 
bert came  upon  the  bench  for  the  second 
time  and  served  until  the  court  was  abolished 
under  the  constitution  of  1851.  The  last  en- 
try in  the  probate  records  reads :  ' '  And  court 
adjourns  sine  die.  Signed  August  25th, 
1852.     Elisha  Egbert,  Probate  Judge." 

IV.      THE  COURT  OF  COMMON  PLEAS. 

Sec.  1. — Organization. — The  seventh  arti- 
cle of  the  constitution  of  1851,  as  originally 
adopted,  provided  that  "The  judicial  power 
of  the  state  shall  be  vested  in  a  supreme  court, 
in  circuit  courts,  and  in  such  inferior  courts 
as  the  general  assembly  may  establish." 
Under  the  power  so  granted  the  legislature, 
by  an  act  approved  May  14,  1852,*  provided 
for  a  court  of  common  pleas,  to  consist  of 
one  judge,  elected  by  the  voters  of  the  proper 
district,  M-ho  should  hold  his  office  for  four 
years. ' ' 

This  court  was  given  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
old  probate  court,  with  certain  additional 
civil  and  criminal  jurisdictimi,  inferior  to  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  circuit  court.  It  was  the 
old  probate  court  greatly  improved,  and  with 
its  powers  and  usefulness  much  enlarged. 

By  an  act  approved  June  11,  1852,*  pro- 
vision was  made  for  the  election  of  a  district 
attorney  in  every  common  pleas  district.  The 
duties  of  this  officer  in  the  court  of  common 
pleas  were  quite  similar  to  those  of  the  prose- 
cuting attorney  in  the  circuit  coui^:,  except 
that  his  jurisdiction,  like  that  of  the  common 

a.  2  11.  S.,  1852;  pp.  16-23;  2  Gavin  and  Hord, 
pp.  19-30.  See  also  Acts,  1853,  p.  38;  Acts,  1857, 
p.  33;   Acts,  1859,  p.  91. 

b.  2  R.  S.,  1852;  pp.  385-386;  2  Gavin  and  Hord, 
pp.  429-431.     And  see  Acts,  1861,  sp.,  p.  39. 


pleas  judge,  was  in  general  limited  to  prose- 
cutions for  misdemeanors.  As  in  case  of  the 
oid  probate  court,  appeals  might  be  taken 
from  the  court  of  common  pleas  either  to  the 
circuit  court  or  to  the  supreme  court.  Ap- 
peals from  justices  of  the  peace  might  be 
taken  to  the  court  of  (fommon  pleas  or  to  the 
circuit  court.  There  were  four  terms  of 
court  each  year.  At  first  these  terms  were 
fixed  for  the  first  Monday  of  January  in  each 
year,  and  for  the  first  Monday  of  every  third 
month  thereafter.  The  length  of  each  term 
was  made  to  depend  upon  the  population  of 
the  county,  varying  from  one  to  three  weeks. 
The  clerk,  however,  in  the  absence  of  the 
judge,  was,  for  many  purposes,  required  to 
keep  the  court  open  "on  every  judicial  day 
of  the  year.""- 

As  the  common  pleas  districts  were  at  first 
arranged,  the  counties  of  St.  Joseph,  Marshall 
and  Starke  formed  one  district.^  But,  by  an 
act  approved  March  5,  1859,  Laporte,  Mar- 
shall, St.  Joseph  and  Elkhart  were  formed 
into  one  common  pleas  district;  while  in  the 
act  numbering  the  several  common  pleas  dis- 
tricts, approved  March  11,  1861,  the  district 
composed  of  the  counties  of  Laporte,  Mar- 
shall, St.  Joseph  and  Elkhart  was  named  the 
seventeenth  common  pleas  district.^ 
Sec.  2. — The  Court  in  St.  Joseph  County. 
— The  court  of  common  pleas  of  St.  Joseph 
county  held  its  first  session  beginning  on  the 
first  Monday  of  January,  1853.  Although  the 
court  was  in  effect  a  continuation  of  the  old 
probate  court  under  the  constitution  of  1816, 
yet  there  were  two  sides  to  the  court,  law  and 
probate.  Separate  records  were  kept,  all 
civil  and  criminal  business  being  transacted 
on  the  law  side;  while  on  the  probate  side 
were  considered  chiefly  matters  relating  to 
the  settlement  of  estates  and  guardianships. 

a.     2  R.  S.,  1852,  p.  16. 

h.     lb. 

c.  Acts,  1859,  p.  92;  2  Gavin  and  Hord,  p.  20; 
Acts,  1861,  p.  53;  2  Gavin  and  Hord,  pp.  653,  654. 
And  see  Acts,  1859,  p.  84;  1  Gavin  and  Hord,  pp. 
277-281;    Acts,  1869,  p.  55;   Davis'  Sup.  1,  206. 


202 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


The  first  entry  on  the  probate  side  reads  as 
follows : 

"Be  it  remembered,  that  at  a  term  of  the 
court  of  common  pleas  of  St.  Joseph  county 
and  state  of  Indiana,  established  according 
to  law,  begun  and  held  at  the  court  house  in 
the  town  of  South  Bend  in  the  county  of 
St.  Joseph,  in  the  state  of  Indiana,  on  Mon- 
day, the  third  day  of  January,  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
fifty-three,  and  before  the  Hon.  Elisha  Eg- 
bert, judge  of  the  district  composed  of  the 
counties  of  St.  Joseph,  Marshall  and  Starke 
and  ex  officio  judge  of  the  said  court  of  com- 
mon pleas  of  St.  Joseph  county;  and  also 
present  Samuel  M.  Chord,  clerk  of  the  court 
of  common  pleas  of  St.  Joseph  county ;  and 
also  present  Benjamin  F.  Miller,  sheriff  of 
said  county.  And  at  the  hour  of  one  o'clock 
P.  M.,  on  said  day,'  said  court  was  opened  in 
due  form  of  law.  Thereupon  it  was  ordered 
by  the  court  that  the  commissions  of  said 
judge,  clerk  and  sheriff  of  said  court  be  en- 
tered of  record  on  the  order  book  of  said 
court. ' ' 

This  term  la.sted  for  three  days  and  but 
little    business    was    done. 

In  vacation  of  court,  on  January  13,  1853, 
the  judge  and  clerk,  -as  required  by  the  act 
of  May  14,  1852,  organizing  the  court,  "pro- 
ceeded agreeable  to  law  to  devise  and  adopt 
a  seal  to  be  used  for  said  court,  and  it  is  de- 
scribed as  follows :  Said  seal  is  about  one 
and  three-quarters  inch  in  diameter,  with 
two  circles  on  the  outer  edge,  between  which 
are  the  following  words  in  capitals,  to-wit : 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  St.  Joseph  County. 
In  the  inner  circle  or  center  of  said  seal  is 
the  following  design,  to-wit :  A  female  with 
a  spear  and  a  pair  of  scales,  with  the  word 
Indiana  immediately  over  her  head." 

An  impression  of  the  seal  of  the  probate 
court  is  made  upon  the  margin  of  the  record. 

There  were  only  three  judges  of  the  St. 
Joseph  court  of  common  pleas,  Elisha  Egbert, 
who  held  the  office  until  his  death,  in  1870 ; 
Edward  J.  Wood,  who  held  until  the  Janu- 


ary term,  1873,  and  Daniel  Noyes,  who  was 
elected  in  1872  and  held  the  office  until  the 
court  was  abolished  by  the  act  of  March  6, 
1873. 

The  district  attorneys  during  the  existence 
of  the  common  pleas  court  of  St.  Joseph 
county  were :  In  1853,  Horace  Corbin ;  in 
1854,  James  L.  Foster,  and  Edward  F.  Dib- 
ble ;  in  1855,  Joseph  Henderson ;  in  1857, 
Andrew  Anderson,  Jr.;  in  1858,  Reuben  L. 
Farnsworth;  in  1859,  Amasa  Johnson;  in 
1861,  James  Davis;  in  1861-2,  Charles  P. 
Jacobs;  in  1863,  William  Andrew;  in  1869, 
Joseph  D.  Arnold;  in  1872,  William  B.  Hess, 
and  in  1873,  George  Ford. 

v.   A  CELEBRATED  CASE. 

Sec.  1. — Slavery,  as  Known  in  Indiana. 
— Very  many  important  cases  affecting  the 
rights  of  the  people  in  their  persons  and  prop- 
erty were  passed  upon  from  time  to  time  b\ 
the  three  courts  of  St.  Joseph  county.  To 
some  of  them  reference  has  been  made  in  the 
preceding  pages.  No  case,  however,  has  at 
any  time  been  tried  in  our  courts  which 
roused  the  people  to  a  higher  pitch  of  inter- 
est at  the  time,  or  was  productive  of  more 
la.sting  results  upon  the  community,  not  only 
of  this  county,  but  of  all  northern  Indiana, 
than  the  fugitive  slave  case  that  came  before 
Judge  Egbert  in  the  old  probate  court  in 
1849.  The  conflict  in  relation  to  slavery  was 
growing  warmer  year  by  year  over  the  whole 
country,  and  nowhere  more  so,  perhaps,  than 
in  this  state.  Indiana,  as  we  have  seen,  had 
originally  been  slave  territory.  The  ordinance 
of  1787  for  the  government  of  the  northwest 
had  declared  that  ' '  There  shall  be  neither 
slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  in  said  ter- 
ritory," and  this  prohibition  was  repeated  in 
both  our  constitutions.  But  though  prohib- 
ited by  law,  slavery  did  exist  in  fact.  Even 
as  late  as  1840,  as  we  have  seen,  the  existence 
of  slaves  in  Indiana  is  shown  in  the  United 
States  census.  From  the  first  settlement  the 
question  was  a  burning  one  in  our  common- 
wealth,   and    this    fire    was    destined    to    be 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


203 


(|iieuehed  only  by  the  blood  of  the  people 
in  the  great  civil  war. 

But  to  the  jieople  of  St.  Joseph  county  in 
the  year  1849  the  existence  of  slavery  seemed 
a  thing"  afar  off.  The  great  body  of  our  citi- 
;^ens  knew  of  the  institution  only  as  some- 
thing, as  it  were,  in  a  distant  land,  something 
of  which  they  had  read  or  heard  people  talk. 
They  had  not  as  yet  come  in  contact  with  it ; 
it  was  a  thing  quite  removed  from  their 
daily  life.  Railroad  communication,  which 
now  brings  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  land 
so  close  to  one  another,  was  then  unknown. 
Kentucky  was  not  nearer  to  us  than  Califor- 
nia or  Oregon  is  now.  Neither  was  the  con- 
dition of  slavery  aired  among  the  people  by 
any  national  uplifting  of  the  subject  that 
set  the  real  nature  of  the  institution  before 
their  eyes,  or  called  upon  them  to  take  ac- 
tion in  regard  to  it.  The  compromise  meas- 
ures of  Henry  Clay  had  not  yet  been  passed, 
nor  had  the  fugitive  slave  law  been  enacted. 
The  slavery  dispute  was  as  yet  smoldering, 
and  had  not  burst  into  flame.  Such  was  the 
condition  of  the  public  mind  of  the  people 
of  St.  Joseph  county  upon  the  subject  of 
slavery  when  a  most  remai-kable  object  lesson 
was  brought  before  them.  The  slave  and  his 
master  were  found  pleading  the  great  issue 
in  our  simple  probate  court." 

Sec.  2.  Our  Slave  Case. — John  Norris, 
residing  south  of  the  Ohio  river,  a  little  be- 
low the  town  of  Lawrenceburg,  Indiana, 
claimed  to  own  as  slaves  a  family  consisting 
of  David  Powell,  his  wife  Lucy,  and  their 
four  children,  Lewis,  Samuel,  George  and 
James.  The  family  was  allowed  to  cultivate 
a  plat  of  ground  and  sell  the  produce  where 
they  pleased;  and  David  and  his  boys  often 
crossed  the  river  to  Lawrenceburg  to  make 
sale    of    their    crops.      During   the    night    of 

a.  The  St.  Joseph  County  Fugitive  Slave  case 
was  fully  treated  in  a  paper  prepared  for  a  His- 
tory of  St.  Joseph  County,  published  in  1880  by 
Chapman  &  Co..  of  Chicago.  The  writer  shows 
himself  to  have  been  familiar  with  the  facts,  but 
does  not  give  his  name.  We  have  somewhat 
abbreviated  the  narrative.  Chapman,  Hist.  St. 
Joseph   County,    pp.    618-626. 


Saturday,  October  9,  1847,  the  whole  family 
disappeared  from  Kentucky.  The  alarm  was 
given  next  morning  and  several  persons 
started  in'  pursuit.  Norris  and  his  party 
hunted  through  southern  Indiana  for  two 
months  without  success,  though  they  fouml 
in  several  places  articles  belonging  to  the 
fugitives. 

Two  years  afterwards,  in  September,  1849, 
Norris  started  north  with  eight  men,  and  at 
midnight  on  the  27th  of  that  month,  they 
l)roke  into  the  house  occupied  by  the  Powells, 
about  eight  miles  from  Cassopolis,  Michigan. 
The  house  was  in  the  woods,  about  half  a 
mile  from  any  other  dwelling;  and  David 
Powell  and  his  son  Samuel  were  at  the  time 
absent  from  home.  Norris  and  his  party  com- 
pelled the  mother  and  her  three  children 
to  rise  from  their  beds  and  go  with  them ; 
and,  hurrying  them  off  to  their  covered  wag- 
ons, they  started  for  Kentucky.  A  guard  was 
left  at  the  house  to  prevent  the  other  in- 
mates from  giving  the  alarm.  After  a  short 
time,  however,  the  news  spread  and  pursuit 
commenced.  A  neighbor,  Wright  Maudlin, 
overtook  Norris  and  his  party  about  noon 
next  day  near  South  Bend,  Indiana,  thirty 
miles  from  where  they  had  started.  JNIr. 
Maudlin  immediately  applied  to  Edwin  B. 
Crocker,  an  attorney  of  South  Bend,  stat- 
ing what  he  knew  of  the  circumstances,  that 
he  had  no  doubt  the  Powells  were  free  peo- 
ple, that  he  had  known  them  as  quiet  and 
industrious  persons,  and  never  heard  any 
intimation  that  they  were  slaves;  that  they 
had  purchased  a  small  tract  of  land,  on 
which  they  resided  at  the  time  of  their  ab- 
duction, and  that  they  were  laboring  hard 
to  pay  for  it. 

A  petition  for  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  was 
drawn  up,  and  signed  and  sworn  to  by  INIr. 
Maudlin,  averring  that  Mrs.  Powell  and  her 
son  Lewis  were  deprived  of  their  liberty  by 
some  person  whose  name  was  unknown,  un- 
der pretense  that  they  were  fugitive  slaves; 
and  averring  that  he  verily  believed  they 
sheriff,  for  service.    Mr.  Day  called  upon  sev- 


204 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


were  free  persons.  On  this  petition  the  Hon. 
Elisha  Egbert,  probate  judge,  ordered  a 
writ  of  habeas  corpus  to  i&sue.  The  writ 
was  placed  in  hands  of  Eussell  Day,  deputy 
eral  citizens  to  accompany  him  in  serving 
the  writ.  In  the  meantime,  the  report  hav- 
ing spread  that  a  party  of  kidnappers  with 
their  captives  were  in  the  vicinity,  the  whole 
community  was  aroused,  and  the  people,  in 
a  state  of  excitement,  ran  about  anxiously 
inquiring  into  the  matter.  The  deputy  sher- 
iff overtook  Norris  and  his  captives  about  a 
mile  south  of  the  town,  where  he  had  stopped 
in  the  woods  to  feed  his  horses.  His  party 
was  well  armed  and  made  quite  a  display 
of  their  weapons,  and  at  firet  evinced  a  dis- 
position to  resist  all  legal  proceedings.  The 
writ,  however,  was  served  by  reading;  and 
after  a  parley  in  which  the  deputy  insisted 
that  Norris  and  his  party  would  not  be  al- 
lowed to  proceed  without  a  fair  trial  of  his 
claims,  he  at  last  agreed  to  go  back  to  town 
and  proceed  to  trial  on  the  writ  of  habeas 
corpus.  By  this  time  thirty  or  forty  persons 
had  arrived  from  town,  two  of  them  with 
guns;  but  no  attempt  was  made  to  do  vio- 
lence to  the  kidnappers;  and  Norris  and  his 
party  drove  back  to  town,  followed  by  the 
deputy  sheriff  and  the  people.  Meanwhile 
another  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  for  all  four 
of  the  captives,  was  sued  out,  and  directed 
to  Mr.  Norris,  whose  name  had  now  been 
learned.  The  first  writ  was  dismissed.  At 
the  request  of  Norris,  the  deputy  sheriff  took 
the  custody  of  the  captives  until  Norris  could 
procure  counsel.  In  a  short  time  he  secured 
the  ser\aces  of  Mr.  Liston  and  ]\Ir.  Stanfield, 
to  conduct  his  defense.  Mr.  Crocker  and  ^Ir. 
Deavitt  appeared  for  the  captives. 

The  fugitive  slave  law  not  then  being  on 
the  statute  book,  the  only  law  under  wiiich 
Norris  could  hold  his  captives  was  an  old 
statute  of  1793,  not  having  any  particular 
reference  to  the  recovery  of  runaway  slaves, 
but  intended,  in  general,  for  the  arrest  of 
persons  who  had  violated  law  in  one  state  and 
then    fled    to    another.      It    was    contended 


against  Norris  that  he  had  not  complied  with 
the  terms  of  this  statute,  and  therefore  had 
no  standing  in  court  to  hold  his  captives. 
In  his  favor  it  was  contended  that  he  had  a 
right  to  arrest  his  slaves  wherever  he  found 
them.  No  authority  was  introduced  to  sus- 
tain this  contention;  and  Judge  Egbert, 
after  a  full  and  candid  hearing,  ordered  the 
Powells  to  be  discharged. 

The  court  w^as  crowded  with  an  anxious 
audience,  listening  to  the  argument  of  coun- 
sel and  awaiting  the  decision  of  the  court. 
Everything  had  been  conducted  with  order 
and  propriety,  and  no  one  anticipated  the 
scene  that  followed  the  decision  of  the  court. 
The  judge  spoke  in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  so 
that  but  few  had  heard  him.  Mr.  Crocker, 
however,  stated  the  decision  in  a  voice  that 
all  could  hear.  Norris,  in  the  meantime,  had 
gathered  his  men  around  the  captives  seated 
within  the  bar;  and  the  moment  the  decision 
was  repeated  by  Mr.  Crocker  the  Norris  party 
seized  each  of  the  captives  with  one  hand, 
brandished  their  weapons  with  the  other  and 
threatened  to  shoot  the  first  man  that  inter- 
fered. This  action  took  place  before  adjourn- 
ment of  court  and  while  the  judge  was  still 
sitting  on  the  bench.  Up  to  that  time  every- 
thing had  been  quiet  among  those  gathered 
in  the  court  room ;  but  upon  this  display  of 
force  the  people  rose  to  their  feet  in  a  state 
of  excitement.  Some  ran  out  to  spread  the 
alarm  through  the  town ;  others  crowded 
around  the  Norris  party  and  their  captives, 
calling  upon  them  to  put  up  their  arms. 
Notwithstanding  their  excitement  the  citizens 
made  no  attempt  to  rescue  the  captives  by 
force.  At  length  the  Norris  party  put  up 
their  arms,  the  excitement  subsided,  and  the 
sheriff,  at  the  request  of  Norris,  locked  up 
the  captives  for  safe  keeping. 

This  was  on  Friday.  During  that  evening 
and  the  next  day  several  warrants  were  is- 
sued against  Norris  and  his  men  for  assault 
and  battery,  and  one  for  riot,  based  upon 
their  violent  proceedings  in  the  courthouse. 
Saturday  was  occupied  in  trying  these  cases; 


HISTORY   OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.                                     205 

and   ill   the   riot   case   Norris   and   his   party  sons    who    had    prevented    him    from    taking 

voluntarily  gave  bail  to  appear  in  the  circuit  them  back. 

court,  which  was  to  begin  its  session  the  On  jMonday  morning,  accordingly,  when 
next  Monday  morning.  Two  suits  were  also  the  habeas  corpus  case  came  on  for  trial, 
begiin  by  the  Powells  against  Norris  and  his  Norris  refused  to  appear,  saying  that  he  did 
men,  for  trespass  and  false  imprisonment;  not  want  the  negroes;  but  would  make  the 
and  they  were  held  to  bail  in  the  sum  of  one  citizens  pay  for  them,  which  suited  him  bet- 
thousand  dollars  in  each  suit.  On  Saturday  ter.  The  sheriff,  in  his  return,  stated  that 
evening  another  writ  of  habeas  corpus  was  he  held  the  captives  as  the  agent  of  Norris, 
issued  against  Norris,  charging  him  with  hav-  under  the  state  writ,  which  was  set  out  in 
ing  placed  the  captives  in  jail,  returnable  full.  A  replication  to  this  return  was  filed, 
also  on  ]\Ionday  morning.  sworn  to  by  Lewis  Powell,  excepting  to  the 

There  was  at  this  time  an  extensive  negro  sufficiency  of  the  return,   and  alleging  that 

settlement  near  Cassopolis,  in  the  neighbor-  he  and  his  family  were  free  persons  and  not 

hood  where  the  Powells  had  been  found  by  slaves.     One  of  Norrk'  attorneys  was  pres- 

Norris    and   his    men.      As   soon    as    it   was  ent  at  the  trial,  but  refused  to  appear  for 

known  that  Powell's  wife  and  children  had  him.     The  case  of  Prigg  vs.  PenUvsylvania,  16 

been  captured,  large  parties  of  these  people,  Petere',  in  which  the  supreme  court  of  the 

themselves  almost  all  fugitive  slaves,  started  United  States  declared  that  all  laws  passed  by 

to    rescue   their   friends.      It   was   not    until  the  states  in  relation  to  fugitives  from  labor 

Saturday  that  they  learned  definitely  the  di-  are  unconstitutional,  was  read  to  the  court, 

rection  the  captors  had  taken.     During  Sat-  and  several  witnesses  were  examined  in  rela- 

urday  and   Sunday  great  numbers  of  these  tion  to  the  facts  of  the  case.    The  court,  after 

negroes  arrived  in  South  Bend,  many  of  them  a   full  and   fair  hearing,  again  ordered  the 

armed    and   all   of   them   in    a   highly   exas-  captives  to  be  discharged.    The  negro  friends 

perated    state    of    min^,    though    conducting  and  neighbors  of  the  captives  now  came  for- 

themselves  with  coolness  and  moderation.  ward,  conducted  them  out  of  the  courthouse 

On  Saturday,  a  citizen  of  ^Michigan  made  to  a  wagon  and  quietly  drove  off  to  their 
affidavit  before  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  South  home  in  Michigan.  On  the  bridge^  as  they 
Bend  that  Norris  and  his  party  had  been  crossed  the  St.  Joseph,  they  halted  and  gave 
guilty  of  kidnapping  in  Michigan,  and  had  hearty  cheers.  They  then  rode  on,  singing 
fled  from  that  state  to  Indiana.  On  this  affi-  their  songs  of  freedom  and  rejoicing  over  the 
davit  a  writ  was  issued,  but  not  served;  for  fortunate  escape  of  their  friends.  The  prose- 
it  afterwards  became  apparent  that  Norris  cutions  against  Norris  and  his  party  were 
and  his  men  would  be  pleased  to  be  arrested  now  dropped,  and  in  a  few  days  they  also 
so  as  to  give  that  as  an  excuse  for  not  ap-  quietly  departed  for  their  homes.  Thus 
pearing  in  court  on  Monday  morning  to  ended  one  of  the  most  exciting  episodes  that 
answer  in  the  habeas  corpus  case.  ever  took  place  in  northern  Indiana. 

On   Sunday   morning  Norris,   after  a  con-  Norris   afterwards  made   his  threat   good; 

sultation  with  his  attorneys,  became  satisfied  and  brought  suit  in  the  United  States  circuit 

that  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  take  court  for  the  district  of  Indiana,  to  recover 

his  captives  out  of  tlie  county,  in  the  face  of  damages  against  Leander  B.  Newton,  George 

the    great   number    of    armed   negroes   from  W.  Horton,  Edwin  B.  Crocker,  Solomon  W. 

Michigan.     He  therefore  made  up  his  mind  Palmer,  David  Jodon,  William  Willming-ton, 

to  abandon  all  present  legal  proceedings;  and  Lot  Day,  Jr.,  Amable  La  Pierre  and  Wright 

determined  instead  to  bring  suits  for  damages  IMaudlin,   who   had   befriended   the   negroes. 

for  the  value  of  the  negroes  against  the  per-  The  pleadings  were   passed  upon  by  Judge 


206 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Huntington,  then  on  the  bench,  who  ruled 
for  the  claimant.  The  case  was  afterwards 
tried  before  Judge  McLean.  In  his  charge 
to  the  jury,  the  judge  favored  the  claim; 
Avhich  was,  for  Lucy,  forty  years  of  age, 
five  hundred  dollars ;  for  Lewis,  twenty  years 
of  age,  eight  hundred  dollars;  for  George, 
sixteen  years  of  age,  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars;  for  James,  fourteen  years  of  age, 
seven  hundred  dollars;  and  for  claimant's 
expenses,  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  dollars 
and  eighty  cents.  The  jury  allowed  the 
claims,  substantially  a,s  made,  the  verdict,  in 
the  aggregate,  being  for  two  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  fifty-six  dollars.  During  the 
years  1850  and  1851,  twelve  additional  suits 
were  brought  against  fifteen  defendants  for 
five  hundred  dollars'  penalty  each,  for  vio- 
lation of  the  statute  of  1793.  Twenty-five 
other  suits  were  threatened,  if  these  should 
prove  successful.  These  penalty  suits  were, 
however,  decided  in  favor  of  the  defendants, 
and  the  litigation  came  to  an  end.  Such,  in 
brief,  was  the  most  famoiLS  case  ever  liti- 
gated before  the  courts  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
and  by  St.  Joseph  county  lawyers. 

VI.      THE  COUNTY  BUILDINGS. 

On  Tuesday,  November  1,  1831,  the  board 
of  county  commissioners,  then  consisting  of 
Aaron  Stanton,  David  Miller  and  Joseph 
Rohrer,  being  in  session  at  the  house  of 
Alexis  Coquillard,  on  the  second  day  of  the 
November  term  of  the  board  for  that  year, 
took  the  first  step  for  the  erection  of  build- 
ings in  which  the  biLsiness  of  the  new  county 
could  more  conveniently  be  carried  on.  The 
order  of  the  board  made  on  tha.t  day  in  rela- 
tion to  the  matter  is  as  follows: 

Sec.  1. — The  First  County  Jail. — "Or- 
dered by  the  board  aforesaid,  that  the  county 
agent  be  required  to  sell  out  to  the  lowest 
bidder,  on  the  eighth  of  this  month,  at  the 
hour  of  one  o'clock  on  said  day,  the  building 
of  a  county  jail,  of  the  following  dimensions, 
to-wit :  The  jail  to  be  thirty  feet  long  and 
sixteen    feet    wide,    with    a    partition    wall 


through  the  center  of  the  building;  all  the 
timber  of  the  walls  to  be  of  good  white  oak 
timber,  and  to  be  hewed  at  least  one  foot 
square;  as  also  both  the  under  and  upper 
floor  to  be  of  like  timber,  of  one  foot  square ; 
the  foundations  of  the  building  to  be  laid  one 
foot  .and  a  half  below  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  and  to  be  raised  six  inches  above 
the  ground;  the  sills  to  be  fifteen  inches 
wide,  and  the  log's  for  the  floor  to  be  let  in 
on  the  silk  six  inches,  and  the  logs  to  be 
rabbeted  out  that  go  on  the  top  of  the  floor 
and  let  down  over  so  as  to  completely  cover 
the  ends  of  the  logs  and  prevent  the  floor 
from  being  raised;  the  building  to  be  raised 
with  a  half  dovetailed  notch,  in  each  of  the 
corners  as  well  as  the  partition  wall;  the 
story  to  be  eight  feet  between  the  "under  and 
the  upper  floor;  the  upper  floor  to  be  the 
ends  of  tlie  logs  cut  off  about  six  inches  at 
each  end,  and  the  under  side  of  the  ends 
to  be  cut  out  or  blocked  off  about  four  inches 
and  let  down  on  the  logs,  so  as  to  prevent 
them  from  slipping  out;  the  plates  to  be 
rabbeted  out  over  the  ends  of  the  floor  logs 
and  onto  them ;  the  roof  to  be  put  on  with 
good  white  oak  rafters,  covered  with  good 
sheathing  and  good  joint  pine  shingles;  the 
gable  ends  to  be  done  up  with  good  poplar 
weather  boarding;  the  corners  of  the  build- 
ing to  be  raised  up  plumb,  and  the  comers 
to  be  sawed  dowm  smooth;  the  outside  door 
to  be  cut  out  one  foot  from  the  partition 
wall,  and  to  be  two  feet  wide  and  four  feet 
high  in  the  clear  when  finished.  There  shall 
be  an  iron  rod  run  up  through  the  ends, 
or  a  foot  from  the  ends,  of  the  logs  on  the 
side  of  the  door  opposite  the  partition  wall, 
of  one  inch  bolt,  and  to  extend  six  inches 
into  the  log  below  those  cut  out,  and  six 
inches  up  into  the  log  above  those  cut  out, 
and  running  through  the  same.  The  door 
shall  be  made  of  white  oak  plank  of  two 
inches  thick,  and  be  made  double  with  said 
planks;  the  door  shall  be  hung  on  three 
strap  hinges,  the  straps  to  be  three  inches 
broad  and  half  an  inch  thick;    and  the  door 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


207 


shall  also  be  lined  with  iron  straps,  to  be  put 
on  within  four  inches  of  each  other,  and  on 
each  .side  of  the  door;  and  said  straps,  as 
well  as  the  hinges,  shall  all  be  riveted  through 
the  door  within  four  inches  of  each  other; 
the  straps,  other  than  the  hingas,  shall  be  at 
least  one-eig-hth  of  an  inch  thick;  the  door 
to  be  hung  on  hooks  to  be  in  proportional 
size  to  the  straps,  and  two  of  the  hooks  to 
be  set  upwards  and  one  turned  downwards; 
the  lock  of  the  door  to  be  set  in  the  inside 
by  the  contractor;  the  lock  t-o  be  furnished 
by  the  agent ;  the  hooks  on  which  the 
door  is  hung-  to  be  entered  into  the  timber 
well ;  and  the  cheeks  of  said  door  shall  be 
lined  with  grood  white  oak  plank,  one  and  a 
half  inch  thick,  to  be  well  spiked  on.  There 
shall  also  be  another  door  made  in  the  center 
of  the  partition  wall,  to  be  two  feet  wide  and 
four  feet  high  in  the  clear  of  said  door  after 
being-  finished ;  the  cheeks  of  said  door  shall 
'be  faced  with  good  oak  plank,  one  and  a  half 
inch  thick  and  well  pinned  on ;  the  door 
shall  be  made  of  two  inch  white  oak  plank ; 
the  door  shall  be  hung-  on  two  strap  hinges, 
to  extend  across  the  door  and  hang-  on  two 
sufficient  hooks  driven  into  the  wall;  the 
whole  of  the  door  to  be  driven  with  spikes 
within  four  inches  of  each  other;  the  con- 
tractor shall  put  the  lock  on  furnished  by 
the 'agent.  There  shall  be  a  window  cut  out 
in  each  end  of  the  house,  two  feet  wide  and 
one  foot  high ;  and  there  shall  be  bars  of 
iron  in  each  of  said  windows,  of  one  and  a 
quarter  inch  square,  and  sihall  be  placed  up 
and  down  in  the  windows  within  two  inches 
of  each  other,  and  the  ends  of  said  bai^s 
shall  be  sunk  in  the  lower  and  upper  logs 
at  least  three  inches. 

"And  the  jail  shall  be  put  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  the  public  square  in  the  town 
of  South  Bend,  and  shall  set  lengthways 
north  and  south  on  the  line  of  said  lot,  and 
the  door  shall  be  on  the  east  side  of  said 
house.  The  undertaker  shall  be  required  to 
g:ive  bond  and  security  to  be  approved  of 
by  the  agent,  in  the  penal  sum  of  one  thou- 


sand dollars.  The  contract  to  be  completed 
by  the  last  Monday  in  April  next  ensuing 
the  date  hereof.  The  contractor  will  be  en- 
titled to  receive  a  county  order  on  the  county 
treasury  as  soon  as  the  contract  is  completed 
for  the  building  of  said  jail.  All  the  work 
to  be  done  in  a  good,  workmanlike  and  sub- 
stantial manner." 

Such  were  the  plans  and  specifications  for 
the  first  jail  of  St.  Joseph  county.  As  in 
many  other  cases,  since  and  before,  the  work 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  completed  ac- 
cording to  the  plans,  nor  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  county  commissioners.  This  will  ap- 
pear from  the  following-  record: 

"The  board  of  St.  Joseph  county  commis- 
sioners met  at  the  usual  place  of  meeting  on 
Saturday,  the  28th  day  of  April,  1832,  in 
the  town  of  South  Bend;  it  being  a  special 
meeting  of  said  board  to  receive  the  jail 
built  for  the  said  county.  Present,  David 
Miller  and  Joseph  Rohrer,  Esqr^. 

"The  commissioners,  after  a  full  examina- 
tion of  the  said  jail,  are  of  opinion  that  it 
was  not  finished  according  to  contract;  and 
by  an  agreement  with  the  said  Woods  &  Mc- 
Cormic  [the  contractors],  they  took  the  said 
jail  off  of  their  hands. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
Andrew  Woods  be  allowed  the  sum  of  two 
hundred  and  six  dollars  and  ninety  cents,  in 
full  for  his  half  in  building  a  jail  for  said 
county,  to  be  paid  out  of  the  first  money 
that  may  come  into  the  treasury  from  any 
donations  made  the  county  for  the  location 
of  the  county  seat. 

"Ordered  by  the  board  aforesaid,  that 
Denis  McCormic  be  allowed  the  sum  of  two 
hundred  and  six  dollars  and  ninety  cents, 
out  of  the  first  moneys  that  may  come  into 
the  county  treasury  from  any  donations  that 
have  been  made  to  said  county  for  the  loca- 
tion of  its  county  seat,  in  full  for  his  half  in 
building  a  jail  for  said  county." 

On  March  3,  1835,  the  board  entered  into 
contract  with  Peter  Johnson  to  add  a  second 
story  to  the  jail  for  six  hundred  and  twenty- 


208 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


five  dollars.  This  time  the  work  was  done 
according'  to  agreement  by  one  of  the  most 
competent  and  reliable  of  our  early  con- 
tractors. At  the  ensuing  September  term, 
September  9,  1835,  an  order  was  made  which 
has  a  strange  sound  at  the  present  day.  Or- 
lando Hurd,  then  one  of  the  county  commis- 
sioners, was  '"'authorized  and  empowered  to 
rent  or  let  out  the  two  upper  rooms  attached 
to  the  jail  of  said  county,  for  the  purpose  of 
having  the  .jail  and  other  property  belong- 
ing to  said  county  ^larded  and  taken  care 
of." 

Perhaps  this  primitive  wooden  jail,  its 
Avails  and  floors  of  white  oak  timber,  "hewn 
at  leaist  one  foot  square,"  held  its  inmates 
quite  as  securely  as  the  steel  cages  of  our 
modern  structure,  "the  best  jail  in  the  state," 
hold  the  incorrigibles  of  our  day.  If  the  of- 
ficer then  in  charge  was  as  competent  as  his 
successor  in  charge  to-day,  we  have  little 
doubt  that  our  first  jail  of  white  oak  was 
amply  sufficient  for  the  purpose. 

Sec.  2. — The  First  Court  House. — But  the 
new  county  needed  a  court  house  nearly  as 
much  as  it  did  a  jail.  At  the  January  term, 
1832,  the  board  of  commissioners  met  as  here- 
tofore at  the  house  of  Alexis  Coquillard ;  but 
"it  not  being  convenient  for  the  said  Coquil- 
lard to  furnish  them  a  room  in  his  house,  by 
request  of  the  said  Coquillard  the  commis- 
sioners adjourned  to  the  house  of  Calvin 
Lilly  in  the  town  of  South  Bend,  in  a  room 
provided  for  them  at  the  request  of  the  said 
Alexis  Coquillard."  The  need  of  a  perma- 
nent place  to  attend  to  the  public  business 
was  thus  forcibly  brought  to  the  attention 
of  the  board,  and  on  the  third  day  of  the  ses- 
sion-, Wednesday,  January  4,  1832,  the  fol- 
lowing entry  was  made  in  the  records  of  the 
board : 

"The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  court 
house  to  be  built  in  St.  Joseph  county: 

"The  court  house  shall  be  forty  feet  square, 
and  built  of  brick.  The  foundation  shall  be 
made  of  good,  durable  arch  brick,  and  sunk 
one   foot   below  the  surface  of  the   ground. 


And  the  said  wall  shall  be  raised  three  feet 
high  al)Ove  said  foundation,  shall  be  twenty- 
two  inches  in  thickness ;  and  there  shall  also 
be  a  foundation  wall  run  north  and  south 
through  said  building,  and  raised  so  high 
that  a  sill  of  eighteen  inches  square,  with 
the  joist  placed  on  said  wall,  shall  raise 
the  floor  of  the  first  story  only  three  feet 
from  the  foundation.  The  walls  of  the  first 
story  of  the  building  shall  be  raised  so  high 
as  to  leave  twelve  feet  between  the  first  floor 
a.nd  the  ceiling.  The  walls  of  the  first  story 
shall  be  laid  eighteen  inches  thick.  The 
walls  of  the  second  story  shall  be  raised  ten 
feet  above  the  second  floor,  and  be  made  thir- 
teen inches  thick.  There  shall  be  a  plate  of 
yellow  poplar  timber  of  thirteen  inches 
square  placed  on  the  top  of  the  wall  all 
around  said  building.  There  shall  be  four 
stacks  of  chimneys  carried  up  in  said  build- 
ing, one  in  each  corner  of  the  house;  and 
there  shall  be  a  fireplace  in  each  of  said 
chimneys  in  the  lower  story,  of  three  and 
one-half  feet  in  the  back  and  five  feet  in 
the  flare  or  front  of  the  jambs,  in  the  under 
room  of  each  of  said  chimneys,  except  the 
southeast  chimney,  which  may  be  three  feet 
in  the  back  and  four  feet  in  the  front.  And 
there  shall  be  also  a  fireplace  made  in  each 
of  said  chimneys  in  the  second  story  of  said 
building,  except  the  southeast;  and  said  fire- 
place shall  be  three  feet  in  the  clear  in  the 
back,  and  four  feet  in  the  flare  or  front  of 
said  fireplaces.  The  east  half  of  the  under 
room  shall  be  filled  up  with  earth  nearly  to 
top  of  the  aforementioned  sill,  and  then  laid 
over  with  good  hard  brick.  There  shall  be 
substantial  iron  bars  under  the  arch  of  each 
fireplace.  And  in  the  north  of  said  under 
room  there  shall  be  joists  placed  east  and 
Avest  across  in  said  sill  and  wall,  and  within 
two  feet  of  each  other,  of  good  white  oak 
timber;  and  they  shall  be  three  inches  thick 
and  fourteen  inches  wide,  and  placed  so  as 
the  floor  when  laid  shall  be  three  feet  from 
the  foundation.  The  floor  of  said  end  shall 
be  laid  of  white  oak  boards,  of  one  and  one- 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


209 


fourth  inch  thick  and  six  inches  wide.  There 
shall  be  four  air  holes  left  in  the  west  side 
of  said  building,  and  two  on  the  north  and 
two  on  the  south,  of  nine  inches  deep  and 
four  inches  wude,  to  let  the  air  in  under  the 
floor.  There  shall  be  two  columns  set  upon 
said  sill,  running  through  the  center  of  said 
building,  one  twelve  feet  from  the  north  side 
of  said  building  and  the  other  twelve  feet 
from  the  south  side.  The  said  columns  shall 
be  turned  by  a  bilection,  and  with  a  hand- 
some mold  at  each  end  of  the  same ;  and  there 
shall  also  be  a  hole  bored  through  the  center 
of  each  of  said  columns  with  a  common  pump 
auger.  There  shall  be  a  poplar  girder  of 
fourteen  inches  square  running  across  said 
building,  north  and  south,  and  placed  on 
said  columns;  and  the  joists  for  the  second 
floor  shall  be  laid  into  said  girder,  and  on 
the  walls,  east  and  west.  The  said  joists  shall 
be  three  inches  thick  and  fourteen  inches 
wide,  and  shall  be  placed  in  said  girder 
within  two  feet  of  each  other;  and  the  floor 
shall  be  made  and  laid  on  said  joists,  of 
poplar  boards  of  one  and  one-fourth  inch 
thick  and  six  inches  wide.  There  shall  be  a 
door  made  on  the  east  side,  and  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  house,  of  four  feet  wide,  and  shall 
have  a  transom  light  sash  above  the  door, 
and  to  be  made  to  correspond  with  the  height 
of  the  windov/s ;  and  also  a  door  of  the  same 
description,  to  be  placed  in  the  center  of  the 
north  side  of  the  building.  The  doors  shall 
be  made  of  eight  panels,  and  lined  and 
braced  on  the  inside  of  the  door.  Said  doors 
shall  be  three  inches  thick,  and  hung  on 
three  butts  sufficiently  strong,  and  have  each 
a  good  substantial  thumb  latch,  and  each  a 
twelve  inch  stock  lock  fixed  thereon.  There 
shall  be  thi-ee  twenty-four  light  windows,  of 
glass  ten  by  twelve,  on  the  west  side  of  th'e 
building,  to  be  placed  so  in  the  wall  of  the 
building  a.s  to  have  the  columns  between  the 
windows  on  each  side  even;  and  also  two 
windows  on  the  north  side  of  said  building, 
to  be  placed  half  way  between  the  corners 
of  the  building  and  the  door;    and  also  two 

14 


windows  in  the  east  side  of  the  house,  to  be 
placed  in  the  center  of  the  wall  between  the 
ends  of  the  house  and  door;  and  also  two 
windows  on  the  south  side  of  the  building,  to 
be  placed  in  the  wall  so  as  the  columns  shall 
be  of  a  width;  the  last  mentioned  windows 
to  be  all  of  the  same  description  as  the  first 
mentioned. 

"In  the  second  story,  there  shall  be  a  row 
of  studding  running  through  the  center  of 
the  building,  north  and  south,  for  a  parti- 
tion wall,  made  of  white  oak  studs  and  placed 
within  eighteen  inches  of  each  other.  And 
there  shall  be  another  partition  wall  running 
through  east  and  west  on  the  west  side  of  said 
building,  eighteen  feet  from  the  south  wall; 
and  also  there  shall  be  another  partition  wall 
of  studding  running  through  the  eastern  side 
of  said  building,  eighteen  feet  from  the  north 
wall,  of  studs  of  white  oak  as  aforesaid, 
within  eighteen  inches  of  each  other. 

"In  the  third  story,  there  shall  be  two 
poplar  or  oak  girders,  running  north  and 
south  across  said  building,  of  ten  by  twelve 
inches  square,  and  placed  in  the  center  of 
the  building  and  thirteen  feet  asunder,  to 
start  the  cupola  on;  and  there  shall  be  joists 
framed  into  said  girders,  within  eighteen 
inches  of  each  other,  of  three  inches  by  six. 
The  first  story  of  the  steeple  shall  be  five 
feet;  the  second  story,  or  the  octagonal  part, 
with  the  ogee  formed  dome,  twelve  feet,  with 
eight  Venetian  shutters,  six  feet  high.  The 
third  story,  or  the  spire  and  its  pedestal,  to 
be  fifteen  feet.  There  shall  be  a  wooden  ball, 
overlaid  with  gold  leaf,  placed  on  said  spire  at 
a  proper  place,  that  will  measure  two  and  one- 
half  feet  in  diameter;  and  there  shall  be 
also  a  wooden  fish  fixed  near  the  top  of  said 
spire,  overlaid  with  gold  leaf.  There  shall  be 
a  lightning  rod  fixed  at  or  near  the  top  of  the 
spire,  and  run  down  on  the  outside  of  the 
building  to  the  ground,  of  three-fourths  of 
an  inch  diameter. 

"The  building  shall  be  covered  with  a  hip 
roof,  drawn  from  each  corner,  and  covered 
with   good   joint   pine  shingles.     There  shall 


210 


HISTORY  OF  ST.  JOSEPH  COUNTY. 


be  a  cornice  put  on  each  side  of  the  bniklinp-, 
of  eighteen  inches  wide,  with  a  bed-mokl 
thereon,  and  to  have  tin  conductors  fixed 
thereunto  of  three  inches  diameter.  The  cor- 
nice is  to  be  put  up  witli  good  substantial 
screw  bolts  one-half  inch  square,  five  to  each 
cornice. 

''There  shall  be  three  windows  put  in  on 
the  north  side  of  said  building,  in  the  second 
story,  over  the  door  and  windows  in  the  lower 
story ;  and  on  the  west  side  of  said  building, 
two  windows,  to  be  placed  over  the  windows 
in  the  lower  story  nearest  the  corners  of 
the  building;  and  on  the  south  side  of  the 
building,  two  windows;  and  on  the  east 
side,  three  windows,  to  be  placed  parallel  over 
the  door  and  windows  below:  all  of  said 
windows  to  be  made  of  glass,  ten  by  twelve 
inches,  and  to  have  each  twenty-four  lights 
of  sash.  The  frames  are  to  have  parting 
strips,  and  the  sash  to  be  made  one  and  one- 
half  inch  thick,  and  to  be  made  with  lock 
rails. 

"There  shall  be  a  six  panel  door  made 
and  hung  in  each  room  in  the  second  story, 
to  be  hung  with  good  butts,  one  pair  to  a 
door,  and  a  good  wrought  thumb  latch  and 
stock  lock  for  each.  There  shall  be  an  open 
newell  staircase  run  up  from  the  lower  story 
to  the  second,  with  banisters  around  the 
head  of  the  staircase ;  likewise,  there  shall 
be  a  mill-step  staircase  run  up  from  the  sec- 
ond story,  up  into  the  cupola,  at  the  head 
of  which  there  is  to  be  a  trap  door. 

"All  the  aforesaid  rooms  and  inside  walls 
to  be  well  lathed  and  plastered,  except  the 
brick,  which  shall  not  be  lathed,  but  plastered 
only,  with  two  good  coats  of  lime  and  sand. 

"There  shall  be  Venetian  shutters  made 
and  hung  to  each  of  the  windows  in  said 
building.  The  shutter  blinds  shall  be  ten- 
anted into  the  stiles,  and  hung  on  good  strap 
hinges  put  on  with  screws ;  and  shutter  hold- 
ers shall  be  fixed  into  the  walls  to  hold  the 
shutters  open,  and  iron  bolts  for  the  same. 

"The  outside  of  the  Avails  of  said  building 
shall    be    painted    with    good    Venetian    red 


paint,  and  all  pencilled  otf  at  each  joint  with 
white  lead.  The  cornice  shall  be  all  painted 
with  three  coats,  with  white  lead  and  oil. 
The  window  shutters  shall  be  painted  green. 
The  dooi"s  shall  all  be  painted  with  a  ma- 
hogany color.  The  door  frames  shall  be  made 
the  width  of  the  walls ;  and  all  the  window 
and  door  frames  shall  be  well  painted  with 
two  coats  of  white  lead  and  oil ;  and  the 
sash  also.  The  glass  are  to  be  glazed  in  with 
good  putty.  The  doors  on  the  inside  are  to 
be   one   and   one-half  inch  thick. 

"There  shall  be  pieces  of  timber,  of  four 
inches  square  and  four  feet  long,  framed  on 
the  ends  of  the  principal  girders  and  joists, 
for  the  better  support  of  the  walls,  at  suit- 
able distances  from  the  corners.  There  shall 
be  scuppers  made  around  at  the  floor  of  the 
cupola,  to  let  the  water,  etc.,  out.  The  col- 
umns of  the  cupola  to  be  dressed  neatly,  eight 
square.  A  cornice  underneath  the  dome  to 
be  finished  in  a  neat  ajid  good  manner. 

"All  of  the  aforesaid  materials  for  said 
building  to  be  of  the  best  and  most  durable 
kind  that  the  country  affords;  and  all  and 
every  part  of  said  building  to  be  done,  fin- 
ished and  completed  in  good  style,  and  the 
best  AA'orkmanlike  and  most  substantial 
manner. 

"X.  B.  The  undertaker  to  furnish  every 
material  necessary  for  said  building.  There 
shall  be  washboards  placed  around  in  all  the 
aforesaid  rooms,  with  a  base  member. 
And  the  walls  of  the  aforesaid  building,  and 
the  roof,  windows  and  doors,  and  otherwise, 
well  closed  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  De- 
cember next :  and  the  remainder  of  said 
building  shall  be  fully  completed  on  or  be- 
fore the  first  of  December,  A.  D.  1833. 

"The  contractor  of  said  building  will  be 
paid  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars  on  the 
15th  of  May  next:  and  the  second  payment 
on  the  first  of  December  next,  which,  with 
the  five  hundred  dollars,  shall  amount  to  the 
third  of  the  amount  of  the  whole  contract. 
The  second  third  of  the  amount  of  the  con- 
tract will   be   paid   when  the  building  is  fin- 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


211 


ished,  and  the  la.st  payment  will  be  made 
May  20,  1834.  The  contractor  shall  be  re- 
quired to  give  bond  and  security  under  the 
penalty  of  five  thousand  dollare  for  the  per- 
formance of  the  contract. 

"The  county  agent  is  directed  to  give  no- 
tice in  the  Northwestern  Pioneer  that  he  will 
receive  sealed  proposals  at  South  Bend  be- 
tween the  hours  of  ten  and  two  o'clock  on 
Monday,  the  6th  day  of  February  next,  for 
to  enter  into  contract  for  building  of  the 
said  house,  and  that  the  contractor  name  his 
securities  in  his  proposals." 

As  required  by  the  foregoing  order,  there 
appeared  in  the  Northwestern  Pioneer  and 
St.  Joseph's  Intelligencer,  for  Wednesday, 
January  11,  18  and  25,  1832,  the  following 
notice : 

"A  Cash  Job. 

"Court-House  of  St.  Joseph  County. 

"Sealed  proposals  will  be  received  on  the 

6th  day  of  February  next  ensuing,  at  the 
house  of  Calvin  Lilly,  in  South  Bend,  be- 
tween the  hours  of  10  o'clock  A.  M.  and  2 
o'clock  P.  M.  for  building  a  COURT  HOUSE 
in  said  county.  The  time  of  the  payment,  a 
description  of  the  building,  etc.,  may  be  seen 
at  any  time,  at  the  Clerk's  Office,  by  any 
person  that  may  wish  to  see  them.  Security 
will  be  required  of  the  undertaker,  for  the 
faithful  performance  of  the  contract,  and 
such  security  must  be  named  in  the  proposals. 
"JOHN  EGBERT,  Agent. 

"South  Bend,  Ind.,'jan.  4,  1832." 

The  board  met  on  February  6,  1832,  to  re- 
ceive bids  on  the  court  house,  but  found  all 
proposals  unsatisfactory;  and  thereupon  ad- 
journed until  the  next  morning,  when  the 
following  record  was  made: 

"Tuesday,  February  the  7th,  the  board 
met  pursuant  to  adjournment.  Present 
Aaron  Stanton,  David  Miller  and  Joseph 
Ro'hrer.  And  they  enter  into  contract  with 
Peter  Johnson  for  building  of  a  court  house 
for  said  county;  which  contract  reads  in  the 
words  and  figures  following,  to-wit: 

' '  '  Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  That  we, 


Peter  Johnson,  Alexis  Coquillard,  L.  M.  Tay- 
lor, Pleasant  Harris,  and  Samuel  Martin,  all 
of  the  county  of  St.  Joseph  in  the  state  of 
Indiana,  are  held  and  firmly  bound  unto 
Aaron  Stanton,  David  JMiller  and  Joseph 
Rohrer,  a  board  doing  county  business  in  and 
for  the  county  of  St.  Joseph,  and  their  suc- 
cessors in  office,  in  the  penal  sum  of  six  thou- 
sand dollars,  law^ful  money  of  the  United 
States,  to  the  payment  whereof  well  and 
truly  to  be  made,  we  hereby  bind  ourselves 
and  our  representatives  firmly  by  these  pres- 
ents. Sealed  with  our  seals  and  dated  this 
seventh  day  of  February,  A.  D.  1832. 

"  'The  condition  of  the  above  obligation  is 
such  that  if  the  said  Peter  Johnson,  the  above 
bounden,  shall  well  and  truly  build  a  court 
house  in  and  for  the  said  county  of  St.  Jo- 
seph, of  the  following  description,  to-wit:'  " 
Then  follows  a  description  of  the  build- 
ing, slightly  changed  from  that  set  out  in 
the  order  of  the  board  made  five  weeks 
previously. 

The  court  house  w^as  formally  accepted 
from  the  contractor  for  partial  use,  at  the 
September  term,  1833 ;  but  was  not  finally 
completed,  accepted  and  paid  for  until  the 
year  1837.  In  September  of  that  year  a  con- 
tract was  entered  into  with  William  Keeley 
and  Samuel  C.  Rilss  to  build  a  clerk's  and 
recorder's  office,  forty  by  twenty,  by  way 
of  addition  to  the  court  house,  which  hail 
by  that  time  proved  to  be  too  small  for  the 
business  of  the  county. 

Sec.  3. — The  Second  County  Jail. — The 
primitive  log  jail,  completed  in  1835,  did 
not  long  satisfy  the  needs  of  the  county.  At 
the  September  term,  1844,  of  the  county 
commissioners,  the  board  ordered  a  new  jail 
built  of  brick,  in  accordance  with  plans  on 
file;  and  on  December  4,  1844,  the  building 
of  the  jail  was  let  to  Lot  Day  for  eighteen 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  On  December  4, 
1845,  this  second  jail  was  completed  and  ac-^ 
cepted  by  the  county  commissioners. 

These  primitive  county  buildings,  first  un- 
dertaken  in  the   early    '30 's,   in  the   infancy 


212 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


and  weak  financial  condition  of  the  county, 
were  made  to  do  service  for  nearly  thirty 
years.  After  1850,  however,  when  popula- 
tion and  wealth  had  increased,  when  the 
railroad  and  the  telegraph  were  here,  when 
"the  St.  Joseph  country"  had  become  a  land 
of  farms  and  prosperous  towns,  when  great 
cities  were  growing  up  to  the  west  and  the 
south,  and  all  this  throbbing  life  of  the  strong 
young  nation  was  coming  nearer  and  nearer 
to  us,  the  people  began  to  look  upon  the  good 
old  court  house,  "forty  feet  square,  and  built 
of  brick,"  and  even  to  the  modest  successor 
of  the  log  jail,  "thirty  feet  long  and  sixteen 
feet  wide,"  its  "walls  of  white  oak  timber, 
hewed  one  foot  square, ' '  as  quite  out  of  keep- 
ing with  the  attainments  and  prospects  of 
this  splendid  county  of  St.  Joseph  and  its 
enterprising  citizens. 

Sec.  4. — The  Second  Court  House. — At 
the  March  term,  1853,  of  the  board  of 
county  commissioners,  then  consisting  of  Gil- 
man  Toole,  Edwin  Pickett  and  John  Dru- 
liner,  an  advertisement  for  plans  for  a  new 
court  house,  with  astimates  of  cost,  was  or- 
dered published,  twenty-five  dollars  to  be 
paid  for  the  plan  adopted.  At  the  Sep- 
tember term  of  the  same  year,  John  Ham- 
mond having  then  taken  the  place  of  Mr. 
Pickett  on  the  board,  plans  were  adopted  and 
the  court  hoiLse  ordered  built.  Separate  con- 
tracts were  let.  At  the  December  term,  1853, 
the  contract  for  lumber  was  let  to  Henry 
and  J.  T.  Johnson;  and  for  timber  to  Wil- 
liam Crews.  At  the  March  term,  1854,  the 
contract  for  sash  and  doors  was  let  to  J. 
M.  Vanosdel.  At  the  same  term  the  most 
important  contract,  that  for  dressed  stone,  to 
be  the  "best  quality  Athens  stone,"  was  let, 
through  A.  B.  Ellsworth,  then  county  audi- 
tor, to  the  Illinois  Stone  and  Lime  Company, 
for  seven  thousand  six  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  to  be  paid  in 
monthly  estimates  as  delivered,  retaining  fif- 
teen per  cent  until  the  completion  of  the  con- 
tract. The  stone  was  to  be  delivered  so  that 
the  water  table  might  be  laid  by  May  first, 


1854;  remainder  as  needed,  subject  to  accep- 
tance of  Vanosdel  &  Olmstead,  architects 
and  superintendents.  At  the  September 
term,  1855,  the  various  offices  in  the  new 
court  house  were  assigned;  and  it  was  or- 
dered that  the  iLse  of  the  building  should  be 
confined  to  the  "courts,  county  officers  and 
political  meetings."  In  the  early  days,  the 
court  room  was  the  only  public  hall  in  the 
county;  and  of  necessity  it  was  used  for  al- 
most every  kind  of  a  gathering  of  the  people, 
public  or  private.  The  time  had  come,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  county  board,  to  restrict 
the  use  of  the  county  building  to  its  proper 
purposes, — the  only  leniency  granted  being  in 


OLD   COURT  HOUSE. 

favor  of  "political  meetings";  this,  too,  be- 
cause of  necessity.  At  the  June  term,  1860, 
the  floor  of  the  court  room  was  ordered 
"deadened,"  and  other  changes  made  for  the 
convenience  of  the  court.  (In  1906,  when  the 
first  stoiy  of  this  court  house  was  prepared 
for  the  u>se  of  the  Northern  Indiana  Histori- 
cal Society,  the  lower  set  of  joists  used  to 
"deaden"  the  sounds  below  from  reaching 
the  court  room  were  discovered  and  removed 
in  remodeling  the  room  for  the  use  of  the 
Historical  Society. ) 

The  new  court  house  was  placed  near  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  public  square,  facing 
east   on   Main   street.      The   building  Avas   a 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


213 


most  elegant  and  substantial  one,  and  was 
the  pride  of  the  people  of  the  county.  It 
was  thus  described  in  the  St.  Joseph  Valley 
Register,  of  April  27.  1854: 

"In  size  the  new  court  house  is  sixty-one 
and  a  half  by  ninety-one  and  a  half  feet, 
including  the  portico;  two  stories  high,  the 
lower  one  twelve  and  one-half  in  height  clear 
of  the  joists,  and  the  upper  one  twenty  feet, 
surmounted  by  a  cupola  fifty  high.  The 
stone  foundation  extends  thirty-three  inches 
below  the  gi'ound  and  is  carried  above  three 
feet.  The  lower  story  contains  all  the  offices. 
Entering  by  the  portico,  which  is  on  the 
eastern  front,  and  supported  by  six  pillars, 
you  pass  into  a  spacious  hall,  fourteen  feet 
wide  and  eighty-one  feet  long,  on  each  side 
of  which  are  situated  the  various  offices. 
•  Prom  the  front  of  the  hall,  stairs  rise  on  both 
sides  to  the  second  stoiy,  meeting  above  in 
a  lobby  thirteen  by  twenty-seven  feet,  from 
which  a  spacious  court  room,  fifty-seven  by 
fifty  feet  and  twenty  feet  high,  is  entered  by 
a  door  in  the  center.  About  the  middle  of 
the  court  room  a  semi-circular  bar  separates 
the  officers,  attorneys,  suitors  and  witnesses 
from  the  audience.  Inside  the  bar  are  the 
lawyers'  tables,  pleading  table,  officers'  desk 
and  witness'  stand.  Still  further  back  in 
the  western  extreme  of  the  court  ix)om  is 
the  judge's  bench,  with  the  grand  and  petit 
jury  box  on  either  side,  in  the  shape  of  an 
L.  In  the  rear  of  the  court  room  are  three 
rooms,  one  immediately  behind  the  judge's 
bench,  for  a  witness'  room,  seventeen  by 
twelve,  and  on  each  side  a  jury  room,  twenty 
by  thirteen,  so  that  juries  can  retire,  from 
a  door  opening  from  their  seats,  into  their 
consultation  room,  without  having  to  pass 
through  the  audience.  The  building  is  of 
brick  and  stone,  the  inner  walls  of  the  former 
material  and  the  outer  walls  of  the  latter. 
The  cupola  is  surmounted  by  a  town  clock." 
As  this  second  court  house  was  built  on 
the  site  which  had  been  occupied  by  the  first 
court  house,  it  became  necessary  during  its 
construction  to  rent  rooms  for  the  use  of  the 


county.  Court  was  held  in  the  basement  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  located  in 
the  same  square  and  just  south  of  the  county 
grounds.  The  rental  was  two  dollars  a  day, 
during  the  holding  of  court.  When  the  second 
court  house,  in  turn,  gave  way  to  the  third, 
or  present,  court  house,  the  county  commis- 
sioners, as  we  shall  see,  bought  additional 
grounds  on  the  west  of  the  square  and  moved 
that  building  back  on  Lafayette  street;  so 
that  court  continued  to  be  held,  and  the 
county  offices  to  be  occupied,  as  before  ex- 
cept during  the  time  occupied  in  moving  the 


OLD   COUNTY   JAIL,    SOUTH    BEND. 

building,  when  court  was  held  in  the  old 
Price's  Theater,  on  Michigan  street,  and  the 
several  county  offices  were  held  in  the  old 
city  building  on  Jefferson  street,  between 
Main  and  Lafayette.  Few  persons,  though, 
remember  that  the  basement  of  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  used  as  a 
court  room  during  the  time  when  what  we 
now  call  the  old  court  house  on  Lafayette 
street  was  in  coui-se  of  construction. 

Sec.  5. — The  Third  County  Jail. — As 
soon  as  the  second  court  house  had  beeu 
completed,  the  county  conunissioners  made 
preparations  for  the  building  of  a  new  brick 
jail  and  sheriff's  residence,  which  should  be 


214 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


in  keeping  with  the  court  house.  This  build- 
ing was  constructed  in  1860,  at  a  cost  of 
thirty-five  thousand  dollars:  The  old  brick 
.jail,  our  second  county  jail,  was  sold  for  one 
himdred  and  sixty-one  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
to  Adam  S.  Baker,  who  took  it  down  and  re- 
moved it.  The  new  jail  was  a  handsome 
structure,  two  stories  in  height,  and  fronting 
also  on  Main  street.  It  was  erected  on  lot 
two  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  original  plat  of 
South  Bend,  which  had  been  pm^chased  for 
that  purpose,  for  the  sum  of  twenty-six  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  added  to  the  original  quar- 
ter square  donated  by  Coquillard  and  Taylor. 
A  well  proportioned  tower  stood  well  out 
on  the  northeast  corner ;  and  the  whole  build- 
ing presented  a  rather  imposing,  castellated 
appearance  from  the  front.  No  finer  county 
building  could  then  be  found  in  Indiana. 

Sec.  6. — Re- Arrangement  of  Court 
House. — In  subdivision  second  of  this  chap- 
ter, we  have  referred  to  the  order  made  by 
Judge  Stanfield,  at  the  March  term,  1873,  of 
the  St.  Joseph  circuit  court,  for  the  re-ar- 
rangement and  improvement  of  the  court 
room.     The  order  was  as  follows : 

"It  is  ordered  by  the  court.  That  the  court 
room  be  re-arranged  by  moving  the  west  par- 
tition east  to  the  west  side  of  the  west  Avin- 
dows :    that  the  three  west  rooms  be  enlarged 
and  finished  up  in  a  good,  workmanlike  man- 
ner, with  a  door  from  the  court  room  enter- 
ing into  each  one.     That  an  additional  room 
be  added  to  the  clerk's  office  across  the  space 
now  used  for  the  stairway;"^  and  that  there 
also  be  a  room  of  the  same  size  constructed 
above  the  room  last  aforesaid,  with  a  door 
into   the   court   room.      That   a  stairway   be 
made    from   the   judge's   dask    in   the   court 
room,  as  re-arranged,   down  into  the  clerk's 
office,  and  that  the  court  room  be  re-arranged 
so  as  to  place  the  judge's  bench  on  the  south 
side  of  the  court  room;    and  the  bar  occupy 
the  portion  of  the  court  room  south  of  the 

a.  That  is,  the  stairway  on  the  left  of  the 
entrance;  that  on  the  right  remained  as  the  sole 
stairway  to  reach  the  court  room. 


general  entrance  to  said  room,  and  the  por- 
tion north  of  said  entrance  be  prepared  for 
the  occupation  of  suitors,  witnesses  and  spec- 
tators;   and   it   is   further   ordered  that   the 
clerk's  office   and  court  room  be  heated  by 
hot-air  furnaces.     All   of  the  said  work  to 
be  completed,  finished  and  painted  in  a  good, 
workmanlike  manner;    and  George  W.  Mat- 
thews, Dwight  Doming  and  Thomas  S.  Stan- 
field  are  hereby  appointed  a  committee  with 
full  authority  to  cause  said  work  to  be  done, 
and   also  to   furnish   and   carpet   said   court 
room,  and  that  said  committee  shall  audit  all 
accounts   for  said   work   and   materials   and 
certify  the  same  to  the  county  auditor  for 
allowance   and   payment.     It  is   further   or- 
dered that  a  certified  copy  of  this  order  be 
transmitted     to     the     board     doing     county 
biLsiness. 

The  improvements  provided  for  in  the  or- 
der had  been  virged  upon  the  county  board 
for  a  long  time;    but  that  body  was  di\aded 
as    to    the    expediency   of    doing   the    work, 
Dwight  Deming  only  being  favorable  to  it. 
Finally   the    court,    as    authorized   by   law,^ 
took  upon   itself  the   authority   assumed   in 
the  order.     Seldom  has  so  praiseworthy  and 
necessary  an  act  been  received  with  so  little 
favor  by  the  people.     The  proposals  to  build 
the  court  house  in  1853  were  received  ^\\\h 
far  less  criticism  than  were  those  for  its  im- 
provement in  1873.     It  does  not  seem  that 
it  was  so  much  the  matter  of  expense  that 
met    with    opposition    as    it   was   the    alleged 
'exercise  of  extraordinary  power  by  the  court. 
The   people  seemed  to  think  that  the  work 
should  have  been  left  to  the  county  commis- 
sioners, elected,  as  they  said,  to  attend  to  all 
county    business.      The    commissioners,    how- 
ever,   had   refused    to   have   the   work    done; 
and  so  Judge  Stanfield  was  compelled  to  as- 
sume  the   responsibility  of  transforming   an 
unsightly  barn-like   hall   into   a   decent   and 
convenient  court  room,  as  his  admirers  said; 

a.     See  Board  v.  Stout,  136  Ind.  53;   and  Board 
V.  Gwin,  136  Ind.  562. 


Judge  Thomas  S.  Stanfield 


THE 
EW  YORK 

IC   LIBf»ARY' 

Unex  and  Tllden , 
Fotmiiitioni, 
1909     , 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


215 


or  to  change  a  plain  and  ■  sufficient  place  to 
hold  court  into  a  ladies'  parlor,  as  his  critics 
said.  Time  justified  the  able  and  far-seeing 
judge.  No  braver  act  was  ever  done  by  him, 
none  more  necessary  for  the  convenience  of 
the  court  and  people,  and  none  which  in  the 
end  was  more  highly  appreciated  and  com- 
mended by  the  people  of  the  county.  It  was 
ancther  instance  showing  that  it  is  always 
better  to  do  the  right  thing,  at  whatever  cost. 

See.  7. — A  Historic  Building. — The  sec- 
ond court  house  and  third  jail  satisfied  all 
needs  for  forty  yeare,  or  until  the  close  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  when  the  county  offi- 
cers, the  courts  and  the  boards  took  their 
places  in  the  present  elegant  buildings.  The 
fine,  well  built  old  court  houvse,  of  "best 
quality  Athens  stone,"  portico  and  all,  was 
taken  in  hand  by  a  house  mover  from  Chi- 
cago, lifted  up,  turned  half-way  around  and 
moved  back  to  front  on  Lafayette  street,  all 
without  disturbing  a  stone  or  a  brick.  It 
was  regarded  as  a  fine  piece  of  engineering. 
Happily,  the  building  is  to  be  preserved  as 
our  historic  county  edifice.  Through  the 
public  spirited  policy  of  our  recent  boards 
of  county  commissioners,  whose  membership 
has  been  made  up  of  Samuel  Bowman,  Peter 
H.  Reaves,  John  D.  Fulmer,  Isaac  Newton 
Miller,  Marion  B.  Russ,  Herman  A.  Tohulka, 
Barney  C.  Smith  and  Daniel  A.  White,  the 
enerable  building  which  has  witnessed  so 
uuch  of  our  county,  state  and  national  his- 
tory, has  been  devoted  to  the  use  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  the  North- 
ern Indiana  Historical  Society.  The  latter 
body  occupies  the  first  story,  in  which  are 
collected  and  to  be  collected  all  that  is  most 
precious  in  the  relics  of  the  St.  Joseph  val- 
ley. The  upper  story,  the  old  court  room 
itself,  has  been  given  to  the  veterans  of  the 
war  for  the  Union,  where  they  meet  weekly 
in  patriotic  and  social  reunion,  recalling  the 
days  that  tried  men's  souls  and  holding  out 
to  their  children  and  grandchildren  the  les- 
sons of  purest  patriotism. 

Sec.  8. — The  Fourth  County  Jail. — Not 


only  was  it  necessary  to  move  off  the  old 
court  house,  but  also  to  demolish  the  beau- 
tiful little  brick  jail  and  sheriff's  residence, 
with  its  picturesque  turrets  and  battlements, 
in  order  to  make  room  for  the  imposing 
modern  court  lioiLse  that  was  to  take  their 
place.  A  new  jail,  the  fourth  one  of  our 
county  jails,  was  erected  in  the  rear  by  the 
side  of  the  old  court  house,  and  like  it,  fac- 
ing Lafayette  street.  The  private  residence, 
built  and  long  occupied  by  William  Miller, 
Esq.,  as  he  was  always  styled,  one  of  the 
most  eminent  citizens  of  the  county,  and 
father  of  G-eneral  John  F.  Miller,  distin- 
guished in  the  war  of  1861,  was  purchased 
as  a  sheriff's  residence,  and  connected  with 
the  new  jail  in  the  rear. 

Sec.  9. — The  Third  Court  House. — The 
contract  for  the  building  of  our  present 
court  house  was  let  to  James  Stewart  &  Com- 
pany, October  31,  1896,  for  $184,246.27. 
Various  expenses  and  furnishings  brought 
the  total  cost  up  to  nearly  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  walls  are  of 
Bedford  stone  and  granite;  and  the  building 
is  in  the  Grecian  style  of  architecture.  The 
corner  stone  was  laid  April  15,  1897,  and 
the  court  house  was  completed  November  4, 
1898.  The  county  commissioners  who  were 
members  of  the  board  from  the  letting  of 
the  contract  to  the  .completion  of  the  build- 
ing, and  who  also  removed  the  old  court 
house  and  built  the  new  jail,  were  John  N. 
Lederer,  John  D.  Fulmer,  Peter  H.  Reaves 
and  Samuel  Bowman.  The  board  actually  en- 
gaged in  the  construction  of  the  court  house, 
invited  a  committee  of  citizens,  among  the 
most  eminent  business  men  of  the  county, 
to  act  as  an  advisory  board  in  the  very  im- 
portant work.  This  committee  consisted  of 
Clement  Studebaker,  John  B.  Stoll,  Joseph 
D.  Oliver,  Elmer  Crockett  and  Patrick 
O'Brien.  The  people  of  the  county  have 
good  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  work  done 
under  direction  of  those  officials  and  public 
spirited  citizens.  The  state  board  of  chari- 
ties  recently  made   a  visit  of  inspection   to 


216 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  county,  and  our  jail  was  pronounced  by 
them  the  best  in  Indiana.  Our  court  house 
is  also  sadd  to  be,  in  its  interior,  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  convenient  in  the  state. 
The  exterior  would  no  doubt  be  entitled  to  a 
like  commendation;  provided  only  our 
worthy  county  board  would  cause  the  re- 
moval of  the  stone  wall  and  bank  of  earth 
heaped  around  it,  and  which  so  dwarf  its 
otherwise  fine  proi^ortions. 

Sec.  10. — The  County  Asylums. — The 
county  has  always  maintained  an  asylum  for 
its  poor.  At  first  the  overseers  of  the  poor 
cared    for    the     unfortunate    in    temporary 


was  evidently  not  then  in  a  condition  to  jus- 
tify the  investment  of  so  large  an  amount 
as  would  have  been  necessary  for  the  erec- 
tion of  building's,  and  the  carrying  on  of  so 
great  an  undertaking;  and  in  March,  1839, 
the  enterprise  was  abandoned  and  the  land 
reconveyed  by  the  county. 

The  county  board  continued,  as  before,  to 
support  its  poor  in  leased  premises.  At  the 
December  term,  1844,  George  W.  Matthews, 
the  elder,  then  superintendent  of  the  poor 
house,  reported  the  quarterly  expenses  in  car- 
ing for  the  county  charges  at  one  hundred 
and  forty-one  dollars  and  ninety-one  cents. 


PRESENT  COURT  HOUSE,  SOUTH  BEND. 


homes,  or  gave  such  other  assistance  as  was 
possible  in  a  new  country.  Afterwards  more 
permanent  quartei-s  were  secured.  For  many 
years  a  building  and  grounds,  situated  in 
Vail's  addition  to  South  Bend,  were  leased 
for  a  county  poor  home  from  John  D.  De- 
frees,  at  a  rental  of  one  hundred  dollars  a 
year.  As  early  as  the  year  1838  the  need  of 
a  county  farm  became  urgent;  and  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  on  Portage  prairie,  in 
sections  twenty,  twenty-one  and  twenty-nine, 
in  what  is  now  German  township,  were  ac- 
tually purchased,  the  agreed  price  being  six 
thousand  dollars.     But  the   county  treasury 


The  financial  conditions  having  improved, 
and  the  need  for  better  accommodations 
having  greatly  increased,  the  county ,  board, 
on  June  10,  1846,  purchased  another  farm 
for  the  establishment  of  a  permanent  county 
asylum.  This  farm  consisted  of  nearly  two 
hundred  acres,  and  was  located  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Michigan  road,  five  and  a  half 
miles  south  of  the  town  of  South  Bend  and 
one  mile  and  a  half  east  of  the  present  vil- 
lage of  Nutwood.  The  place  had  been  known 
as  White  Hall,  and  was  purchased  from 
IMatthias  Stover  for  two  thousand  dollars, 
or  about  ten  dollars  an  acre.    Here  the  county 


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HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


217 


poor  were  cared  for  during  nearly  ten  years. 
At  its  December  term,  1854,  the  county  board 
ordered  this  farm  sold ;  and  at  the  March 
term,  1855,  measures  were  taken  for  the  pur- 
chase of  another  farm  on  the  north  side  of 
the  St.  Joseph  river,  on  the  line  between 
Portage  and  Penn  townships.  This  farm, 
consisting  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
was  purchased  through  President  Whitten,  in 
court  proceedings,  for  twenty-one  hundred 
and  thirty  dollars ;  and  suitable  buildings 
were  erected  at  a  further  cost  of  fourteen 
hundred  and  thirty  dollars.  Adjacent  lands 
were  afterwards  purchased,  and  the  county 
asylum  seemed  permanently  and  satisfac- 
torily located. 

For  over  fifty  years  the  county  poor  con- 
tinued to  be  cared  for  on  this  farm  between 
South  Bend  and  Mishawaka.  In  recent  years, 
however,  there  has  been  a  growing  dissatis- 
faction with  the  accommodations  provided 
for  the  inmates  of  the  asylum  and  for  those 
who  had  them  in  charge.  The  state  board  of 
charities  had  frequently  criticised  the  build- 
ings as  antiquated  and  inadequate  to  their 
purpose.  Finally  the  board  of  commission- 
ers determined  to  sell  the  old  farm,  which 
had  become  valuable  from  its  proximity  to 
the  two  cities  of  the  county,  and  to  purchase 
a  farm  elsewhere  and  put  up  a  spacious  and 
well  equipped  modern  asylum.  The  old  asy- 
lum and  grounds  were  disposed  of  for  about 
fifty-two  thousand  dollars;  and  a  farm  on 
the  south  side  of  the  river  and  .just  below 
the  old  portage  was  purchased  for  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  On  these  grounds,  almost 
in  touch  with,  the  old  pathway  trodden  by 
Marquette  and  La  Salle  two  hundred  and 
thirty  years  ago,  the  county  commissioners 
have,  at  an  expense  of  about  one  hundred 
and  ten  thousand  dollars,  built  and  equipped 
one  of  the  fin&st  county  asylums  in  the  state. 
The  locality  is  not  only  interesting  from  a 
historical  point  of  view,  but  is  also  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  and  salubrious  that  could 
be  selected.  The  new  buildings  were  ac- 
cepted by  the  board  of  commissioners  at  their 


]March  term,  1907 ;  and  the  officers  and  about 
eighty  inmates  were  transferred  from  the  old 
to  the  new  asylum  and  grounds  April  4,  1907. 

Sec.  11. — The  Old  County  Seminary. — 
Another  county  building  of  much  historical 
interest  must  not  be  overlooked.  Besides 
making  provisions  for  district  schools  in  each 
congressional  township,'^  the  legislature  at  an 
early  day  provided  for  educational  institu- 
tions of  a  higher  grade,  which  were  known 
as  county  seminaries.^  The  funds  for  the 
support  of  such  seminaries  were  provided  for 
in  the  statutes,  and  were  drawn  from  vari- 
ous sources,  chiefly  fines  and  penalties  im- 
posed for  violations  of  law.  Donations  were 
particularly  provided  for;  and  without  such 
donations  it  was  practically  impossible  to 
procure  the  necessary  grounds,  erect  the 
buildings  and  carry  on  the  schools. 

In  St.  Joseph  county  there  was  a  generous 
rivalry  between  the  towns  of  Mishawaka  and 
South  Bend  as  to  where  the  seminary  should 
be  located.  On  November  9,  1843,  the  county 
commissioners  authorized  George  W.  Mat- 
thews, the  elder,  to  receive  donations  for  the 
erection  of  the  seminary  at  South  Bend.  At 
the  March  term,  1844,  of  the  county  board, 
IMr.  Matthews  made  a  report  of  subscriptions 
received  by  him ;  and  at  the  same  term  Har- 
ris E.  Hurlbut  made  a  like  report  of  sub- 
scriptions received  by  him  for  the  erection 
of  the  seminary  at  Mishawaka.  No  steps 
were  taken  in  the  matter  at  that  session. 

At  the  December  term,  1844,  the  county 
board  took  definite  action  in  regard  to  the 
seminary;  and  entered  into  contract  with 
Cassius  Caldwell,  A.  M.  La  Pierre  and  Jamas 
M.  Matthews  for  the  construction  of  the 
buildings  at  a  cost  of  fiften  hundred  and 
seventy-two  dollars  and  eighty  cents.  A  lot 
belonging  to  the  seminarj^  fund,  valued  at 
one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  dollars,  and  also 
the  sum  of  eight  hundred  and  fifty-four  dol- 
lars, donated  by  subscribing  citizens,  amount- 

a.  R.  S.,  1831,  pp.  463-480;   R.  S.,  1838,  pp.  509- 

551;  R.  S.,  1843,  pp.  305-325. 

&.  R.  S.,  1831,  pp.  489-499;  R.  S.,  1838,  pp.  558- 

563;  R.  S.,  1843,  pp.  249,  250,  and  pp.  303-305. 


218 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


ing  in  all  to  ten  hnndred  and  twelve  dollars, 
were  turned  over  to  the  contractors  as  first 
payment.  The  remainder  was  paid  by  the 
connty  out  of  the  seminary  fund. 

The  grounds  on  which  the  seminary  Avas 
erected,  situated  at  the  corner  of  Washing- 
ton and  William  streets,  in  South  Bend, 
where  the  old  high  school  building  now 
stands,  were  purchased  for  the  purpose  from 
Alexis  Coquillard,  on  June  9,  1841. 

The  St.  Joseph  county  seminary  was  built 
during  the  year  1845,  under  the  superinten- 
dency  of  Oilman  Towle,  one  of  the  county 
commissioners.  The  St.  Joseph  Valley  Reg- 
ister, under  date  of  September  26,  1845,  just 
two  weeks  after  the  establishment  of  that 
newspaper,  describes  the  building  as  being 
situated  "on  the  north  side  of  Washington 
street,  west  of  town";  that  it  was  of  brick, 
two  stories  high,  thirty  feet  wide  by  forty 
feet  long,  and  to  be  surmounted  by  a  cupola. 
The  expense,  it  was  said,  was  defrayed  out 
of  the  seminary  fund,  aided  by  the  subscrip- 
tions of  private  persons.  We  are  further  in- 
formed by  the  editor,  Schuyler  Colfax,  that 
the  seminary  stands  near  the  center  of  the 
acre-and-a-half  lot  which  belongs  to  it,  and 
which  is  to  be  enclosed  and  improved ;  that 
there  will  be  two  rooms  in  the  building,  one 
below  and  the  other  above;  and  that  the 
room  in  the  second  story  is  to  be  the  full  size 
of  the  building,  undivided  at  present  by  any 
partition.  He  concludes  with  the  remark  that 
the  two  rooms  will  comfortably  contain  all 
the  pupils  of  the  institution  for  many  years. 
The  tirst  principal  was  Mr.  Wheeler,  a 
graduate  of  the  Indiana  State  University.  He 
was  assisted  by  Miss  L.  C.  Merritt.  These 
were  followed  by  Professors  Wright,  Coggs- 
well.  Smith,  Sperbeck,  McLafferty,  INIiss  Bar- 
rett, Miss  Bacon  and  Professor  Wilcox. 

With  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  of 
1851,  the  policy  of  keeping  up  county  semi- 
naries was  abandoned;  and  the  grounds, 
buildings  and  other  property  of  the  semi- 
naries were  ordered  to  be  sold  and  the  pro- 
ceeds   turned    over    to    the    common    school 


fund.*^  The  people  had  become  satisfied  that 
it  was  impracticable  to  carry  on  county  high 
schools,  and  that  all  the  energies  of  the  state 
in  relation  to  popular  education  should  be 
concentrated  in  the  .support  and  improvement 
of  the  common  schools. 

The  citizens  of  St.  Joseph  county,  however, 
particularly  those  at  the  county  seat,  had 
become  ambitious  to  establish  and  maintain 
a  school  of  higher  grade,  where  the  pupils 
who  had  passed  through  the  common  schools 
might  continue  their  education,  without  being 
compelled  to  leave  home  to  attend  academies 
or  colleges  in  other  places.  Accordingly,  on 
July  16,  1853,  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
town  of  South  Bend  purchased  from  the 
county  auditor,  Aaron  B.  Ellsworth,  and 
the  county  treasurer,  Robert  B.  Nicar,  the 
county  seminary  of  St.  Joseph  county.  The 
purchase  was  made  for  fifteen  hundred  and 
sixteen  dollars,  payable,  according  to  the  stat- 
ute, in  ten  annual  installments.  The  pay- 
ments do  not  seem  to  have  been  completed 
until  August  31,  1866.  It  was  at  that  date 
that  the  deed  of  conveyance  was  made  by 
Woolman  J.  Holloway,  then  county  auditor, 
to  Dwight  Deming,  Almond  A.  Bugbee  and 
Charles  A.-  Evans,  trustees  of  what  had  then 
become  the  school  city  of  South  Bend. 

Although  from  the  time  of  the  purchase 
by  the  trustees  of  the  town  of  South  Bend, 
the  school  and  grounds  had  ceased  to  be 
county  property,  yet  there  were  pleasant  and 
even  affectionate  associations  connected  with 
the  old  institution  of  learning;  and  it  con- 
tinued to  retain  the  name  of  the  old  seminary. 

But  the  county  seat  finally  outgrew  the 
building  which  Mr.  Colfax,  in  1845,  confi- 
dently predicted  would  "comfortably  contain 
all  the  pupils  of  the  institution  for  many 
years  to  come."  In  1872,  the  school  trus- 
tees took  down  the  venerable  structure,  to 
make  room  for  a  more  commodious  high 
school  building.  On  April  20th  of  that  year, 
the    South    Bend   Tribune,    established   only 

a.  Constitution,  1851,  Art.  8,  Sec.  2;  1  R.  S., 
1852,  pp.  437-439;   1  Gavin  and  Hord,  pp.  565-567. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


219 


during  the  previous  month,  contained  a  feel- 
ing reference  to  the  passing  of  the  old  land- 
mark of  nearly  thirty  years  standing.  The 
editorial  was  written  by  Alfred  B.  Miller, 
first  editor  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Tribune,  who  was  himself  educated  in  the 
old  seminary. 


our  place  from  its  earlier  years."  Among 
the  first  pupils  educated  at  the  seminary,  Mr. 
Miller  mentions  Alvin  S.  Dunbar,  Daniel 
Witter,  Mark  McClelland,  D.  R.  Sample,  and 
R.  B.  Miller.  "When  first  built,"  the  edi- 
torial continues,  "the  seminary  was  sur- 
mounted by  a  tin-domed  and  pillared  cupola, 


ALFRED  B.  MILLER. 


'Nothing 


remains  of  the  old  seminary 
building  on  Washington  street  but  a  pile 
of  debris,"  said  Mr.  Miller;  "and  in  a  few 
days  it  will  have  no  trace  left.  The  South 
Bender  now  absent  will  mias  on  his  return 
the  familiar  structure  which,  homely  though 
it  was,  has  been  identified  with  the  history  of 


in  which  the  boys  used  to  take  delight  in 
lodging  balls  while  playing  'anti-over,'  that 
tliey  might  have  some  excuse  for  'shinning 
up '  the  lightning  rod  and  playing  havoc  with 
the  nests  of  pigeons  that  made  their  homes 
there.  But  the  lightning  knocked  all  the 
beauty    and    utility    out    of   the    cupola   one 


220                                       HISTORY   OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY. 

afternoon  in  1847,  and  in  course  of  time  it  ''The  Children's  Aid  Society,  of  Indiana, 

was  taken  down  entirely,  and  since  then  the  was   organized  by  the   W,    C.   T.   U.   of   St. 

structure  was  familiar  in  outline  to  all  our  Joseph  county  under  the   name  of  the  Or- 

citizens  as  it  is  seen  in  the  excellent  photo-  phans'    Home    Association,    of    St.    Joseph 

graph  Mr.  Bonney  took  just  previous  to  its  county,  at  a  mass  meeting  held  June  15, 1882, 

destruction.    Although  to  be  replaced  by  one  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hall.  Price's  theater,  South 

of  the  handsomest  school  buildings   in   this  Bend.     The  institution  was  located  in  Misha- 

part  of  the  state,  there  are  many,  particu-  waka   and   opened   July   10,    1882.      On   the 

larly    absent    South    Benders    who    received  20th  of  the  same  month  the  county  commis- 

their  education  in  it,  who  will  not  hear  of  sioners  at  a  special  meeting  decided  to  place 

the  destruction  of  that  'old  seminary'  with-  all  dependent  children  of  the  county  with  the 

out  a  pang  of  regret. ' '  society  at  25  cents  per  day.    Forty-eight  ehil- 

Sec.    12. — The   Orphans'   Home. — One   of  di-en  were  received  the  first  year, 

the  most  praiseworthy  institutions  of  St.  Jo-  ' '  The  officers  and  directors  for  the  first  year 

seph  county  is  the  Orphans'  Home,  located  were:     President,  Mrs.  Julia  E.  Work;    first 

at   Mishawaka   and   conducted  by   the   Chil-  vice   president,   Mrs.   Z.   M.   Johnson,    South 

dren's  Aid   Society   of  Indiana.     The  insti-  Bend;   second   vice    president,    Mrs.    W.   W, 

tution,   although  managed  by  a  corporation  Giddings,  South  Bend;    third  vice  president, 

made  up   of  public  spirited  and  benevolent  Mrs.  J.  A.  VanAuken,  Mishawaka;  recording 

ladies  of  the  county,  is  yet  quasi-public  in  secretary,   Mrs.   William   Clark,    Mishawaka; 

its  character,  since  it  is  recognized  and  regu-  corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  J.  A.  McGill, 

lated  by  the  statutes  of  the  state,  and  is  in  South  Bend;    treasurer,  Mrs.  S.  M.  Simkens, 

part   supported   by   funds   supplied   by    the  ]Mi>shawaka;    directors,  Mesdames  E.  S.  Hey- 

county.     The  purpose  of  the  institution  is  to  nolcls,   J.    M.    Studebaker,    Schuyler    Colfax, 

nurture,  train  and  educate  destitute  orphan  L.  M.  Doolittle,  S.  P.  Lantz,  David  Warner, 

children,  and  to  find  homes  for  them  in  good  W.    C.   Learned,   F.   B,   Dunham,   C.   Foote, 

families.      Through    the    zeal    of    the    good  J.  H.  Banning,  of  South  Bend,  and  Mesdames 

women   who  have  had   charge   of   the   home  Abbie  Ney,  Tabor  Ham,  Henry  Milburn,  P.  C. 

their  work  has  prospered.    Hundreds  of  help-  Perkins,  C.  G.  Foote,  Sarah  Guernsey,  George 

less  children  have  been  placed  with  worthy  Chaee,  Sidney  Smith,  Sarah  Gaylor,  of  Mish- 

families,  where  they  have  found  father  and  awaka.     Mrs.   Dr.  Harris  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Ne- 

mother,  brothers  and  sisters  in  place  of  the  ville,  of  South  Bend,  also  sigTied  the  consti- 

natural  relatives  who  were  taken  from  them  tution. 

by  death  or  other  misfortune.  These  ladies  "The  present  officers  of  the  Children's  Aid 
have  so  interested  the  public  spirited  people  Society  of  Indiana  are :  Mrs.  J.  McM.  Smith, 
of  the  county  that  they  have  after  much  toil  South  Bend,  president;  Mrs.  J.  W.  Keller, 
and  years  of  effort  succeeded  in  securing  for  Mishawaka,  first  vice-president ;  Mrs.  W.  F. 
the  Home  what  is  indeed  a  most  elegant  and  Wiggins,  South  Bend,  second  vice-president; 
commodious  building  standing  on  a  beautiful  Mrs.  William  Uline.  Mishawaka,  third  vice- 
eminence  overlooking  the  St.  Joseph  river,  president;  Mrs.  W.  E.  Butterworth,  Misha- 
On  Saturday,  May  18,  1907,  the  twenty-fifth  waka,  recording  secretary ;  Miss  Agnes  Far- 
anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the  institu-  rand.  South  Bend,  corresponding  secretary; 
tion,  the  society  had  the  satisfaction  of  dedi-  Mrs.  Elizabeth  G.  Kettring,  South  Bend, 
eating  this  fine  home  to  its  benevolent  pur-  treasurer. 

pose.      The    followng    historical    items    are  "In  1884  the  association  was  reorganized 

taken  from  the  press  accounts  of  the  dedi-  and  passed  out  of  the  control  of  the  W.  C.  T. 

cation :  U.  and  the  name  was  changed  to  the  North- 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUxNTY. 


221 


ern  Indiana  Orphans'  Home.  In  June,  1890, 
the  society  was  again  reorganized  under  the 
name  of  the  Children's  Aid  Society  of  In- 
diana. 

"The  first  school  in  the  home  opened  in 
September,  1891.  During  the  25  years  the  or- 
ganization has  been  in  existence  1,300  chil- 
dren have  been  cared  for,  many  counties  be- 
sides St.  Joseph  eounty  sending  children  here 
to  be  cared  for.  Good  homes  have  been  found 
for  several  hundred  children  in  the  past  25 
years.  A  careful  watch  is  kept  upon  the  chil- 
dren placed  in  homes,  and  it  is  very  gratify- 
ing to  the  women  of  the  Children's  Aid  So- 
ciety to  know  that  the  majority  of  the  chil- 
dren placed  in  homes  by  the  society  have 
grown  up  and  made  successful  men  and 
women. 

"Up  to  March,  1891,  the  society  was  of  un- 
certain force,  having  a  constant  struggle  to 
meet  its  financial  obligations.  There  were 
large  amounts  owing  and  but  little  in  the 
treasury.  At  that  time  a  radical  change  was 
effected  in  the  management,  a  large  number 
of  sustaining  pledges  were  secured  and  under 
the  able  presidency  of  Mrs.  J.  M.  Studebaker 
the  institution  was  soon  upon  a  more  solid 
basis.  The  present  efficient  superintendent, 
Miss  Sarah  Hathaway,  was  appointed,  and 
since  then  the  society  has  steadily  grown  in 
usefulness  and  efficiency. 

"About  15  years  ago  the  home  received  a 
small  endowment  fund  of  $6,250  from  the 
estate  of  Mrs.  Longer,  of  Laporte,  Ind.  With 
the  interest  from  this  fund  and  the  per  diem 
allowance  from  the  county  commissioners  the 
home  has  been  self -maintaining  for  a  number 
of  years. 

"In  1900  the  fine  property  now  occupied 
was  bought  for  $10,000  and  with  the  help  of 
contributions  and  entertainments  this  has  been 
all  paid,  besides  $10,000  for  improvements  on 
the  property.  The  new  building  now  com- 
pleted has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  over  $60,- 
000,  including  equipments.  A  loan  of  $30,- 
000  has  been  made  upon  the  property,  but  in 
addition  to  this  it  will  be  necessary  to  raise 


about  $10,000  to  complete  paying  for  the 
building  and  get  only  the  most  necessary  fur- 
nishings. One  item  of  large  expense  is  for 
the  fire  escapes,  which  are  of  the  most  ap- 
proved up-to-date  make,  and  the  best  laundry 
equipment  obtainable  has  been  installed. 

"The  undertaking  to  erect  this  building 
without  any  funds  at  hand  in  the  beginning 
was  a  formidable  task  to  the  18  women  of  the 
board,  but  they  have  been  sustained  through- 
out by  an  unfaltering  trust  in  the  generosity 
of  the  public,  which  is  being  realized.  The 
cause  represented  and  the  fact  that  when  the 
building  and  furnishings  are  paid  for,  the 
home  will  be  as  before,  self-sustaining,  are 
two  appealing  facts  to  thoughtful  people. 

"The  following  women  of  Mishawaka  and 
South  Bend  are  now  serving  as  a  board  of  di- 
rectors for  the  Children's  Aid  Society.  They 
are  all  well  known  and  have  entered  into  the 
work  with  a  determination  to  conduct  the 
affairs  of  the  home  upon  a  sound  business 
basis : 

"Mrs.  Jeannette  Reynolds,  South  Bend, 
charter  member ;  Mrs.  Abbie  Ney,  Mishawaka, 
charter  member;  Mrs.  J.  M.  Studebaker, 
South  Bend,  charter  member,  served  as  presi- 
dent 1890-1891;  Mrs.  Tabor  Ham,  Misha- 
waka, charter  member;  Mrs.  E.  A.  Jernegan, 
IMishawaka,  elected  June,  1884,  served  as 
]6resident  1895-1896;  Mrs.  Dempster  Beatty, 
]\rishawaka,  elected  1885,  served  as  president 
1891-1892,  1892-1893,  1898-1899,  1899-1900, 
1900-1901;  Mrs.  Lafayette  LeVan,  South 
Bend,  elected  June,  1888,  served  as  president 
1896-1897,  1897-1898;  Mrs.  Luther  Cass, 
Mishawaka,  elected  May,  1898;  Miss  C.  Addie 
Van  den  Basch,  South  Bend,  elected  May, 
1898;  Mrs.  Charles  Endlich,  Mishawaka, 
elected  1902;  Mrs.  J.  C.  Neithardt,  South 
Bend,  elected  1905. 

"Much  credit  is  due  the  members  of  the 
building  committee  for  their  untiring  efforts. 
The  women  of  this  committee  are :  Mrs.  La- 
fayette LeVan,  South  Bend,  chairman ;  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  G.  Kettring,  South  Bend,  secretary; 
IMrs.  Dempster  Beatty,  Mrs.  J.  Wallace  Kel- 


222 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


ler,  Mrs.  W.  E.  Butterworth,  Mishawaka; 
Mrs.  J.  M.  Studebaker,  Mrs.  J.  McM.  Smith, 
Miss  C.  Addie  Van  den  Bosch,  South  Bend. 
The  following  gentlemen  also  served  on  the 
committee:  M.  W.  Mix,  F.  G.  Eberhart,  J. 
A.  Roper,  E.  G.  Eberhart,  Mishawaka;  J.  M. 


Studebaker,  Samnel  Leeper,  Max  Livingston, 
J.  B.  McCance,  South  Bend. 

' '  The  committee  on  furnishings  for  the  new 
home  is  composed  of  the  following  members : 
Mrs.  W.  F.  Wiggins,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Neithardt, 
Mre.  Charles  Endlich,  South  Bend." 


CHAPTER  VII. 


PUBLIC  IMPROVEMENTS. 


I.     OUR  RIVERS. 

Sec.  1. — Improvements  on  the  Kankakee. 
— Ages  before  the  white  men  came  to  dwell  in 
these  valleys,  the  only  means  of  communica- 
tion from  north  to  west,  from  east  to  south, 
save  the  mysterious  trails  through  the  forest 
and  over  the  prairies,  was  by  way  of  the  Kan- 
kakee and  the  St.  Joseph.^'  And  long  after 
the  coming-  of  the  white  man,  these  rivers, 
particularly  the  latter,  continued  to  be  the 
ways  looked  to  for  commercial  intercourse 
with  the  great  world  outside.  It  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  therefore,  that  the  early  settlers 
of  "the  St.  Joseph  country"  looked  anxiously 
for  the  improvement  of  the  navigation  of 
their  beautiful  river.  They  had  the  "Great 
Sauk  Trail,"  running  through  the  northwest 
corner  of  this  county,  afterwards  somewhat 
improved  and  dignified  with  the  high  sound- 
ing title  of  the  "Chicago  Road";  and  they 
had  numerous  other  Indian  trails  and  traces 
through  the  interminable  woods  surrounding 
them.  But  when  they  rested  a  moment  from 
their  hard  daily  toil  and  thought  of  the  future, 
they  could  distinguish  no  project  more  feasi- 
ble than  the  improvement  of  the  St.  Joseph, 
giving  them  direct  access  to  the  commerce  of 
the  great  lakes.  An  occasional  enthusiast,  in 
those  days  of  canals,  and  before  the  vision  of 
railroads  came  to  them,  spoke  of  digging  a 
great  canal  down  the  Kankakee,  and  so  reach- 
ing the  Mississippi  and  the  liulf.  But  the 
only  improvement  of  the  Kankakee  which 
ever  materialized,  was  that  long  afterwards 

a.     See  "Routes  of  Travel,"  Chap.  2,  Subd.  2. 


suggested  by  Thomas  S.  Stanfield,  one  of  the 
most  broad  minded  and  far-seeing  of  our 
public  men.  His  suggestion  was  to  construct 
a  great  double  drain  down  the  Kankakee,  with 
a  railroad  on  the  bank  between  the  two  drains. 
The  drains  have  been  dug  and  the  railroad 
has  been  built,  though  not  just  on  the  lines 
suggested  by  Judge  Stanfield;  and  the  Kan- 
kakee valley  is  thus  put  to  the  best  possible 
use  for  which  it  is  available. 

In  connection  with  the  drainage  systems  of 
Kankakee  valley,  and  the  deepening  and 
straightening  of  the  river,  which  have  taken 
place  in  recent  years,  making  that  rich  valley 
"the  garden  of  Chicago,"  as  some  of  our 
sanguine  citizens  have  styled  it,  we  may  here 
note  that  the  legislature,  by  an  act  approved 
March  7,  1889,  passed  an  act  for  the  removal 
of  the  limestone  ledge  across  the  river,  at 
Momence,  Illinois,  ten  miles  below  the  Indiana 
state  line.  Further  acts  to  carry  out  the  same 
purpose  were  approved  March  6,  1891,  and 
March  4,  1893.'*  This  natural  obstruction  ex- 
tends in  a  northwesterly  direction  over  north- 
ern Indiana,  and  crosses  the  Kankakee  near 
Momence,  Illinois,  forming  a  rock  dam  in  the 
river  at  that  point,  about  seven  and  one-half 
feet  in  height.^  The  state  appropriated,  alto- 
gether, sixty-five  thousiand  dollars  for  this  im- 
portant improvement;  which  was  completed, 
so  far  as  the  appropriation  would  permit, 
under  direction  of  civil  engineer  William  M. 
Whitten,  of  South  Bend,  Indiana.     Immedi- 

a.     Acts,  1889,  p.  291;   Acts,  1891,  p.  198;   Acts, 
1893,  p.  328. 
&.     See  Chap.  1,  Subd.  7. 


223 


224 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


ately  after  that  work  was  done,  and  even 
before  its  completion,  land  owners  throughout 
the  valley  began  the  construction  of  drains 
under  the  drainage  laws  of  the  state.  The 
result  is  shown  in  vast  corn  fields  and  mead- 
ows, where  formerly  hunting  and  fishing 
clubs  monopolized  the  country.  The  richest 
lands  in  Indiana  are  now  found  within  this 
great  valley." 

Sec.  2. — Navigation  op  the  St.  Joseph.— 
But  the  practical  minds  of  the  early  '30s 
were  turned  to  the  St.  Joseph.  In  an  edi- 
torial in  our  first  newspaper,  "The  North- 
western Pioneer  and  St.  Joseph's  Intelligen- 
cer," for  Wednesday,  December  21,  1831,  the 
editor,  speaking  of  a  writer  in  the  Crawfords- 
ville  Record,  says,  "He  undertakes  to  show 
the  difference  of  the  relative  cost  of  railroads 
and  canals,  and  urges  our  legislature  to  throw 
aside  the  donation  of  lands  made  by  the  gen- 
eral government  to  aid  the  state  in  construct- 
ing the  Wabash  and  Erie  canal;  and  instead 
thereof  to  construct  a  railroad  from  Lake 
Michigan  to  some  point  on  the  Ohio  river. ' ' 

The  editor,  John  D.  Defrees,  then  continues, 
"Whether  it  would  be  good  policy  for  the 
state  to  give  up  the  aid  proffered  her  by  the 
general  government  is  not  our  intention  to 
question.  The  late  experiments  made  on  rail- 
roads in  Europe  and  America  go  to  convince 
us  that  they  are  much  to  be  preferred  to 
canals ;  but  if  the  legislature  in  its  wisdom 
says  that  a  canal  is  preferable,  let  it  be  so. 
This,  however,  should  not  prevent  a  railroad 
from  the  northern  part  of  the  state,  through 
the  interior,  to  the  Ohio  river.  The  writer 
above  alluded  to  suggests  that  such  a  road 
ought  to  commence  at  Lake  Michigan,  without 
being  aware  that  there  is  no  harbor,  nor  can 
there  be,  within  the  state,  on  that  lake.  If 
he  had  been  informed  of  this  fact  he  would 
have  said,  commence  at  the  nearest  point 
on  the  St.  Joseph  river,  which  is  navigable 
for  steamboats,  and  at  the  mouth  of  which 
is  a  safe  harbor  for  vessels.  He  states  that 
the  distance  from  the  lake  to  the  Ohio  river 
a.     See  Subd.  6  of  this  Chapter. 


is  not  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  From 
this  point.'^'  the  distance  would  not  be  in- 
creased, and  would  be  over  infinitely  better 
ground  for  a  road.  He  was  not  aware  that 
his  route  would  be  met  by  an  impassable  bar- 
rier in  the  great  Kankakee  ponds  or  marshes, 
which  are  only  equalled  by  the  famous  Dismal 
Swamp  of  Virginia.^  By  commencing  here 
this  would  be  avoided. ' '  The  then  recent  sur- 
veys for  the  Michigan  road,  made  in  1828 
and  1829  were  doubtless  in  the  editor's  mind 
when  he  made  this  statement  as  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  starting  from  "the  nearest  point 
on  the  St.  Joseph  river,"  rather  than  directly 
from  Lake  Michigan  and  through  the  Kanka- 
kee marshes,  in  building  a  railroad  to  the 
Ohio.^  The  feasibility  of  navigating  the  St. 
Joseph,  and  the  superiority  of  the  natural 
harbor  at  its  mouth,  were  also  in  his  mind: 
although  it  is  true  that  congress  has  since 
made  an  excellent  artificial  harbor  at  Michi- 
gan City. 

That  there  was  at  that  date  actual  naviga- 
tion, from  Newburyport,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  on  Lake  Michigan,*^  as  high 
up  as  White  Pigeon,  in  Michigan  Territory, 
may  be  seen  from  the  list  of  arrivals  and  de- 
partures of  boats,  as  given  in  the  Northwest- 
ern Pioneer  and  St.  Joseph's  Intelligencer, 
for  November  23,  1831,  as  follows: 

' '  Arrivals : 

"November  15. 
"Keel  Boat  Cass,  Capt.  Finch;  freight  for 
White  Pigeon. 

' '  Keel  Boat  Racer,   Capt ;  freight 

for  White  Pigeon. 

"November  18. 
"Keel  Boat  Fairplay,  Capt.   Cratee;  from 
Newburyport. 

a.  That  is,  from  the  south  bend  of  the  St. 
Joseph  river. 

b.  Between  Virginia  and  North  Carolina. 

c.  See  Chap.  5,  Subd.  1. 

d.  The  site  of  the  present  city  of  St.  Joseph. 
La  Salle's  fort  at  this  place  was  called  Fort 
Miamis.  The  town  built  there  was  at  first  called 
Saranac;  afterwards  Newburyport,  from  Mr.  New- 
bury, a  merchant  who  sent  out  boats  from  there; 
and  finally  St.  Joseph,  the  name  now  long  given 
to  the  beautiful  city. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


225 


( i  ■ 


i  i 


"November  21. 
'Keel  Boat  Cass,  Capt.  Finch;  from  White 
Pigeon. 

"Departures: 

"November  15. 
"Keel  Boats   Cass   and  Racer,   for  White 
Pigeon. 

"November  20. 
'Keel  Boat  Fairplay,  for  White  Pigeon. 

"November  21. 
"Keel  Boat  Cass,  for  Newburyport. " 

The  subject  of  river  navigation  is  more 
fully  developed  a  little  later,  in  a  communica- 
tion to  the  Pioneer,  under  date  of  January  4, 
1832: 

"That  the  navigation  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river  by  steamboats,"  said  this  writer,  "is  a 
subject  of  vast  importance  to  the  whole  of  the 
country  watered  by  its  tributary  streams, 
must  be  acceded  to  by  everyone  who  has  paid 
any  attention  to  the  almost  magical  effects  of 
their  introduction  on  the  Mississippi,  Ohio, 
and  their  tributaries.  See  the  great  cities 
which  have  sprung  up  on  the  banks  of  those 
rivers  since  that  period;  besides  many  flour- 
ishing towns  and  villages,  which  but  for  the 
powerful  agency  of  steamboats  would  never 
have  had  an  existence.  But  the  influence  of 
steamboat  navigation  has  not  been  merely  ex- 
ercised in  erecting  cities  and  towns.  It  has 
given  equal  impulse  to  the  improvement  of 
the  adjacent  districts,  and  carried  the  whole 
western  country  at  least  a  century  in  advance 
of  what  any  reasonable  man  would  have  cal- 
culated, without  the  knowledge  of  steam 
power. 

"As  a  citizen  of  the  St.  Joseph  country,  I 
have  been  anxiously  looking  for  some  agitation 
of  these  questions, — Would  it  be  practicable 
to  navigate  the  St.  Joseph  river  by  steam- 
boats? And  if  so.  How  shall  it  be  brought 
into  actual  practice  in  the  shortest  time  ?  And 
first,  as  to  its  practicability  there  seems  to  be 
but  little  doubt.  Partial  examinations  of  the 
river  have  been  made  by  persons  of  some 
practical  experience,  with  a  special  view  to 
this  object,  who  pronounce,  without  hesita- 
tion, that,  with  improvements  not  very  expen- 
sive to  be  made,  the  river  is  highly  susceptible 

15 


of  being  navigated,  from  its  mouth  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Crooked  river,«  by  a  class  of 
small  steamboats,  such  as  some  that  are  at  this 
time  profitably  used  on  the  Ohio  and  other 
rivers.  But  these  obstructions  are  too  formi- 
dable to  be  removed  by  individual  enterprise. 
Our  country  is  yet  new,  and  but  partially 
populated ;  the  inhabitants  chiefly  but  recently 
settled;  and  their  time  and  money  must  of 
necessity  be  employed  in  the  improvement  of 
their  farms  and  providing  the  means  of  living 
for  themselves  and  families. 

"Although  I  believe  it  practicable  to  navi- 
gate the  St.  Joseph  with  steamboats,  even  in 
its  present  natural  state,  for  several  months 
in  the  year ;  yet  we  may  not  hope  that  it  can 
be  successfully  and  efficiently  prosecuted  until 
its  obstructions  are  removed,  by  which  its 
navigation  would  be  made  reasonably  safe  for 
all  seasons  of  the  year,  except  when  obstruct- 
ed by  ice. 

' '  Thus  having  seen  that  there  scarcely  exists 
a  doubt  of  the  practicability  of  making  the 
St.  Joseph  safe  for  navigation  by  steamboats, 
the  next  proposition  is,  How  can  it  be  brought 
into  successful  practice  in  the  shortest  time? 
I  know  of  no  way,  unless  congress  can  be 
induced  to  pass  an  act  making  appropriations 
competent  to  this  object.    Would  it  be  proper 
to  petition  congress  to  this  effect?     I  think  it 
would.     I    believe    it   might   be   shown    that 
though  we  take  into  the  account  no  other  con- 
sideration   than    the    impulse     given    to    the 
future  increase  of  the  population,  and  conse- 
quently the  increased  demand  for  the  public 
lands,  and  the  enhanced  value  given  to  the  re- 
maining domain  within  the  influence  of  the 
proposed      improvements,      the      government 
would  be  amply  remunerated.     And  may  we 
not   also   calculate   on  the  greatly   increased 
value  to  the  nation  of  an  extensive  district, 
amply  populated,  and  with  the  arts,  agricul- 
ture, commerce  and  civilization  in  rapid  pro- 
gress over  the  same ;  a  great  part  of  which 
district  is  now  in  a  state  of  nature,  and  may 
long  so  remain  without  the  proposed  improve- 

a.    Three  Rivers? 


226 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


ments?  We  not  only  have  these  incontrover- 
tible arguments  in  our  favor,  but  we  have  the 
numerous  precedents  of  the  government  in 
like  cases  before  us. 

"I  will  conclude  by  proposing  to  our 
friends  of  Michigan  to  lose  no  time  in  bring- 
ing this  subject  before  congress  by  petition, 
at  least  for  an  appropriation  sufficient  for  an 
examination  of  the  river  by  competent  engi- 
neers, to  make  estimates  of  the  cost  of  the  pro- 
posed improvements  and  report  to  the  govern- 
ment." 

Public  meetings  were  held  at  South  Bend, 
Niles  and  other  points  in  the  valley,  to  induce 
congress  to  take  action  in  the  matter.  A  meet- 
ing held  in  December.  1831,  at  Saranac,  Michi- 
gan, by  "citizens  of  the  St.  Joseph  country 
in  the  Territory  of  Michigan,  and  the  State 
of  Indiana,"  adopted  a  memorial  to  congress, 
in  which  are  found  the  following  interasting 
paragraphs :"' 

"The  subscribers  respectfully  represent. 
That  the  country  they  inhabit  was  first  offered 
for  sale  by  the  general  government  in  June, 
1829,  since  which  time  its  population  has  in- 
creased with  a  rapidity  which  has  few  if  any 
parallels;  as  will  appear  by  reference  to  the 
returns  of  the  land  office  of  this  district,  and 
in  a  still  more  striking  light  when  the  fact  is 
considered  that  a  small  amount  of  the  land 
sold  has  been  purchased  for  speculation,  but 
nearly  the  whole  by  actual  settlers  who  have 
bought  only  the  small  divisions  of  the  public 
surveys. 

The  wants  of  the  population  of  this  grow- 
ing country,  including  a  fertile  and  beautiful 
portion  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  has  created 
a  considerable  commerce  at  the  mouth  of  the 
great  St.  Joseph  river,  from  which  the  coun- 
try takes  its  name,  and  through  which  it  re- 
ceives its  merchandise  and  must  find  a  mar- 
ket for  its  surplus  produce  in  future.  At  pres- 
ent the  entrance  of  shipping  from  Lake  Michi- 
gan into  the  river  is  attended  with  dangers, 
delays  and  not  unfrequent  loss  of  lives  and 

a.  See  Northwestern  Pioneer  for  January  25, 
1832. 


property.  The  channel  of  the  river  varies  with 
ever,y  gale,  during  which,  and  for  some  time 
thereafter,  it  is  impossible  for  a  vessel  to  find 
a  harbor  in  our  river  or  in  this  part  of  Lake 
Michigan. 

"It  is  believed  that  notwithstanding  the 
very  great  increase  of  the  commerce  of  the 
upper  lakes  generally,  there  is  no  point  on 
them  where  that  increase  bears  any  propor- 
tion to  that  of  this  port.  Last  year  there 
were  less  than  two  thousand  barrels  bulk  of 
merchandise  landed  here :  this  year  there  have 
been  landed  more  than  ten  thousand  barrels 
bulk;  and  circumstances  warrant  us  in  the 
belief  that  the  progressive  increase  of  business 
will  be  as  great  for  many  years  to  come." 

The  memorialists  conclude  wuth  furnishing 
a  diagram  of  the  proposed  harbor  improve- 
ments, and  asking  for  an  appropriation  of 
forty  thousand  dollars  for  carrying  them  out. 

At  a  meeting  held  at  Niles,  it  was  resolved, 
"That  we  consider  it  of  great  importance  to 
the  commercial  interests  of  the  Territory  of 
Michigan  to  have  a  harbor  at  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Joseph  river."  And  also,  "That  we  cor- 
dially approve  of  the  memorial  drawn  up  by 
our  fellow  citizens  of  Saranac,  and  that  we 
adopt  the  same  as  the  sense  of  this  meeting ' ' ; 
and  "That  a  committee  of  three  persons  be 
appointed  to  correspond  with  our  fellow  citi- 
zen Lewis  Cass,  delegate  in  congress,  and  with 
the  members  of  congress  from  the  states  of 
Indiana  and  Illinois,  to  solicit  their  aid  in 
furthering  our  request. ' ' 

In  this  county  a  meeting  for  the  same  pur- 
pose "was  held  at  the  house  of  Calvin  Lilly 
by  the  citizens  of  South  Bend  and  its  vicinity 
on  Thursday  evening  the  19th  instant  [Janu- 
ary, 1832],  to  consider  the  propriety  of  asking 
aid  of  the  general  government  to  improve  the 
harbor  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  river. 
Mr.  Pleasant  Harris  was  called  to  the  chair 
and  John  Dougherty  Defrees  appointed  secre- 
tary." 

One  of  the  resolutions  was :  ' '  That  we  view 
the  improvement  of  the  harbor  at  the  mouth 
of  the  great  St.  Joseph  river  to  be  of  vital 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


227 


importance  to  the  welfare  of  the  whole  St. 
Joseph  country ;  and  we  entirely  concur  in 
the  project  of  asking  aid  of  congress  for  this 
purpose,  and  adopt  the  memorial  prepared 
at  Saranac  and  subsequently  adopted  by  the 
citizens  of  Niles  as  the  sense  of  this  meeting." 

It  was  also  resolved:  "That  L.  M.  Taylor, 
E.  Egbert,  and  H.  Chapin  compose  a  commit- 
tee to  make  knowTi  the  proceedings  of  this 
meeting  to  our  representatives  by  the  first 
mail." 

Although  congress  could  not  be  induced  to 
act,  the  people  continued  to  consider  the  navi- 
gation of  the  river  as  all  important  to  the  de- 
velopment of  the  country.  In  the  same  copy*' 
of  the  Pioneer  in  which  are  contained  reports 
of  the  meetings  held  at  different  points  to 
urge  favorable  action  by  congress,  we  find  the 
following  editorial  paragraph: 

"It  seems  that  our  anticipations  in  regard 
to  steamboating  on  the  St.  Joseph  are  to  be 
realized  sooner  than  we  expected.  We  have 
received  information  from  a  source  which  can 
be  relied  on  that  there  is  now  a  steamboat 
building  at  Erie.  Pennsylvania,  for  this 
river.  It  will  be  completed  by  the  time  navi- 
gation opens.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  we  are 
highly  pleased  w^th  the  enterprise.  Alive  to 
everything  that  will  have  a  tendency  to  ad- 
vance the  prosperity  of  this  country,  we  shall 
hail  the  appearance  of  this  boat  as  a  new  era 
in  its  improvement." 

And  also  the  following:  "By  an  advertise- 
ment in  the  Detroit  Journal,  we  perceive  that 
there  is  a  company  formed  for  the  purpose  of 
building  a  steamboat,  of  the  first  class,  ex- 
pressly for  the  commerce  on  Lake  Michigan. 
We  hope  that  the  stockholders  may  reap  a 
rich  harvest  for  their  enterprise.  From  the 
rapid  increase  of  business  on  this  lake  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  there  will  be  employment 
for  at  least  one  boat,  in  addition  to  the 
schooners  already  in  the  trade.  If  the  in- 
crease at  any  other  point  bears  any  proportion 
to  that  of  the  St.  Joseph,  we  would  think  that 
still  more  employment  could  be  given.    From 

a.     The  issue  for  January  25,  1832. 


experiments  lately  made  by  merchants  of  St. 
Louis,  we  are  constrained  to  believe  that  in 
future  merchandise  intended  for  Illinois  and 
Missouri  will  be  shipped  via  the  great  inland 
seas  to  Chicago,  and  thence  wagoned  to  the 
falls  of  the  Illinois  river,  it  being  navigable 
for  small  steamboats  from  that  point  to  the 
Mississippi. 

"There  is  another  fact  that  will  have  a 
powerful  influence  and  give  a  new  impulse 
to  the  commerce  on  the  lakes ;  it  is  that  all  the 
merchandise  necessary  for  consumption  in 
what  is  called  the  Wabash  country,  in  this 
state,  must  and  will  be  shipped  by  way  of  the 
lakes  and  the  St.  Joseph  river,  and  then 
wagoned  on  the  Michigan  road,  a  distance  of 
only  sixty-six  miles,  to  the  Wabash  river.  We 
have  ventured  the  assertion  that  it  can  be 
done  fifty  per  cent  lower  than  by  the  present 
uncertain  mode,  and  we  still  believe  that  we 
are  correct." 

In  an  editorial  in  the  Pioneer  for  April 
25,  1832,  this  enthusiastic  paragraph  appears : 
"Steamboats  Coming!  We  understand  by  a 
gentleman  from  Detroit,  that  it  is  supposed 
the  steamboat  built  at  Erie,  Pennsylvania,  for 
the  St.  Joseph  river  will  be  here  about  the 
firet  of  June.  Information  from  another 
Source  says,  that  Mr.  Bysel,  of  White  Pigeon, 
has  made  arrangements  to  bring  an  engine 
around  as  soon  as  possible  for  a  boat  to  be 
built  somewhere  on  the  river.  We  shall  then 
have  two  boats,  success  to  them!  Hope  they 
will  have  plenty  of  freight  and  passengers. 
How  we  should  like  to  hear  a  high  steamer 
blow  its  long  black  nose,  and  to  see  it  impelled 
with  an  almost  incredible  velocity  against  the 
strong  current  of  the  majestic  St.  Joseph !  It 
would  remind  us  of  the  din,  the  bustle  and 
the  business  so  common  to  the  principal  towns 
on  the  Ohio,  but  more  particularly  to  the 
Tyre  of  the  West."« 

Again,  on  May  9,  the  editor  cries  out  in 
gladness:  "It  is  no  longer  doubtful  concern- 
ing the  steamboat  for  this  river.  It  is  reduced 
to   a  certainty.     We  have  received  a  letter 

a.     Cincinnati. 


228 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


from  John  F.  Wright,  Esqr.,  of  Buffalo, 
stating  that  he  has  a  boat  now  nearly  com- 
plete, built  expressly  for  this  trade,  and 
which  will  be  here  about  the  first  of  June. ' ' 

And  on  July  4,  1832,  we  have  these  cheer- 
ful items:  "Arrived,  July  1, — Keel  boat  Fair 
Play,  Capt.  Cratee ;  from  Newburyport,  cargo 
for  H.  Cliapin,  in  this  place.  Departure, 
July  2nd. — Keel  boat  Fair  Play,  Capt.  Cratee, 
for  Newburyport." 

But  on  August  the  first,  this  agueish  note 
was  sounded :  ' '  The  steamboat  Newburyport, 
built  expressly  for  the  St.  Joseph  river, 
ascended  within  ten  miles  of  Niles,  when, 
meeting  a  detachment  of  troops,  it  took  them 
on  board  and  proceeded  to  Chicago. — She 
may  be  expected  here  in  a  few  days. ' '  Read 
between  the  lines,  this  announcement  was  evi- 
dently a  premonition  of  disappointment;  and 
it  was  justified  by  the  event.  The  Newbury- 
port did  not  return  "in  a  few  days."  The 
difficulties  of  navigation  were  evidently  too 
great  for  the  successful  running  of  a  steamer 
of  even  moderate  size. 

The  anticipations  of  the  people  of  "The 
St.  Joseph  country,"  both  in  the  state  of  In- 
diana and  in  the  territory  of  Michigan,  were 
exceedingly  bright,- — but  the  sequel  is  soon 
told.  Congress  at  first  took  some  little  half- 
hearted interest  in  the  navigation  of  the  noble 
river,  and  then  quietly  dropped  the  matter. 
Nature,  the  bridges,  the  mill  dams,  and  finally 
the  railroads,  did  the  rest. 

There  was  for  a  time,  however,  and  of  neces- 
sity, some  navigation  of  the  river.  Proauce 
must  be  shipped  in  and  taken  out,  either  by 
the  river  or  on  wagons;  and  keel  boats  and 
steamers  of  light  draft  continued  to  go  up 
the  stream  as  high  as  Three  Rivers.  Even 
persons  of  the  present  generation  remember 
steamboats  coming  up  as  far  as  South  Bend, 
before  the  building  of  the  dams  at  Niles  and 
Buchanan.  Pleasure  boats  even  now  run  from 
the  lake  as  far  as  Berrien  Springs ;  and  in 
recent  years  the  late  John  C.  Knobloek  had 
one  between  South  Bend  and  Mishawaka; 
while  even  now  the  redoubtable  George  Wel- 


lington Streeter  runs  his  boat  within  the  same 
limits.  But  commerce,  it  must  be  confessed, 
has  departed  from  the  St.  Joseph  forever. 

In  1830,  two  men  named  Masters  and  Tip- 
sorf  made  several  trips  from  the  lake  as  far  as 
South  Bend  and  Mishawaka.  In  the  spring 
of  1831,  Peter  Johnson  built  the  first  regular 
keel  boat  for  general  freighting  on  the  St. 
Joseph.  Madore  Cratee  was  her  captain ;  and 
we  have  in  the  "Pioneer"  (then  called  the 
"Beacon")  for  July  4,  1832,  the  announce- 
ment of  the  arrival  and  departure  of  Capt. 
Cratee  in  his  keel-boat.  In  1833,  the  little 
steamers  Matilda  Barney  and  Davy  Crockett 
made  trips  as  far  up  as  Mishawaka.  And 
from  that  time  on  until  the  coming  of  the 
railroads,  river  vessels  of  various  kinds  plied 
up  and  down  the  St.  Joseph. 

Something  of  the  character  of  this  river 
commerce  may  be  learned  from  a  local  corre- 
spondent, writing  in  1847.  He  says:  "We 
have  here  a  river  coursing  through  two  states, 
and  passing  through  and  in  the  vicinity  of  an 
agricultural  body  of  land  without  a  superior 
in  the  west.  For  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  miles,  by  the  river  distance,  namely  from 
Union  City  to  St.  Joseph,  steamboats  can  nav- 
igate its  waters,  and  have  done  so, — a  length 
of  steamboat  navigation  greater  even  than 
that  of  the  Hudson.  Four  steamboats  now 
ply  upon  it,  and  no  one,  we  believe,  has 
counted  the  numerous  keel-boats  and  arks 
which  annually  find  busy  employment  in  its 
commerce.  In  the  spring  and  fall  one  can 
hardly  look  upon  this  beautiful  stream  with- 
out seeing  a  boat  of  some  character,  deeply 
laden,  sailing  towards  its  mouth.  The  manu- 
factories of  iron,  wool,  oil,  leather  and  other 
articles,  which  line  its  shores  and  the  banks 
of  its  tributaries,  and  whose  number  is  every 
year  increasing  with  fast  accellerating  rapid- 
ity, together  with  the  eighty  run  of  stone  for 
the  grinding  of  flour,  already  at  work  or  being 
put  in  operation  the  present  season,  throw 
upon  its  waters  an  amount  of  exports  which 
would  surprise  those  who  have  not  closely 
scanned  the  statistics  of  this  fertile  valley." 


PIISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


229 


Finally,  however,  the  railroads  came,  and 
the  St.  Joseph,  at  least  above  Berrien  Springs, 
ceased  to  be  used  or  considered  as  a  navigable 
stream.  Below  Berrien  Springs,  pleasure 
steamers  of  good  size  pass  up  and  down  by 
the  beautiful  summer  resorts  found  along  the 
lower  part  of  the  river.  Higher  up,  too, 
pleasure  boats  occasionally  ply  between  the 
many  dams  along  the  stream.  But,  as  said 
by  Judge  Pettit,  in  closing  a  special  term  of 
court  in  this  county,  a  few  years  ago,  "While 
no  doubt,  the  St.  Joseph  was  once  a  navigable 
stream ;  yet,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  no  longer 
so." 

Sec.  3. — Water  Pov^er  op  the  St.  Joseph. 
— But  the  swift  fall  of  the  waters  of  the  St. 
Joseph  suggested  another  use  of  the  river, 
and  one  which  gave  the  tirst  impetus  to  our 
great  factories,  and  tended  to  make  South 
Bend  and  Mishawaka  the  humming  hives  of 
industry  which  they  have  become. 

The  first  dam  across  the  river  was  built  by 
the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Companj^  at  the  Misha- 
waka rapids,  where  has  since  grown  up  the 
beautiful  city  of  that  name.  By  an  act  ap- 
proved January  22,  1835,<*  Alanson  M.  Hurd, 
John  J.  Deming  and  John  H.  Orr  and  their 
associates  were  "constituted  a  body  corpor- 
ate and  politic,  by  the  name  and  style  of  the 
President,  Directors  and  Company  of  the  St. 
Joseph  Iron  Works";  and,  amongst  other 
powers,  were  given  the  right  "to  erect  a  dam 
across  the  river  St.  Joseph  at  the  head  of  the 
Mishawaka  rapids,  in  the  township  of  Penn 
and  County  of  St.  Joseph."  Provision  was 
made  in  the  act  for  a  lock  and  "the  passage 
of  steamboats  and  other  water  crafts  used  on 
said  river";  also  tor  rafts  to  come  down  the 
river,  and  for  the  free  passage  of  fish  up  and 
down.  The  act  was  slightly  amended  by  the 
act  of  February  1,  1836 ;  and  the  name  of  the 
corporation  was  at  the  same  time  changed  to 
the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Company.  The  construc- 
tion of  this  dam,  while  an  obstruction  to 
river  commerce,  was  nevertheless  by  reason  of 
its  use  of  the  water  power  of  the  St.  Joseph, 

a.     Local  Laws,  1834,  pp.  79-82;   1835,  p.  206. 


the  foimdation  of  the  prosperous  city  which 
has  grown  up  on  both  sides  of  the  river  at 
that  point. 

It  was  in  the  same  year,  1835,  that  Joseph 
Fellows,  Garrett  V.  Denniston  and  others,  all 
from  the  state  of  New  York,  purchased  from 
Alexis  Coquillard  the  water  powder  and  rights 
at  South  Bend.  Early  the  next  year,  by  an 
act  approved  February  6,  1836,®  they  likewise 
procured  a  charter  to  build  a  dam  across  the 
river  "at  the  head  of  the  rapids,  at  or  near 
the  town  of  South  Bend."  The  conditions 
as  to  river  traffic,  the  passage  of  fish  and  other 
matters  were  similar  to  those  for  the  dam  at 
Mishawaka.  This  act  also  was  amended  ill 
some  matters  by  an  act  approved  January  16, 
1837. 

The  Denniston  &  Fellows  Company  does 
not  seem  to  have  been  so  well  managed ;  and, 
in  any  event,  was  not  so  successful,  as  the  St. 
Joseph  Iron  Company.  They  made  some  prog- 
ress in  the  work  of  constructing  the  dam  and 
in  digging  a  mill  race ;  but,  in  1837,  by  reason 
of  the  panic  of  that  year,  or  for  other  causes, 
they  were  compelled  to  cease  operations  alto- 
gether. Later,  Mr.  Coquillard  recovered  the 
property  through  the  courts. 

By  an  act  approved  December  28,  1842,^ 
Abraham  R.  Harper,  William  H.  Patteson 
and  Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  were  incorporated  as 
the  South  Bend  Manufacturing  Company, 
and  authorized  to  complete  the  dam  at  South 
Bend.  This  company  became  the  owner  of 
one-half  the  water  power  of  the  river  at  that 
point.  Work  on  the  dam  was  again  taken 
up  in  1843,  and  the  construction  completed 
the  next  year,  with  mill  races  on  each  side  of 
the  river.  The  one-half  of  the  water  power 
attached  to  the  east  side  of  the  river  passed 
at  first  to  Samuel  L.  Cottrell,  and  from  him, 
in  1867,  to  the  South  Bend  Hydraulic  Com- 
pany. We  have  already  referred  to  an  inter- 
esting suit  tried  in  our  circuit  court,  in  the 
summer  of  1889,  for  the  division  of  the  water 
power  among  the  owners  on  each  side  of  the 

a.  Local  Laws,  1835,  pp.  339,  340;   1836,  p.  380. 

b.  i^ocal  Laws,   1842,  pp.  3-6.     And  see  Act  of 
January  20,   1846;    Local,    1845,   p.   314. 


230 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


river,  and  in  which  two  eminent  judges  of  the 
state  supreme  court  took  part.* 

The  ownership  on  the  east  side  has  since 
remained  unchanged ;  except  that  the  Hydrau- 
lic Company  has  made  deeds  of  conveyance 
of  certain  amounts  of  water  to  the  several  mill 
owners  along  the  race.  In  1903  the  owner- 
ship of  the  stock,  property  and  rights  of  the 
South  Bend  Manufacturing  Company  on  the 
v/est  race,  except  certain  shares  retained  by 
the  city  of  South  Bend,  passed  by  purchase 
to  the  Oliver  Chilled  Plow  Company.  This 
resulted  in  a  great  transformation.  An  elec- 
tric power  plant  was  constructed  on  the  west 
race,  capable  of  using  for  the  production  of 
electricity  the  full  one-half  of  the  water 
power  of  the  St.  Joseph  river.  The  plant  is 
one  of  the  best  in  the  country,  and  supplies 
electricity  for  light,  heat  and  power  to  the 
opera  house,  hotel,  factories  and  other  Oliver 
properties. 

Previous  to  this  time  a  company  of  eastern 
capitalists  had  been  formed  to  construct  a 
dam  and  electric  power  plant  at  a  point  above 
the  city  of  Mishawaka,  known  as  Hen  Island. 
This  great  plant  is  used  in  connection  with 
another  at  Buchanan,  in  Michigan,  and  with 
a  steam  power  plant  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  at  South  Bend,  for  the  generation  of 
electricity  in  vast  quantities,  which  is  used 
for  lighting  the  cities  and  towns  on  the  river 
and  furnishing  them  heat  and  power. 

In  the  beginning,  the  water  power  gener- 
ated by  the  dams  at  Mishawaka  and  South 
Bend  was  used  to  run  the  saw  mills,  flouring 
mills  and  early  manufacturing  establishments 
in  those  towns.  As  soon,  however,  as  any  line 
of  manufacturing  greatly  increased  its  out- 
put, the  deficiency  and  uncertainty  of  water 
power,  particularly  after  long'  summer 
droughts,  became  manifest.  In  addition,  the 
space  on  the  river  became  too  confined  for 
large  concerns.  Accordingly,  the  heavier 
business,  from  time  to  time,  was  removed  to 
more  roomy  quarters,  often  at  a  long  distance 
from  the  river.  The  result  is  that  the  great 
a.     See  Chap.  6,  Subd.  2. 


Studebaker,  Oliver,  Birdsell.  South  Bend 
Chilled  Plow  and  Singer  Works,  at  South 
Bend,  and  the  mammoth  Dodge  factory  and 
othei-s  at  Mishawaka,  together  with  many  of 
lesser  proportions  in  both  cities,  whether 
originally  located  along  the  mill  races  or  not, 
are  now  run  with  steady  and  unlimited  steam 
or  electric,  instead  of  water  power. 

Sec.  4. — Generation  of  Electric  Power. 
— Yet,  even  now,  there  is,  in  another  sense, 
a  return  to  the  river.  At  several  places  on 
the  St.  Joseph,  as  already  stated,  the  great 
power  of  the  river  has  invited  the  building 
of  dams  for  the  production  of  electricity,  to 
be  used  not  only  for  light  and  heat,  but  also 
for  motive  power ;  and  it  would  seem  that  the 
water  power  of  the  St.  Joseph,  through  the 
generation  of  this  mysterious  fluid,  with  its 
tremendous  force,  is  destined  to  make  this  val- 
ley forever  a  center  of  manufacturing  activ- 
ity, from  the  mouth  of  the  river  far  up  be- 
yond the  confines  of  St.  Joseph  county. 
Through  this  electrical  energy  there  is,  then, 
a  return  to  the  water  power  which  first 
attracted  the  attention  of  millers  and  manu- 
facturers. More  permanent  than  the  famed 
natural  gas  of  central  Indiana,  this  electric 
force,  generated  by  the  broad  and  rapid  St. 
Joseph,  will  light  and  heat  our  homes  and 
offices,  our  stores  and  factories;  will  propel 
our  street  and  interurban  cars,  and  run  our 
endless  varieties  of  machinery.  The  river 
first  gave  us  ou.r  manufactories  and  other  in- 
dustries ;  and  the  same  river,  in  this  half 
spiritual  form,  will  retain  for  us  those  fac- 
tories and  industries,  and  will  add  a  thousand 
fold  to  their  growth,  usefulness  and  beauty. 

Sec.  5. — Accidents  on  the  River. — Before 
closing  the  history  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  it 
becomes  necessary  to  refer  to  the  numerous 
accidents  that  have  taken  place  in  the  beauti- 
ful but  treacherous  stream.  No  summer 
season  passes  but  that  the  seductive  waters 
draw  into  their  fatal  embrace  one  or  more 
victims.  The  number  of  persons  tliat  have 
been  caught  by  the  charms  of  this  syren 
would  seem  to  have  been  so  great  that  the 


HISTORY    OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


231 


young  swimmers  and  bathers  would  avoid  the 
tempting-  waters  as  they  would  a  bath  of 
poison.  But  the  victims  continue  to  disappear 
from  year  to  year  beneath  the  treacherous 
waves,  until  as  every  summer  comes  the  peo- 
ple expect  to  hear  of  deaths  by  drowning, 
almost  as  a  matter  of  course.  In  South  Bend, 
the  board  of  safety  has  felt  called  upon  to 
provide  a  life-saving  station,  with  a  boat 
ready  at  any  instant  to  go  to  the  rescue  of  a 
person  caught  in  the  dangerous  currents.  It 
is  hoped  this  precaution  may  be  the  means 
of  putting  an  end  to  the  loss  of  life  that  has 
for  years  afflicted  so  many  households. 

The  most  heart-rending  drowning  that  per- 
haps ever  took  place  on  the  St.  Joseph  oc- 
curred on  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  June  2, 
1868,  when  four  young  people,  Eugene  Seixas, 
Charles  Waterhouse,  Adele  Seixas  and  Molly 
C.  Miller,  lost  their  lives  in  a  boat  that  was 
carried  over  the  dam  at  South  Bend.  The 
cause  of  the  accident  is  not  certainly  known; 
but  it  is  believed  that  the  boat,  which  was 
launched  in  the  still  water  a  little  above  the 
headgates  of  the  west  race,  was  caught  in  the 
current  and  carried  sideways  over  the  dam 
before  the  young  men  perceived  their 
danger  or  had  time  to  grasp  the  oars.  Miss 
Miller's  body  was  recovered  that  evening  and 
those  of  the  others  on  the  next  day.  The 
tragedy  cast  a  gloom  over  the  whole  city, 
where  the  yoimg  men  and  ^vomen  were  all 
well  known  and  were  beloved  by  all  the  peo- 
ple. 

II.   FERRIES,  ROADS  AND  BRIDGES. 

Sec.  1. — Ferries  Over  the  St.  Joseph. — 
In  the  beginning,  shallow  places  in  the  river, 
or  fords,  were  selected  for  the  purpose  of 
crossing  from  one  side  to  the  other.  The 
first  settlers  were  often  thus  required  to  ford 
the  stream  with  their  wagons,  oxen,  cows  and 
other  stock.  Soon  after  the  starting  of  towns, 
however,  it  became  necessary  to  cross  the  river 
at  the  towns  whether  the  water  were  deep  or 
shallow.  Before  the  building  of  bridges  such 
crossings  were  made  by   ferry  boats   plying 


from  one  bank  to  .  the  other.  These  vessels 
were  generally  flat  boats,  and  simple  in  con- 
struction;  on  which  teams,  animals  and  all 
kinds  of  goods,  as  well  as  persons,  were  taken 
over  the  river  at  fixed  charges.  To  protect  the 
public  as  well  as  the  ferryman,  the  county 
board  granted  special  licenses,  without  which 
no  one  was  allowed  to  establish  a  regular  ferry 
or  make  charges  for  carrying  goods  or  pas- 
sengers from  shore  to  shore. 

The  first  ferry  license  on  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  as  we  have  seen,"  was  granted  Septem- 
ber 6,  1831,  to  Nehemiah  B.  Griffith ;  who  was 
authorized,  on  certain  terms  and  conditions, 
to  establish  a  ferry  over  the  river,  on  what  is 
now  La  Salle  avenue.  This  ferry  was  of  great 
advantage  to  the  people  having  occasion  to 
pass  from  one  side  of  the  river  to  the  other.  ^ 
Misunderstandings,  however,  arose,  and  com- 
plaints were  made  to  the  county  commission- 
ers as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  ferry  was 
conducted.  This  resulted  in  some  litigation, 
and  the  matter  was  in  an  unsettled  condition 
for  a  long  time. 

On  January  7,  1835,  Alexis  Coquillard  was 
granted  a  license  to  establish  a  ferry  on  what 
is  now  Colfax  avenue.  That  the  business  in- 
creased may  be  known  from  an  order  made 
by  the  board  on  March  3,  1835,  requiring  Mr. 
Coquillard  to  add  another  boat  to  his  ferry. 

It  is  said  that  there  was  a  ferry  established 
across  the  river  at  Mishawaka  in  1834,  but 

there  does  not  seem  to  be  any  record  of  a 

license  for  such  a  ferry.     There  is  no  doubt. 

however,  that  a  means  of  frequent  crossing  of 

the    river    at    that    point    was   a  necessity, 

although   a   regular   licensed   ferry   may   not 

have  been   established.     The  people  of  that 

town,  at  a  very  early  day,  had  set  their  minds 

upon   a  bridge   over  the   river  as   being   far 

preferable  to  a  ferry. 

On  September  1,  1834,  Elisha  Egbert  took 

out  a  license  for.  a  ferry,  crossing  the  river  at 

the  town   of  Portage,  north  of  South  Bend. 

Mr.  Egbert  was  much  interested  in  this  town. 

a.     Chap.  5,  Subd.  5. 

J).     There  was  a  steamboat  landing  at  the  same 
place. 


232 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


whose  success  for  a  time  seemed  promising, 
but  which  has  long  ceased  to  exist. 

Sec.  2.- — Bridges  Over  the  St,  Joseph. — 
Not  only  has  Mishawaka  the  honor  of  building 
the  first  dam  across  the  St.  Joseph  river,  but 
also  of  constructing  the  first  bridge  over  the 
same  stream.  Both  were  private  enterprises; 
and  both  were  undoubtedly  due  in  large  meas- 
ure to  the  enterprise  of  the  principal  founder 
of  the  city,  Alanson  M.  Hurd.  This  first 
bridge  over  the  river  was  built  in  1837,  and 
seems  to  have  been  a  substantial  structure. 
This  may  be  inferred  from  the  accident  that 
happened  in  1847  to  the  steam  boat  Pilot  by 
running  against  the  bridge.  On  May  3,  1847, 
the  county  auditor  reported  to  the  county 
commissioners  that  the  owners  of  the  Pilot 
threatened  suit  for  the  loss  of  their  boat, 
claiming  also  that  the  bridge  was  an  obstruc- 
tion to  navigation.  The  only  action  taken  by 
the  board  was  to  order  surveys  and  estimates 
for  a  new  bridge,  a  "lattice"  bridge,  at  Mish- 
awaka. 

No  action  looking  towards  building  a 
bridge  at  South  Bend  seems  to  have  been 
taken  until  1844,  when  Abram  R.  Harper, 
an  enterprising  merchant  of  the  town,  was 
authorized  by  the  county  board  to  take  up 
subscriptions  and  erect  a  toll  bridge  over  the 
river  at  Washington  street.  The  idea  of  a 
toll  bridge  does  not  seem  to.  have  been  received 
with  favor  by  the  people,  and  the  project 
languished.  In  March,  1845,  the  county 
undertook  the  support  of  the  enterprise,  on 
condition  that  eight  hundred  dollars  were 
secured  by  subscription.  Mr.  Harper  was 
appointed  superintendent.  The  bridge  w^as 
to  be  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length; 
and  to  extend  from  Washington  street,  on 
the  west,  to  Market  street,  now  Colfax  avenue, 
on  the  east  side. 

At  the  June  term,  1847,  Mr.  Harper  report- 
ed to  the  county  board  that  he  had  advanced 
towards  the  building  of  the  Washington-Mar- 
ket street  bridge  five  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  dollars  and  fifty-four  cents,  and  that 
there  was  yet  due  on  subscriptions  one  hun- 


dred and  ninety-nine  dollai-s  and  fifty  cents. 
It  was  evident  that  the  board  must  now  come 
to  the  rescue  of  this  work,  and  an  order  was 
made  that  the  road  tax  for  Portage  township 
be  turned  over  to  the  superintendent  and  the 
bridge  completed. 

At  the  same  session  of  the  board  it  appeared 
from  the  surveys  and  estimates  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  Mishawaka  bridge  that  its 
total  cost  would  be  five  thousand  dollars,  and 
that  said  sum  exceeded  the  amount  of  the 
ordinary  road  work  and  tax  of  the  two  road 
districts  in  which  the  bridge  lay.  An  order 
was  then  made  that  the  road  tax  of  all  the  dis- 
tricts to  be  benefited  by  the  bridge  should  be 
applied  to  its  completion.  This  bridge  was  to 
be  three  hundred  feet  long  and  twenty-eight 
feet  in  width. 

Thus  was  the  very  important  work  of 
spanning  the  river  with  bridges  at  the  two 
towns  completed.  The  days  of  the  ferries 
were  passed.  The  county,  under  statutory 
provisions,  has  since  taken  charge  of  the  build- 
ing of  all  bridges  over  the  river,  as  well  as 
of  all  other  bridges  in  the  county. 

Soon  after  there  was  found  need  of  an  ad- 
ditional bridge  in  South  Bend ;  and  a  covered 
wooden  bridge  was  built  on  Water  street,  now 
La  Salle  avenue,  where  the  first  ferry  in  the 
town  had  been  established.  This  covered 
wooden  bridge  is  noted  in  our  local  history 
by  reason  of  the  disaster  occasioned  to  it  by 
the  only  tornado  that  ever  visited  this  section 
of  the  countiy."  It  was  about  two  o'clock  on 
the  afternoon  of  August  9,  1865,  that  a  black, 
angry-looking  cloud  was  seen  coming  up  the 
Kankakee  valley  from  the  southwest.  The 
cloud  came  on  swiftly  and  threateningly; 
dipped  towards  the  earth  as  it  reached  the 
town ;  stripped  the  tin  roof  off  the  court 
house,  tearing  the  tin  and  rolling  it  up  like 
bales  of  cloth;  dipped  still  lower  and  struck 
and  tore  down  the  east  half  of  the  Water 
street  bridge ;  and  then  scattered  houses  and 
barns  as  it  rushed  on  to  the  southeast.  The 
tornado    does   not    seem   to   have   been   near 

a.     See  Note,  Chap.  7,  Subd.  7,  Sec.  2. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.                                     233 

enough  to  the  earth  to  have  done  any  damage  was  taken  in  1903,  in  the  building  of  the  Col- 

except  as  it  passed  over  the  town.     The  com-  fax  avenue  bridge,  supported  on  great  iron 

missioners,  in  restoring  the  bridge,  wisely  de-  girders  resting  upon  piers.     This,  too,  gives 

termined  to  remove  the  roof  from  the  whole  a  street  surface  continuous  with  the  street  at 

of  the  bridge,  being  of  opinion  that  the  cum-  either  side,   a  most   desirable   feature  in   all 

brous  structure  concentrated  the  full  force  of  bridge  construction.     It  is  to  be  regretted  that 

the  tornado  and  thus  caused  the  partial  des-  the  Colfax  bridge  has  so  heavy  a  grade  from 

truction  of  the  bridge.  east  to  west.     It  would  seem  to  have  been 

Later  a  plain  wooden  bridge,  a  frail  one  it  very  easy  to  remedy  this  defect  by  beginning 

was  considered,  was  built  on  Jefferson  street;  the  grade  one  square  further  east,  making  an 

and  afterwards  another,  the  Leeper  bridge,  easy  ascent  from  Bridge  street  to  Michigan 

on  North  Michigan  street.     Four  miles  north  street ;  but,  even  as  it  is,  this  bridge  is  one  of 

of  the  Leeper  bridge  another  was  built,  at  the  finest  public  improvements  ever  made  in 

Musquito  Glen,  near  the  old  Sheffield  or  Sid-  the  county. 

er's  mill.  Still  other  wooden  bridges  were  Finally  public  opinion  was  so  distinctly  ex- 
erected  from  time  to  time,  at  different  places  pressed  that  the  county  commissionere  took 
along  the  river.  the    ultimate    step    in    bridge    making,  and 

Then  came  the  era  of  iron  bridges.     The  adopted  the  Melan,  or  concrete-arch  system, 

first  of  these  was  a  kind  of  suspension,  swing-  the  arches  re-enforced  with  ribs  of  steel  buried 

ing  or  chain  bridge,  built  over  the  river  on  in  concrete.     This  system  results,  practically, 

Water  street,  now  La  Salle  avenue,  in  South  in  the  spanning  of  our  rivers  with  indestruct- 

Bend.    An  unskillful  workman  one  day  drove  ible  stone  arches,  over  which  are  built  road- 

a  pin  out  of  the  unlucky  east  end  of  this  ways  and  sidewalks , absolutely  similar  to  and 

bridge,  and  let  the  whole  structure  into  the  continuous  with  those  of  the  thoroughfares 

river.     A  more  substantial  bridge,  of  the  truss  upon  which  the  bridges  are  erected.    The  first 

pattern,  ^Yas  erected  in  its  place.     The  truss  of  these  bridges  was  built  on  Cedar  street, 

bridge  was  in  favor  for  a  time.     One  was  Mishawaka,  and  so  successful  did  the  experi- 

built  at  ^lishawaka,  on  Bridge  street,  in  place  ment  prove  that  the  county  board  no  longer 

of  the  old  wooden  one  at  that  point;  another  hesitated.      Three    concrete    arched    bridges 

was  built  in  1881,  on  Jefferson  street,  South  were  ordered, — one  on  Jefferson  street.  South 

Bend,  in  place  of  the  feeble  wooden  structure  Bend,  thrown  open  to  public  travel  in  1905 ; 

that  had  too  long  done  service  in  that  place;  one   on   Bridge   street,   Mishawaka,   now    (in 

still  another  tdok  the  place  of  the  wooden  Lee-  1907)    approaching  completion;   and  one  on 

per  bridge  on  Michigan  street.  South  Bend.  La    Salle    street,    South    Bend,    which    will 

But  the  iron  in  the  truss  bridges  expanded  also  be  completed  in  November,  1907.     The 

in  summer  and  contracted  in  winter,  and  it  Cedar  street  bridge,  Mishawaka,  and  the  Jef- 

required  the  constant  care  of  experts  to  keep  ferson  street  bridge,   South  Bend,  are  most 

the  bridges  in  safe  condition.    With  the  new  beautiful   as  well   as  substantial  structures, 

century  came  the  conviction  that  some  more  It  is    sometimes    said     that     the     Jefferson 

safe    and    durable    form   of   bridge   must  be  street    bridge     is     of     unnecessary    length; 

adopted.      The   first  effort  in   this   direction  .that    one-half    the    east    arch,    being    over 

resulted  in  the  Sample  street  bridge  in  South  solid  ground,  might  have  been  omitted  and 

Bend.     The  upper  truss  was  abandoned,  and  the  space  filled  in  with  earth.     It  is  claimed 

a  solid  sub-structure  support,  with  iron  gird-  that,  besides  the  shortening  of  the  bridge,  and 

ers,  was  substituted;    giving  a  smooth,  solid  the  consequent  shortening  aud  strengthening 

road  bed,  continuous  with  the  street  on  either  of  the  arches,  this  would  have  straightened 

side.     A  further  step  in  the  same  direction  Emerick  street  and  made  the  connection  with 


234 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Jefferson  street  and  the  bridge  more  direct 
and  convenient  at  that  point.  But  the  bridge, 
as  it  is,  is  so  noble  a  structure,  broad  and  con- 
tinuous as  the  fine  street  on  which  it  is  built, 
that  it  seems  ungracious  to  draw  further  at- 
tention to  faults  now  apparent  to  every  one. 
Hindsight  is  easy  to  us  all;  foresight  only 
to  the  child  of  genius.  The  vision  of  the  his- 
torian is,  of  course,  but  hindsight;  and  he 
must  be  pardoned  for  looking  upon  thing-s 
as  they  have  been  done  and  as  he  actually 
finds  them. 

Sec.  3. — Roads. — The  first  roads,  as  we  have 


pathway  had 'gone  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  and 
other  Indians  in  their  journeys  to  the  east 
from  Wisconsin  and  other  western  countries; 
and  by  this  traveled  way  had  come  the  dread- 
ed Iroquois  in  their  incursions  from  the  far 
east.  In  peace,  it  was  the  pathway  of  the 
hunter  and  the  highway  of  commerce ;  in  war, 
it  was  the  road  along  which  advanced  in 
threatening  array  the  painted  warriore  of  the 
forests  and  the  prairies.  As  a  national  road 
the  Great  Sauk  trail  became  known  as  the 
Detroit  and  Chicago  road,  or  simply  the  Chi- 
cago road,  as  it  is  called  to  this  day.     This 


JEFFERSON  STREET  BRIDGE,   SOUTH  BEND. 


seen,  were  Indian  trails  and  traces,  running 
by  the  most  convenient  i-outes  from  point  to 
point  of  importance  throughout  the  vast  sur- 
rounding wilderness.  Some  of  these  con- 
nected such  far  distant  points  and  were  of 
such  convenience  and  even  necessity  for  the 
use  of  the  government  as  well  as  for  emigra- 
tion and  for  the  needs  of  primitive  commerce, 
that  they  were  adopted  and  cared  for  as 
national  roads.  Of  such  was  the  Great  Sauk 
trail,  stretching  from  Canada  and  New  York 
to  the  far  northwest.  This  trail  crossed  the  St. 
Joseph  river  near  Bertrand  and  passed  over 
the  northwest  part  of  this  county.     Over  this 


road  would  perhaps  have  made  Bertrand  a 
great  city  had  not  the  railroads  passed 
through  Niles  and  South  Bend,  and  made  of 
the  great  trail  a  common  country  road,  in- 
stead of  the  thoroughfare  of  commerce  which 
it  had  been  for  ages. 

Another  wilderness  highway,  connecting 
with  the  Great  Sauk  trail,  extending  thence 
east  through  South  Bend  and  Mishawaka 
and  across  northern  Indiana,  to  Vistula,  Ohio, 
has  now  long  been  known  as  the  Vistula  road. 
This  roaci:,  ^..-.t;  wrr^ers  or  its  kind,  took  in  all 
along  the  line  other  trails,  traces  and  path- 
ways, as  the  Dragoon  trace  and  the  Turkey 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


235 


Creelc  road,  leading  off  to  Fort  Wayne  and 
other  points  to  the  south  and  east.  Such  a 
highway  as  the  Vistula  road,  leading  as  it 
did  through  many  counties,  was  of  state  im- 
portance, was  laid  out  by  a  special  act  of 
the  legislature,  and  was  therefore  known  as 
a  state  road.  Sometimes  the  statute  so 
passed,  as  was  the  case  with  the  Vistula  road, 
failed  to  tix  any  width  for  the  highway,  nam- 
ing only  the  line  of  the  road  and  leaving 
the  width  to  be  fixed  by  public  travel,  to 
the  subsequent  inconvenience  of  the  people 
and  the  annoyance  of  boards  of  commis- 
sioners and  often  of  the  courts.  The  Vistula 
road  as  it  extends  through  South  Bend  is 
called  Vistula  avenue;  while  through  Misha- 
waka  it  is  known  as  Second  street.  Those 
who  desire  to  preserve  historical  associations 
have  frequently  urged  upon  the  good  people 
of  Mishawaka  the  propriety  of  continuing 
the  name  of  Vistula  through  their  beautiful 
city. 

Still  other  highways  were  confined  to  the 
county  itself,  although  generally  connecting 
and  forming  one  with  thoroughfares  at  the 
boundai-ies.  Such  highways  were  under  the 
sole  jurisdiction  of  the  county  commissioners 
and  known  as  county  roads.  A  very  large 
part  of  the  time  of  every  session  of  the 
county  board  during  the  early  period  of  the 
history  of  the  county  was  taken  up  with  hear- 
ing petitions  for  these  county  roads,  appoint- 
ing viewers  to  lay  them  out,  hearing  and  ap- 
proving the  reports  of  the  viewers  and  estab- 
lishing the  roads,  or  in  listening  to  remon- 
strances and  appointing  reviewers.  In  time, 
however,  all  the  necessary  roads  have  been  laid 
out,  and  it  is  not  often  now  that  petitions  for 
new  roads  are  presented  to  the  commis- 
sioners. The  attention  of  the  county  board 
and  of  the  township  road  authorities  is  now, 
and  has  for  years,  been  chiefly  given  to  bridg- 
ing, draining,  grading,  graveling  and  other- 
wise improving  the  highways  already  laid  out. 
Plank  roads  were  for  a  time  re.sorted  to  on 
some  lines,  as  on  the  Michigan  road  between 
South  Bend  and  Plymouth ;  but  these  were 


all  wisely  abandoned  and  gravel  roads  sub- 
stituted in  their  place. 

It  is  said  that  the  United  States  postal  au- 
thorities in  charge  of  the  free  delivery  mail 
routes  have  recently  pronounced  the  highways 
of  Indiana  the  best  in  the  Union.  This  is 
a  high  commendation  for  the  public  spirit 
of  the  Hoosier  state;  and  it  is  to  the  honor 
of  St.  Joseph  county  that  nowhere  in  In- 
diana are  the  public  highways  and  bridges 
kept  in  better  condition  for  public  travel  than 
within  our  own  borders. 

Although  when  first  laid  out  and  improved 
the  various  highways  were  for  a  time  dis- 
tinguished as  national,  state,  county  and  even 
township  roads;  yet  now,  and  for  a  long 
time,  all  roads  are  improved  and  cared  for 
under  the  county  and  township  road  authori- 
ties, and  the  laws  in  relation  to  highways 
apply  uniformally  to  all  public  roads,  no 
matter  by  what  authority  they  were  origin- 
ally established.  We  may  note  as  a  peculi- 
arity of  oui-  local  highway  system  that  the 
gravel  road  laws  of  the  state  have  never  been 
applied  to  the  improvement  of  the  highways 
of  this  county.  Good  road  gravel  is  so  abund- 
ant in  almost  every  section  of  the  county  that 
the  township  trustees  and  road  supervisors 
have  had  no  trouble  in  graveling  the  roads 
by  using  the  ordinary  road  labor  and  the 
township  road  fund  for  that  purpose. 

In  Chapter  Fifth,  subdivision  first,  of  this 
history,  in  connection  with  the  first  surveys 
of  the  public  lands,  we  have  given  some  par- 
ticulai-s  concerning  the  early  history  of  the 
most  important  public  highway  of  the  county, 
and  indeed  of  the  state  also,  the  Michigan 
road.  This  road  was  to  Indiana  what  the 
Erie  canal  was  to  the  state  of  New  York,  what 
the  Union  Pacific  was  to  the  regions  beyond 
the  Rocky  mountains  and  what  the  old  Ro- 
man roads  were  to  the  several  provinces  into 
which  they  were  extended.  The  most  com- 
plete 'and  detailed  history  of  the  Michigan 
road  ever  writfen  Avas  prepared  by  Miss  Ethel 
^lontgomery,  a  graduate  of  Purdue  univer- 
sity and  now  one  of  the  corps  of  teachers  in 


236 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  South  Bend  high  school.  Miss  Mont- 
gomery's paper  was  recently  read  by  her  be- 
fore the  Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society, 
and  is  to  be  published  by  the  society  as  one 
of  its  most  valued  documents. 

The  Michigan  road  may  be  considered  as 
a  national  as  well  as  a  state  road.  In  Chap- 
ter Fifth  we  have  seen  that  by  the  treaty  of 
October  16,  1826,  the  United  States  secured 
from  the  Pottawatomies  the  lands  necessary 
for  the  construction  of  the  road  from  Lake 
Michigan  to  the  Ohio  river,  the  road  to  be 
one  hundred  feet  in  width.  Both  in  the 
treaty,  however,  and  in  the  subsequent  acts 
of  congress  in  relation  thereto,  the  Indiana 
legislature  was  given  the  right  to  locate  the 
road  and  to  dispose  of  the  lands  and  apply  the 
proceeds  to  its  construction.  Chief  credit  for 
the  completion  of  the  road  through  this 
county  and  on  to  the  terminus  at  ^Michigan 
City  is  due  to  the  commissioner  then  in 
charge,  Judge  William  Polke.  who  was  one 
of  the  most  eminent  of  our  public  men  in 
the  early  history  of  Indiana.  The  road  runs 
almost  in  a  direct  line  from  the  crossing  of  the 
AYabash  at  Logansport  to  the  southern  bend 
of  the  St.  Joseph,  passing  through  Plymouth, 
Lakeville  and  South  Bend,  all  then  within  the 
limits  of  St.  Joseph  county.  From  South 
Bend  the  course  turned  to  the  west,  so  as 
to  reach  IMichigan  City  by  the  most  direct 
route.  Michigan  street  and  Michigan  avenue 
mark  the  course  of  the  Michigan  road  through 
South  Bend.  This  section  of  the  road  was 
finLshed  in  1834  and  1835 ;  and  its  comple- 
tion gave  a  wonderful  impetus  to  the  settle- 
ment of  this  county  as  well  as  of  all  northern 
Indiana. 


III. 


RAILRO.M)S. 


See.  1. — The  Lake  Shore.^ — But  the  in- 
creased facilities  for  public  travel  and  for 
commercial  transactions,  for  the  marketing  of 
the  products  of  the  soil  and  the  procuring  of 
commodities  needed  for  the  use  of  the  people, 
afforded  by  the  opening  of  the  Michigan  road, 
adding  as  they   did  to   the   accommodations 


furnished  by  the  navigation  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  as  well  as  by  the  stage  travel  and  the 
wagon  traffic  over  the  various  other  thorough- 
fares of  the  territory  watered  by  the  St.  Jo- 
seph and  the  Kankakee,  could  not  satisfy-  the 
eager  commercial  spirit  of  the  people  of  St. 
Joseph  county.  As  early  as  1832,  as  we  have 
seen,  Mr.  John  D.  Defrees,  in  the  Northwest- 
ern Pioneer,  advocated  the  encouragement  of 
the  building  of  a  railroad  into  "the  St.  Joseph 
country. ' ' 

The   attention   of  the  people  of  the  state 

was  then  chiefly  engrossed  by  the  construction 
and  operation  of  the  Wabash  and  Erie  canal, 
and  the  high  hopes  awakened  as  to  the  great 
commercial  highway  connecting  Lake  Erie  and 
the  Wabash  river.  However,  in  February 
1835,  the  legislature  passed  an  act  for  the 
incorporation  of  a  company  to  be  known  as 
the  Buffalo  &  jNIississippi  railroad  company, 
with  the  design  to  have  a  railroad  constructed 
from  Buffalo  to  the  Mississippi  river.  In  1838 
a  company  was  organized  under  this  act  to 
build  a  railroad  from  the  eastern  boundary 
of  the  state,  to  run  through  South  Bend  and 
.]\nehigan  City.  General  Joseph  Orr,  of  La- 
port  e  county,  was  the  active  mover  in  this 
enterprise.  But  little  headway  could  then  be 
made,  and  the  project  was  abandoned  for 
several  years. 

In  1847,  the  agitation  was  renewed,  and  a 
meeting  of  persons  interested,  from  Toledo  to 
Chicago,  was  held  at  IMishawaka.  At  this 
meeting  Thomas  S.  Stanfield  first  appeared  as 
a  railroad  builder.  To  the  untiring  efforts 
of  this  eminent  man,  St.  Joseph  county  was 
ultimately  indebted  for  the  first  railroads 
that  entered  its  territory.  After  Alexis  Co- 
quillard,  there  is  no  man  to  whom  St.  Joseph 
county  is  more  largely  indebted  than  to 
Thomas  S.  Stanfield.  Wlien  the  time  comes 
in  which  the  county  shall  provide  for  the  erec- 
tion of  statues  to  its  distinguished  citizens, 
the  figure  of  Judge  Stanfield.  who  brought  to 
us  our  first  railroads  and  opened  up  to  the 
world  our  cities  and  towns  and  our  splendid 
farming  territory,  will  not  be  forgotten. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


237 


At  this  time  a  corporation  known  as  the 
Michigan  Southern  railroad  company  had  con- 
strncted  its  road  from  Toledo,  Ohio,  to  Hills- 
dale, Michigan ;  and  it  was  proposed  that  a 
corresponding  Indiana  corporation  should  be 
fonned  to  aid  in  completing  the  road  to  Chi- 
cago. This  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the 
Northern  Indiana  railroad  company.  In  1850 
the  two  companies  were  consolidated  under 
the  •  name  of  the  Michigan  Southern  & 
Northern  Indiana  Railway  Company.  Desir- 
ing to  reach  Chicago  more  directly  than  could 
be  done  through  Michigan  City,  the  old 
charter  of  the  Buffalo  &  Mississippi  com- 
pany was  resorted  to,  and  the  road  thus  com- 
pleted by  way  of  Mishawaka,  South  Bend  and 
Laporte. 

But  the  rivalry  then  existing  between  the 
Michigan  Central  railroad  company  and  the 
Michigan  Southern  &  Northern  Indiana  again 
brought  Judge  Stanfield's  resourcefulness 
into  action.  When  the  IMichigan  Southern  & 
Northern  Indiana  was  built  as  far  as  White 
Pigeon,  it  found  itself  unable  to  reach  the 
Indiana  line  in  a  direct  route  without  violat- 
ing the  terms  of  the  charter  which  it  had  re- 
ceived from  the  state  of  Michigan.  This  un- 
favorable legislation  had  been  enacted  through 
the  influence  of  the  rival  railroad ;  and  the 
result  was  that  the  Michigan  Southern  must 
either  come  to  a  standstill  or  else  go  out  of 
its  way  at  a  considerable  loss.  In  this  junc- 
ture Judge  Stanfield  proposed  to  the  com- 
pany that  they  should  furnish  him  with  the 
means,  and  he  would  procure  the  right  of 
way  and  build  an  independent  line  of  rail- 
way, four  miles  in  length,  extending  from 
White  Pigeon  to  the  Indiana  line.  This  was 
done;  and  for  ten  years  this  four  miles  of 
road,  known  as  the  Portage  railroad,  was 
nominally  owned  by  Judge  Stanfield,  but 
leased  from  him  by  the  company  and  operated 
as  a  part  of  the  Michigan  Southern  & 
Northern  Indiana. 

To  aid  the  enterprise.  St.  Joseph  county 
agreed  to  subscribe  for  forty  thousand  dol- 
lars of  the  capital  stock  of  the  company;  but 


the  private  subscriptions  by  the  people 
proved  sufficient  for  the  building  of  the  road, 
and  the  county  subscription  was  not  needed. 
Even  the  stock  subscribed  by  the  citizens 
was  taken  off  their  hands  by  Judge  Stan- 
field who  found  eastern  capitalists  glad  to 
take  it,  so  that  the  building  of  this  great 
highway  of  commerce,  so  vital  to  the  pros- 
perity of  our  community,  was  completed  with- 
out cost  to  the  county  or  to  any  of  its  people. 

The  day  when  the  first  through  train  from 
the  east  reached  Mishawaka  and  South  Bend 
is  memorable  in  the  history  of  St.  Joseph 
county.  This  was  on  Saturday  evening,  Oc- 
tober 4,  1851 ;  and  when  the  locomotive,  John 
Stryker,  oame  puffing  into  the  stations  it  was 
received  with  all  demonstrations  of  joy  by  the 
assembled  multitudes.  Cheer  after  cheer 
came  from  the  enthusiastic  people  whose  hopes 
were  thus  gratified.  Forty-eight  rounds  of  can- 
non and  brilliant  bonfires  bore  the  joyous  in- 
telligence to  the  sight  and  hearing  of  the  eager 
inhabitants  who  were  themselves  unable  to  be 
present.  Almost  equal  enthusiasm  was  mani- 
fested on  the  incoming  and  outgoing  of  the 
trains  on  the  ensuing  Monday,  and  for  days 
afterwards.  It  was  the  culmination  of  the 
efforts  and  hopes  of  the  people,  ever  since 
the  firat  settlement  of  the  county.  After  the 
consolidation  of  this  great  railroad  with  the 
Lake  Shore  road  from  Buffalo  to  Toledo  the 
name  of  the  consolidated  railroad  was  changed 
to  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern.  It 
is  commonly  spoken  of  as  the  Lake  Shore  rail- 
road. 

Sec.  2. — The  Michigan  Central. — In  1867 
a  company  was  formed  at  Jaclcson,  IMichigan, 
designed  to  aid  in  extending  the  Grand  Trunk 
railroad  through  Michigan  and  Indiana  to 
Chicago.  The  first  plan  contemplated  going 
by  way  of  Niles,  and  then  by  the  most  direct 
line  to  Chicago.  This  would  have  left  South 
Bend  out.  The  name  of  the  company  was 
afterwards  changed  to  the  ]\Iichigan  Air  Line 
railroad  company,  and  under  this  name  it  be- 
gan work.  A  lack  of  funds  however  com- 
pelled the  company  in  1869  to  lease  its  road 


238 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


to  the  Michigan  Central  railroad  company. 
The  Air  Line  road  was  then  rapidly  com- 
pleted from  Jackson  to  Niles.  An  Indiana 
company  was  next  formed  to  extend  the  Air 
Line  to  South  Bend.  To  this  project  the 
city  of  South  Bend  extended  its  financial  aid 
by  subscribing  for  twenty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars of  the  capital  stock.  The  Michigan  Cen- 
tral leased  this  South  Bend  branch  also,  and 
thus  the  Michigan  Central  system  reached 
South  Bend  early  in  the  year  1870.  Thomas 
S.  Stanfield  was  also  the  force  that  secured 
this  extension  of  the  Michigan  Central  to  our 
county.  It  is  said  that  for  years  this  ten 
mile  branch  from  South  Bend  to  Niles  was 
the  most  profitable  ten  miles  of  road  in  the 
whole  Michigan  Central  system. 

Sec.  3. — The  Grand  Trunk. — But  the  peo- 
ple of  St.  Joseph  county,  led  by  Judge  Stan- 
field. were  not  satisfied  without  making 
further  efforts  to  secure  the  passage  of  the 
Grand  Trunk  extension  through  Mishawaka 
and  South  Bend.  Several  distinct  companies 
were  formed  with  this  project  in  view, — first, 
a  company  known  as  the  Port  Huron  &  Lake 
Michigan  railway  company,  to  build  the  road 
from  Port  Huron  to  Flint,  Michigan ;  second, 
a  company  called  the  Peninsular  railway  com- 
pany, to  build  the  road  from  Lansing  by  way 
of  Battle  Creek  to  the  Indiana  line;  third, 
an  Indiana  company,  to  build  the  road  from 
the  Michigan  line  by  Mishawaka,  South  Bend 
and  Valparaiso  to  the  Illinois  line;  fourth, 
an  Illinois  company  to  extend  the  road  to  Chi- 
cago; and,  fifth,  a  company  to  build  the  gap 
in  the  road  from  Flint  to  Lansing,  thus  com- 
pleting the  road  from  the  Grand  Trunk,  at 
Port  Huron,  to  Chicago.  These  several  com- 
panies were  consolidated  under  the  name  of 
the  Chicago  &  Lake  Huron  railway  company. 
The  companies  were  all  weak  financially  and 
the  building  of  so  great  a  stretch  of  railroad 
was  too  much  for  their  scant  treasuries  aided 
by  all  the  credit  that  could  be  obtained.  The 
result  was  that  the  road  was  for  a  long  time 
operated  by  a  receiver.  In  1879  the  Grand 
Trunk   of   Canada   became   satisfied    that   it 


needed  this  poor  insolvent  road,  in  order  to 
secure  connection  with  Chicago  and  the  great 
northwest.  The  road  from  Port  Huron  to 
Chicago,  by  way  of  Mishawaka  and  South 
Bend,  thus  became  a  part  of  the  Grand  Trunk 
system,  one  of  the  great  railroads  connecting 
Montreal,  New  York  and  the  east  with  Chi- 
cago and  the  northwest. 

Sec.  4. — The  Division  Street  Incident. — 
A  painful  episode  connected  with  the  build- 
ing of  the  Grand  Trunk  road  through  South 
Bend  is  the  wrong  done  the  residents  of  Divi- 
sion street  in  that  city.  By  an  ordinance 
passed  through  the  common  council  March  2, 
1868,  the.  "Peninsular  Railway  Company  of 
Indiana"  had  been  authorized  to  lay  its  rail- 
road tracks  on  Divison  street.  This  was  done 
without  any  consent  from  the  people  on  the 
street.  Division  street  was  then  one  of  the 
most  pleasant  of  the  residence  streets  of  South 
Bend,  and  the  citizens  living  along  that  street 
were  bitterly  opposed  to  having  their  beau- 
tiful homes  blackened  with  smoke  and  dis- 
turbed with  the  rumblings  of  trains  and  the 
shrieking  of  locomotives  day  and  night, — to 
say  nothing  of  the  practical  closing  of  the 
street'  to  public  travel  and  the  endangering 
of  the  lives  of  their  families  by  the  incessant 
passage  of  trains.  The  railroad  authorities, 
on  the  other  hand,  and  the  people  of  the 
county  generally,  while  acknowledging  the 
injustice  done  the  residents  of  Division  street, 
were  yet  extremely  desirous  of  having  the 
track  laid  through  the  city,  so  that  the  great 
enterprise  should  be  completed  on  to  Chi- 
cago. Each  party  waited  anxiously  for  the 
outcome.  On  August  the  31st,  1871,  the  rail- 
road company,  having  finished  the  bridge 
over  the  St.  Joseph  river  and  collected  all 
materials  needed  for  laying  the  ties  and  rails, 
gathered  a  large  force  of  men  and  laid  their 
track  through  the  city  along  the  devoted  street, 
and  then  ran  their  locomotives  and  cars  over 
the  line,  in  the  face  of  the  angry  protests 
of  the  residents.  Litigation  at  once  followed 
and  has  not  been  ended  even  to  this  day. 
It   is  very  probable  that  the  company  have 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


239 


long  since  realized  that  they  did  not  only  an 
unjust,  but  also  an  impolitic  thing,  in  thus 
forcing  their  way  along  Division  street, 
against  the  united  and  persistent  opposition 
of  the  people.  Notwitlistanding  the  acknowl- 
edged benefit  of  the  Grand  Trnnk  road  to 
South  Bend  and  St.  Joseph  county,  the  peo- 
ple have  never  warmed  to  the  company  on 
account  of  the  great  injustice  done  in  the  first 
instance.  Through  sympathy,  the  larg-e  ma- 
jority of  the  people  have  adopted  as  their 
own  the  cause  of  their  wronged  fellow  citi- 
zens on  Division  street.  It  would  have  been 
much  better  for  the  company  to  have  gone 
through  the  city  on  a  line  near  to  the  Lake 
Shore  railroad  and  in  territory  already  de- 
voted to  railroad  uses.  This  lesson,  now  so 
evident,  has  however  been  learned  too  late. 
The  wrong  has  been  done,  and  it  is  not  easy 
to  see  how  it  may  be  repaired.  It  is  but 
another  illustration  of  the  truth,  that  the 
end  can  never  justify  the  means.  An  ad- 
vantage, however  great,  is  too  dearly  bought 
when  purchased  by  an  act  of  cruelty  or  in- 
justice. 

Sec.  5. — Other  Railroads. — What  was  done 
for  South  Bend,  ^lishawaka.  Osceola,  New 
Carlisle  and  the  northern  part  of  the  county 
by  the  bringing  here  of  the  great  lines  of 
the  Lake  Shore,  Michigan  Central  and  Grand 
Trunk,  was  done  for  Walkerton  and  the  south 
west  part  of  the  county  by  the  building  of 
what  has  long  been  known  as  the  Lake  Erie 
&  Western  railroad,  connecting  Laporte  and 
Michigan  City  with  Indianapolis ;  and  also 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  road,  connecting  Wash- 
ington City,  Baltimore  and  other  eastern 
points  with  the  city  of  Chicago. 

An  enterprise  of  the  greatest  value  to  the 
people  of  the  county  was  the  extension  in  1884 
and  1885,  of  the  Vandalia  railroad  system 
from  Logansport,  by  way  of  Lake  Maxin- 
kuckee,  Plymouth  and  Lakeville,  to  South 
Bend.  This  road  brought  us  into  direct  con- 
nection with  Terre  Haute,  Evansville,  St. 
Louis  and  the  Indiana  coal  region.  It  was 
a  most  desirable  acquisition,  and  came  to  us 


with  the  good  will  of  all  the  people  but  with- 
out special  effort  on  the  part  of  any  one. 
The  coming  of  the  Vandalia  is  of  particular 
interest  from  the  circumstance  that  it  was  the 
first  distinctive  indication  that  our  manu- 
factures and  other  local  interests  had  become 
an  inducement  for  the  outside  world  to  seek 
our  market.  We  had  no  longer  any  need  our- 
selves to  seek  connections  with  the  trade  cen- 
ters and  great  thoroughfares  of  the  country. 
Henceforth  they  were  to  seek  us  rather  than 
wait  for  us  to  seek  them. 

A  like  acquisition  was  the  voluntary  com- 
ing to  South  Bend,  by  way  of  Walkerton  and 
North  Liberty  of  the  Three  I  railroad,  or,  as 
it  is  often  called,  the  Chicago  belt  line.  This 
road  gives  to  our  manufacturers  and  mer- 
chants direct  connection  with  practically 
every  railroad  entering  Chicag'-o.  The  Three 
I  is  distinctively  a  freight  railroad,  perhaps 
the  most  successful  of  its  kind  in  the  country. 
It  has  since  passed  under  control  of  the  Lake 
Shore  railroad  company,  but  still  maintains 
its  characteristic  feature  as  a  freight  rail- 
road ;  although  its  passenger  business  is  not 
neglected.  The  Three  I  and  the  Vandalia 
railroads  have  been  of  inestimable  local  benefit 
to  the  people  of  St.  Joseph  coimty,  by  bring- 
ing the  county  seat  and  the  other  northern 
towns  into  close  connection  with  Lakeville, 
North  Liberty,  Walkerton  and  all  the  other 
southern  parts  of  the  county.  Literally,  we 
are  all  now  closely  drawn  together  by  bands 
of  steel ;  and  this  more  intimate  union  of 
all  sections  has  made  every  inhabitant 
prouder  of  his  citizenship  of  St.  Joseph 
county. 

Still  another  railroad,  the  northern  line  of 
the  Wabash  system,  extends  through  the  south 
part  of  the  county,  passing  through  Wyatt, 
Lakeville  and  North  Liberty,  and  giving  di- 
rect connection  with  Toledo  and  Cleveland  on 
the  east  and  with  Chicago  on  the  west. 

The  St.  Joseph  &  Southern,  now  operated 
by  the  Michigan  Central  gives  direct  con- 
nection with  the  Michigan  fruit  belt  and 
the  pleasure  resorts  at  St.  Joseph  and  other 


240 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


points  on  the  southeastern  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan. 

Another  freight  railroad  is  the  New  Jersey, 
Indiana  &  Illinois  railroad,  connecting  with 
the  Wabash  near  Lakeville  and  extending  into 
the  factory  district  of  South  Bend. 

The  Studebaker  and  Oliver  factories  also 
own  short  freight  lines  connecting  with  all 
lines  entering  South  Bend.  These  private 
lines  are  used  for  the  purpose  of  facilitating 
shipments  from  the  respective  factories  to  the 
great  railroads. 

Sec.  6. — Railroad  Accidents. — Consider- 
ing the  great  railroad  mileage  in  St.  Joseph 
county,  including  street  railways  and  interur- 
ban  roads  as  well  as  steam  railroads,  the 
number  of  railroad  accidents  have  been  few 
and  the  loss  and  injury  to  persons  and 
property  has  been  little.  The  most  serious 
railroad  accident  that  ever  occurred  in  the 
county  took  place  on  the  night  of  June  27, 
1859,  when  the  night  express  from  Chicago, 
on  the  Lake  Shore  road,  was  wrecked  at 
Springbrook  culvert,  about  half  way  between 
South  Bend  and  Mishawaka.  Springbrook  is 
a  veiy  small  stream,  being  indeed  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  a  dry  ravine.  Ac- 
cordingly, when  the  culvert  was  being  put  in 
over  the  brook,  the  railroad  company  thought 
it  only  necessary  to  build  a  small  one,  such 
as  would  be  put  over  an  ordinary  ditch  run- 
ning through  any  low  ground.  At  the  tnne 
the  neighboring  farmers  warned  the  men  en- 
gaged on  the  work  that  the  culvert,  while  suf- 
ficient for  ordinary  stages  of  the  little  stream, 
would  in  case  of  an  extraordinary^  freshet  be 
totally  inadequate  to  carry  the  waters  that 
would  rush  through  the  ravine  pn  their  way 
to  the  St.  Joseph  river;  and  they  instanced 
one  such  freshet  which  had  come  down  from 
the  hills  on  the  south  in  the  year  1841.  The 
warning  was  not  heeded;  and  on  the  fateful 
27th  of  June,  1859,  the  lives  of  many  pas- 
sengers paid  the  penalty  for  the  negligence 
of  those  Avho  put  in  the  culvert.  On  the  after- 
noon and  evening  of  that  day  there  had  been 
a   great   downpour  of  rain.      The   brook  be- 


came a  raging  torrent;  and,  choking  up  the 
little  culvert  with  earth  and  debris,  the  waters 
rose  to  the  level  of  the  track,  and  so 
water-soaked  the  road  bed  and  weakened  the 
culvert,  that  the  train,  rushing  on  in  the 
darkness,  with  its  load  of  sleeping  passengers, 
plunged  into  this  valley  of  death.  Some  were 
killed  in  the  coaches ;  while  others  were 
drowned  in  the  rushing  waters.  How  many 
were  lost  is  unknown.  There  were  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  passengers  on  the  train. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  waters,  released  by  the 
breaking  away  of  the  culvert,  all  passed  off 
to  the  river ;  and  many  were  thus  saved  from 
drowning.  On  the  next  morning,  a  beautiful 
June  morning,  the  towns  of  South  Bend  and 
j\Iisha.waka  awoke  to  a  knowledge  of  the  most 
dreadful  accident,  and  loss  of  life,  that  had 
ever  happened  in  our  vicinity.  The  culvert 
was  then  built  large  and  strong;  and  very 
few  of  the  thousands  who  have  since  enjoyed 
the  pleasures  of  Springbrook  park,  when 
looking  upon  the  substantial  masonry  over  the 
ravine,  ever  have  a  thought  of  the  hapless 
lives  that  went  out  there  on  that  fearful  night 
in  June,  long  years  ago. 

IV.      STREET  RAILWAYS  AND  INTERURBANS. 

Sec.  1. — The  South  Bend  City  Railway. 
— As  early  as  June  23,  1873,  the  ''South 
Bend  Street  Railw^ay  Company"  was  incor- 
porated, the  incorporator  being  John  R. 
Foster,  Joseph  B.  Arnold,  Jr.,  Jacob  Wool- 
verton,  Alexis  Coquillard  and  Henry  B.  Hine. 
On  September  18,  1880,  the  first  franchise 
was  granted  by  the  corumon  council.  Many 
subsequent  ordinances  in  modification  of  this 
original  ordinance  were  passed  by  the  city 
council.  At  first,  all  motive  power  for  the 
propulsion  of  cars  except  that  of  horses  or 
mules  was  prohibited.  Afterwards,  the  pro- 
hibition was  removed  as  to  all  power  except 
that  of  steam.  A  fear  seems  to  have  existed 
that  the  street  railway  companies  would  run 
their  cars  by  railroad  locomotives.  One  or- 
dinance expressly  required  that  only  animal 
power  should  be  employed,  except  that  elec- 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


241 


tricity  might  be  used  on  ^liehigan  street.  In 
1882,  under  this  permission,  the  use  of  the 
overhead  or  trolley  system  was  attempted, — 
for  the  first  time,  it  is  said,  in  the  history  of 
street  railways.  The  attempt  as  then  made 
was  unsuccessful ;  the  cars  could  be  moved 
only  for  a  part  of  a  block,  and  would 
then  come  to  a  stop  by  failure  of  the  electric 
power.  It  seems  that  the  electric  fluid  be- 
came dissipated  in  the  earth  as  fast  as  sup- 
plied from  the  power  house.  In  time  this  de- 
feet  was  remedied,  and  the  troUey  system  took 
the  place  of  animal  power  and  also,  in  most 
instances,  of  the  cable  and  every  other  mode 
of  propulsion ;  but  the  claim  of  South  Bend 
to  the  distinction  of  being  the  place  where 
the  use  of  electric  power  for  street  cars  was 
first  attempted  has  not  been  questioned. 

Sec.  2. — The  South  Bend  and  Mishawaka 
Railway. — Although  the  South  Bend  street 
railway  Avas  almost   a   failure  from  the  be- 
ginning, yet  that  did  not  seem  to  discourage 
the  projectors  and  -others  who  were  disposed 
to    follow    in    their    footsteps.      Instinctively, 
there  seemed  a  conviction  that  street  railways 
must  ultimately  become  successful.     On  De- 
cember 11.  1882.  a  franchise  was  granted  to 
the  South  Bend  &  ^Vlishawaka  street  railway 
company   to    construct   a   street   railway   be- 
tween the  two  towns,  then  a  distance  of  about 
four  miles  apart.    As  the  greater  part  of  this 
distance  was  without  the  limits  of  both  towns, 
it  was  necessary  for  the  company  to  obtain 
a  franchise  from  the  county  commissioners  to 
use  the  public  highway.    This  was  granted  by 
the  board.     Soon  after  the  building  of  this 
line  there  was  some  dissatisfaction  show^n  by 
the   public   by  reason   of   the    obstruction   to 
travel   caused   by   the   manner   in   which   the 
compam'  had  exercises  its  franchise.       This 
dissatisfaction  finally  resulted  in  an  action  in 
the  circuit  court,  brought  by  the  county  com- 
missioners to  compel  the  company  to  comply 
with  the  terms  of  its  contract.     The  suit  was 
decided  in  the  circuit  court  against  the  county 
commissioners;    but   that   body    at   once    ap- 
pealed to  the  supreme  court  and  secured  a 

16 


reversal  of  the  decision,  finally  compelling  the 
company  to  take  up  a  large  part  of  the  track 
and  re-lay  it  in  compliance  with  the  terms 
of  its  franchise.''  Notwithstanding  these  and 
other  reverses,  the  Misliawaka  line  seems  to 
have  been  worked  ?d  a  profit;  and  when  the 
South  Bend  city  railway  and  the  South  Bend 
&  ]\Iishawaka  street  railway  became  the 
property  of  a  single  company,  it  was  the 
Mishawaka  line  that  sustained  the  life  of  the 
double  enterprise  until  the  time  came  when 
a  new  corporation,  with  abundant  capital,  be- 
came the  owner  of  all  the  lines  under  all  the 
charters,  and  at  once  and  for  the  first  time 
made  the  street  railway  business  in  St.  Joseph 
county  a  complete  successful  enterprise. 

Sec.  3. — The  Indiana  Railway. — In  1899 
the  Indiana  railway  company  was  organ- 
ized, with  Arthur  Kennedy  as  president  and 
J.  McM.  Smith  as  vice-president  and  general 
manager.  This  company  at  once  became  the 
owner  of  the  South  Bend  street  railway,  the 
South  Bend  &  Mishawaka  line,  the  Elkhart 
street  railway  and  the  Goshen  railway  line. 
The  construction  of  the  South  Bend,  Misha- 
waka, Elkhart  &  Goshen  interurbau  railway 
thereafter  followed,  and  very  soon  proved  to 
be  one  of  the  most  excellent  interurban  lines 
in  the  state.  Power  houses  were  erected  at 
South  Bend  and  Osceola,  in  St.  Joseph  county, 
and  at  Dunlaps,  in  Elkhart  county.  Spring- 
l)rook  park,  on  the  St.  Joseph  river  between 
South  Bend  and.  Mishawaka,  which  had  ac- 
quired some  reputation  as  a  pleasure  resort 
in  connection  with  the  old  South  Bend  & 
Mishawaka  line,  was  now  greatly  improved 
and  speedily  became  one  of  the  most  fre- 
quented places  of  amusement  in  northern  In- 
diana. For  the  first  time  the  people  of  South 
Bend,  Mishawaka  and  the  surrounding 
country  learned  what  it  was  to  have  a  first 
class  street  railway  and  interurban  sys- 
tem. 

But  the  Indiana  railway  company  was  evi- 
dently    ambitious     of    still    greater    things. 
Franchises  were  procured  to  extend  the  lines 
a.     Board  v.  South  Bend  &c.  R.  Co.,  118  Ind.  68. 


242 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


to  Laporte  and  Michigan  City,  and  the  lines 
at  Michigan  City  and  Laporte  were  pur- 
chased. The  company  also  lent  its  aid  to  the 
formation  of  another  interurban  company 
which  should  build  by^Ae  way  of  Niles  to 
the  city  of  St.  Joseph  on  Lake  Michigan.  The 
new  company,  known  as  the  South  Bend  & 
Southern  railway  company,  received  a  fran- 
chise from  the  city  of  South  Bend  on  July 
28,  1902 ;  and  in  an  incredibly  short  time  the 
interurban  from  South  Bend  by  way  of  Niles 
and  Berrien  Springs  to  St.  Joseph  was  in 
full  operation. 
Sec.    4. — The    Chicago,    South    Bend    & 


owners  in  all  the  street  railways  and  inter- 
urbans  going  out  in  every  direction  from  In- 
dianapolis. They  had  the  experience,  ability 
and  wealth  needed  to  make  South  Bend  a 
second  traction  center,  little  if  at  all  inferior 
to  that  at  Indianapolis.  The  new  company, 
known  as  the  Chicago,  South  Bend  & 
Northern  Indiana  railway  company,  already 
shows  a  purpose  to  accomplish  this  end. 
Preparations  are  under  way  to  reach 
Winona  and  Logansport  on  the  south 
and  thus  connect  with  the  Indianapolis 
system.  Still  more  definitely  is  the  pur- 
pose   shown    to    exercise    the    franchise    for 


LOVER'S  LANE,  SPRINGBROOK  PARK. 


Northern  Indiana  Railway. — In  the  midst 
of  its  great  enterprises  the  Northern  Indiana 
became  aware  that  it  had  undertaken  too 
much,  even  for  its  great  enterprise  and 
generous  treasury.  It  is  to  the  credit  of  the 
stockholders  and  managers  of  the  company 
that  they  discovered  their  limitations  in  time. 
In  1906,  a  sale  of  all  the  Indiana  railway 
property  was  made  to  a  powerful  s'treet  rail- 
way syndicate,  represented  locally  by  those 
worthy  and  successful  business  men,  James 
Murdock  and  his  sons  Charles  Murdoch  and 
Samuel  T.  Murdock,  of  Lafayette,  Indiana. 
These  gentlemen  were  already  large  traction 


completing  the  lines  to  Laporte  and  Michi- 
gan City,  and  from  these  points  ultimately 
to  Chicago.  For  western  St.  Joseph  countj^ 
New  Carlisle  and  all  the  surrounding  terri- 
tory this  interurban  extension  will  be  a  great 
blessing,  giving  the  people  ready  access  to 
South  Bend  as  well  as  to  other  east  and  west 
centers  of  trade  and  population,  and  thus 
bringing  the  eastern  and  western  parts  of  our 
county  into  closer  union. 

Sec.  5. — The  Southern  Michigan  Rail- 
way.— The  South  Bend  &  Southern  Michigan 
interurban.  connecting  with  St.  Mary's, 
Bertrand,      Niles,      Berrien      Springs,      St. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


243 


Josej)}!  and  Lake  Michigan,  and  known 
as  the  Southern  Michigan  railway  com- 
pany, has  already  become  a  popular  and 
profitable  line.  The  Michigan  fruit  belt, 
the  fine  scenery  along  the  lower  St. 
Joseph  and  the  many  beautiful  pleasure 
resoi-ts  on  Lake  Michigan,  are  thus  brought  to 
our  door.  A  casual  view  into  the  future 
brings  us  in  sight  of  Kalamazoo,  Grand 
Rapids  and  all  southwestern  Michigan. 

Sec.  6. — The  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  & 
South  Bend  Line. — Many  other  interurban 
lines  are  in  contemplation  by  enterprising 
business  men  who  see  the  bright  future  that 
is  certainly  awaiting  the  development  of 
South  Bend,  IMishawaka  and  all  the  St.  Jo- 
seph valley.  One  of  these  lines,  at  first  called 
the  Chicago  &  Indiana  Air  Line,  but  since 
named  the  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  &  South  Bend 
railway,  received  a  franchise  from  the  city 
of  South  Bend,  and  also  from  the  board  of 
county  commissioners  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
in  1903,  and  has  already  built  many  miles 
of  its  line  between  South  Bend  and  Chicago. 
This  line,  when  completed,  is  to  be  one  of 
the  great  interurbans  of  the  country,  connect- 
ing Buffalo,  by  way  of  Cleveland,  Toledo  and 
South  Bend,  with  Chicago. 

V.     telegraphs  and  telephones. 

Sec.  1. — The  Western  Union. — The  first 
movement  for  the  erection  of  a  telegraph  line 
through  northern  Indiana  were  made  in  1847. 
There  was  an  effort  at  that  time  to  construct  a 
line  of  telegraph  from  Buffalo  to  Milwaukee. 
The  feasibility  and  advantage  of  the  tele- 
graph were  not  then  generally  appreciated 
and  moneyed  men  were  slow  to  invest  in  the 
enterprise.  The  appeal  was  therefore  rather 
made  to  the  enterprise  of  the  people  generally 
than  to  the  cupidity  of  investors.  South  Bend 
was  asked  to  furnish  two  thousand  dollars 
towards  the  building  of  the  line,  and  to  the 
credit  of  the  enterprising  citizens  of  that  day 
be  it  said  that  the  money  was  at  once  sub- 
scribed. But  subscriptions  were  not  so  readily 
made  along  the  line.    Chicago,  strange  to  say. 


refused  to  give  any  aid  to  the  enterprise,  and 
the  promoters  were  forced  to  abandon  the 
project  for  the  time. 

After  a  while,  however,  the  people  began  to 
realize  that  the  telegraph  was  to  prove  a 
success,  and  the  necessary  means  to  build  the 
line  were  forthcoming.  Early  in  the  year 
1848  the  line  was  completed,  and  the  people 
of  St.  Joseph  covmty  were  among  the  first  to 
be  in  instantaneous  communication  with  the 
whole  country. 

Sec.  2. — The  Postal. — The  telegraph  was 
not  only  a  great  convenience  for  the  people 
who  made  use  of  it,  but  was  a  source  of 
wealth  for  its  owners.  Many  new  companies 
were  therefore  formed  from  time  to  time,  and 
sought  to  partake  of  the  profits  that  resulted 
from  the  business.  In  1880,  the  American 
Union  Telegraph  company  was  granted  a 
franchise ;  and  in  1881  the  same  favor  was  ex- 
tended to  the  Mutual  Union  Telegraph  com- 
pany. On  December  11,  1882,  the  Postal  Tele- 
graph company  was  authorized  to  erect  its 
poles  and  wires  in  the  city  of  South  Bend. 
The  Postal  and  the  Western  Union  have  both 
become  great  and  successful  through  lines  of 
communication  to  all  parts  of  the  world. 

Sec.  3. — The  Central  Union. — After  the 
telegraph  came  the  telephone ;  men  were  en- 
abled instantaneously  not  only  to  write  afar 
off,  but  also  to  talk  afar  off.  In  March,  1880, 
the  South  Bend  Telephone  exchange  was  au- 
thorized to  erect  poles  and  wires ;  and  almost 
immediately  thereafter  the  lines  were  extended 
to  Mishawaka  and  other  points,  until  every 
town  and  hundreds  of  farm  houses  were  in 
communication  with  every  other  place  in  the 
county  and  in  surrounding  counties. 

In  1889  the  Central  Union  telephone  com-  ' 
pany  was  authorized  to  do  business ;  and  in 
1893  the  American  Telegraph  and  Telephone, 
or  Long  Distance,  company  extended  its  poles 
through  the  county,  on  the  line  from  New 
Yoi'k  to  Chicago.  Other  telephone  companies 
came  into  the  county  from  time  to  time,  and, 
for  different  reasons,  failed  to  maintain  their 


organizations. 


244 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Sec.  4.— The  Home.— In  December,  1901, 
however,  the  Home  telephone  company  re- 
ceived a  franchise  and  began  at  once  to  grow 
into  a  strong  and  well  conducted  establish- 
ment, with  telephonic  connections  throughout 
the  state  and  adjacent  territory.  The  Central 
Union  and  the  Home  telephone  companies, 
with  their  long  distance  connections,  give  to 
every  section  of  the  county  ready  communi- 
cation with  all  parts  of  the  country. 

gee.  5. — The  Old  and  the  New. — So  has 
it  come  to  pass  that  every  section  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  which  for  its  communication 
with  the  outside  world  once  depended  upon 
the  uncertain  navigation  of  the  Kankakee  and 
the  St.  Joseph,  and  upon  the  ill-conditioned 
wagon  roads  or  pony  pathways  through  the 
wilderness,  now  has  its  graveled  highways  in 
every  direction,  its  hourly  railroad  and  inter- 
urban  connections,  and  its  instant  communi- 
cations by  telegraph  and  telephone.  It  is  a 
marvel  which  we  fail  adequately  to  appreci- 
ate, that  all  this  magic  transfonnation  has 
come  to  us  within  the  space  of  seventy-five 
years. 

Perhaps  the  change  in  our  facilities  for 
connection  with  the  outside  world  may 
be  the  more  vividly  realized  by  the 
reading  of  the  following  quotation  from 
the  prospectus  of  "The  St.  Joseph  Bea- 
con and  Indiana  and  Michigan  Intelli- 
gencer," a  paper  published  at  South  Bend 
by  John  D.  and  Joseph  H.  Defrees.  This 
prospectus  was  printed  in  the  "Beacon" 
under  date  of  May  23,  1832.« 

"In  establishing  a  newspaper  in  so  new  a 
country  as  this,"  say  the  publishers,  "we 
knew  that  we  had  many  difficulties  to  en- 
counter; manj^  deprivations  which  are  not 
known  in  the  old  and  densely  populated  parts 
of  the  'West,'  with  which  to  contend.  One 
main  difficulty  when  we  commenced  was  the 

a.  The  first  copy  of  tllis  paper,  then  called 
"The  North-Western  Pioneer  and  St.  Joseph's  In- 
telligencer," was  issued  at  South  Bend,  November 
16,  1831.  It  was  the  first  newspaper  published  in 
this  region,  north  of  the  Wabash  or  west  of 
Detroit. 


want  of  mails.  People  were  not  willing  to 
subcribe  without  being  certain  of  receiving 
their  papers  regularly.  This  difficulty  has 
been  greatly  remedied  since  the  first  number 
was  issued.  There  is  now  a  mail  twice  a  week 
to  Fort  Wayne ;  twice  a  week  to  Detroit,  via 
Niles;  and  once  a  week  to  Chicago — besides 
several  others  will  yet  be  established; — thus 
giving  the  people  throughout  the  whole  St. 
Joseph  country  an  opportunity  of  regularly 
receiving  the  papers.  This,  then,  can  be  no 
longer  urged  against  subscribing  for  so  valu- 
able an  acquisition  to  every  family  as  a  week- 
ly newspaper.  .  .  .  The  inhabitants  of  the 
St.  Joseph  country  should  support  a  paper 
somewhere  within  its  limits.  The  interests  of 
the  whole  country  are  so  closely  connected 
that  it  can  make  no  difference  whether  it  is 
published  in  Indiana  or  Michigan." 

VI.      DRAINAGE. 

Not  the  least  important  of  the  public  im- 
provements of  St.  Joseph  county  has  been 
the  drainage  of  our  low  lands.  Not  only 
have  the  swamps  and  other  wet  lands  in  this 
way  been  reclaimed  and  made  fertile  and  pro- 
ductive, but  such  drainage  has  been  one  of 
the  most  effective  means  for  the  improvement 
of  the  public  highways.  If  it  is  true,  as  recent- 
ly declared  by  the  United  States  postal  author- 
ities, that  the  public  roads  of  Indiana  are 
better  improved  than  those  of  any  other  state 
in  the  Union,  there  need  be  no  doubt  that 
tbis  excellent  condition  is  first  of  aU  due  to 
the  thorough  drainage  which  has  been  made. 
Grading,  graveling  and  macadamizing  are  of 
course  necessary  for  the  making  of  the  best 
iviads ;  but  all  such  work  would  be  quite  use- 
less if  the  roads  were  not  first  thoroughly 
drained.  The  steps  to  be  taken  for  the  mak- 
ing of  good  roads,  then,  are,  first  of  all, 
thorough  drainage,  then  grading  and  gravel- 
ing, or  the  putting  down  of  other  material 
for  a  solid  roadbed. 

Sec.  1. — The  Swamp  Land  Act. — On  Sep- 
tember 28,  1850,  congress  passed  the  swamp 
land   act,   giving   to   the   several   states   "the 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTf. 


245 


swamp  and  overflowed  lands  therein,"  to 
enable  such  states  to  reclaim  said  lands  by 
the  construction  of  "the  necessary  levees 
and  drains;"  This  grant  of  the  gen- 
eral government  was  consequently  coupled 
with  the  following  condition:  ''Provided, 
however,  That  the  proceeds  of  said 
lands,  whether  from  sale  or  by  direct 
appropriation  in  kind,  shall  be  applied, 
exclusively,  as  far  as  necessary,  to  the 
purpose  of  reclaiming  said  lands  by  means 
of  the  levees  and  drains  aforesaid. "«  Under 
this  act  the  state  of  Indiana  came  into  pos- 
session of  the  lands  of  the  Kankakee  valley 
and  other  overflowed  lands,  and  the  state 
made  some  feeble  attempts  to  comply  with  the 
proviso  requiring  that  the  lands  so  acquired 
should  be  drained.  The  drainage  attempted 
was  inefficient  and  altogether  inadequate,  and 
the  old  state  ditches  thus  constructed  have 
long  been  filled  up.  In  fact,  they  were  never 
of  any  value.  In  1850,  the  people  of  the 
state  were  without  either  knowledge  or  means 
for  the  drainage  of  the  Kankakee. 

The  subject  of  the  drainage  of  this  vast 
valley  continued,  however,  to  be  agitated  by 
the  people,  and  by  an  act  approved  April 
11,  1881,  the  general  assembly  authorized  the 
governor  to  appoint  a  civil  engineer  to  make 
a  survey  of  the  Kankakee  region  and  other 
large  districts  of  wet  lands  in  the  state,  with 
a  view  of  determining  the  best  method  of 
drainage.^ 

Sec.  2. — Professor  Campbell's  Survey. — • 
Governor  Albert  G.  Porter,  with  the  utmost 
wisdom,  appointed  as  civil  engineer  under 
this  act  Professor  John  L.  Campbell,  of  Wa- 
bash College,  the  most  competent  man  in  the 
state  for  the  position.  Professor  Campbell's 
report  is  so  important  a  historical  document 
in  relation  to  St.  Joseph  county,  and  indeed 
to  all  northern  Indiana,  that  it  seems  well  to 
preserve  it  entire  as  he  sent  it  to  the  governor. 
His  survey  was  the  first  movement  towards 
the  successful  drainage  of  the  great  valley, 

a.     See    Tolleston    Club    v.    State,    141    Indiana 
Supreme  Court  Reports,  p.  197. 
h.     Acts,    1881,    pp.    561-563. 


and  no  history  of  any  part  of  northwestern 
Indiana  would  be  complete  without  a  refer- 
ence to  this  report.^  The  writer  had  the 
pleasure  of  receiving  from  Professor  Camp- 
bell the  following  letter  enclosing  a  copy  of 
this  report: 

U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey, 

Crawfordsville,  Jan.  19,  1889. 
Senator  Howard, 

Dear  Sir:  I  enclose  to  you  a  copy  of  my 
report  on  the  Kankakee  made  in  1881  which 
may  be  of  some  service  to  you  in  the  consid- 
eration of  the  bill  introduced  by  j^ou  for  the 
removal  of  the  obstruction  at  Moraence,  111. 

My  estimate  for  this  work  on  page  26  was 
$22,500,  which  was  a  mininuim  or  a  very  low 
estimate.  Your  proposed  $40,000  is  much  bet- 
ter.    Wishing  you  success. 

Very  truly  yours, 

J.  L.  Campbell. 

REPORT    upon    the 

Improvement  op  the  Kankakee  River 

AND  THE  drainage  OP  THE  MARSH 
LANDS    IN    INDIANA. 

By  John  L.  Campbell,  Chief  Engineer. 


To  His  Excellency,  Albert  G.  Porter,  Gov- 
ernor of  Indiana: 

Sir — I  have  the  honor  herewith  to  report 
the  results  of  my  surveys  of  the  Kankakee 
region,  and  of  the  marsh  lands  in  Allen, 
Huntington  and  Knox  counties,  which  were 
made  in  accordance  with  your  general  instruc- 
tions, under  the  act  of  the  general  assembly, 
approved   April   11,   1881. 

I  had  the  honor  to  acknowledge,  May  5, 
1882,  the  receipt  of  my  commission  from  you 
as  chief  engineer,  and  I  proceeded  immediately 
to  make  the  preliminary  examinations  and 
preparations  necessary  for  beginning  the  field 
work  July  1,  1882. 

It  was  deemed  expedient  to  provide  tents 
and  camp  equipage  for  the  field  corps,  and 
this  outlay  was  more  than  justified  in  the 
actual  saving  in  the  cost  of  subsistence,  and 
in  the  increased  facilities  for  the  prosecution 
of  the  work. 

The  chief  instruments  needed  for  the  sur- 
vey were  the  transit  and  the  level,  and  these 
were  rented  at  a  small  cost.  The  chain  and 
other  minor  things  required  were  purchased. 

In  the  organization  of  the  field  corps,  with 
your  approval,  Messrs.  Albert  B.  Anderson, 

a.  For  some  account  of  the  Topography  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  see  Chap.  1,  of  this  history. 


246 


HISTOKY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


John  M.  Coiilter,  and  Alfred  R.  Orton  were 
appointed  assistant  engineers. 

In  the  division  of  work  Mr.  Anderson  per- 
formed the  duties  of  general  assistant  engi- 
neer, and  took  special  charge  of  the  recon- 
noissance  in  advance  of  the  corps,  i^'or  this 
position  he  had  been  well  fitted  by  the  ex- 
perience of  three  years  as  my  assistant  in 
the  United  States  Geodetic  Sui^ey  in  In- 
diana. 

Prof.  John  J\I.  Coulter,  of  Wabash  College, 
was  assigned  to  the  position  of  surveyor,  and 
in  addition  to  his  duties  with  the  transit,  he 
was  specially  charged  with  the  examinations 
of  the  soil  and  underlying  strata,  which  you 
directed  to  be  made  along  the  line  of  the 
survey.  Prof.  Coulter's  well-lmo^vn  reputa- 
tion as  one  of  our  most  learned  botanists  and 
geologists,  is  the  best  evidence  of  his  fitness 
for  the  part  of  the  work  committed  to  him. 

i\Ir.  Orton,  an  accomplished  civil  engineer, 
with  a  successful  experience  of  fifteen  years, 
was  assigned  to  the  most  important  position 
of  leveler.  The  lines  of  levels  run  by  ]Mr. 
Orton  on  this  survey  were  carefully  tested 
by  repetition,  and  are  believed  to  be  accurate 
in  every  particular. 

The  other  members  of  the  corps  were :  Rod- 
men,  Jesse  Blair  and  George  W.  Benton ; 
flagmen.  Charles  B.  Landis  and  Edwin  H. 
Anderson;  chainmen,  George  W.  McConnell 
and  Henry  Forsland:  axeman.  James  M. 
Simpson;  commissaries.  William  H.  Scott 
and  William  H.  Shooler ;  cook,  Wesley  Foster. 

The  faithfulness  and  efficiency  of  every 
member  of  the  corps  are  cordially  acknowl- 
edged. 

In  the  many  exposures  and  hardships  inci- 
dent to  a  survey  through  the  Kankakee 
marshes,  there  was  no  shrinking  from  duty, 
and  I  am  glad  to  add  that  not  a  day  was 
lost  by  any  one  on  account  of  sickness. 

Our  tents  were  pitched  on  the  first  of  July, 
near  South  Bend,  and  the  field  work  was  con- 
tinued from  that  date,  without  interruption, 
until  August  30. 

GENERAL  TOPOGRAPHY. 

The  Kankakee  region  in  Indiana  lies  chiefly 
in  the  counties  of  St.  Joseph.  Laporte,  Starke, 
Jasper,   Porter,   Newton    and  Lake. 

The  Kankakee  river  takes  its  rise  in  the 
elevated  marsh  land  near  South  Bend,  in  See. 
16,  T.  37  N.,  R.  2  E. ;  thence  it  runs  through 
St.  Joseph  county  to  Sec.  14,  T.  36  N.,  R. 
IE.,  from  which  point  it  forms  the  boundary 
line  between  Laporte,  Porter,   and  Lake  on 


the  north,  and  St.  Joseph,  Starke,  Jasper,  and 
Newton  counties  on  the  south. 

The  river  leaves  the  state  in  Sec.  1,  T.  31 
N.,  R.  10  W.,  and  in  the  state  of  Illinois,  by 
its  junction  with  the  Des  Plaines,  forms  the 
Illinois  river. 

The  Kankakee  river  is  noted  for  its  extreme 
crookedness.  Father  Stephan,  who  made  a 
careful  survey  of  the  channel,  reports  two 
thousand  bends  from  the  source  at  South 
Bend  to  Momence,  Illinois.  By  the  same 
authority  the  approximate  length  of  the  river 
between  these  points  is  two  hundred  and  forty 
miles. 

The  water  in  the  stream  is  remarkably  clear 
and  is  of  excellent  quality  for  domestic  pur- 
poses. The  iron,  and  possibly  other  mineral 
substances  held  in  solution,  give  the  water 
valuable  tonic  properties. 

The  exceptional  healthfulness  of  the  Kan- 
kakee region  as  compared  with  other  large 
swamp  districts,  may  be  due  m  a  great  meas- 
ure  to   these   mineral   qualities. 

The  bed  of  the  river  generally  is  sand  and 
fine  gravel,  and  the  banks  are  very  low.  The 
chief  tributaries  of  the  Kankakee  on  the  north 
side  are  Grapevine,  Little  Kankakee,  Vails, 
Mill,  Hog  and  Crooked  creeks;  on  the  south 
side,  Potato  and  Pine  creeks,  Yellow  river  and 
Bogus  creek.  Yellow  river  is  the  most  im- 
portant tributary  and  is  scarcely  inferior  to 
the  Kankakee  above  the  junction  of  the  two. 

West  of  Bogus  creek  on  the  south  side,  and 
of  Crooked  creek  on  the  north  side,  the  small 
streams  from  the  uplands  lose  themselves  in 
the  marshes  and  have  no  well  defined  inlets 
to  the  river. 

The  entire  area  of  country  drained  by  the 
Kankakee  and  its  tributaries  in  Indiana  is 
over  sixteen  hundred  square  miles,  or  approx- 
imately one  million  of  acres. 

The  countiy  adjacent  to  the  river  is  a 
broad  plain,  varying  in  width  from  one  to 
twenty  miles,  measured  by  sections  north  and 
south,'  with  an  average  width  of  about  ten 
miles. 

This  plain  has  a  declivity  westward  of  a 
little  more  than  one  foot  to  the  mile. 

Along  the  irregular  border  of  the  plain, 
on  both  sides,  are  sand  ridges,  which  give  to 
the  region  the  proper  designation  of  the 
Kankakee  valley. 

This  valley  is  for  the  most  part  an  un- 
reclaimed marsh ;  and  except  along  the  river 
banks  and  on  occasional  small  sand  islands, 
it  is  destitute  of  timber. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


247 


Coarse  prairie  grass,  wild  rice  and  weeds, 
grow  in  the  greatest  luxuriance  in  all  parts 
of  the  marsh,  and,  in  many  places,  even  in 
the  bed  of  the  river  itself. 

Frequently  the  highest  water  of  the  year 
is  caused  by  the  rank  gi'ass  growth  in  the 
channel  of  the  river  during  the  summer  sea- 
son. 

The  soil  is  a  rich  vegetable  loam  and  sand, 
varying  in  depth  from  five  feet  to  a  few 
inches.  Its  general  richness  may  be  inferred 
from  the  rank  growth  of  grasses,  even  in  the 
lowest  portion  of  the  marshes,  where  the  wa- 
ter remains  during  the  entire  year. 

In  St.  Joseph  county,  and  in  parts  of  La- 
porte,  Porter  and  Lake  counties,  the  ad.jacent 
uplands  have  a  plentiful  admixture  of  clay, 
and  the  drainage  from  these  uplands  for 
ages  has  been  adding  fertility  to  the  marshes, 
so  that,  not  without  reason,  it  is  believed  that 
these  lands,  when  reclaimed,  will  be  of  the 
best  quality. 

In  Starke,  Jasper  and  Newton  counties,  the 
uplands  are  more  sandy,  and  consequently 
the  mai-shes  adjacent  have  less  depth  of  soil; 
but  there  is  no  part  of  the  valley  which  is 
not  worth  far  more  than  will  be  the  cost  of 
reclamation. 

From  its  source  to  the  mouth  of  Mill  creek, 
the  river  runs  through  the  open  marsh,  but 
below  this  point  the  banks  on  one  or  both 
sides  are  covered  with  quite  large  trees. 

In  many  places  the  channel  is  greatly  ob- 
structed by  fallen  timber,  which  must  be  re- 
moved when  the  improvement  of  the  river  is 
attempted. 

The  timber  belt  rarely  exceeds  a  mile  in 
width,  but  the  area  yet  uncut  is  very  valuable. 

THE   SURVEY. 

The  line  surveyed  begins  in  St.  Joseph 
countv,  Indiana,  at  station  A,  near  the 
S.  "W.  corner  of  N.  E.  14  of  Sec. 
16,  T.  37  N.,  R.  2  E.,  where  the  small 
branch  which  is  the  source  of  the  Kankakee 
crosses  the  Grand  Trunk  and  Chicago  rail- 
way; thence  S.  56i°  W.,  12.85  miles,  along 
the  general  line  of  the  river,  to  station  B, 
near  the  middle  of  the  north  line  of  S.  W.  ^ 
Sec.  23,  T.  36  N.,  R.  1  W.,  a  point  on  the 
bank  of  the  river;  thence  S.  34f°  W.,  3.80 
miles  through  the  west  part  of  Mud  lake  to 
station  C.  near  the  west  line  of  S.  W.  ^  Sec.  4, 
T.  35  N.,  R.  1  W.,  a  point  at  the  middle  of 
the  bridge  over  the  Kankakee,  on  the  line 
of  the  Indianapolis,  Peru  and  Chicago  di- 
vision of  the  Wabash,  St.  Louis  and  Pacific 


railway ;  thence  S.  59^°  AV.,  3.45  miles,  to 
station  D,  near  the  N.  W.  corner  of  S.  W.  ^ 
Sec.  13,  T.  35  N.,  R.  2  W.,  a  point  at  the 
middle  of  the  bridge  over  the  Kankakee  on 
the  line  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railway; 
thence  S.  31°  W.,  3.35  miles,  to  station  E, 
near  the  N.  E.  corner  of  the  S.  W.  I  Sec.  34, 
T.  35  N.,  R.  2  W.,  a  point  on  the  bank  of 
the  river;  thence  S.  53^°  W.,  7.42  miles,  to 
station  F,  near  the  S.  E.  corner  of  S.  W.  ^ 
Sec.  22,  T.  34  N.,  R.  3  W.,  a  point  in  the 
open  marsh  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  at 
the  head  of  a  gap  through  "Pup  Grove"; 
thence  S.  45f°  W.,  1.20  miles,  to  station  G, 
in  N.  W.  corner  of  S.  E.  ^  Sec.  28,  T.  34  N., 
R.  3  W.,  a  point  on  the  line  of  the  New  York, 
Chicago  and  St.  Louis  railway;  thence  S. 
5U°  W.,  6.43  miles,  to  station  H,  on  the 
south  line,  near  S.  W.  corner  of  S.  E.  ^  Sec. 
15,  T.  33  N.,  R.  4  W.,  a  point  on  bridge  num- 
ber — ,  on  the  line  of  the  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati 
and  St.  Louis  railway;  thence  S.  63°  W.,  4.66 
miles,  to  station  I,  on  the  middle  line  of  N.  -J 
Sec.  36,  T.  33  N.,  R.  5  W.,  a  point  near  the 
head  of  "Sand  Channel";  thence  S.  89°  W., 
6.9  miles,  to  station  K,  east  of  the  middle 
line  of  Sec.  35,  T.  33  N.,  R.  6  W.,  a  point 
in  the  open  marsh  on  bridge  over  slough  on 
road  leading  to  Baum's  bridge;  thence  S. 
50i°  W.,  2.05  miles,  to  station  L,  near  the 
middle  of  the  east  line  of  S.  E.  i  Sec.  4, 
T.  32  N.,  R.  6  W.,  a  point  in  deep  slough  in 
gap  through  "Long  Ridge";  thence  S.  66^° 
W.,  0.9  miles,  to  station  M,  near  the  center 
of  N.  W.  i  Sec.  9,  T.  32  N.,  R.  6  W.,  a  point 
in  the  open  marsh;  thence  S.  79°  W.,  5.32 
miles,  to  station  N,  near  the  S.  E.  corner  of 
N.  E.  i  Sec.  16,  T.  32  N.,  R.  7  W.,  a  point 
in  the  open  marsh;  thence  S.  60°  W.,  3.9 
miles,  to  station  0,  near  the  center  of  See. 
25,  T.  32  N.,  R.  8  W.,  a  point  on  the  grade 
of  the  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Iowa  railway; 
thence  by  the  survey  and  grade  of  the  In- 
diana, Illinois  and  Iowa  railway  12.83  miles 
to  the  state  line;  and  thence,  by  the  same 
railway  survey,  6.8  miles  to  Momence,  Illinois. 
From  station  N.  near  the  S.  E.  corner  N. 
E.  i  See.  16,  T.  32  N.,  R.  7  W.,  the  line 
for  the  improvement  of  the  river  will  run 
S.  66^°  W.,  5.45  miles,  to  station  P,  near  the 
middle  of  the  east  line  of  S.  E,  -]-  Sec.  27, 
T.  32  N.,  R.  8  W..  a  point  in  the  Kankakee 
river;  thence  S.  53^°  W.,  1.25  miles,  in  the 
general  channel  of  the  river  to  station  Q, 
near  the  middle  of  the  line  which  separates 
sections   33    and  34,   T.   32  N.,   R.   8   W.,   a 


248 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


point  in  the  river  east  of  the  bridge  over  the 
Kankakee,  on  the  Chicago  and  Indianapolis 
division  of  the  Louisville,  New  Albany  and 
Chicago  railway;  thence  S.  80°  W.,  2.75 
miles,  to  station  R,  near  the  middle  of  the 
north  line  of  N.  W.  ^  Sec.  6,  T.  31  N.,  R. 
8  W.,  a  point  in  the  river;  thence  west  2.15 
miles,  bv  a  new  channel,  to  station  S,  near 
the  N.  E.  corner  of  Sec.  3,  T.  31  N.,  R.  9  W. ; 
thence  S.  85°  W.,  5.20  miles,  to  station  T, 
on  the  west  line  of  Sec.  1,  T.  31  N.,  R.  10  W., 
a  point  in  the  river  on  the  state  line  between 
Indiana  and  Illinois. 

The  Illinois  section  begins  at  station  T.  on 
the  state  line;  thence  N.  82°  W..  2.00  miles, 
by  a  new  channel,  to  cut  off  a  great  bend, 
to  station  U,  a  point  in  the  river;  thence 
S.  70°  W.,  3.40  miles,  in  the  general  channel 
of  the  river,  to  station  V;  thence  N.  60°  W., 
1.75  miles  in  the  general  channel  of  the  river 
to  station  W,  a  point  in  the  river  below  the 
mouth  of  Bull  creek:  thence  S.  7U°  W.,  1.50 
miles,  in  the  channel,  to  a  point  in  the  river 
below  the  dam  at  Momence. 
The  total  distance,  as  shown  by 

the  survey,   from  the  starting 

point  at  station  A,  near  South 

Bend,  to  the  state  line,  is 75.06  mile«. 

From  the  state  line  to  Momence, 

is 6.80  miles. 

Total 81.86  miles. 

The  distance  on  the  proposed  line  for  the 
improvement  will  be  measured  from  the 
mouth  of  Grapevine  creek,  nine  miles  from 
South  Bend,  and  will  not  differ  from  the  line 
of  the  survev,  until  the  line  comes  to  station 
0,  in  the  riVer,  Sec.  26,  T.  32  N.,  R.  8  W. 
From  this  station,  the  proposed  line  for  the 
improvement  will  be  in  the  general  direction 
of  the  river  itself,  and  it  will  be  considerably 
longer  than  the  straight  lines  measured  in 
the  survey. 

THE    LEVELS. 

The  line  of  levels  was  run  as  near  as  pos- 
sible with  the  line  of  the  survey,  and  care 
was  taken  always  to  select  firm  ground  for 
the  instruments.  The  levels  were  carefully 
tested  by  repetition  and  are  believed  to  be 
accurate. 

The  following  tables  give  the  levels  which 
show  the  general  slope  of  the  Kankakee  river 
and  marsh : 

Ocean    level    0.0 

Lake  Michigan    585. 


Starting  point,  Grand  Trunk  R.  R.,  Sec.  16, 

T.   37   N.,   R.   2  B 721.6 

Crum's  Point  Bridge,  surface  of  water 709.1 

Free  Bridge,   surface  of  water 691.9 

I.,  P.  &  C.  R.  R.  Bridge  (Mud  Lake),  surface 

of   water    689.8 

B.  &  O.  R.  R.  Bridge,  surface  of  water 687.5 

Barnes  Bridge,   surface  of  water 685.4 

P.,  Ft.  W.  &  Chicago  R.  R.  Bridge,  surface  of 

water    682.1 

Austen's    Bridge,    surface    of    water 676.3 

P.,  C.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.  Bridge  (English  Lake), 

surface   of    water 667.1 

L.,  N.  A.  &  C.  R.  R.  Bridge,  surface  of  water  666.1 

Dunn's  Bridge,  surface  of  water 663.7 

Grand    Junction,    surface    of    water 660.5 

Baum's  Bridge,  surface  of  water 659.4 

L.,  N.  A.  &  C.  R.  R.  Bridge   (Chicago  Divi- 
sion), surface  of  water 635.7 

Blue  Grass  Bridge,  surface  of  water 632.2 

State    line    624.3 

Mouth  of  Bull  creek,  surface  of  water 619.1 

Below  dam  at  Momence,  surface  of  water. .   613.5 

The  following  additional  levels  are  in  the 
marsh  along  the  line  of  the  proposed  new 
channel : 

Point  where  line  crosses  N.  Y.,  C.  &  St.  L. 

R.    R 681.1 

Point  where  line  crosses  P.,  C.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.  672.4 
Point  where  line  crosses  L.,  N..  A.  &  C.  R.  R.  669.8 

Point  where  line  crosses  C.  &  A.  R.  R 668.5 

Point  station  I,  Sec.  36,  T.  33  N.,  R.  5  W 668.3 

Point  Grand  Junction  660.5 

Point   Shaffner's  marsh    (Sec.   12,   T.   32   N., 

R.   7  W.) 649.6 

Point  station,  Newton  county  line 642. 

The  following  cross  sections  furnished  me 
by  the  chief  engineers  of  the  several  railways 
named,  show  the  general  outline  of  the  valley 
and  its  adjacent  ridges: 

Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railway: 

Walkerton    (East)    718. 

Kankakee  river    687.5 

Union   Mills    (West) 758. 

Pittshurg,  Ft.  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railway: 

Hamlet    (East)    699. 

Kankakee  river  682.1 

Hanma    (West)    709. 

New  York,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railway: 

Kankakee    river    676.3 

Chicago  &  W.  Michigan  R.  R.   (We&t) 686. 

Pittsburg,  Cincinnati  &  St.  Louis  Railway: 

North  Judson    (East) 708. 

Kankakee  river  f  English  Lake) 667.1 

La  Crosse    (W^est) 680. 

Chicago  &  Atlantic  Railway: 

North  Judson    (East) 708. 

Kankakee    river    666.3 

Kouts    684. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


249 


Louisville,  New  Alhamj  tO  Chicago  Railway: 

San  Pierre   (South) 705. 

Kankakee    river    666.1 

La  Crosse    (Nortli) 680. 

Wanatali    (North)     732. 

Hebron,   on   P.   C.  &  St.  L.  R.  R 676. 

ShafEner's  marsh    ^ 649.6 

I.,  I.  &  I.  R.  R.   (due  south) ' 677. 

Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago  B.  B.,  Chi- 
cago Division: 

Rose  Lawn    ( South) 675. 

Kankakee   river    635.7 

Lowell 665. 

The  total  difference  of  level  from  station 
A,  the  small  rivulet  in  See.  16,  T.  37  N.,  R. 
2  E.,  near  South  Bend,  which  is  the  source 
of  the  Kankakee,  to  the  surface  of  the  water 
below  the  dam  at  JNIomence,  is  one  hundred 
and  eig-ht  and  one-tenth  (108.1)  feet.  The 
total  distance,  as  shown  by  the  survey,  is 
eighty ^one  and  eighty-six  hundredths  (81.86) 
miles. 

The  average  slope  of  the  marsh  is  approxi- 
matel}'  one  and  three-tenths  (1.3)  feet  to  the 
mile. 

There  is  no  part  of  the  line  where  a  slope 
of  one  foot  to  the  mile  can  not  be  obtained, 
without  any  serious  variation  from  an  uniform 
depth  for  the  new  channel. 

I  have  made  the  estimates  of  capacity  for 
the  new  channel  on  this  lowest  basis  of  one 
foot  fall  to  the  mile,  although  in  nearly  every 
part  the  fall  will  be  considerably  more. 

The  mean  level  of  the  Kankakee  valley  is 
674.5  feet  above  the  ocean,  from  which  it  is 
important  to  notice  that,  notwithstanding  its 
general  marshy  character,  it  is  a  broad  valley 
which  has  a  mean  elevation  of  ninety  '(90) 
feet  above  Lake  Michigran,  and  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  (160)  feet  above  the  water 
in  the  Wabash  river  at  Lafayette. 

THE  SOIL   AND   UNDERLYING   STRATA. 

In  accordance  with  your  special  instruc- 
tions, careful  examinations  were  made  of  the 
soil  and  vegetable  growth  along  the  marsh, 
and  frequent  borings  were  made  for  the  pur- 
pose of  determining  the  underlying  strata. 
These  borings  were  made  with  a  two  and  one- 
half  inch  iron  tube,  sunk  to  the  depth  of 
from  eight  to  twelve  feet,  and  the  strata  were 
examined  by  using  the  sand  pump. 

Eeliable  sections  were  obtained  near  South 
Bend  at  Crum's  Point  bridge.  Free  bridge, 
Lemon's  bridge,  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railway 
crossing,  Barnes'  bridge,  Austen's  bridge, 
Huncheon's    farm,    Stowell's    farm,    Baum's 


bridge,  Shaffner's  marsh,  Thayer's  station, 
and  the  state  line. 

From  these  borings  the  character  of  the 
entire  valley  is  properly  determined. 

Within  the  depth  which  will  be  required  in 
the  improvement  of  the  Kankakee,  no  stone 
obstruction  will  be  found  from  its  source  at 
South  Bend  to  the  limestone  ledge  near  Mo- 
mence,  Illinois.  Throughout  the  state  of  In- 
diana the  underlying  strata  are  fine  sand,  in- 
creasing downward  to  coarse  sand  and 
gravel.  Occasional  thin  layers  of  blue  clay 
are  found,  but  the  excavations  can  be  made 
generally  in  loose  sandy  soil  and  fine  gravel. 

The  soil  proper  consists  of  a  dark  sandy 
loam,  varying  in  thickness,  and  sometimes 
found  even  to  the  depth  of  five  or  six  feet. 

Profitable  crops  of  wild  hay  are  annually 
harvested  from  a  large  part  of  the  marsh, 
and  the  partially  recovered  portions  are 
found  to  be  especially  adapted  to  the  culture 
of  timothy,  clover  and  blue  grass.  For  stock 
farms  this  region  will  be  surpassed  by  no 
section  of  the  state. 

The  cranberry  plant  is  native  to  the  coun- 
try, and  the  experiments  already  made  for  its 
culture  are  most  encouraging. 

Mr.  Lamb  has  a  farm  in  Starke  county, 
near  English  Lake  station,  on  the  P.,  C.  & 
St.  L.  railway,  on  which  he  has  a  field  of 
cranberry  plants,  twenty  acres  in  extent,  un- 
der the  most  successful  cultivation.  The  yield 
is  enormous,  and  in  1882  the  crop  harvested 
was  seventeen  hundred  bushels.  The  receipts 
for  this  crop  this  year  will  be  not  less  than 
four  thousand  dollars. 

The  Beaver  Lake  region,  in  Newton  county, 
is  a  good  sample  of  the  reclaimed  marsh  land 
along  the  Kankakee,  and  the  results  in  this 
section  are  so  satisfactory  that  the  most  ear- 
nest efforts  should  be  made  to  recover  all  the 
overflowed  lands. 

MARSH   AREA. 

The  number  of  acres  in  the  marshes  along 
the  Kankakee  and  its  principal  tributaries 
which  may  be  recovered  by  .judicious  drain- 
age, is  not  less  than  four  hundred  thousand. 

The  acres  included  in  the  assessments  made 
by  the  Kankakee  Draining  Company  were : 

St.   Joseph   county 39,633 

Laporte  county   124,253 

Porter  county    75,543 

Starke  county   153,625 

Jasper  county    90,459 

Newton   county    79,854 

Lake   county 61,438 

Total     624,805 


?50 


HISTOET    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


These  assessments  iiieluded  lan(  s  adjacent 
to  the  marshes  Avhieh  would  be  cotoimerciallj" 
benefited  by  the  improvement  of  Vhe  river, 
and  therefore  give  a|i  aggregate  considerably 
in  excess  of  the  overflowed  lands,  ©wing  to 
the  favorable  location  of  the  KankakeV  region 
with  reference  to  the  great  commercial 
metropolis  of  the  northwest,  and  the  facilities 
furnished  by  the  numerous  railways  which 
pass  through  it,  there  will  be  a  rapid  increase 
in  the  value  of  the  lands  as  soon  as  the  drain- 
age is  eifected. 

Estimating  this  increase  at  twenty  dollars 
per  acre,  the  aggregate  addition  to  the  wealth 
of  the  state  will  be  eight  million  dollars 
($8,000,000)  on  the  estimated  four  hundred 
thousand  acres  reclaimed. 

Or,  estimating  the  general  increase  in  value 
for  the  entire  section  drained  by  the  Kanka- 
kee at  ten  dollars  per  acre,  the  added  wealth 
to  the  state  will  be  ten  million  dollars  ($10,- 
000.000). 

Certainly  this  is  a  problem  worthy  of  the 
best  efforts  of  the  state. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT. 

The  drainage  and  recovery  of  the  Kanka- 
kee marshes  will  include :  First,  the  construc- 
tion of  a  better  main  channel  than  now  exists, 
for  the  flow  of  the  river ;  second,  the  straight- 
ening and  deepening  of  the  beds  of  the 
streams  which  empty  into  the  main  stream  -, 
and  third,  the  digging  of  a  large  niunber  of 
lateral  ditches  through  the  swamps  to  the  im- 
proved channels. 

The  portion  of  the  work  which  seems  prop- 
erly to  belong  to  state  and  national  super- 
vision, is  the  improvement  of  the  main  chan- 
nel of  the  river.  The  other  parts  of  the  work 
may  be  left  to  the  OA^mers  of  the  land,  to 
be  executed  under  our  general  drainage  laws. 

Two  streams,  the  Kankakee  and  Grapevine 
creek,  unite  near  the  northwest  corner  of  Sec. 
4,  T.  36  N.,  R.  1  E.,  nine  miles  from  South 
Bend  and  form  the  Kankakee  river. 

This  junction  seems  to  be  the  proper  place 
for  the  beginning  of  the  improvement  under 
state  supervision. 

The  approximate  length  of  the  river  in  the 
state  from  this  initial  point  is  two  hundred 
miles,  as  measured  along  the  crooked  channel, 
and  the  average  fall  per  mile  is  less  than  four 
inches. 

The  velocity  of  the  stream  is  nearly  uni- 
form and  is  about  one  and  a  half  miles  per 
hour,  or  one  and  two-tenths  feet  per  second. 


The  general  declivity  of  the  marsh  through 
which  the  river  flows,  is  1.3  feet  per  mile. 

It  is  proposed  to  reduce  the  length  of  the 
river  by  the  improvement,  so  that  the  distance 
from  the  initial  point  to  Momence,  111.,  will 
not  exceed  eighty-five  miles,  and  the  average 
fall  per  mile  will  be  increased  to  more  than 
twelve  inches. 

The  experiments  of  Messrs.  Richards  and 
Stephans,  made  in  1871,  and  reported  by  Mr. 
Bennet,  civil  engineer,  show  that  the  Kanka- 
kee river,  one  mile  above  Momence,  111.,  has 
a  sectional  area  of  1,026  sciuare  feet,  a  mean 
velocity  of  1.424  feet  per  second,  and  the 
volume  of  discharge  of  1,452  cubic  feet  per 
second. 

At  the  state  line  the  sectional  area  is  543 
square  feet,  the  mean  hydraulic  depth  is  4.5 
feet,  the  calculated  mean  velocity  is  2.35  feet 
per  second,  and  the  volume  of  discharge  is 
1,271  feet  per  second. 

According  to  the  same  authority,  the  di- 
mensions of  the  new  channel  proposed  by  the 
Kankakee  Draining  Company  were :  Width 
at  top,  52  feet,  wadth  at  bottom  42  feet,  depth 
10  feet,  inclination  one  foot  per  mile,  area  of 
cross-section  470  square  feet,  calculated  ve- 
locity 3.32  feet  per  second,  volume  of  dis- 
charge 1,558  cubic  feet  per  second. 

In  the'  determination  of  the  dimensions  of 
the  new  channels  which  will  be  required,  I 
have  assumed  the  correctness  of  the  experi- 
ments made  to  determine  the  flow  at  the 
state  line,  and  that  the  volume  of  discharge 
at  ordinary  stages  of  w^ater  will  not  exceed 
1,271  cubic  feet  per  second. 

To  provide  sufficient  capacity  for  ordinary 
floods,  I  have  given  the  lower  end  of  the 
new  channel,  fifteen  miles  above  the  state 
line,  an  area  of  cross-section  of  500  feet,  and 
the  calculated  volume  of  discharge  1,358  cubic 
feet  per  second. 

It  is  proper  to  remark  that  so  much  de- 
pends on  physical  features  peculiar  to  each 
particular  case,  that  hydraulic  formulas  can 
serve  only  as  general  guides  in  the  solution 
of  any  given  problem.  Absolute  results  can 
not  be  reached,  and  there  is  always  room  for 
honest  differences  of  opinion  among  engineers 
as  to  the  accuracy  of  conclusions. 

The  formulas  used  in  the  calculations  for 
the  velocities  and  volumes  are  taken  from 
Fanning 's  Engineering,  and  apply  primarily 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


251 


to  smooth,  open  and  straight  channels.     (See 
foot  note.) 

The  side  slopes  of  the  new  excavations  are 
estimated  at  one  and  one-half  horizontal  to 
each  vertical  foot  in  depth. 

For  convenience  in  the  detailed  descrip- 
tions of  the  improvement  the  following  di- 
visions are  made : 

Division  I.  From  the  initial  point  at  the 
month  of  Grapevine  creek,  Sec.  4,  T.  36  N., 
R.  1  E.,  to  the  lower  end  of  Mud  lake,  at 
Lemon's  bridge  and  the  bridge  of  the  Indian- 
apolis, Peru  and  Chicago  railway. 

Division  II.  From  the  end  of  Division  I, 
to  the  mouth  of  Mill  creek,  Sec.  7,  T.  34  N., 
R.  2  W. 

Division  III.  From  the  end  of  Division  II, 
by  a  new  channel  to  the  mouth  of  Crooked 
creek.  Sec.  36,  T.  33  N.,  R.  6  W. 

Division  IV.  From  the  end  of  Division  II, 
by  the  old  channel,  and  from  the  town  of 
Knox,  on  Yellow  river,  Sec.  22,  T.  33  N.,  R. 
2  W..  to  the  place  where  Crooked  creek,  the 
new  channel  and  old  channel,  form  a  grand 
junction. 

Division  V.  From  Grand  Junction,  by  a 
new  channel,  to  a  point  in  the  river  in  Sec. 
33,  T.  32  N.,  R.  8  W.,  marked  station  Q  on 
the  map,  near  the  bridge  on  the  line  of  the 
Indianapolis  &  Chicago  Air  Line  railway. 

Division  VI.  From  station  Q,  along  the 
general  line  of  the  river,  to  the  state  line, 
Sec.  1,  T.  31  N.,  R.  10  W. 

Division  VII.  Illinois  division.  From  the 
state  line  along  the  general  line  of  the  river 
to  Momence,  Illinois. 

Division  I. 

From  the  initial  point  at  the  mouth  of 
Grapevine  creek.  Sec.  4,  T.  36  N.,  R.  1  E., 
to  the  lower  end-  of  Mud  lake,  Sec.  4,  T.  35 
N.,  R.  1  W. 

The  river  begins  in  the  open  marsh  and  is 
entirely  free  from  timber  to  the  end  of  this 
division.  The  Crum's  Point  bridge  is  near 
the  beginning  of  this  division.  ' '  Free  Bridge ' ' 
is  in  Sec.  26,  T.  36  N.,  R.  1  W.,  and  Lemon's 

V=y/lMii.     Volume   of   dischargers  XV. 

M 

;Si:=Area  of  cross-section. 

v=Mean  velocity. 

fif^Accelerating  force  of  gravity=32.2  feet. 
C=:Wetted     perimeter=sides     and     bottom     of 
channel. 

^=Air  perimeter^surface. 


r^Mean  hydraulic  depth=^,  "^  ^ 

j=Sine  of  the  angle  of  inclination. 
m=A  tabulated  coefficient  dependent  on  i: 


bridge  and  the  bridge  of  the  Indianapolis, 
Peru  &  Chicago  railway,  are  at  the  terminus 
of  the  division. 

]\Iud  lake  is  only  a  widening  of  the  river 
on  account  of  a  slightly  less  fall  than  the 
average.  The  diminished  velocity  has  caused 
the  deposit  of  soil,  and  increased  the  growth 
of  grasses  and  weeds  in  the  stream. 

The  improvement  of  this  division  will  re- 
quire the  straightening  of  the  channel  in  the 
general  line  of  the  river.  The  new  channel 
could  be  made  perfectly  straight  without  any 
timber  obstruction,  but,  by  slight  deviations 
from  a  straight  line,  at  least  ten  per  cent,  of 
the  cost  of  excavation  may  be  saved,  by  using 
as  much  of  the.  present  channel  as  possible, 
without  material  increase  in  distance. 

The  length  will  be  8.5  miles. 

The  dimensions  proposed  for  the  channel 
in  this  division  are,  width  at  bottom,  27  feet; 
width  at  top,  45  feet;   depth,  6  feet. 

These  dimensions  would  give  area  of  cross- 
section  216  square  feet,  mean  hydraulic  depth 
4.26  feet,  calculatel  mean  velocity,  with  a 
fall  of  one  foot  to  the  mile,  2.105  feet  per 
second ;  volume  of  discharge,  455  cubic  feet 
per  second. 

The  excavations  will  measure  for  each  lin- 
ear yard  24  cubic  yards,  for  each  mile  42,240 
cubic  yards,  for  the  entire  division,  8.5  miles, 
359,040  cubic  yards.  This  aggregate  may  be 
reduced  ten  per  cent,  for  the  old  channel  ap- 
propriated in  the  new,  leaving  a  total  for 
the  first  division  of  323,136  cubic  yards. 
Division  II. 

From  the  terminus  of  Division  I  to  the 
mouth  of  Mill  creek.  Sec.  7.  T.  34  N.,  R.  2  W. 

The  river  in  this  division  runs  through  the 
open  marsh,  and  is  free  from  timber  obstruc- 
tion. The  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railway  bridge 
is  in  this  division.  The  length  of  the  division 
will  be  11.3  miles.  The  improvement  will  be 
along  the  general  line  of  the  river,  and  the 
route  for  the  new  channel  will  be  nearly  a 
straight  line. 

The  dimensions  proposed  for  the  new  chan- 
nel are — width  at  bottom  27  feet,  width  at 
top  48  feet,  depth  7  feet.  These  dimensions 
will  give  area  of  cross-section  262.5  square 
feet,  mean  hydraulic  depth  4.6  feet,  calculated 
mean  velocity  2.187  feet  per  second,  volume 
of  discharge  574  cubic  feet  per  second. 

The  excavations  will  measure  for  each  lin- 
ear yard  29.16  cubic  yards,  for  each  mile 
51,321  cubic  yards,  for  the  division,  11.3 
miles,  579,927 'cubic  yards.     This  aggregate 


252 


HISTOEY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


may  be  reduced  ten  per  cent,  for  the  old  chan- 
nel appropriated  in  the  new,  leaving  for  the 
second  division  521,935  cubic  yards. 
Division  III. 

From  the  terminus  of  Division  II,  at  the 
mouth  of  Mill  creek,  by  a  new  channel,  to 
the  mouth  of  Crooked  creek,  Sec.  36,  T.  33  N., 
R.  6  W. 

The  Kankakee  river  below  the  mouth  of 
Mill  creek  has  a  belt  of  timber  along  its  banks, 
which  would  make  the  cost  of  straightening 
the  river,  as  in  Divisions  I  and  II,  very  great. 

The  great  deflection  of  the  river  from  the 
general  direction  of  the  valley  makes  it  im- 
portant to  shorten  the  distance  by  a  new 
channel. 

The  line  proposed  for  the  improvement  lies 
in  a  remarkable  part  of  the  valley.  The  line 
will  be  clear  from  timber  obstruction,  except 
about  one  and  a  half  miles  at  the  lower  end, 
where  it  passes  through  the  belt  of  river-bank 
timber  into  the  old  channel.  The  line  lies 
for  the  most  part  in  a  series  of  deep  marshes, 
now  impassable,  and  well  known  in  the  neigh- 
borhood as  a  deep  slough,  sand  channel,  etc. 
This  division  will  be  crossed  by  the  Pitts- 
burg, Ft.  Wayne  &  Chicago ;  the  New  York, 
Chicago  &  St.  Louis;  the  Pittsburg,  Cincin- 
nati &  St.  Louis;  the  Chicago  &  West  Michi- 
gan ;  the  Chicago  &  Atlantic,  and  the  Louis- 
ville, New  Albany  &  Chicago  railways.  The 
new  channel  will  take  the  greater  part  of  the 
water  of  the  improved  river  above  Mill  creek, 
and  all  the  surface  drainage  on  the  north 
side  in  Laporte  and  a  part  of  Porter  county. 
The  length  of  the  division  will  be  21.5  miles. 

The  proposed  dimensions  for  the  new  chan- 
nel for  this  division  are  at  the  upper  end — 
width  of  bottom  27  feet,  width  at  top  51 
feet,  depth  8  feet,  area  of  cross-section  312 
square  feet.  At  the  lower  end — width  at  bot- 
tom 33  feet,  width  at  top  57  feet,  depth  8 
feet,  area  of  cross-section  360  square  feet. 
The  mean  measure  will  be — width  at  bottom 
30  feet,  width  at  top  54  feet,  depth  8  feet, 
area  of  cross-section  336  square  feet. 

These  dimensions  will  give — mean  hydrau- 
lic depth  5.23  .feet,  calculated  mean  velocity 
2.405  feet  per  second,  mean  volume  of  dis- 
charge 808.4  cubic  feet  per  second.  The  vol- 
ume of  discharge  at  the  lower  end  will  be 
878.4  cubic  feet  per  second. 

The  mean  dimensions  will  give — for  each 
linear  yard  37  1-3  cubic  yards,  for  each  mile 
65,707  cubic  yards,  for  the  division,  21.5 
miles,   1,412,700   cubic   yards. 


Division  IV. 

From  the  terminus  of  Division  II  at  the 
mouth  of  Mill  creek,  by  the  old  channel  of 
the  river,  and  from  the  town  of  Knox,  Sec. 
22,  T.  33  N.,  R.  2  W.,  on  Yellow  river,  to 
the  point  where  Crooked  creek,  the  new  and 
the  old  channels,  form  the  grand  junction. 
It  is  important  to  preserve  and  improve  the 
old  channel  of  the  river  in  this  division,  for 
the  purpose  of  draining  the  large  territory 
on  the  south  side,  including  the  Yellow  river 
country. 

The  new  channel  of  Division  III  will  relieve 
the  present  bed  of  the  most  of  the  water  above 
Mill  creek,  and  its  relative  carrying  capacity 
will  thereby  be  largely  increased ;  but  owing 
to  its  extreme  crookedness,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  expend  a  liberal  amount  in  dredging  and 
in  cutting  off  the  most  troublesome  bends,  in 
order  to  increase  the  velocity  of  flow,  which 
would  otherwise  be  diminished  below  its  pre- 
sent rate.  The  English  lake  region  is  similar 
to  that  above  called  Mud  lake,  and  is  only 
an  enlargement  of  the  river,  of  rather  an  ex- 
tensive widening  of  the  deep  marsh  border. 
In  this  lake  the  wild  rice  and  gi'ass  grow  in 
the  greatest  luxuriance.  Austen's  wagon 
bridge.  Sec.  34,  T.  34  N.,  R.  3  W. ;  Lougee's 
wagon  bridge.  Sec.  24,  T.  33  N.,  R.  4  W.,  and 
Dunn's  wagon  bridge,  Sec.  15,  T.  32  N.,  R.  5 
W.,  are  in  this  division ;  and  also,  bridges  on 
all  the  railway  lines  mentioned  in  Division 
III,  except  the  Chicago  &  West  Michigan. 

For  the  improvement  of  this  division,  I 
would  recommend  the  expenditure  of  not  less 
than  $80,000. 

Division  V. 

From  Grand  Junction,  Sec.  36,  T.  33  N., 
R.  6  W.,  by  a  new  channel,  to  a  point  in  the 
river  in  Sec.  33,  T.  32  N.,  R.  8  W.,  marked 
on  the  map  as  station  Q,  near  the  bridge  on 
the  line  of  the  Indianapolis  &  Chicago  rail- 
way. 

At  Grand  Junction,  the  new  channel  or  the 
upper  Kankakee,  the  old  channel  or  the  Yel- 
low river  section,  and  Crooked  creek,  unite 
their  waters  and  form  the  enlarged  lower 
river. 

From  Grand  Junction  to  the  state  line,  and 
to  Momence,  111.,  there  is  plenty  of  water  for 
the  purposes  of  navigation,  and  it  is  desir- 
able that  the  improvement  below  Grand  Junc- 
tion should  be  made  with  reference  both  to 
drainage  and  navigation.  The  route  proposed 
for  the  new  channel,  as  shown  by  the  map, 
will  be  through  the  open  mai"sh,  entirely  free 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


253 


from  timber  obstruction,  except  one  mile  of 
river  banlc  timber  on  the  west  end,  and  is 
admirably  located  with  reference  to  the  drain- 
age of  some  of  the  deepest  marshes  in  the 
entire  valley. 

Another  route  may  be  adopted,  nearly  if 
not  cpiite  as  good  as  the  one  proposed,  by 
running  the  new  line  more  directly  west  after 
it  entera  Newton  county,  and  terminating  in 
the  river  north  of  station  Q ;  thence  by  the 
straightened  river  to  the  terminus  at  station 
P.  The  cost  of  the  two  routes  will  be  about 
equal. 

The  length  of  the  division  will  be  16  miles. 

The  dimensions  proposed  for  the  new  chan- 
nel for  this  division  are — at  the  upper  end, 
width  at  bottom  36  feet,  width  at  top,  63 
feet,  depth  9  feet,  area  of  cross-section  445.5 
square  feet.  At  the  lower  end — width  at  bot- 
tom 42  feet,  width  at  top  69  feet,  depth  9 
feet,  area  of  cross-section  499.5  square  feet. 
Mean  measure — width  at  bottom  39  feet, 
width  at  top  66  feet,  depth  9  feet,  area  of 
cross-section  472.5  square  feet. 

These  dimensions  Avill  give — mean  hydrau- 
lic depth  6.06  feet,  calculated  mean  velocity 
2.7  feet  per  second,  volume  ot  discharge 
1,275.7  cubic  feet  per  second.  The  volume  of 
discharge  at  the  lower  end  station  will  be 
1,358.6  cubic  feet  per  second. 

The  mean  dimensions  give  for  each  linear 
yard  52.5  cubic  yards,  for  each  mile  92,400 
cubic  yards,  for  the  division  (16  miles) 
1,478,400  cubic  yards. 

The  old  channel  of  the  river  below  Grand 
Junction  receives  no  important  creek,  and 
only  a  small  expenditure  will  be  required  to 
keep  this  channel  open  for  its  limited  drain- 


age area. 


Division  VI. 


From  the  terminus  of  Division  V,  at  sta- 
tion Q,  along  the  general  line  of  the  river  to 
the  state  line. 

The  increased  velocity  of  the  river  in  this 
division,  owing  to  its  increased  slope  and  the 
general  direction  of  the  stream,  make  the  im- 
provement desirable  along  the  general  line  of 
its  present  flow. 

A  new  channel  in  Sec.  33,  T.  32  N.,  E.  8 
W.,  one  mile  in  length,  and  a  similar  one, 
chiefly  in  Sections  1  and  2,  T.  31  N.,  R.  9  W., 
two  and  a  half  miles  long,  will  be  required. 
The  dimensions  of  these  new  channels  are 
estimated  the  same  as  in  Division  V — per  mile 
92,400  cubic  yards— 3i/o  miles  323,400  cubic 
yards. 


The  other  improvements  in  this  division 
will  consist  in  a  general  straightening  of  the 
channel,  the  removal  of  timber  obstruction 
and  dredging  the  channel  to  secure  an  addi- 
tional depth  of  two  feet. 

The  estimated  length  of  the  division  after 
the  improvement  has  been  made,  will  be  fif- 
teen (15)  miles. 

Messrs.  Cass,  Singleton,  Williams,  Luck  & 
Co.  are  constructing  a  large  ditch,  twenty  feet 
wide  and  six  feet  deep,  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Kankakee,  which  will  be  an  important 
part  of  the  general  improvement. 

This  ditch  is  located  on  the  map,  and  ex- 
tends from  See.  29,  T.  33  N.,  R.  7  W.,  in  a 
general  southwesterly  direction  to  the  river 
near  the  state  line. 

The  marsh  is  very  wide  in  this  region,  but 
when  the  land  is  reclaimed,  as  it  doubtless 
will  be  when  this  ditch  is  completed,  it  will 
be  as  beautiful  and  as  rich  as  any  portion  of 
the  state. 

The  enterprising  owners  have  two  steam 
dredging  machines  in  successful  operation, 
and  the  construction  of  the  ditch  is  progress- 
ing satisfactorily. 

Division  VII. — Illinois  Division. 

Fr-om  the  state  line  along  the  general  course 
of  the  river  to  Momence,  Illinois. 

Beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  Indiana  it  will 
be  necessary  to  continue  the  improvement  of 
the  river  to  a  point  below  the  dam  at  Mo- 
mence. 

A  new  channel,  beginning  a  short  distance 
from  the  state  line  and  running  west  nearly 
two  miles,  will  cut  off  a  great  bend  of  the 
river  and  effect  an  important  saving  in  dis- 
tance. 

The  dimensions  of  this  channel  should  be 
the  same  as  in  Division  V,  and  owing  to  its 
short  length  it  will  readily  adjust  itself  to 
any  required  size  by  the  action  of  the  stream 
itself. 

The  other  improvements  of  this  division 
will  be  similar  in  every  particular  to  those 
in  Division  VI,  until  the  rock  ledge  near  Mo- 
mence is  reached. 

This  obstruction  is  a  limestone  ledge  which 
extends  about  one  and  a  half  miles  in  width, 
and  its  removal  is  a  necessity  for  the  proper 
improvement  of  the  river. 

The  increased  velocity  of  the  straightened 
channel  above  will  carry  down  large  quanti- 
ties of  soil  and  sand,  for  which  a  free  outlet 
must  be  provided  by  opening  a  way  through 
the  rocky  ledge. 


254 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Even  now  the  improvements  in  the  Beaver 
lake  region  have  increased  the  growth  of 
grasses  and  weeds  in  the  river  at  Momence 
and  this  will  be  further  increased  to  a  very 
damaging  degree,  unless  this  free  outlet  is 
provided. 

The  general  government  has  ordered  a  sur- 
vey of  this  portion  of  the  river,  and  the 
methods  for  this  improvement  doubtless  will 
receive  proper  consideration.  A  channel 
forty  feet  in  width  and  five  feet  in  depth  will 
be  large  enough  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
the  new  improvement,  which  will  give  approx- 
imately for  the  entire  length  60,000  cubic 
yards. 

After  the  completion  of  the  improvement 
of  the  river,  the  estimated  distance  from  the 
the  state  line  to  Momenoe  will  be  12  miles. 

The  total  distance  as  shown  by  the  preced- 
ing division  will  be : 

Division   I    8.5  miles. 

Division    II    11.3  miles. 

Division    III    21.5  miles. 

Division   V    16.0  miles. 

Division    VI     15.0  miles. 

Division    VII    12.0  miles. 

Total    84.3  miles. 

Division  IV  is  not  included  in  this  estimate 
of  the  length  of  the  new  channel. 

The  entire  work  may  be  divided  into  two 
general  parts,  the  first  including  Divisions  I, 
II,  III  and  IV,  from  the  initial  point  to 
Grand  Junction,  Section  36,  T.  33  N.,  R.  6 
W.,  and  the  second  including  Divisions  V,  VI 
and  VII,  from  Grand  Junction  to  Momence. 

The  distance  from  the  initial  point  to 
Grand  Junction  will  be  41.3  miles,  and  from 
Grand  Junction  to  Momence,  43  miles. 

It  is  entirely  feasible  to  begin  the  improve- 
ment of  either  of  these  general  parts  without 
delaying  for  the  other,  and  pending  the  set- 
tlement of  the  proper  quastion  of  the  relation 
of  the  general  government  to  the  lower  por- 
tion as  a  navigable  stream,  it  is  recommended 
that  work  be  begun  as  speedily  as  possible  on 
the  upper  portion. 

METHODS  AND   COST. 

In  the  construction  of  the  new  channel  for 
the  Kankakee,  it  will  be  necessary  to  use 
steam  dredging  machines. 

The  best  forms  of  these  machines,  as  now 
constructed,  are  made  to  float  in  channels  of 
their  own  making.  The  Kankakee  open 
marshes  and  sandy  soil  afford  the  best  field 
for  the  economic  use  of  these  dredging  ma- 
chines.    The  two  now  in  use  by  Messrs.  Cass, 


Singleton,  Williams  &  Co.,  are  constructed 
after  an  excellent  model,  and  the  work  being 
done  by  them  is  satisfactory.  Five  to  six  men 
are  required  to  do  the  work  on  each  boat, 
and  one  machine  can  excavate  thirteen  hun- 
dred cubic  yards  per  day. 

The  engine  has  forty-horse  power  at  sixty 
pounds  of  boiler  pressure. 

All  the  operatives  are  comfortably  fed  and 
lodged  upon  the  boats. 

The  special  machinery  for  the  excavation 
consists  of  a  series  of  scoops  attached  to  an 
endless  chain,  which  passes  over  a  projecting 
arm  in  the  forward  part  of  the  boat,  this 
arm  being  adjustable  to  any  point  in  front, 
where  it  is  desired  that  the  excavation  be 
made. 

The  scoops  deliver  their  loads  into  an  ele- 
vated chute,  which  is  inclined  about  30  de- 
grees, and  extends  over  the  side  of  the  boat 
far  enough  to  deposit  the  excavated  earth  at 
the  proper  distance  from  the  ditch. 

In  the  Kankakee  improvement  a  number  of 
these  machines  will  be  required.  For  the  wide 
channels  it  will  be  more  expeditious  and  eco- 
nomical to  use  the  machines  in  pairs — one 
digging  half  the  width  and  the  second  follow- 
ing close  behind  and  digging  the  remaining 
half. 

In  addition,  it  will  be  found  necessary  to 
have  small  steam  tenders  to  carry  supplies  to 
the  dredge  boats,  as  in  many  parts  of  the 
marsh  it  will  be  impossible  to  reach  the  boats 
by  wagons. 

The  cost  of  the  dredging  machines  will  be 
from  $7,000  to  $10,000  each. 

I  am  not  able  to  say  what  is  the  lowest  pos- 
sible price  at  which  this  work  can  be  done 
with  these  dredging  machines — or  rather  the 
lowest  price  per  cubic  yard  at  which  the  con- 
tract could  be  made  with  responsible  and 
capable  parties. 

The  manufacturers  of  dredging  machines 
claim  that  the  expense  of  moving  earth  will  be 
from  two  to  three  cents  per  cubic  yard.  This 
amount,  however,  can  not  include  the  use  of 
capital  invested,  wear  of  machinery,  and 
necessary  losses  by  breakage  and  other  delays. 

Persons  with  some  experience  in  this  kind 
of  work  think  that  five  to  seven  cents  would 
be  a  fair  price,  including  interest  on  capital 
and  all  risks  incident  to  the  work ;  while 
others  believe  that  contracts  with  responsible 
parties  can  not  be  obtained  at  less  than  ten 
cents  per  cubic  yard. 

Herewith  I  submit  the  cost   of  the  earth 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


255 


work  at  both  seven  and  ten  cents  per  cubic 
yard,  and  if  a  less  price  can  be  realized  it 
will  only  be  the  more  satisfactory. 

According  to  the  foregoing  estimates,  the 
amount  of  earth  work  included  in  the  im- 
provement, from  the  initial  point  to  Grand 
Junction,  will  be : 

Division  I   323,136  cubic  yds. 

Division  II    521,935  cubic  yds. 

Division  III    1,412,700  cubic  yds. 


Total     2,257,771  cubic  yds. 

At  7  cents  per  cubic  yard  the  cost  of 

this  excavation  would  be $158,043  97 

Or  at  10  cents  per  cubic  yard 225,777  10 

The    amount    proposed    for    Division 

IV   is    80,000  00 

Making  a  grand  total  of 238,043  97 

Or  of    305,777  10 

The  amount  of  earth  work  included  in  the 

improvement    from    Grand    Junction    to    the 

State  line  and  to  Momence  will  be : 

Division  V   1,478,400  cubic  yds. 

Three    and    a    half    miles    of 

Division   VI    323,400  cubic  yds. 


Total     1,801,800  cubic  yds. 

At  7  cents  per  yard  this  wilf  cost $126,126  00 

At  10  cents  per  yard  this  will  cost...     180,180  00 
The  estimated  expenditure  for  the  re- 
maining 11%   miles  of  Division  VI 
is  $6,000  per  mile,  or  for  the  divi- 
sion, $69,000;   making  a  grand  total    . 
from   Grand   Junction   to   the   State 

line  of    195,126  00 

Or    249,180  00 

The  estimated   cost  for   Division  VII, 
Illinois    Division,    is    W^    miles,    at 

$6,000  per  mile  65,000  00 

One  and  a  half  miles  rock  excavation 

at  $15,000  per  mile 22,500  00 


Total     ., 

The  total  cost  from  Grand  Junction  to 

Momence,    on    the    estimates    at    7 

cents,    will   be 

On  the  estimate  at  10  cents,  will  be.  . 
The  total  cost  from   the  initial  point 

to  the  State  line,  at  7  cents,  will  be 

At  10  cents,  will  be 

The  entire  cost  from  the  initial  point 

to  Momence  will  be,  at  7  cents 

At   10   cents 


$  87,500  00 


$282,626  00 

336,680  00 

433,169  97 

545,975  10 

520,669  97 

642,457  10 


GENERAL   RESULTS. 


Divisions. 

I  

II  

III  

IV     

V    


Miles 
Length. 

8.5 
11.3 
21.5 


Cubic 
Yards. 
323,136 
521,935 
1,412,700 


VI 

VII 


Totals 


16. 
.15. 

12. 

8i.i 


111/2 


,478,400 
323,400 


Cost 
at  $0.07. 

$22,619.52 
36,535.45 
98,889.00 
80,000.00 

103,488.00 
22,638.00 

69,000.00 

87,500.00 

$520,669.97 


Cost 

at  $0.10 
$32,813.60 

52,193.50 
141,270.00 

80,000.00 
147,840.00 

32,340.00 

69,000.00 

87,500.00 

$642,457.00 


In  addition  to  the  cost  of  construction,  the 
question  of  maintenance  of  the  new  channel 
requires  consideration.  The  same  causes 
which  produced  the  present  crooked  river 
will,  in  a  less  degree,  atfect  the  straightened 
stream,  and  continued  care  will  be  required 
to  preserve  an  unobstructed  flow. 

The  broad  valley  of  the  Kankakee  marsh  is 
doubtless  the  result  of  glacial  action.  At  the 
close  of  the  glacial  period,  we  may  suppose 
that  a  shallow  river  extended  from  bank  to 
bank  of  the  valley.  This  stream  had  a  slope 
of  about  one  foot  to  the  mile,  and  a  conse- 
quent velocity  rapid  enough  to  take  up  the 
particles  of  fine  sand  and  carry  them  forward. 
The  retardation  along  the  borders  would 
cause  the  deposit  of  the  sand,  and  thereby 
make  the  stream  more  narrow  by  the  forma- 
tion of  banks.  The  narrowed  and  deepened 
stream  would  have  an  increased  velocity,  and 
hence,  other  masses  of  sand  would  be  taken 
up  by  the  current  and  carried  forward  to 
form  obstructions  in  the  general  direction  of 
flow.  Following  the  lines  of  least  resistance, 
the  channel  would  be  diverted  from  its  orig- 
inal direction  and  would  change  from  straight 
to  crooked,  and  continue  to  change  so  long 
as  the  velocity  was  too  great  for  the  stability 
of  the  sand  bed  over  which  the  river  flows. 
By  these  processes,  doubtless,  the  sinuous 
Kankakee  was  formed ;  and  its  present  length, 
with  its  many  windings,  approximately  de- 
termines the  velocity  consistent  with  perma- 
nence in  the  wide  marsh  which  it  now  so  im- 
perfectly drains. 

The  formation  of  the  timber  line  along  the 
river  may  be  explained  in  like  manner. 

During  freshets  the  low  lands  would  be 
overflowed,  and  the  soil  and  sand  brought 
do-v^Ti  by  the  increased  current  would  be  de- 
posited, first  along  the  banks  of  the  river, 
thereby  raising  the  surface  next  the  stream 
enough  above  the  level  of  the  marsh  to  permit 
the  seeds  of  trees  to  grow,  which  would  not 
germinate  in  the  swamp  itself. 

If  we  assume  that  the  river  now  has  an  op- 
proximately  stable  bed,  the  result  mainly  of 
the  free  action  of  natural  forces  on  the  sandy 
soil,  it  is  evident  that  any  increase  of  velocity 
will  affect  this  stability  and  introduce  a  dis- 
turbing element  which  will  require  special  at- 
tention. 

The  banlvs  of  the  new  channel  will  likewise 
deliver  quantities  of  sand  into  the  current 
until  they  assume  their  proper  angle  of  rest 


256 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


and  are  protected  by  grass  or  other  vegeta- 
ble growth. 

The  lateral  ditches,  also,  will  bring  down 
masses  of  sand  which  will,  if  left  iineared  for, 
form  bars  where  these  ditches  empty  into  the 
river. 

To  meet  these  difficulties  it  will  be  necessary 
to  keep  at  work  one  or  two  dredging  machines 
until  the  new  channel  has  assumed  a  partially 
stable  condition. 

Grass  grows  most  luxuriantly  in  all  parts 
of  the  Kankakee  valley,  and  from  this  cause 
we  may  expect  that  the  banks  will  be  covered 
very  rapidly.  After  the  drainage  has  been 
once  accomplished  and  the  lands  brought 
under  cultivation,  there  will  be  a  great  dimi- 
nution of  the  volume  of  water  to  be  carried 
off. 

The  absorbent  power  of  the  reclaimed  land 
and  the  evaporating  surface  will  be  increased, 
and  the  quality  of  surplus  water  will  be  pro- 
portionally diminished. 

The  diminished  volume  will  give  a  relative 
increased  capacity  with  less  depth,  and  thus 
by  degi'ees  the  new  channel  will  become  stable, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  fulfills  all  the  re- 
quirements for  complete  drainage. 

DIVISION  OF  EXPENSES. 

In  this  improvement  it  is  proper  to  consider 
the  relation  which  the  Kankakee  sustains  to 
the  navigable  waters  of  the  iMississippi  sys- 
tem, and  to  what  extent  the  expenses  of  the 
work  should  be  borne  by  the  government  of 
the  United  States. 

The  Kankakee  has  always  been  considered 
a  navigable  stream,  but  the  point  above  which 
it  can  not  be  properly  so  classed  never  has 
been  fixed. 

Major  Jared  Smith,  of  the  U.  S.  Engi- 
neers, in  charge  of  the  river  and  harbor  im- 
provements in  this  state,  made  an  examina- 
tion of  the  Kankakee  in  1879,  and  reported 
favorably  for  its  improvement  for  a  distance, 
by  the  river,  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 
Major  Smith's  report  will  be  found  on  pages 
1,455-60,  Executive  Documents,  Second  Ses- 
sion Forty-Sixth  Congress  1879-80,  Vol.  4, 
Engineere,  No.  1,  part  2. 

Major  Smith's  reconnoissance  was  made  by 
a  small  steamer  from  Momence  as  far  up  the 
river  as  Baum  's  bridge,  and  in  this  entire  dis- 
tance he  reports  abundance  of  water  for  navi- 
gation. He  says:  "The  greater  portion  of 
the  distance  of  120  miles,  which  I  thus  went 
over,  had  a  depth  of  five  (5)  or  more  feet,  and 


I  found  no  case  where  it  was  less  than  two 
feet,  and  but  few  as  small  as  three  feet. ' ' 

Bamn's  bridge  is  but  two  miles  below  the 
point  named  in  this  report  as  "Grand  Junc- 
tion." 

I  fully  concur  in  the  opinion  expressed  by 
Major  Smith,  and  believe  that  there  will  be  a 
supply  of  water  sufficient  to  maintain  a  relia- 
ble depth  of  two  and  a  half  to  three  feet  at 
the  lowest  stage,  even  after  the  channel  has 
been  straightened  and  improved  for  general 
drainage. 

The  uniform  slope  of  the  bed  of  the  Kanka- 
kee, and  the  absence  of  any  rock  obstruction 
in  the  entire  State,  will  obviate  the  necessity 
for  the  construction  of  dams  for  navigation 
purposes,  so  that  it  will  be  entirely  feasible 
to  make  the  improvement  for  the  double  pur- 
pose of  drainage  and  navigation. 

From  Momence  to  Grand  Junction  there 
are  but  one  railway  and  two  wagon  bridges. 
It  will  not  be  difficult,  therefore,  to  provide 
an  open  way  for  navigation. 

The  manifest  importance  of  this  improve- 
ment, as  a  part  of  the  general  system  of  water 
communication  through  the  Mississippi  river, 
will  certainly  command  favorable  action. 

It  is  respectfully  recommended  that  the 
General  Government  be  requested  to  consider 
the  improvement  of  the  Kankakee  for  the  pur- 
poses of  navigation,  in  connection  with  the 
State  work  for  drainage,  from  Momence  to 
Grand  Junction. 

DRAINAGE   TO   THE   TIPPECANOE. 

The  short  water-shed  to  the  Kankakee  on 
the  south  side  below  English  lake,  has  sug- 
gested a  possible  route  for  the  new  channel 
of  the  Kankakee  southward  through  this 
dividing  ridge  to  the  Monon,  and  thence  to 
the  Tippecanoe  and  Wabash  rivers;  and,  in 
accordance  with  your  directions,  I  made  a 
survey  in  that  section. 

The  line  was  run  from  the  mouth  of  a  small 
creek  which  empties  into  the  Kankakee  in  the 
N.  E.  i  Sec.  35,  T.  33  N.,  R.  4  W.,  a  short  dis- 
tance below  the  P.,  C.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.  at  Eng- 
lish lake :  thence  up  this  stream  five  miles  to 
the  dividing  ridge  near  the  section  line,  be- 
tween Sections  23  and  26,  T.  32  N.,  R.  4  W. ; 
thence  down  a  small  tributary  of  the  Monon 
to  the  head  of  the  Monon  ditch,  in  Pulaski 
county.  Sec.  6,  T.  31  N.,  R.  3  W. ;  thence  to  a 
point  in  the  same  ditch  in  Sec.  33,  T.  30  N.,  R. 
4  W.,  called  Hickory  Grove,  northeast  of 
Francesville. 

The  levels  on  this  line  show  that  the  summit 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


257 


of  the  ridge,  five  miles  from  the  starting  point, 
is  46  feet  above  the  level  of  the  water  in  Eng- 
lish lake,  and  allowing  6  feet  for  depth  of  the 
river  and  1  foot  fall  per  mile,  a  cut  will  be 
required  at  the  summit  of  57  feet.  At  the 
county  line,  two  miles  further  south,  the  cut 
will  be  43  feet  in  depth.  The  fall  from  the 
head  of  the  Monon  ditch  to  Hickory  Grove,  a 
distance  of  twelve  miles,  is  40  feet;  and.  with 
the  same  slope  as  before,  the  depth  of  the 
ditch  would  be  15  feet  at  this  point. 

The  impracticability  of  the  route  being  so 
manifest,  I  abandoned  any  further  survey  at 
this  point.  It  is  important  to  remark  that  the 
fine  slope  to  the  marsh  along  the  Monon  from 
its  source  to  Cooper's  mill,  and  the  very  fer- 
tile marsh  valley  along  the  river,  should 
prompt  immediate  and  active  efforts  to  com- 
plete the  drainage  already  partly  accomplish- 
ed by  the  "Monon  Ditch.""  To  finish  this  im- 
portant work  will  require  the  enlargement  of 
the  ditch,  the  straightening  of  the  channel  in 
the  lower  portion,  and  probably  the  removal 
of  the  dam  at  Cooper  "s  mill. 

ALLEN  AND  HUNTINGTON  COUNTY  MARSHES. 

During  the  month  of  October  I  made  an 
examination  of  the  extensive  swamp  lands  in 
Allen  and  Huntington  counties,  along  the  line 
of  the  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific  railway. 
The  field  leveling  was  done  by  Messrs.  Ander- 
son &  Orton. 

The  marsh  region  embraces  twenty-five 
thousand  acres,  and  is  nearly  equally  divided 
*  between  the  two  counties.  In  Allen  county 
the  marsh  is  chiefly  prairie,  but  in  Hunting- 
ton county  a  considerable  portion  is  in  the 
wood  land. 

In  range  twelve,  running  quite  through  the 
county,  lies  the  dividing  line  between  the 
waters  which  flow  through  the  Maumee  to 
Lake  Erie  and  those  which  flow  through  the 
Wabash  to  the  Ohio  and  on  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico. 

The  great  marsh  begins  southwest  of  the 
city  of  Ft.  Wayne,  and  stretches  along  Little 
river  to  the  limestone  ledge  near  Huntington. 

Little  river  rises  in  the  south  part  of  Allen 
county,  and  runs  northward  to  within  a  few 
miles  of  Ft.  Wayne,  where  it  is  lost  in  the 
mai-sh,  but  it  reappears  again  with  definite 
banks  and  channel  in  Sec.  25,  T.  30  N.,  R. 
11  E. 

Through  the  Eichardville  Reservation  the 
marsh  extends  quite  to  the  St.  Mary  river,  and 
it  is  both  feasible  and  desirable  to  direct  the 
upper  portion  of  Little  river,  by  a  new  ehan- 

17 


nel,  through  this  marsh  to  the  St.  Mary.  From 
six  to  ten  feet  fall  may  be  found  from  this 
marsh  to  the  St.  Mary,  and  there  are  no  stone 
or  timber  obstructions  in  the  line  of  the  pro- 
posed new  channel. 

The  following  table  shows  the  elevations,  re- 
ferred to  sea-levels  from  Ft.  Wayne  along  the 
general  line  of  the  marsh  to  the  surface  of  the 
water  below  the  lower  dam  at  Huntington : 

P.,  Ft.  W.  &  C.  R.  R.  depot,  Ft.  Wayne 784. 

Crossing  P.,  Ft.  W.  &  C,  and  Ft.  W.  &  M. 

R.   R 792.8 

Little   river,  in  Sec.   25,   T.  30  N.,  R.   11  E, 

at  crossing  W.,  St.  L.  &  P.  R.  R 757.5 

Little  river,  at  crossing  R.  R.,  Sec.  26 756.1 

Little  river,  at  crossing  R.  R.,  Sec.  33 754.7 

Little   river,  at  Aboite  station 751.3 

Little  river,  at  Roanoke  station 746.5 

Little  river,  at  Mahan 741.1 

Little  river,  at  Sec.  4,  T.  28  N.,  R.  10  E 740.4 

Little  river,  at  foot  of  ripple 737.0 

Little    river,    at   upper    dam    at    Huntington 

(top)     732.7 

Little  river,  at  surface  of  water  belovs^  dam  724.7 
Little    river,    at   lower    dam    at    Huntington 

Uop)     723.5 

Little  river,  at  surface  of  water  below  dam  715.9 

The  chief  obstruction  to  the  drainage  of 
Little  river  is  the  ledge  of  limestone  which 
lies  across  the  channel  at  Huntington.  The 
entire  fall  from  the  starting  point,  in  Allen 
county,  seventeen  miles  from  the  upper  dam 
at  Huntington,  is  thirty-two  feet,  but  nearly 
one-half  of  this  fall  is  found  in  the  five  miles 
at  the  lower  end.  The  improvement  of  the 
river  and  the  recovery  of  the  marsh  lands 
above  will  require  the  removal  of  the  upper 
dam  at  Huntington  and  the  opening  of  a 
channel  through  this  rock  obstruction. 

Several  years  ago  a  company  was  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  making  this  improvement 
of  Little  river  and  the  recovery  of  the  marsh 
prairie.  The  length  of  the  improved  channel 
of  Little  river,  contemplated  by  the  company, 
was  sixteen  and  one-half  miles  from  the  upper 
dam  at  Huntington  to  a  point  west  of  Ft. 
Wayne,  where  the  river  first  crosses  the  line 
of  the  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific  Railway. 

The  rock  excavation  near  Huntington  was 
estimated  at  sixty-two  thousand  cubic  yards, 
and  the  probable  cost  per  yard  for  removal 
was  seventy  cents,  giving  an  aggregate  of 
$44,400.  I  am  not  able  to  give  an  estimate 
of  the  cost  of  the  earth  work  which  will  be  re- 
quired without  further  surveys.  It  is  safe 
to  say,  in  general  terms,  that  the  entire  im- 
provement can  be  made  at  a  cost  not  exceeding 
$100,000,  an  average  cost  of  four  dollars  per 
acre  for  the  marsh  land  recovered. 


258 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


The  nearness  of  this  vast  marsh  to  one  of 
the  largest  and  most  flourishing  cities  in  the 
state,  makes  its  reclamation  especially  import- 
ant. These  lands  are  now  practically  worth- 
less, but  when  recovered  will  have  a  value  at 
least  of  thirty  ($30)  dollars  per  acre,  or  an 
aggregate  value  of  $750,000. 

KNOX    COUNTY   SV^AMPS. 

The  extensive  area  south  of  Vincennes,  in 
KJaox  county,  known  as  Cypress  Swamp,  lies 
in  the  belt  of  territory  between  "Wabash  and 
White  rivers,  above  their  junction.  The  low 
lands  begin  near  the  city  of  Vincennes,  and, 
interspersed  with  sand  hills  or  ridges,  consti- 
tute a  series  of  swamps  embracing  not  less 
than  15,000  acres.  The  marshes  have  but  little 
elevation  above  the  river  at  ordinary  full 
stage,  and  during  heavy  floods  they  are  sub- 
merged to  the  depth  of  five  to  ten  feet.  The 
soil  is  very  rich  and  the  lands  will  be  valuable 
when  recovered. 

The  reclamation  of  this  section  will  require 
the  opening  of  suitable  ditches  for  drainage 
and  protection  from  overflows. 

A  small  stream  called  River  Dechee  runs 
through  a  part  of  the  marsh,  and  is  lost  in  the 
marsh  itself,  but  reappears,  and,  through  a 
fairly  defined  channel,  empties  into  the  Wa- 
bash. 

A  State  ditch  was  once  constructed  from 
the  Dechee  to  White  river,  and  by  the  en- 
largement of  this  incomplete  work  the  upper 
portion  of  the  marsh  may  be  drained.  The 
channel  of  the  Dechee  to  the  Wabash  will  fur- 
nish the  proper  line  for  the  improvement  of 
another  part  of  the  marsh. 

In  order  properly  to  protect  the  lands  from 
overflow,  it  will  be  necessary  to  construct 
levees  along  the  Wabash  from  the  point  where 
the  present  levee  near  the  city  ends,  to  the 
rapids,  and,  also  along  White  river  above  the 
junction  of  the  two  rivers.  Additional  sur- 
veys will  be  required  to  determine  the  cost  of 
these  improvements. 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  there  is 
another  extensive  marsh,  known  as  Montour's 
pond,  embracing  six  to  eight  thousand  acres 
which  is  not  subject  to  overflow  from  the 
river. 

The  levels  run  by  the  County  Surveyor 
show  a  fall  of  two  to  three  feet  per  mile,  from 
the  deepest  part  of  the  pond  to  White  river. 
This  section  can  be  readily  drained  to  White 
river,  and  when  recovered  it  will  be  equal  in 
value,  for  agricultural  pu^-poses,  to  any  part 
of  Knox  county. 


In  the  conclusion  of  this  report,  I  deem  it 
proper  to  acknowledge  the  invaluable  assist- 
ance I  have  received  from  yourself,  in  the 
facilities  furnished  for  the  work  and  in  the 
discussion  of  methods  for  its  prosecution. 

I  am  specially  indebted  to  the  State  Geolo- 
gist for  his  cordial  co-operation,  and  for  the 
information  and  assistance  which  he  has  given 
to  me. 

I  desire  to  express  my  thanks  to  the  rail- 
way companies  of  the  State  for  favors  re- 
ceived, and  to  the  many  citizens  of  the  State 
who  have  kindly  furnished  to  me  valuable  in- 
formation. 

The  popular  interest  everywhere  expressed 
in  the  success  of  this  undertaking,  shows  how 
strongly  the  ^people  will  sustain  efforts  tend- 
ing to  promote  the  real  prosperity  of  the 
State.     Respectfully  submitted, 

John  L.  Campbell, 

Chief  Engineer. 

Sec.  3. — Removal  of  the  Momence  Rock. 
— In  Division  VII  of  Professor  Campbell's 
report,  the  "Illinois  Division,"  he  says: 

"The  other  improvements  of  this  division 
will  be  similar  in  every  particular  to  those 
of  Division  VI,  until  the  rock  ledge  near 
Momence  is  reached.  This  obstruction  is  a 
limestone  ledge  which  extends  about  one  and 
a  half  miles  in  width,  and  its  removal  is  a 
necessity  for  the  proper  improvement  of  the 
river.  The  increased  velocity  of  the  straight- 
ened channel  above  will  carry  dowTi  large 
quantities  of  soil  and  sand,  for  which  a  free 
outlet  must  be  provided  by  opening  a  way 
through  the  rocky  ledge.""- 

The  removal  of  the  limestone  ledge,  which 
acted  as  a  dam  to  the  Kankakee  at  Momence, 
and  thus  obstructed  the  drainage  of  the  val- 
ley all  the  way  from  Momence  to  South  Bend, 
remained  a  problem  from  the  date  of  Pro- 
fessor Campbell's  report  until  the  convening 
of  the  legislature  of  1887.  The  writer  was  a 
member  of  that  legislature  and  considered  it 
a  duty  to  his  constituents  to  seek  some  means 
of  securing  an  outlet  to  the  Kankakee 
through  the  natural  rock  dam  at  Momence. 
During  that  session,  however,  political  con- 
troversies rendered  it  impossible  to  make  any 

a.     See  Chap.  1,  Subd.  6,  of  this  History. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


259 


headway  in  this  important  matter.  The  sub- 
ject was  then  pretty  thoroughly  discussed, 
however,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  session 
of  1889  a  mode  of  procedure  was  adopted 
which  finally  proved  effectual. 

Two  difficulties  presented  themselves, — the 
physical  obstacle  of  the  limestone  ledge, 
and  the  question  of  jurisdiction  over  the  ter- 
ritory occupied  by  the  rock.  The  Momence 
rock  is  within  the  state  of  Illinois,  a  few 
miles  below  the  Indiana  state  line,  and  it  was 
not  at  first  clear  to  the  members  of  the  legis- 
lature how  they  were  to  acquire  the  right  to 
go  into  another  state  to  make  an  improvement 
such  as  that  proposed.  This  difficulty  was 
happily  overcome  by  the  action  of  land  own- 
ers in  Kankakee  county,  Illinois,  who  pro- 
cured deeds  to  a  strip  of  land,  including  the 
river  bed,  from  the  Indiana  line  to  and  in- 
eluding  the  rock  at  Momence.  These  deeds 
were  drawn  to  convey  to  the  state  of  Indiana 
an  easement  in  the  lands  and  river  bed  for 
the  purposes  of  drainage.  There  were  forty 
such  deeds  delivered  to  the  auditor  of 
state.  A  legal  opinion  was  then  procured, 
to  the  effect  that  the  state  of  Indiana,  like 
any  other  land  owner,  having  a  right  of  ease- 
ment for  drainage  in  the  river  bed  from  the 
Indiana  line  to  and  including  the  limestone 
ledge,  might  enter  upon  those  lands  and  make 
the  necessary  improvement.  The  Illinois  au- 
thorities afterwards  contested  this  right,  and 
there  was  much  tedious  litigation  in  the  Illi- 
nois courts;  finally  ending,  however,  by  a 
decision  of  the  court  of  last  resort  that  the 
state  of  Indiana,  had  a  clear  right  to  make  the 
improvement. 

The  law  question  being  solved,  the  legis- 
lature, by  an  act  approved  March  7,  1889,^ 
passed  an  act  appropriating  forty  thousand 
dollars  for  the  removal  of  the  rock  at  Mo- 
mence, in  the  state  of  Illinois,  the  work  to 
be  done  under  direction  of  three  commis- 
sioners and  a  civil  engineer;  the  commis.sion- 
ers  to  be  appointed  by  the  governor  and  the 
engineer  to  be  selected  by  the  commissioners. 

a.     Acts,  1889,  p.  291. 


Before  the  passage  of  the  bill,  numerous 
conferences  were  held  in  relation  to  the  neces- 
sity of  this  drainage  by  Indiana  and  Illinois 
land  owners.  The  following  is  a  report  of  one 
such  conference  held  in  Chicago  on  January 
18,  1889: 

"A  number  of  gentlemen  interested  in  the 
drainage  of  the  overflowed  and  wet  lands  sit- 
uated in  the  Kankakee  valley  met  this  aft- 
ernoon in  the  club-room  of  the  Palmer  house. 
About  one  hundred  persons,  including  rep- 
resentatives from  all  the  counties  interested, 
were  present.  Clem  Studebaker  of  South 
Bend,  Ind.,  was  elected  chairman  and  J.  M. 
Youche  of  Crown  Point,  Ind.,  secretary. 

' '  The  following  resolutions  were  introduced 
.and  adopted: 

"  'Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this 
meeting  that  the  first  and  most  important 
step  to  enable  the  land  owners  to  drain  and 
reclaim  the  1,700  square  miles  of  swamp  and 
overflowed  lands  of  the  Kankakee  valley  in 
the  state  of  Indiana,  is  that  of  cutting  a  chan- 
nel of  sufficient  width  and  depth  through  the 
ledge  of  rock  which  extends  across  the  Kan- 
kakee river  at  Momence,  111.,  so  as  to  afford 
an  outlet  for  the  marshes,  and  to  accomplish 
this  we  request  an  appropriation  be  made  by 
the  state  of  Indiana  from  the  state  treasury 
of  such  a  sum  as  will  bring  about  these  im- 
proved eonditions. ' 

"On  motion,  a  committee  of  three  was  ap- 
pointed from  each  county  to  solicit  signatures 
to  a  petition  to  be  presented  to  the  Indiana 
state  legislature  requesting  these  improve- 
ments, as  follows: 

"Lake  county,  J.  W.  Brown,  J.  A.  Little, 
Oscar  Dinwiddle;  Porter  county,  W.  D. 
Howell,  Dr.  John  Blackston,  De  Forast  L. 
Skinner;  Newton  county,  John  Brady,  John 
Sink,  James  DeWolf;  Jasper  county,  Isaac 
D.  Dunn,  William  Danke,  George  Hoehn ;  La- 
porte  county,  J.  N.  Conboy,  Patrick  Hunch- 
eon,  George  Dennison;  St.  Joseph  county, 
Dixon  W.  Place,  Asa  Knott,  Clem  Stude- 
baker ;  Starke  county,  W.  H.  Coffin,  Dr.  Hen- 
derson, J.  H.  McLaughlin. 


260 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


"A  committee  of  three  was  then  appointed 
by  the  chair  to  present  these  petitions  to  the 
legislature  of  the  state  of  Indiana.  This 
whole  matter  was  presented  to  the  legislature 
two  years  ago,  but  nothing  was  done.  It  is 
claimed  that  a  large  ledge  of  rock  in  the  Kan- 
kakee river  at  Momence,  111.,  is  the  cause  of 
the  overflow  which  submerges  millions  of  fer- 
tile acres  in  the  Kankakee  valley  in  Indiana. 
When  this  obstruction  is  removed,  the  gentle- 
men interested  in  the  movement  claim  that 
this  large  tract  of  swamp  land  will  be  drained 
and  can  be  put  under  cultivation." 

The  following  is  the  legal  opinion  pro- 
nouncing in  favor  of  the  validity  of  the  law. 
It  was  from  one  of  the  ablest  firms  of  attor- 
neys then  in  the  state : 

"Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Feb.  22,  1887. 
"Hon.  T.  E.  Howard, 

"Chairman  Committee  on  Swamp  Lands, 
"Senate  Chamber, 

"Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

"Dear  Sir: — Pursuant  to  your  request  of 
yesterday,  we  have  examined  Senate  Bill  No. 
237  with  such  care  as  the  limited  time  has 
permitted. 

"Two  questions  may  possibly  be  raised  as 
to  the  constitutionality  of  this  bill,  namely: 

"1st.  Can  the  state  of  Indiana  acquire 
and  hold  real  estate  within  the  territorial 
limits  of  the  state  of  Illinois  t 

' '  We  have  been  unable  to  find,  either  in  the 
constitution  or  statutes  of  Indiana,  or  in  the 
decisions  of  the  supreme  court  of  Indiana, 
any  statement,  provision  or  ruling  prohibit- 
ing the  state  of  Indiana  from  acquiring  and 
owning  real  estate  within  the  territorial  limits 
of  another  state.  By  the  decisions  of 
courts  of  other  states,  and  of  the  supreme 
court  of  the  United  States,  it  seems  to  be  con- 
ceded that  the  United  States,  or  any  state, 
may  acquire  and  become  the  owner  of  real 
estate  within  the  territorial  limits  of  another 
state,  subject  in  all  respects  to  the  laws  of 
the  state  within  which  such  real  estate  is  situ- 
ated. 

"  'Rorer,  on  Inter-State  Law,'  states  the 
proposition  thus: 

"  '  The  ownership  of  lands  by  one  state  with- 
in the  territorial  limits  of  another  state  is  in 
no  wise  different  from  that  of  the  ownership 
of  an  individual  person.  The  title  and  estate  in 


such  case  is  acquired  and  held  subject  to  all 
the  incidents  of  ordinary  private  ownership, 
so  far  as  regards  the  mere  circumstance  of  a 
state  being  the  owner.' 

"  'Rorer  on  Inter-State  Law,'  p.  213. 
"The  doctrine,  as  thus  laid  down,  seems  to 
be  supported  by  several  well  considered  cases, 
among  which  the  leading  cases  seem  to  be : 
"Burbank  et  al.  v.  Fay  et  al.,  65  N.  Y. 

Reps.  62. 
"Biddle  Boggs  v.  Merced  M.  Co.,  14  Cal. 

375,  376. 
"Pollard's  Lessee  v.  Hogan   (dissenting 
opinion  of  Justice  Craton),  3  How. 
U.  S.  Reps.  232-233. 
"United  States  v.  Chicago,  7  How.  U.  S. 
Reps.  194. 
' '  We  find  no  case  in  our  state  reports  touch- 
ing this  question.     There  may  be  such   de- 
cisions but  if  they  are,  they  have  escaped  our 
notice.    If,  therefore,  the  laws  of  Illinois  per- 
mit, we  do  not  think  the  constitution  or  laws 
of  Indiana  prohibit  the  state  of  Indiana  from 
acquiring    and    holding   the    real    estate    de- 
scribed in  this  bill. 

"One  state  acquiring  real  estate  within  the 
territorial  limits  of  another  state  acquires  and 
holds  such  real  estate  subject  in  all  respects 
to  the  jurisdictional  and  municipal  regulations 
of  that  other  state.  In  other  words,  it  would 
be  useless  for  the  legislature  of  Indiana  to 
attempt  to  assert  its  jurisdictional  and  muni- 
cipal control  over  any  real  estate  within  the 
territorial  limits  of  the  state  of  Illinois.  It 
must  stand  in  Illinois  simply  as  any  other 
private  owner  of  real  estate,  and  must  be 
and  become  subject  in  all  respects  to  the  mu- 
nicipal regulations  and  jurisdictional  powers 
of  that  other  state. 

"2d.  Has  the  state  of  Indiana  the  right 
to  expend  moneys  derived  from  general  taxa- 
tion in  opening  that  part  of  the  channel  of 
the  Kankakee  river  within  the  territorial  lim- 
its of  Illinois,  as  contemplated  by  this  bill? 

"The  only  objection  to  such  use  of  said 
funds  derived  from  general  taxation  would  be 
that  it  might  be  urged  that  this  legislation 
would  fall  under  the  designation  of  'local' 
or  'special'  legislation,  and  be  prohibited  by 
Article  4,  Sections  22-23  of  our  State  Consti- 
tution, and  that  it  would  be  in  effect  applying 
funds  raised  by  general  taxation  to  the  exclu- 
sive benefit  of  the  owners  of  the  land  re- 
claimed by  the  contemplated  deepening  of  the 
channel  of  the  Kankakee  river.     But  we  do 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


261 


not  .  think    these     objections    could    prevail 
against  this  bill. 

"AVe  understand,  from  the  preamble  to  the 
bill,  that  some  portion  of  the  land  to  be  bene- 
fited by  opening  a  channel  through  the  Mo- 
mence  ledge  still  belongs  to,  and  is  the  prop- 
erty of  the  state  of  Indiana.  We  a&sume 
this  to  be  true  and  on  that  assumption  are  of 
the  opinion  that  the  objections  above  named 
are  untenable  for  three  reasons: 

'First. — The  contemplated  improvement 
would  be  an  improvement  by  the  state  of  In- 
diana upon  its  own  property,  held  by  it  in 
the  state  of  Illinois. 

' '  Second. — The  contemplated  improvement 
would  be  a  permanent  benefit  to  the  swamp 
lands  still  belonging  to  the  state  of  Indiana. 

' '  Third. — The  contemplated  improvement 
would  be  a  Avork  of  public  utility  and  a  mu- 
nicipal sanitary  regulation,  promotive  of 
health,  preventive  of  disease,  and  greatly  con- 
ducive to  the  general  welfare. 

"The  supreme  court  of  Indiana  has  repeat- 
edly held  that  when  the  public  health  and 
general  welfare  of  the  commonwealth  are 
involved,  such  objections  as  those  above 
named  are  invalid.  This  is  the  principle  un- 
derlying and  supporting  the  following  de- 
cisions of  our  state  supreme  court: 

"Tillman   v.   Kircher,   64  Ind.   104. 
"Deisner  v.  Simpson  et  a.l.,  72  Ind.  441. 
"Wisnmier  v.   The   State,   etc.,   97   Ind. 

162. 
"Anderson  v.  Baker,  98  Ind.  589. 

"We  have  paid  no  particular  attention  to 
the  second  and  third  sections  of  the  proposed 
act.  because  they  seem  to  be  merely  directions 
with  regard  to  the  work  to  be  done  in  open- 
ing the  channel  of  the  Kankakee  river,  if 
the  real  estate  in  Illinois  is  procured  and  con- 
veyed to  the  auditor  of  state  for  the  state  of 
Indiana,  as  provided  by  the  first  section  of 
the  act.  Yours  most  respectfully, 

"McDonald,  Butler  &  Mason." 

Some  of  the  very  interesting  correspon- 
dence in  relation  to  the  bill  is  here  given : 

"U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey, 
"Crawfordsville,  Ind.,  Jan.  21,   1889. 
"Hon.  T.  E.  Howard.  Senator,  etc. 

"Dear  Sir:  I  notice  with  special  pleasure 
the  introduction  by  you,  in  the  senate,  of  a 
bill  providing  for  the  removal  of  the  rock 
obstruction  in  the  Kankakee  at  Momence,  111. 

"This  is  one  of  the  most  important  meas- 
ures that  ean  come  before  the  legislature,  and 
I  earnestly  hope  that  it   will  meet  with  the 


favor  which  it  deserves. 

' '  I  can  only  reaffirm  the  statements  and  rec- 
ommendations made  to  Governor  Porter  of 
the  survey  made  by  me  in  1882. 

"The  increased  value  to  the  state  of  the 
millions  of  acres  in  the  Kankakee  region, 
would  in  a  few  years  repay  in  taxes  the 
amount  now  asked  in  aid  of  the  work. 

"The  sanitary  interests  involved  in  this 
vast  unreclaimed  marsh  are  sufficient  to  war- 
rant the  expenditure  proposed, — while  the 
good  name  of  the  state  demands  the  recovery 
of  this  dreary  waste,  now  so  unpleasantly 
prominent  from  the  numerous  national  high- 
ways which   cross  it. 

"The  removal  of  the  obstruction  at  Mo- 
mence is  the  proper  beginning  of  the  im- 
provement— ^and  this  is  certainly  a  very  rea- 
sonable part  of  the  general  cost  of  the  work 
for  the  state.  Permit  me  to  refer  your  com- 
mittee to  my  report  to  the  governor  in  1882, 
and  to  say  that  the  added  years  have  only 
increased  the  importance  of  the  statements 
then   made.       Very  respectfully  yours, 

"J.  L.  Campbell." 

"U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey, 

"Crawfordsville,  Ind.,  Feb.  15,  1889. 
"Hon  T.  E.  Howard. 

"Dear  Sir:  By  referring  to  page  24  of 
]ny  report  you  will  find  my  estimate  of  work 
on  the  iMomence  ledge  is  based  on  a  channel 
in  the  rock  forty  feet  wide  and  five  feet  deep, 
giving  approximately  60,000  cubic  yards, — 
and  estimated  to  cost,  above  the  probable 
value  of  the  stone  removed,  S1Y2  cents  per 
cubic  yard.  This  gives  $15,000  per  mile, 
as  stated  on  page  26. 

"It  may  not  be  safe  now  to  estimate  the 
cost  of  removal  a.t  less  than  50  cents  per 
cubic  yard,  which  would  make  the  channel 
I  proposed  cost  $30,000. 

"I  regard  the  dimensions  I  proposed  as 
sufficient  for  drainage  and  all  ordinary  flow 
of  the  river. 

"For  excessive  floods  and  ice  gorges  the 
present  bed  and  banks  will  afford  sufficient 
protection. 

"Plowever,  these  dimensions  can  be  in- 
creased as  far  as  the  limits  of  the  appropria- 
tion and  the  contracts  made  for  the  work 
will  allow — and  I  therefore  suggest  that  the 
dimensions  of  the  channel  be  left  to  the  com- 
mission— perhaps  stating  as  a  miminnim  the 
channel  I  recommended,  40x5  feet,  or  its 
equivalent.  Very  respectfully, 

"J.  L.  Campbell." 


262 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


"South  Bend,  Ind.,  Feb.  11,  1889. 
"Hon.  T.  E.  Howard,  Senate  Chamber,  In- 
dianapolis. 
"Dear  Senator:     Yours  of  the  9th  notify- 
ing me  that  a  joint  committee  of  the  senate 
and  house  will  give  parties  interested  in  the 
Kankakee  drainage  bill  a  hearing  on  the  even- 
ing of  Thursday,  the  14th  inst.,  is  at  hand. 
I  regret  that  I  cannot  be  there.     If  I  am 
well  enough  to  leave  home,  which  at  present 
seems  somewhat  doubtful,  I  must  go  to  New 
York  to-morrow  night  to  attend  an  important 
business    conference.      I   must   therefore   beg 
you  to  present  to  the  committee  my  compli-- 
ments  and  regrets.     Kindly  ask  them  further 
to  permit  me  to  hope  that  they  will  be  fa- 
vorably  imprassed   with  the   statements   and 
arguments  which  will  be  presented  to  them  by 
the  promoters  of  the  bill.   I  can  truly  say  that 
my  concern  for  its  success  is  mainly  inspired 
by  regard  for  the  general  welfare.     I\Iy  own 
property  adjacent  to  the  Kankakee  river  is 
near  its  head  waters,  and  the  fall  at  this  point, 
I    am    assured,    is    practically    sufficient    for 
drainage  purposes.     But  aside  from  the  pri- 
vate interests  which  might  be  subserved  by 
the  passage  of  this  bill,  there  are  certainly 
abundant  reasons  in  favor   of  the  measure 
that  are  of  a  general  character.     I  take  it 
that  there  will  be  no  question  that  the  im- 
provement is  one  highly  desirable  to  be  made, 
and  it  will  be  easily  shown  that  it  is  of  a 
nature  which  cannot  well  be  undertaken  by 
private  parties,  but  must  be  done,  if  at  all, 
through  state  aid.     Gentlemen  will  show  the 
committee  conclusively.  I  think,  that  the  suc- 
cessful drainage  of  the  Kankakee,  dependent 
upon  the  removal  of  the  obstruction  provided 
for   in   the  bill,   would   greatly  improve  the 
sanitary   condition   of  the   northern   part   of 
the  state.     These  low,  wet  lands  are  declared 
by  all  the  authorities  on  the  proper  condi- 
tions for  the  public  health  to  be  malariqus 
and   fever  breeding.     State   aid  ought  to  be 
cheerfully  afforded  on  this  account  if  for  no 
other  reason.    Yet,  I  contend  that  for  purely 
selfish  motives  the  state  may  well  undertake 
this  improvement.     The   drainage  would   re- 
claim and  make  valuable  large  bodies  of  land 
the  property  of  the  state,  that  are  now  prac- 
tically useless,  valueless.     It  would  also  add 
so  materially  to  the  value  of  other  lands  as  to 
greatly   increase   their   assessment   valuation, 
and  so  bring  rapid  returns  to  the  coffers  of 
the  state.     But  again,  as  a  matter  of  state 
pride,  I  feel  that  the  legislature  should  vote 


aid  for  the  purpose  of  this  bill.  The  princi- 
pal trunk  lines  between  Chicago  and  the  east 
traverse  this  marshy  section  of  our  state,  and 
the  observations  of  travelers  give  credit  to 
the  belief  A^ddely  entertained  that  Indiana 
is  a  good  state  for  emigrants  to  avoid. 
Other  reasons  of  weight  will  no  doubt  be  pre- 
sented to  the  committee,  favorable  to  this 
measure,  and  these  which  I  have  hastily 
touched  upon  will,  I  trust,  be  more  cogently 
and  forcibly  set  forth.  Hoping  that  the  com- 
mittee will  give  due  weight  to  what  shall  be 
said  in  favor  of  the  proposed  legislation,  I 
am.  Very  respectfullv  vours. 

"Clem'Studebaker." 

Immediately  after  the  passage  of  the  bill 
the  South  Bend  Times  published  the  follow- 
ing congratulatory  editorial : 

' '  Considering  the  fact  that  so  many  people 
find  it  irksome  to  investigate,  inquire  and 
think,  it  is  perhaps  not  at  all  strange  that 
a  matter  of  such  transcendent  importance  as 
the  reclamation  of  the  vast  Kankakee  region 
should  have  received  comparatively  little  con- 
sideration and  awakened  relatively  little  in- 
terest, even  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

' '  It  is  remarkable,  however,  that  during  the 
entire  session  of  the  general  a&sembly  nearly 
everybody  at  the  state  capital  seemed  to  be 
bitterly  opposed  to  Senator  Howard's  bill 
for  the  removal  of  the  obstructions  in  the 
Kankakee  river  at  ]\Iomence.  The  press  of 
Indianapolis  was  freely  utilized  to  awaken 
prejudice  against  that  measure.  But  still 
more  remarkable  is  the  sudden  change 
wrought  in  public  sentiment  by  the  final  pas- 
sage of  the  bill.  All  at  once  the  immense 
advantages  likely  to  accrue  to  the  state  are 
being  recognized  and  favorably  discussed.  It 
is  freeh^  said  that  it  is  the  most  far-reaching 
and  important  piece  of  legislation  that  has 
ever  passed  the  general  assembly  in  the  in- 
terest of  northern  Indiana.  Roseate  predic- 
tions are  made  as  to  the  future  of  the  Kan- 
kakee region,  which  it  is  now  said  will  be- 
come the  garden  spot  of  the  state. 

"The  blasting  out  of  the  rock  at  ^Tomence 
is  declared  to  be  but  the  beginning.  "We 
are  told  that  the  owners  of  the  swamp  lands 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


263 


of  the  Kankakee  valley  will  immediately, 
after  that  outlet  is  nmde,  clean  out  and 
straighten  the  old  river,  putting  enough 
money  into  the  work,  if  necessary,  to  equal 
the  present  value  of  the  lands.  Such  an  in- 
vestment is  morally  certain  to  bring  ten-fold 
returns.  We  shall  take  frequent  occasion  to 
speak  of  this  matter  as  developments  are  made 
in  the  near  future. 

"Senator  Howard  is  entitled  to  unstinted 
praise  for  his  perseverance  and  tact  in  push- 
ing this  measure  in  the  face  of  all  the  oppo- 
sition arrayed  against  it.  And  too  much 
cannot  be  said  in  recognition  of  the  zeal  with 
which  Representative  Edward  A.  Metzger, 
aided  by  his  colleague,  Mr.  William  H.  StuU, 
urged  favorable  action  by  the  house.  Mr. 
Metzger  had  charge  of  the  bill  in  the  house, 
and  started  out  with  the  determination  to 
secure  enough  votes  for  its  passage,  'or  know 
the  reason  w^hy. '  In  this  he  succeeded  be- 
yond hope  or  reasonable  expectation.  The 
vote  on  the  final  passage  in  the  house  stooJ 
58  in  favor  to  only  25  against.  This  remark- 
able achievement  again  proves  that  where 
there  is  a  will  there  is  usually  a  way,  and 
that  a  good  and  just  cause  can  be  made  to 
prevail  when  the  right  man  takes  hold  and 
determines  to  win." 

The  following,  from  an  Indianapolis  pa- 
per, of  date  August  1,  1890,  gives  some  of  the 
.subsequent  history  of  the  work  up  to  the 
time  of  letting  the  contract  for  the  removal 
of  the  rock : 

"The  Momence  rock  has  been  a  sort  of 
nightmare  to  every  man  who  has  attempted 
to  make  a  home  in  the  Kankakee  region.  As 
a  breeder  of  malaria,  mosquitoes  and  melan- 
cholia the  Momence  rock  has  had  no  rivals. 
It  has  caused  half  a  million  acres  of  land 
within  two  hours  of  a  city  of  over  a  million 
people  to  remain  a  'slough  of  despond'  in- 
stead of  the  garden  spot  of  Indiana.  It  has 
been  a  'hell-gate'  upon  which  politicians  of 
the  region  wrecked  their  aspirations.  'Send, 
me  to  the  legislature  and  I'll  remove  the 
rock,'   is  the   platform   upon   which   many   a 


politician  elevated  himself  to  the  legislature. 
However,  the  rock  was  too  much  for  him,  and 
he  immediately  returned  to  private  life.  In 
1882  an  aspirant  for  congressional  honors 
said:  'If  you  want  the  rock  removed,  send 
2ne  to  congress, '  and  the  candidate  was  elected 
by  a  majority  of  2,000. 

"The  so-called  Momence  rock  is  a  ledge  oP 
limestone  through  which  the  Kankakee  river 
cuts  a  shallow  channel  for  a  mile  and  a  half 
near  the  town  of  Momence,  111.,  eight  or  ten 
miles  west  of  the  state  line.  Through  this 
ledge  of  rock  the  channel  must  be  lowered 
from  five  to  seven  and  a  half  feet  to  give  the 
Kankakee  the  necessary  fall  from  the  state 
line.  But  this  is  not  the  only  obstacle.  Near 
IMomence  the  river  forms  an  island.  For 
years  a  dam  was  maintained  on  each  side  of 
the  island  for  water  power.  These  two  dams 
caused  the  water  to  back  up  to  Indiana.  The 
Illinois  courts  always  protected  the  dam  own- 
ers whenever  the  land  owners  of  Indiana  at- 
tempted to  remove  the  dams.  The  Cass  es- 
tate, representing  40,000  acres  of  overflowed 
land  in  Lake  county,  seeing  no  other  way  to 
reclaim  it,  purchased  the  dams,  the  island 
and  the  adjacent  lands,  with  the  object  of 
removing  them  whenever  the  state  should  take 
hold  of  the  'rock.' 

"Meanwhile,  the  Chicago  &  Western  In- 
diana railroad  company  built  across  the 
island.  From  the  Cass  estate  the  railroad 
company  bought  the  east  part  of  the  island, 
which  was  converted  into  a  picnic  grounds, 
the  Cass  estate  reserving  the  control  of  the 
dams,  the  ice  privileges  and  riparian  rights. 
The  boating  is  excellent  up  the  river  for  ten 
miles.  During  the  picnic  season  the  railroad 
runs  excursions  to  Momence  i-sland  nearly 
every  day  from  Chicago,  Terre  Haute,  Vin- 
cennes  and  other  points.  With  the  boats  rented 
at  10  cents  an  hour  and  fare  the  company 
derives  an  annual  revenue  of  $30,000.  Every 
winter  an  enormous  quantity  of  ice  is  cut 
here  and  shipped  to  Chicago  over  this  road, 
adding  many  thousand  dollars  to  the  income 
in  the  way  of  freight.     To  drain  the  Kanka- 


264 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


kee  marsh  the  dam  of  the  main  channel  must 
be  removed  and  rock  blasted  seven  feet  from 
one  mile  above  the  picnic  grounds  to  five 
feet  one-half  mile  below  it.  This  will  wipe 
out  the  picnic,  boating  and  ice  transportation, 
and  the  beautiful  island  will  return  to  its 
ante-railroad  condition,  but  the  state  of  In- 
diana will  gain  $8,000,000  in  natural  wealth. 
In  order  to  avoid  a  constitutional  obstacle, 
Mr.  Shelby  secured  from  the  owners  of  the 
adjacent  lands  deeds  to  the  channel  of  the 
river  from  the  state  line  to  the  lower  point 
of  proposed  improvement.  These  convey- 
ances were  made  to  the  state  of  Indiana.  At 
this  stage  Senator  Howard  took  hold  of  the 
matter  and  the  result  was  that  when  the 
legislature  adjourned  the  state  had  accepted 
the  channel  of  the  Kankakee,  in  the  .state  of 
Illinois,  and  $40,000  was  appropriated  to  re- 
move the  rock.  This  work  was  intrusted  to 
three  commissioners  appointed  by  the  gov- 
ernor, 

"Prof.  John  L.  Campbell  of  Wabash  col- 
lege, Isaac  D.  Dunn  of  Jasper  county  and  J. 
B.  Kimball  of  Noble  were  selected.  Prof. 
Campbell's  appointment  was  an  excellent  one, 
he  being  a  practical  engineer,  besides  having 
made  an  exhaustive  survey  of  the  whole  re- 
gion in  1882.  William  M.  Whitten  of  South 
Bend  was  appointed  engineer,  and,  with  Prof. 
Campbell,  made  the  survey  and  prepared 
specifieations.  This  report  was  adopted  May 
17,  1889.  The  next  step  was  to  advertise  for 
bids  to  remove  the  rock;  but  Commissioner 
Dunn,  who  had  been  appointed  a  committee 
on  right  of  way,  reported  that  the  railroad 
company  claimed,  under  the  Illinois  law,  the 
riparian  right  to  the  middle  of  the  stream 
on  both  sides  of  the  river,  thereby  giving  it 
a  strip  100  feet  wide  across  the  river.  Con- 
ceding the  claim,  the  board  requested  the 
auditor  and  attorney  general  to  secure  from 
the  railroad  company  trust  deeds  to  the  right 
of  way  for  thase  100  feet. 

"Mr.  Dunn  was  also  appointed  to  nego- 
tiate with  the  company  for  the  privilege  of 
cutting  through   the   one-hundred-foot   strip. 


But,  having  conceded  this  much  to  the  com- 
pany, the  railroad  officials  now  claimed  that, 
having  paid  taxes  on  the  estate  for  seven 
years,  they  also  owned  to  the  middle  of  the 
stream,  which  also  gave  them  an  interest  to 
the  dam  and  water  privileges,  and  on  June 
28,  1890,  the  attorney  of  the  road  notified 
the  commissioners  that  an  attempt  to  dig  un- 
der their  bridge  or  remove  the  dam  would 
be  met  with  an  injunction.  Then  followed  a 
correspondence  between  the  commissioners 
and  the  railroad  officials  until  December, 
when  the  board  decided  that  nothing  more 
could  be  done,  and  they  adjourned  to  await 
the  action  of  the  next  legislature. 

"But  public  opinion  in  the  Kankakee 
country  would  not  brook  this  delay;  and,  in 
order  to  satisfy  Mr.  Shelby  and  Senator  How- 
ard, who  represented  the  dissatisfied  citizens, 
a  meeting  was  held  yesterday.  Messrs.  How- 
ard and  Shelby  and  ex-Senator  Youche  of 
Lake  presented  the  matter  before  the  board 
in  such  a  way  that  the  commissioners  re- 
ceded from  their  position,  and  consented  to 
advertise  for  bids.  They  had  delayed  this 
very  action  because  the  railroad  company 
threatened  an  injunction  suit,  and  had  taken 
for  granted  that  the  railroad  acquired  pri- 
ority of  ownership  to  the  channel,  whereas 
Mr.  Shelby  proved  to  their  satisfaction  that 
the  railroad  acquired  no  right  by  paying 
taxes  for  seven  years,  for  the  good  reason  that 
the  company  paid  taxes  on  the  island  last 
year  for  the  first  time.  The  company  claimed 
that  the  Cass  estate,  in  selling  the  island, 
did  not  reserve  the  riparian  rights,  when  the 
fact  is  that  riparian  right  is  still  vested  in 
the  Cass  estate.  Besides,  Senator  Howard 
yesterday  showed  that  the  commissioners  had 
no  right  to  suspend  work  upon  a  threat;  that 
it  was  their  duty  to  advertise  and  let  the  con- 
tract, that  no  injunction  can  be  brought  by 
the  company  till  the  contractors  reach  the 
railroad  bridge,  and  Mr.  Shelby  satisfied  them 
that  when  the  bridge  was  reached  nine-tenths 
of  the  work  would  be  completed,  and  as  for 
the  dam.  he  had  ordered  it  torn  down.     The 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


265 


railroad  company  had  stopped  the  destruction, 
but  he  had  brought  an  action  in  the  United 
States  court  to  restrain  the  company  from 
interfering  with  his  dam.  He  promised  to 
take  care  of  all  litigation.  Therefore  the 
board  decided  to  authorize  the  state  auditor 
to  advertise  for  bids  in  the  Sentinel  and 
Journal  for  the  state  of  Indiana  and  the  Chi- 
cago Herald  and  Tribune  for  Illinois.  Bids 
will  be  received  in  four  sections  or  for  the 
whole  work. 

"It  was  not  through  any  wrong  motive 
that  the  board  delayed  its  work,  but  it 
feared  to  get  into  litigation  and  exceed  its 
authority.  If  the  railroad  company  had  not 
.interfered  with  the  work  the  'Momence  rock' 
would  perhaps  before  this  time  be  no  more. 

"Out  of  the  $40,000  there  remains  $37,- 
428.27,  the  balance  having  been  spent  in  sur- 
vey, traveling  expenses  and  clerk  hire. 

"Senator  Howard  has  no  interest  in  the 
improvement  save  that  of  a  representative 
of  his  constituents.  Mr.  Youche  represented 
the  Lake  county  swamp  angels  and  Mr. 
Shelby,  who  is  vice-president  of  the  G.  R.  & 
I.  railroad,  represents  20,000  acres  in  Lake. 
To  him  the  state  of  Indiana  owes  the  right 
of  way  of  the  channel  and  the  destruction  of 
the  dams.  It  is  safe  to  predict  the  work  will 
be  pushed  from  now  on." 

A  little  later  the  contract  was  let;  and 
the  Chicago  Tribune,  in  an  editorial,  showed 
that  even  thus  early  the  opposition  first  mani- 
fested by  the  Illinois  authorities  had  disap- 
peared, and  the  people  of  the  metropolis  of 
the  west  became  aware  that  the  removal  of 
the  limestone  ledge  in  the  Kankakee,  and  the 
drainage  of  the  great  valley,  instead  of  being 
an  injury  would  be  of  great  benefit  to  the 
city  of  Chicago. 

The  article  from  the  Tribune  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

"The  contract  has  been  let  for  the  removal 
of  the  rock  ledge  in  the  Kankakee  river  at 
Momence,  and  it  is  probable  that  within  a 
year  a  million  acres  of  fertile  land,  now 
spoiled  with  swamp  water,  will  be  open  to  the 


sun  and  ready  for  the  plow-share.  While  the 
stretch  of  naturally  fertile  land  which  is  to 
be  redeemed  lies  mostly  within  the  limits  of 
Indiana  it  is  tributary  to  Chicago.  The 
crops  and  garden  truck  raised  there  will  come 
here,  or  to  those  Chicago  outposts,  such  as 
"Hammond,  which  this  city  has  planted  on 
Indiana  soil. 

"Some  persons  have  claimed  that  the  re- 
moval of  this  limestone  uplift  in  the  Kanka- 
kee would  increase  the  spring  floods  in  the 
Illinois  and  do  damage,  which  the  Chicago 
drainage  trustees  would  be  called  on  by  the 
farmers  to  make  good.  It  has  been  alleged 
also  that  immense  quantities  of  silt  would 
be  carried  down  stream,  be  deposited  in  the 
Illinois  river,  and  add  to  the  difficulties  of 
its  navigation.  But  on  consideration  there 
seems  no  good  reason  to  expect  any  of  these 
misfortunes.  All  that  the  small  rock  cut 
will  do  practically  will  be  to  drain  oif  the 
swamp  water.  It  will  be  doing  but  on  a  far 
smaller  scale  what  hundreds  of  miles  of  tile- 
drains  and  drainage  canals  are  doing  now  in 
Illinois.  It  may  add  at  the  most  an  inch 
to  the  height  of  the  flood  waters  of  the  Illi- 
nois river  in  spring.  After  the  river  has 
fallen  and  is  within  its  banks  the  increased 
flow  will  be  a  good  thing  for  navigation  down 
to  the  Mississippi. 

"As  the  'cut'  will  be  a  rock  one  and  can- 
not be  enlarged  by  the  flowing  waters,  there 
need  be  no  more  fears  of  silt  than  there 
will  be  from  the  waters  of  the  Desplaines 
flowing  through  the  deep  rock  cut  which  this 
city  intends  making  southward  from  the  Sag. 
There  will  be  no  marked  addition  to  the 
quantity  of  sedimentary  matter  already  car- 
ried down  the  Kankakee.  If  the  cut  were 
through  alluvium  it  might  be  otherwise,  but 
it  is  through  rock  and  will  remain  stationary 
in  size. 

"Thus  the  carrying  out  of  this  great  drain- 
age scheme  will  be  a  positive  benefit  to  Chi- 
ca)go  and  be  attended  with  no  drawbacks.  It 
will  enlarge  its  tributary  territory  and  will 
not  interfere  with  its  drainage  plans." 


266 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Mr.  William  M.  Whitteu,  for  many  years 
the  very  competent  surveyor  of  St.  Joseph 
county  and  city  engineer  of  South  Bend,  was 
the  civil  engineer  in  charge  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  of  the  work  at  Momence. 
Two  of  the  commissioners  first  appointed, 
however,  resigned  from  the  trying  task. 
These  were  Professor  Campbell  and  Mr. 
Dunn.  The  important  work,  however,  had 
been  accomplished.  Franklin  Landers,  of 
Indianapolis,  and  John  Brown,  of  Crown 
Point,  Lake  county,  were  appointed  in  their 
place;  and  these  officials,  with  Mr.  Kimball, 
originally  appointed,  carried  the  work  to  a 
successful  conclusion.  By  an  act  approved 
March  6,  1891,  the  legislature  gave  greater 
freedom  of  action  to  the  commissioners  and 
engineer;  while,  by  another  act,  approved 
March  4,  1893,  an  additional  appropriation 
of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  was  made  to 
complete   the   work.*^ 

The  outlet  at  Momence  thus  secured,  the 
drainage  of  the  Kankakee  under  the  general 
laws  of  the  state  was  taken  up  and  actively 
prosecuted,  year  after  year,  by  the  land  own- 
ers in  all  the  counties  of  the  valley.  The 
suggestion  made  by  the  French  traveler 
Charlevoix,  in  his  letter  written,  in  1721, 
from  his  camping  place  on  Portage  prairie, 
that  the  Kankakee  river  could  with  little  trou- 
ble be  cut  into  a  straight  canal,^  has  been 
accomplished.  The  Kankakee  has  been  cut 
into  a  straight,  deep  channel,  effectually 
draining  the  valley  from  the  source  of  the 
stream,  at  South  Bend,  through  the  counties 
of  St.  Joseph,  Laporte  and  Starke;  and  the 
people  are  preparing  to  extend  this  magnifi- 
cent drainage  system  through  the  remaining 
counties  of  Indiana  and  Illinois,  down  to 
the  opening  made  through  the  rock  at  Mo- 
mence. Land  values,  which  before  the  cut- 
ting of  the  limestone  ledge  were  so  low  as 
in  many  cases  not  to  be  equal  to  the  small 
assessment  for  taxes,  have  steadily  risen,  un- 
til the  drained  and  cultivated  farms  of  the 

a.     Acts,  1891,  p.  198;   Acts,  1893,  p.  328. 

a.     For  Charlevoix'  letter,  see  Chap.  2,  Subd.  5. 


valley  are  worth  from  fifty  to  seventy-five 
dollars  an  acre.  The  Kankakee  valley  is 
indeed  rapidly  becoming  the  "garden  of  Chi- 
cago," which  it  was  at  first  called  in  de- 
rision ;  and  it  will  at  no  distant  time  be 
the  richest  farming  section  in  the  state  of 
Indiana. 

Sec.  4. — General  Drainage. — The  general 
laws  under  which  the  drainage  of  the  Kan- 
kakee valley  was  undertaken  and  successfully 
prosecuted,  after  the  removal  of  the  rocky 
ledge  at  Momence,  were  enacted  in  1881 ;  that 
for  proceedings  in  the  circuit  court,  by  an 
act  approved  April  8,  1881 ;  and  that  for 
proceedings  before  the  county  commissioners, 
by  an  act  approved  April  21,  1881.*  This  . 
legislation  which,  with  its  several  amend- 
ments made  at  almost  every  subsequent  ses- 
sion of  the  legislature,  has  been  productive 
of  the  utmost  good  to  the  state  of  Indiana. 
Our  low  lands  have  become  dry  and  fertile, 
and  malaria  has  been  banished  from  our 
homes.  The  good  name  of  the  Hoosier  state 
has,  as  a  consequence,  been  established 
throughout  the  nation.  To  be  a  resident  of 
Indiana  has  come  to  be  associated  with  cul- 
ture, refinement  and  happy  homes.  Our 
lands  are  the  most  fertile  in  the  country; 
our  highways  are  the  dryest  and  most  sub- 
stantial; and  the  health  of  our  people  is 
the  most  satisfactory.  To  no  cause  are  we 
more  indebted  for  these  blessings  than  to  our 
drainage  laws.  These  laws  were  reported  to 
the  legislature  by  the  codification  commis- 
sion of  1881,  and  are  said  to  have  been  drawn 
by  the  eminent  jurist  James  S.  Frazer,  a 
member  of  the  commission.  By  successive 
amendments  and  modifications  of  the  original 
acts,  we  have  come  to  have  the  simplest,  most 
equitable  and  most  satisfactory  drainage 
laws.  By  the  application  of  these  laws  every 
acre  of  farm  lands  in  St.  Joseph  county  and 
every  mile  of  highway  has  been  rendered 
dry  and  clean,  and  is  far  on  the  way  to  per- 
fection.     The    application    of    the    drainage 

a.     Acts,  1881,  pp.  397-422. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


267 


laws  has  done  much  for  all  Indiana,  for  no 
part  more  than  for  St.  Joseph  county. 


VII. 


FARMERS      SOCIETIES    AND    FAIRS. 


Sec.  1.  —  Agricultural  Societies.  —  As 
early  as  January  22,  1829,  the  legislature  of 
Indiana  passed  an  act  for  the  incorporation 
of  agricultural  societies.*  Afterwards,  by 
an  act  approved  February  7,  1835,  provision 
was  made  for  elections  in  counties  and  town- 
ships for  the  formation  of  such  societies. 
Provisions  were  likewise  made  in  said  act  for 
the  creation  of  a  state  board  of  agriculture.'' 
Still  another  act,  approved  February  19, 
1838,  was  passed  for  a  more  simple  method 
of  organizing  agricultural  societies.*^  By  the 
revised  statutes  of  1843,  a  codification  of 
the  best  provisions  of  the  three  acts  of  1829, 
1835  and  1838,  was  effected.'^ 

The  first  attempt  in  this  county  to  form  an 
agricultural  society  was  made  under  the  act 
of  1835.  On  the  first  day  of  the  May  term 
of  that  year,  being  May  4,  1835,  the  board 
of  county  commissioners  entered  the  follow- 
ing order: 

"Ordered  by  the  board  that  public  notice 
be  given  that  the  citizens  of  the  county  of 
St.  Joseph  assemble  at  South  Bend,  on  the 
last  Saturday  in  the  present  month,  to  or- 
ganize a  county  agricultural  society,  agree- 
able to  the  statute  in  such  case  made  and 
provided. ' ' 

On  the  application  of  five  freeholders  of 
German  township  for  the  formation  of  a 
local  society,  as  also  provided  for  in  the  act 
of  1835,  the  board,  on  the  same  day,  entere<l 
the  following  order: 

"It  is  ordered  that  public  notice  be  given 
for  the  citizens  of  German  township  to  as- 
semble at  the  school  house  in  district  No.  2, 
congressional  township  No.  38,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  organizing  a  township  agricultural 
society,  on  the  first  Saturday  in  June,  pur- 

a.  R.  S.,  1831,  p.  67. 

b.  Acts,  1834,  p.  87;  R.  S.,  1838,  p.  63. 

c.  R.   S.,  1838,  p.  61. 

d.  R.  S.,  1843,  p.  405. 


suant  to  the  act  of  the  general  assembly  of 
1835." 

It  does  not  appear  that  any  township  but 
German,  the  banner  agricultural  township 
of  the  county,  made  application  for  the 
formation  of  a  society.  Nor  indeed  was  Ger- 
man itself,  or  even  the  county,  ready  to 
maintain  an  agricultural  society.  A  township 
society  was,  however,  established  in  Penn,  in 
the  next  year,  1836.  But  the  time  was  not 
yet  ripe  for  the  formation  of  agricultural 
societies. 

Under  the  simpler  provisions  of  the  act  of 
1838,  a  successful  meeting  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  an  agricultural  society  was  finally 
held  in  South  Bend,  June  12,  1841.«  The 
incorporators  were  among  the  most  promi- 
nent of  the  early  citizens  of  the  county.  Their 
names  were  as  follows :  George  Sumption, 
David  Hoover,  Israel  De  Camp,  Charles 
Sumption,  Matthew  B.  Hammond,  William  S. 
Vail,  Aaron  M.  Parker,  Sr.,  John  J.  Deming, 
Evan  Chalfant,  Sanniel  Brooks,  James 
Stuckey,  Charles  W.  Pomeroy,  Francis  R. 
Tutt,  Thomas  P.  Bulla,  Tyra  W.  Bray,  Hiram 
Doolittle,  William  Milliken,  Samuel  Witter, 
Thomas  D.  Baird,  Charles  M.  Tutt,  William 
II.  Patteson,  E.  S.  Sheffield,  Joel  Garst,  Al- 
bert Monson,  William  Cosgrove,  Samuel  C. 
Sample,  Elisha  Egbert  and  John  Gilmore. 

This  first  agricultural  society  organized 
with  the  following  officers:  President,  John 
J.  Deming;  vice-president,  Thomas  D.  Baird; 
secretary,  Tyra  W.  Bray;  treasurer,  Francis 
R.  Tutt;  directors,  Thomas  P.  Bulla,  George 
Sumption,  Hiram  Doolittle,  M.  B.  Hannnond, 
Jonathan  A.  Listen,  Samuel  Brooks  and  Israel 
De  Camp. 

The  first  and  only  fair  conducted  by  this 
original  organization  was  held  on  October  11, 
1841.  The  premium  list  named  twenty-three 
articles  for  which  prizes  were  offered. 
Among  them  were :  Best  ten  yards  of  jeans ; 
best  ten  yards  of  flannel;  best  ten  yards  of 
linen;  best  sample  of  sewing  silk;  best 
cheese,  not  less  than  ten  pounds;    best  beet 

a.     Chapman's  Hist.  St.  Joseph  County,  p.  561. 


268 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


sugar,  not  less  than  ten  pounds;  best  half 
acre  of  ruta-bagas;  best  five  acres  of  tame 
grass;  best  cultivated  fa.rm,  not  less  than 
thirty  acres. 

No  further  action  seems  to  have  been  taken 
by  the  society  until  April  19,  1851,  when  a 
re-organization  was  effected,  with  the  follow- 
ing officers:  President,  Powers  Greene;  vice 
presidents,  Reuben  Dunn  and  Oilman  Towle; 
secretaries,  Schuyler  Colfax  and  George  C. 
Merrifield;  treasurer,  William  Miller.  A 
constitution  and  by-laws  reported  by  Mr. 
Colfax  were  adopted.  The  meeting  then  ad- 
journed until  ]\Iay  17th,  when  Mr.  Merri- 
field delivered  an  address  upon  the  advan- 
tages of  agricultural  and  horticultural  so- 
cieties. The  membership  was  then  reported 
to  be  one  hundred  and  thirty-two.  Mr.  J. 
L.  Jernegan  was  elected  a  delegate  to  attend 
the  meeting  of  the  state  board  of  agriculture. 
Numerous  other  meetings  were  held  during 
the  summer  and  fall,  at  which  valuable  pa- 
pers were  read,  followed  by  discussions  of 
great  interest.  A  verv^  successful  county  fair 
was  held  in  the  court  house  yard  on  October 
16,  1851. 

The  interest  aroused  in  the  pursuit  of  agri- 
culture, horticulture  and  floriculture  contin- 
ued unabated  for  many  years.  In  the  fall 
of  1852  the  fair  was  held  at  IMishawaka,  the 
people  of  the  town  paying  all  the  expenses. 
An  excellent  address  was  made  at  this  meet- 
ing by  the  Hon.  John  B.  Niles,  of  Laporte, 

For  the  fair  of  1853,  two  acres  of  ground 
on  Washington  street,  in  South  Bend,  three 
squares  west  of  the  court  house,  were  leased. 
This  property  was  afterwards  purchased  by 
the  society;  which  continued  with  varying 
success  to  hold  its  meetings  and  annual  fairs 
on  this  ground  until  1857. 

On  March  15,  1858,  the  society  was  again 
re-organized,  this  time  under  provisions  of 
an  act  of  the  general  assembly  for  the  en- 
couragement of  agriculture,  approved  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1852.«*  At  this  meeting  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  chosen :    President,  John 

a.     1  R.  S.,  1852,  p.  98;  1  Gavin  and  Hord,  p.  60. 


Druliuger;  vice-president.  William  F.  Bulla; 
treasurer,  William  Miller;  secretary,  Milton 
W.  Stokes;  directors,  Elmer  Rose,  George  C. 
Merrifield,  Jacob  Snyder,  John  Kingery, 
Jacob  Rush,  Jeremiah  White,  John  Smith, 
P.  S.  Stambaugh,  E.  M.  Irvin,  Thomas  R. 
Tutt,  John  F.  Ulery  and  John  ]\Ioore. 

On  this  re-organization,  the  location  of  the 
fair  grounds  was  again  changed.  The  two- 
acre  tract  on  West  Washington  street  was 
sold;  and,  in  its  place,  the  company,  on 
April  13,  1858,  purchased  about  seven  acres 
and  a  half  on  Portage  avenue,  taken  off  the 
south  side  of  lot  one  hundred  and  twelve,  of 
the  state  bank's  first  addition  of  outlots  to 
South  Bend. 

The  first  fair  on  the  new  grounds  was  held 
on  September  28,  29  and  30,  1858.  The  so- 
ciety now  entered  upon  a  period  of  prosper- 
ity which  continued  for  ten  or  twelve  years, 
after  which  a  state  of  indifference  again  in- 
tervened. The  last  annual  fair  was  held  Sep- 
tember 16,  17,  18,  19  and  20,  1872.  Even 
before  that  time,  that  is,  on  December  16, 
1871,  the  gTOunds  had  been  platted  and  of- 
fered for  sale  as  the  St.  Joseph  County  Agri- 
cultural Society's  Addition  to  the  City  of 
South  Bend.  During  the  war  these  fair 
grounds  were  occupied  as  a  military  camp 
for  quartering  and  organizing  troops. 

Some  zealous  spirits  still  continued  to  keep 
up  an  agricultural  society.  In  1873  an  ex- 
hibition was  held  in  connection  with  the 
northern  Indiana  fair ;  and  efforts  were  made 
to  continue  annual  exhibitions  on  grounds 
west  of  South  Bend,  on  Division  street,  being 
lots  five,  six  and  seven  of  Harper  &  Ruck- 
man  's  survey.  These  lots  were  ten  acres  each, 
and  the  grounds  were  ample.  The  exhibits 
shown  on  those  lots  were  interesting  and  of 
value  to  the  people  of  the  county;  but  the 
enterprise  was  not  successful  financially. 

By  an  act  of  the  legislature,  in  force  March 
18,  1873,®  boards  of  county  commissioners 
were  authorized,  on  petition  of  the  majority 
of  the  voters  of  any  county,  to  invest  not  to 

a.     Acts,  1873,  p.  118. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


269 


exceed  five  thousand  dollars  in  the  purchase 
of  real  estate  to  be  used  for  the  purposes  o£ 
agi'icultural  and  horticultural  fairs.  On 
April  20,  1881,  at  a  special  meeting  of  the 
board  of  county  commissioners  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  a  petition  such  as  required  by  the 
statute  was  filed  with  the  board;  and  there- 
upon an  order  was  entered  for  the  purchase 
of  forty  acres  of  land  on  the  north  side  of 
the  St.  Joseph  river,  between  South  Bend  an;l 
Mishawaka,  being  the  southeast  quarter  of 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  seven,  town- 
ship thirty-seven  north,  range  three  east,  to 
be  used  for  agricultural  fairs. 

On  February  3.  1881,  the  Northern  Indiana 
Agricultural  Society  was  formed  with  the  de- 
sign to  hold  fairs  on  grounds  to  be  purchased 
by  the  county,  under  the  provisions  of  the  act 
of  1873.  It  was  a  stock  company,  each  share 
five  dollars  and  the  number  of  shares  with- 
out limit;  the  purpose  was  to  promote  the 
interests  of  agriculture  in  northern  Indiana. 

The  incorporators  were  among  the  strong 
men  of  the  county,  representing  every  town- 
ship, and  were  as  follows:  William  Miller, 
Portage;  Robert  M.  Savidg,  Clay;  Edward 
A.  ]\Ietzger,  Harris;  Ashbury  Lindley,  War- 
ren; Irwin  Skinner,  Portage;  Dr.  J.  R. 
Brown.  Greene;  William  0.  Jackson,  Ger- 
man; Peter  N.  Huff,  Portage;  William  H. 
Stull  Center;  J.  H.  Eberhart,  Penn;  Wil- 
liam D.  Rockhill,  Portage;  Elias  Rupel,  Cen- 
ter; Thomas  B.  Chalfant,  Clay;  Alexander 
H.  Price,  Liberty;  Samuel  Bowman,  Center; 
Basil  Rupel,  Center ;  •  Aaron  Jones,  Penn ; 
Charles  G.  Towle,  Penn;  Christian  Holler, 
Warren;  C.  L.  Stiles,  Penn;  Nathaniel 
Frame,  Portage;  George  W.  Shade,  Center; 
Henry  Studebaker,  Penn;  George  W.  Locke, 
German;  D.  F.  Miller,  German;  Henry 
Barth,  Portage;  John  R.  Shank,  Penn;  Seth 
Hammond,  Greene;  Asa  Knott,  Greene; 
William  C.  Jackson,  German;  John  C.  Ulery, 
Greene;  James  R.  Miller,  German;  Charles 
Frank,  Madison;  Chauncey  N.  Fassett,  Port- 
age; D.  B.  Jewell,  Madison;  W.  W.  Butter- 
worth,   Penn;   Edward   A.   Jernegan,   Penn; 


J.  M.  Wommer,  Penn;  Joseph  Miller,  Penn; 
Studebaker,  Portage;  John  M.  Studebaker, 
John  Jackson,  Center;' Isaac  N.  Miller,  Olive; 
F.  R.  Eberhart,  Penn;  A.  Eberhart,  Penn.; 
Christian  M.  Wenger,  Portage;  Clement 
Portage;  Peter  E.  Studebaker,  Portage; 
Jacob  F.  Studebaker,  Portage. 

The  Northern  Indiana  Agricultural  So- 
ciety, with  its  splendid  list  of  incorporators, 
its  free  grounds  and  the  fresh  enthusiasm  in- 
fused into  agricultural  interests  in  this  and 
the  neighboring  counties,  continued  to  flour- 
ish and  to  furnish  exhibitions  of  a  very  high 
order  for  many  years.  It  was  not  until  the 
World's  Fair  at  Chicago,  in  1892  and  1893, 
with  its  extraordinary  exhibits  from  every 
part  of  the  earth,  that  the  people  began  to 
show  a  want  of  interest  in  the  simpler  and 
more  homelike  display  of  our  local  fair. 
Nevertheless  it  is  good  to  remember  how 
much  pleasure  and  profit  all  our  people  re- 
ceived from  those  fine  exhibitions  on  the 
county  •  grounds  between  South  Bend  and 
Mishawaka.  The  time  will  yet  come  when 
the  memories  of  those  days  will  inspire  the 
people  to  renew,  at  least  for  a  time,  those 
annual  farmers'  reunions. 

The  fortunes  of  the  society  having  declined, 
by  reason .  of  the  indifference  of  the  people 
and  the  consequent  falling  off  of  the  attend- 
ance at  the  fairs,  a  new  society  was  formed, 
March  31,  1899,  to  take  over  the  property, 
and,  if  possible,  to  revive  interest.  The  old 
name,  the  "St.  Joseph  County  Agricultural 
Society,"  was  restored;  and  the  incorpora- 
tors were:  Charles  G.  Towle,  William  D. 
Rockhill,  Abram  W.  Byers,  Ashbury  Lindley, 
Daniel  W.  Beall,  William  0.  Jaclvson,  John 
B.  Witwer,  W.  C.  Jaclvson,  Thomas  H.  Jack- 
son, Adam  W.  Shidler,  Edward  A.  Metzger 
and  Samuel  Bowman. 

The  end  had  come,  however,  and  on  June 
4,  1903,  the  St.  Joseph  County  Agricultural 
Society  made  a  formal  surrender  of  the 
county  grounds,  which  were  accepted  by  the 
board  of  commissioners.  With  this  surren- 
der  the   history   of   agricultural   societies   in 


270                                       HISTORY   OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY. 

St.  Joseph  county  came  to  a  close.     On  April  west,    which    did   much    damage   in   the   city 

3,  1906,  the  grounds  were  placed  in  the  cus-  of   South  Bend,   unroofing  the   court  house, 

tody  of  the  city  of  South  Bend,  to  be  used  blowing  down  one  bent  of  the  old  Water  street 

as  a  public  park,  as  related  in  chapter  ninth  bridge,  and  overturning  and  injuring  many 

of  this  work.**     The  name  Pottawatomie  was  buildings.      Except  the   floods   of   1847    and 

given  to  the  park  by  the  city.  1855  and  the  tornado  of  1865,  there  is  no 

It    has    been    matter    of    regret    that    the  record  of  any  excessively  violent  action  of 

county    fairs   should    be    discontinued;    and  the  elements  within  the  limits  of  the  county 

there  are  already  indications  that  renewed  ef-  until  the  great  hailstorm  of  1886. 

forts  will  be  made  at  no  distant  day  to  have  About  fifteen  minutes  after  two  o'clock  on 

those  profitable  and  enjoyable  annual  exhibi-  the  afternoon  of  Wednesday,  September  22, 

tions   again   provided  for  the  people   of  the  1886,  this  hailstorm,  coming  from  a  point  a 

county.    If  county  fairs  are  again  instituted,  little    east    of    north,    broke   over   the   north 

as  they  ought  to  be,  care  should  be  taken  to  central  part  of  St.  Joseph  county.     In  less 

have  them  strictly  agricultural  and  horticul-  than  five  minutes,  the  ground  was  white  with 

tural.     Mechanical  and  other  exhibits  should  hailstones  from  the  size  of  a  walnut  to  that 

be  encouraged  only  in  so  far  as  they  concern  of  a  hen's  egg,  and  even  larger.    Some  picked 

the  cultivation  of  the  land  and  the  improve-  up  ofl"  the  streets  in  South  Bend  measured 

ment  of  live  stock,  crops  and  other  products  eleven    inches    in    circumference.      Window 

of  the  soil.    In  the  past  the  tendency  ran  too  glass   was   broken   in    about   every  house   in 

greatly  to  mere  exhibitions,  as  such,  and  the  South  Bend.     On  the  county  fair  grounds, 

farmer  and  gardener  naturally  lost  interest,  horses   were  struck,   and  ran,   with  buggies, 

The  fair  became  a  city  show  rather  than  a  w^agons    and    carriages,    in    every    direction, 

farmer's  exhibition.   Even  horse  racing  should  The   people,   crowded   all  over  the   grounds, 

be  only  sparingly  admitted.     The  continued  were  wild  with  fright;    but,  happily,  no  one 

success    of    our    horticultural    society    shows  was  seriously  injured.     In  the  region  of  the 

where  our  county  fairs  failed.    Let  the  fair  storm,  the  chief  loss  suffered  was  the  destruc- 

be  an  exhibition  of  the  products  of  the  farm  tion  of  window  glass.    It  is  doubtful  whether 

and  the  garden,  including  of  course  so  much  a  single  window  on  the  north  side  of  any 

machinery,   vehicles    and   implements   as   re-  building  was  left   without  broken   panes  of 

late  to  these  products.    If  the  farmer  or  the  glass.     The  Oliver  Chilled  Plow  works  and 

gardener  wishes  to  go  to  other  shows  he  can  the  Studebaker  works,  each,  suffered  a  loss 

do  so;   but  let  the  fair  be  his  own  show,  the  of  from  ten  to  twelve  thousand  lights.     The 

annual  reunion  where  he  and  his  friends  may  loss   of  the   churches   was  very  great,   espe- 

come  together.  cially    in    the    destruction    of   stained    glass. 

Sec.  2. — Hailstorm,  Flood  and  Tornado.  The  Reformed  church.  First  M.  E.  church, 

— The  county  fair  held  in  1886  was  marked  First  Presbyterian  church  and  St.  Joseph's 

by  one  of  the   few  disastrous  natural  phe-  Catholic  church  lost  the  stained  glass  on  the 

nomena  that  have  visited  this  county.     The  north  sides  of  the  buildings.     The  damage  to 

older  inhabitants  tell  us  of  destructive  floods  g^a&s  at  Notre  Dame  was  estimated  at  a  thou- 

that  occurred  on  the  St.  Joseph  river,  one  on  sand  dollars.     A  peculiar  accident  was  the 

January  15,  1847,  and  one  on  June  17,  1855.  knocking  of  the  hour  hand  off  the  face  of 

We  have  also  seen,  in  chapter  seventh  of  this  the  city  clock. 

history,^   that   this    locality   was   visited,    on  The  storm  originated  just  north  of  Niles, 

August  9,  1865,  by  a  tornado  from  the  south-  was  three  miles  in  width  and  extended  for 

a.  Chap.  9,  Subd.  3,  Sec.  4.  about  seven  miles  south  of  the  city  of  South 

b.  Chap.  7,  Subd.  2,  Sec.  2.  Bend.     The  largest  stones  fell  over  the  ter- 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COTTNTY. 


271 


ritory  from  Notre  Dame  and  St.  Mary's  to 
points  just  south  of  South  Bend.  The  form 
of  the  stones  that  fell  in  the  city  and  on 
the  fair  grounds  was  spherical ;  further  south 
the  stones  were  jagged.  At  either  side  of 
the  line  of  hail  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of 
rain.  The  duration  of  the  storm,  in  any  one 
place,  was  about  seven  minutes. 

Comparing  the  hailstorm  of  1886  with 
the  tornado  of  1865,  it  is  noticeable  that 
they  proceeded  from  nearly  opposite  direc- 
tions,— the  tornado  up  the  Kankakee  valley, 
from  the  southwest;  and  the  hailstorm  from 
a  little  east  of  north. 

Sec.  3.— HoRTicuLTUR^VL  Society. — On  No- 
vember 9,  1892,  the  St.  Joseph  County  Hor- 
ticultural Society  was  formed,  on  petition  to 
the  State  Horticultural  Society,  and  by  action 
of  that  body,  as  provided  by  statute.  The 
membership  is  without  limit,  new  mem- 
bers being  admitted  at  any  regular  meeting 
on  the  vote  of  a  majority  of  the  society. 
Honorary  members  are  also  provided  for. 
The  meetings  of  this  society  are  to  a  great  ex- 
tent of  a  social  character  and  have  been  of 
exceeding  interest  to  the  members.  A  feature 
of  the  membership  is  that  the  wives  of  mem- 
bers are  admitted,  without  payment  of  dues, 
to  the  full  privileges  of  the  society.  Much 
good  has  accrued  to  the  fruit  interests  of  the 
county,  by  reason  of  the  discussions  and  de- 
liberations, as  well  as  by  the  exhibitions,  of 
this  very  successful  society. 

Sec.  4. — Farmers'  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany.— On  August  25,  1877,  the  Farmers' 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company,  of  St.  Jo- 
seph county,  was  organized.  The  principle 
on  which  the  society  proposed  to  act  was  that 
all  losses  should  be  paid  by  a  pro  rata  as- 
sessment on  all  the  members.  The  plan  has 
proved  successful,  and  the  farmers  of  the 
county  have  secured  insurance  for  their  prop- 
erty at  actual  cost.  The  membership  has  al- 
ways included  the  best  farmers  of  the  county. 
The  original  incorporators  of  the  company 
were : 


Samuel  Bowman,  Aaron  Jones,  William  D. 
Roekhill,  George  H.  Stover  (Center  town- 
ship), Adam  M.  Shidler,  Basil  Rupel,  Elias 
Rupel,  Asa  Knott,  Christian  Holler,  Louis 
De  Coudres,  Neely  Frame,  Thomas  B.  Chal- 
fant,  William  0.  Jackson,  Edwin  M.  Irvin 
and  James  R.  Miller. 

Sec.  5. — The  Grange,  Farmers'  Insti- 
tutes, ETC. — A  society  that  has  been  of  the 
greatest  good  to  St.  Joseph  county  farmers, 
by  reason  of  its  perfect  organization  and  the 
close  friendship  which  it  secures  among  its 
members,  is  the  Grange.  St.  Joseph  Valley 
Grange,  No.  584,  has  been  most  successful 
from  the  beginning,  and  its  members  have 
been  among  the  most  influential  in  the  order. 
In  the  person  of  Aaron  Jones,  the  local  organ- 
ization has  frequently  furnished  the  master 
for  the  Indiana  State  Grange;  and  for  sev- 
eral years  Mr.  Jones  was  the  most  ef- 
ficient master  of  the  ^National  Grange.  In- 
deed, it  was  chiefly  through  him  that  the 
farmers  of  the  United  States  have  become  a 
living  force  in  shaping  the  internal  policy 
of  the  nation.  The  present  of^cers  of  the 
St.  Joseph  Valley  Grange  are :  IMaster, 
John  Layton;  secretary,  Mrs.  William 
Golden;  treasurer,  Carrie  E.  Webster.  The 
officers  of  Pomona  Grange,  No.  31,  are :  Mas- 
ter, L.  P.  Robertson;  secretary,  Maud  Gray; 
treasurer,  Mrs.  Samuel  Bowman. 

For  many  years  the  citizens  of  St.  Joseph 
county  have  enjoyed  the  pleasures  and  ad- 
vantages of  yearly  Farmers'  Institutes,  in 
M'hich  a  full  week  is  taken  up  in  valuable  in- 
struction and  discussion,  during  the  fall  or 
winter  season.  These  institutes  have  been 
schools,  in  which  study  and  recreation  have 
been  combined  in  an  eminent  degree.  Dis- 
tinguished lecturers  from  Purdue  University 
and  other  seats  of  learning  are  always  pro- 
vided. The  institutes  at  which  Governor  and 
Mrs.  James  A.  Mount  were  present  are  treas- 
ured in  the  memory  of  all  the  people  of  the 
county. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  TOWNSHIPS. 


In  chapter  fifth,  subdivision  second,  we  Range  two  west  is  now  within  Laporte 
have  seen  that  St.  Joseph  county  proper,  county,'  as  is  also  the  west  half  of  range  one 
as  originally  formed,  was  thirty  miles  square ;  west.  A  part  of  the  east  half  of  range  one 
and  that,  in  addition,  there  was  attached  to  west  is  all  of  Deschemin  township  that  still 
the  county  for  governmental  purposes  all  the  remains  in  St.  Joseph  county.  The  name  of 
unorganized  territory  west  to  the  Illinois  line,  the  township  was,  no  doubt,  a  corruption  of 
including  the  present  counties  of  Laporte,  the  French  Du  Chemin,  by  which  name  Hud- 
Porter  and  Lake,  as  well  as  parts  of  Mar-  son  lake  was  formerly  known.  This  lake  was 
shall    and    Starke.  Afterwards    all    unorgan-  in  the  heart  of  the  township.     As  we  have 


ized  territory  to  the  south  was  added  for 
jurisdictional  purposes.  The  area  of  the 
county  proper  included  ranges  one  and  two 
west,  and  one,  two  and  three  east,  and  ex- 
tended thirty  miles  south  of  the  Michigan 
line. 

I.      THE    FIRST    DIVISION    OF    THE    COUNTY-  INTO 
TOWNSHIPS. 

On  November  25,  1830,  the  county  board, 
then  styled  the,  board  of  justices,  divided  the 
whole  county,  including  the  attached  terri- 
tory,  into  four  townships,   as  follows: 

Sec.  1. — Michigan  Township. — The  at- 
tached territory  on  the  west,  that  is,  all 
west  of  the  line  dividing  ranges  two  and 
three  west,  and  extending  to  the  Illinois  state 
line,  was  called  Michigan  township.  This 
township  included  the  territory  now  em- 
braced within  the  western  part  of  Laporte 
county  and  all  of  Porter  and  Lake  counties. 

It  was  called  Michigan  township  from  the  east  was  called  Portage  township.  The  east 
circumstance  that  it  was  bounded  on  the  boundary  of  the  county  at  that  time  was 
north  by  Lake  Michigan.  the  east  line  of  range  three,  so  that  Portage 

Sec.  2.— Deschemin  Township.— The  first  township  was  a  range  and  a  half  in  width, 
township  east  of  Michigan  embraced  ranges  the  same  as  German.  It  included  the  eastern 
one  and  two  Avest,  and  was  called  Deschemin. 

272 


seen,  the  name  first  given  to  Hudson  lake — 
Du  Chemin — Of  the  Road,  was  no  doubt  taken 
froan  the  great  east  and  west  road,  long  known 
as  the  "Great  Sauk  Trail,"  and  afterwards 
as  the  Detroit  and  Chicago,  or  simply  the  Chi- 
cago road."' 

Sec.  3. — German  Tow^nship. — East  of  Des- 
chemin was  German  township,  eml^racing 
range  one  east  and  also  the  west  half  of 
range  two  east,  and  extending  consequently 
nine  miles  east  of  the  second  principal  me- 
ridian. The  township  therefore  included  the 
eastern  part  of  the  present  township  of  Olive, 
all  of  Warren,  the  western  part  of  German 
and  Portage,  the  greater  part  of  Greene  and 
Liberty,  the  west  part  of  Union  and  the  east 
part  of  Lincoln.  It  is  said  to  have  been 
named  from  some  German  settlers  then  re- 
siding within  its  boundaries. 

Sec.  4. — Portage  Tow^nship. — All  of  the 
county  east  of  the  middle  line  of  range  two 


a. 


See  Chap.  2,  Subd.  5;   also  Chap.  5,  Subd.  4. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


273 


parts  of  the  present  townships  of  German, 
Portage  and  Union,  all  of  Clay  and  Center 
and  the  western  parts  of  Harris,  Penn  and 
Madison.  The  township  was  named  from  the 
old  portage  extending  through  the  township 
from  the  St.  Joseph  to  the  Kankakee. 

II.      SECOND    DIVISION    INTO    TOWNSHIPS. 

On  September  7,  1831,  being  the  first  meet- 
ing of  our  first  board  of  county  commission- 
ers, the  board  repealed  and  set  aside  the  order 
of  the  board  of  justices,  made  November  25, 
1830,  and  ordered  that  the  county  be  divided 
into  three  townships,  as  follows : 

Sec.  1. — Portage  Township. — The  order 
of  the  county  commissioners  was  that  Port- 
age township  should  embrace  ranges  two  and 
three  east.  The  township  included  the  pres- 
ent townships  of  German,  Clay,  Portage, 
Center  and  Union ;  the  east  parts  of  Greene 
and  Liberty;  and  the  west  parts  of  Harris, 
Penn  and  Madison, — being  about  one-half  the 
area  of  the  present  county.  It  included,  be- 
sides, a  part  of  IMarshall  county. 

Sec.  2. — Center  Township. — Ranges  one 
east  and  one  west  were  by  the  same  order 
formed  into  the  township  of  Center.  This 
township  embraced  all  of  the  present  county 
of  St.  Joseph  west  of  the  east  line  of  War- 
ren township,  and  nearly  all  of  the  east  tier 
of  townships  of  the  present  county  of  La- 
porte,  besides  parts  of  Marshall  and  Starke 
counties. 

Sec.  3. — Highland  Township. — All  the 
territory  west  of  range  number  one  west  was 
formed  into  a  township  which  was  called 
Highland.  No  part  of  this  township  was 
within  the  present  limits  of  St.  Joseph  county. 
The  township,  no  doubt,  received  its  name 
from  the  high  lands  of  rolling  prairie. 

Sec.  4. — Commissioners'  Districts. — In 
the  same  order  the  county  board  provided 
that  Portage  township  should  form  the  first 
county  commissioners'  district;  Center  town- 
ship, the  second  district ;  and  Highland  town- 
ship, the  third  district. 

IS 


HI.     third  division  into  townships. 

On  January  9,  1832,  the  county  of  La- 
porte  was  organized,  taking  from  St.  Joseph 
county  all  territory  west  of  the  middle  line 
of  range  number  one  west.  On  the  31st  of 
the  same  month  the  legislature  detached  from 
Elkhart  oounty  and  added  to  St.  Joseph 
county  the  west  half  of  range  number  four 
east.«  It  therefore  became  necessary  for  the 
county  board  of  St.  Joseph  county  to  make 
a  third  division  of  the  county  into  townships. 
Accordingly,  on  May  6,  1832,  it  was  ordered 
that  the  county  be  divided  into  three  new 
tow^nships,  as  follows: 

Sec.  1. — Penn  Township. — All  that  pare 
of  St.  Joseph  county  lying  east  of  the  line 
dividing  ranges  two  and  three  east  was 
formed  into  a  to\\Tiship  called  Penn.  The 
township  so  formed  embraced  all  the  terri- 
tory now  included  in  the  townships  of  Har- 
ris, Penn  and  Madison,  and  also  the  east 
parts  of  Clay,  Portage,  Center  and  Union. 

Sec.  2. — Portage  Township. — By  the  same 
order  range  two  east  was  formed  into  a  town- 
ship which  was  called  Portage.  This  town- 
ship included  the  territory  embraced  within 
the  present  township  of  German,  besides 
parts  of  Clay,  Portage,  Greene,  Center,  Lib- 
erty and  Union. 

Sec.  3. — Olive  Township. — All  of  the 
county  lying  west  of  range  two  east  was  con- 
stituted a  township  called  Olive.  This  town- 
ship included  the  territory  embraced  in  the 
present  townships  of  Warren,  Olive  and  Lin- 
coln, and  parts  of  Greene  and  Liberty.  The 
township  was  named  after  Olive  Stanton  Vail, 
wife  of  Charles  Vail,  who  settled  in  the 
township  in  1830. 

Sec.  4. — Commissioners'  Districts. — The 
board  in  the  same  order  re-arranged  the 
county  commissioners'  districts,  as  follows: 
The  first  district  embraced  all  of  the  county 
east  of  range  two  east ;  the  second  district, 
all  of  the  county  within  range  two  east;  and 
the  third,  all  of  the  county  west  of  range  two 
east.  The  first  district,  consequently,  em- 
a.     See  Chap.  5,  Subd.  9,  of  this  History. 


274 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


braced  all  the  territory  of  Penn  township; 
the  second,  all  of  Portage;  and  the  third, 
all  of  Olive.  These  townships  have  been  very 
much  changed  since  that  time ;  but  the  county 
commissioners'  districts  have  remained  un- 
changed since  the  order  so  made  by  the 
county  board,  January  9,  1832. 

IV.      TV^O    LOST    TOWNSHIPS. 

Besides  the  townships  of  Michigan,  Desche- 
min  and  Highland,  which  were  lost  to  St. 
Joseph  county  on  the  west,  we  also  lost  two 
others;  one  on  the  south  and  one  on  the 
northeast. 

Sec.  1. — Plymouth. — On  September  1, 
1834,  the  county  board  ordered  that  all  the 
territory  of  the  county  lying  south  of  the 
north  line  of  congressional  township  thirty- 
five  north,  should  form  a  new  township  to  be 
called  Plymouth.  The  township  so  formed 
included  the  south  parts  of  the  present  town- 
ships of  Madison,  Union  and  Liberty,  and 
all  of  Lincoln.  It  also  included  so  much 
of  the  present  counties  of  Marshall  and 
Starke  as  then  formed  a  part  of  St.  Joseph 
county. 

In  the  order  setting  off  the  township  the 
board  provided  for  an  election  for  the  choice 
of  two  justices  of  the  peace  for  said  town- 
ship, to  be  held  on  the  27th  of  September, 
1834.  On  October  13th  of  the  same  year  the 
election  so  held  Avas  contested  before  the 
board;  when  the  contest  was  sustained  and 
a  new"  election  ordered.  Both  elections  were 
held  "at  Grove  Pomeroy's,  in  said  town  of 
Plymouth,  in  St.  Joseph  county."  Mr. 
Pomeroy  was  himself  appointed  inspector  of 
election  until  the  ensuing  April  election.  At 
the  May  term,  1835,  of  the  county  board, 
Samuel  D.  Tabor  was  "allowed  the  sum  of 
one  dollar  and  a  half  for  making  a  return 
of  the  election  of  Plymouth  township. ' ' 

The  town  of  Plymouth,  now  the  county  seat 
of  Marshall  county,  was  situated  in  and  gave 
its  name  to  the  toA^mship  of  Plymouth.  We 
have  already  seen  that  the  plat  of  this  town 
was  filed  and  recorded  in  the  office  of  the  re- 


corder of  St.  Joseph  county,  in  October, 
1834."  The  commissioners'  records  show  that 
on  December  7,  1835,  there  was  recorded 
therein  the  description  and  plat  of  the  "sur- 
vey of  the  state  road  from  Goshen  in  Elk- 
hart county,  to  Pljonouth,  in  St.  Joseph 
county. ' ' 

By  an  act  of  the  legislature  approved 
February  7,  1835,  the  north  boundary  of 
]\Iarshall  county  was  defined  to  be  the  north 
line  of  congressional  township  thirty-four, 
leaving  all  of  township  thirty-five  in  St.  Jo- 
seph county.  This  congressional  township, 
as  we  have  seen,  was  included  in  the  civil 
township  of  Plymouth.  The  act  of  February 
7,  1835,  does  not  seem  to  have  been  intended 
as  completing  the  organization  of  Marshall 
county ;  but  by  an  act  passed  at  the  next  ses- 
sion of  the  legislature,  February  4,  1836,  the 
county  was  finally  organized,  and  the  north 
boundary  of  the  county  was  extended  to  the 
middle  line  of  congressional  township  thirty- 
five,  thus  leaving  in  St.  Joseph  county  only 
so  much  of  Plymouth  township  as  M^as  in- 
cluded in  the  north  half  of  congressional 
township  thirty-five.^  The  conseciuence  was 
that  Plymouth,  as  a  township  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  ceased  to  exist,  the  territory  still  re- 
maining being  attached  to  the  adjacent  town- 
ships of  the  county,  as  their  boundaries  were 
defined  by  successive  orders  of  the  board  of 
county    commissioners. 

Sec.  2. — Washington. — But  few  of  the 
people  of  St.  Joseph  county  are  aware  that 
Washington  was  the  name  of  a  township  once 
provided  for  by  order  of  our  county  board. 
This  township  was  located  in  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  county,  and  embraced  all  of 
fractional  congressional  township  thirty- 
eight  that  lies  east  of  the  west  line  of  sec- 
tions eight,  seventeen,  twenty,  twenty-nine 
and  thirty-two,  township  thirty-eight  north, 
range  three  east.  It  included  the  territory 
of  the  present  township  of  Harris,  the  north 
part  of  Penn  and  the  east  part  of  Clay. 

fl..     See  Chap.  5,  Subd.   4. 
See  Chap.  5,   Subd.  9. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.                                      275 

The  order  for  the  fonnatiou  af  the  town-  ent  township  of  German,  the  west  part  of 
ship  was  made  May  4,  1835 ;  and  in  the  same  Clay  and  the  east  part  of  Warren, 
order  it  w^as  provided  that  all  elections  in  By  an  order  of  the  county  hoard  for  the 
the  township  should  be  held  at  the  house  of  formation  of  Warren  township,  Novemlber  5, 
Jonathan  Hartsell.  It  does  not  appear,  how-  1838,  the  tier  of  sections  on  the  west  of 
ever,  that  any  election  took  place  in  Wash-  German  was  attached  to  Warren;  and  by  a 
ington  township;  and  the  order  for  the  like  order  for  the  formation  of  Clay  town- 
formation  of  the  township  was  itself  ex-  ship.  May  5,  1840,  that  part  of  German  east 
punged  from  the  record  of  the  board,  for  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  was  attached  to  Clay, 
the  reason,  no  doubt,  that  the  action  taken  These  changes,  left  German  township  of  the 
was  not  favored  by  a  majority  of  the  people  dimensions  which  it  still  retains;  namely,  all 
affected.  During  the  next  year,  as  we  shall  of  congressional  fractional  township  thirty- 
see,  a  smaller  township,  that  of  Harris,  was  eight  north,  range  two  east,  which  lies  west 
formed  out  of  a  part  of  the  same  territory,  of  the  St.  Joseph  river.  The  first  German 
omitting  the  south  tier  of  sections  proposed  township,  that  formed  by  order  of  the  board 
for  Washington  township.  of  .justices,  November  25,  1830,  was  a  much 

more  extensive  territory,  embracing  range  one 

v.      THE    PRESENT    TOWNSHIPS.  ^^^^    ^^^|    ^^^    ^^^^^    j^^'jf    ^f    ^^^^^    ^^^    ^^^^^ 

Considering  only  the  territory  now  within  Doubtless  the  name  of  the  new  and  smaller 

the  limits  of  St.  Joseph  county,  the  original  township  was  given  with  a  wish  to  retain  the 

townships,  as  formed  by  order  of  the  county  favored  name  given  to  the  first  township. 

board,  May  6,  1832,  were  Penn,  Portage  and  German  township  is  by  nature  one  of  the 

Olive.     Portage  then  embraced  the  territory  most  favored  townships  in  the  county;    and 

covered  by  range  two  east;  Penn,  all  east  of  the  locality  is  undoubtedly  the  most  famous 

that  range;    and  Olive,  all  west  of  it.  in  our  early  history.    Portage  Prairie  covers 

The  three  county  commissioners'  districts  the  greater  part  of  the  township;    and  this 

coincided   with    the   same    descriptions ;    and,  prairie  constitutes  one  of  the  finest  farming 

while  the  townships  have  changed  very  much  districts  in  the  world.  The  township  is  purely 

since  that  time,  the  eommissioners '  districts  an  agricultural  one;    and  is  said  to  be  the 

have,   as   already  said,   remained  unchanged,  wealthiest  township  per  capita  in  Indiana, 

to  this  day.  Historically  the  township  is  most  interest- 

Our  thirteen  civil  townships,  as  now  con-  ing.      The   famous   portage   between   the   St. 

stituted,  have  resulted  from  the  subdivisions  Joseph  and  the   Kankakee   crosses   this   and 

made  in  the  three  original  townships  of  Penn,  Portage  township.    Over  this  portage  the  com- 

Portage  and  Olive,  as  ordered  from  time  to  merce  between  the  lakes  and  the  Mississippi 

time  by  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  passed  for  ages.     Over  this  went  INIarquette, 

Sec.  1. — German. — On  January  6,  1834,  the  La    Salle    and    Charlevoix.     Here,   near   the 

township  of  German  was  formed,  embracing  spot    yet    known    as    Mount    Pleasant,    was 

all  of  congressional  fractional  township  thirty-  once    the    great    Miami    village,    where,    in 

eight   north,   range   two   east,   together   with  1681    La    Salle    made    his   eelebrated   treaty 

one  tier  of  sections  on  the  west,  taken  out  of  with  the  Miami  tribe.    Here,  at  the  junction 

range    one    east.      This    township,    therefore,  of   the    portage   with   the    St.   Joseph   river, 

the  first  to  be  carved  out  of  the  original  three  was  once  the   ambitious  county  seat  of  St. 

townships,  was  taken  almost  wholly  out  of  Joseph     county,     called     also     St.     Joseph. 

Portage  township,   only  the  western  tier  of  A     little     further     up     on     the     river    was 

sections  coming  out  of  Olive.     The  territory  the   little   and,   for   a  time,   more  important 

of  the  towmship  is  now  included  in  the  pres-  town   of   Portage,   where  there  was  a  ferry 


276 


HISTORY  OF  ST.  JOSEPH  COUNTY. 


across  the  river,  and  where  the  over  san- 
guine projectors  felt  sure  that  a  great  town 
must  grow  np.  But  the  Miami  village, 
Mount  Pleasant,  St.  Joseph  and  Portage  have 
all  passed,  leaving  not  a  vestige  of  their 
former  urban  life.  Riverview  cemetery  al- 
most reaches  the  site  of  La  Salle's  landing, 
and  extends  out,  as  if  in  sympathy  with  the 
dead  towns  of  St.  Joseph  and  Portage.  A 
little  lower  down  the  stream,  is  the  new  and 
beautiful  county  asylum,  for  the  poor  and 
helpless,  lately  erected  in  close  proximity  to 
thase  historic  scenes  and  surroundings. 

That  the  old  portage  is  in  German  town- 
ship, that  the  first  county  seat  was  there  and 
that  its  prairies  are  among  the  finest  farm 
lands  in  the  world,  is  quite  enough  to  enable 
us  to  understand  why  this  should  be  the  first 
township  to  be  carved  out  of  the  original 
three.  From  the  nature  of  things,  such  a 
locality  must  have  attracted  settlers  in  the 
very  beginning.  William  Brookfield,  our 
first  surveyor,  and  the  man  who  laid  out  our 
first  and  our  second  county  seat,  came  in 
1827.  In  chapter  fourth,  subdivision  fourth, 
we  have  already  given  the  names  of  some  of 
the  other  settlers  of  this  township,  from  1827 
to  1833. 

The  first  church  erected  was  a  brick  build- 
ing still  standing  on  section  eighteen,  town- 
ship thirty-eight  range  two  east.  It  is  Ger- 
man Baptist,  and  was  erected  in  1851.  But 
church  services  were  held  at  a  much  earlier 
date.  The  first  pastor  was  Elder  David  Mil- 
ler, who  organized  a  congregation  in  1831. 
Aaron  Miller  was  also  a  minister  of  the 
church. 

John  Martindale,  a  minister  of  the  Chris- 
tian church,  and  Robert  Martindale.  his 
brother,  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church, 
were  also  religious  teachers  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  the  county,  preaching  and  holding 
services  in  school-housas  and  private  homes. 

A  Methodist  church,  erected  in  1854,  passed 
to  the  Baptist  church,  and  is  still  occupied 
by  that  church.  Elder  Campbell  was  the 
first-  minister  to  liold  services  in  the  church. 


This  church  is  located  in  the  southwest  corner 
of  section  fifteen.  Mr.  Josiah  G.  Keltner  has 
been  an  active  member  of  this  church,  and 
the  membership  has  been  steady  and  con- 
tinuous from  the  beginning. 

There  is  a  Universalist  church  on  section 
thirty-two.  The  congregation  was  organized 
in  1858.  The  first  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Jacob 
IMerrifield. 

The  first  school  bouse  in  the  township  was 
built  at  Mount  Pleasant;  and  schools  have 
been  maintained  ever  since  by  this  intelli- 
gent community ;  from  those  conducted  in  the 
simple  log  school  house  of  the  first  settlers  to 
the  comfortable  edifices  of  the  present  day. 
The  census  of  the  township,  for  1890,  showed 
five  hundred  and  thirteen  inhabitants.  This 
population  had  increased,  in  1900,  to  five  hun- 
dred and  thirty-six. 

The  record  of  German  township,  save  in 
the  efforts  to  build  up  towns,  has  been  that 
of  a  prasperous  community.  This  prosperity 
has  been  purely  agricultural.  The  people 
of  the  township  have  accepted  and  believed 
in  the  truth,  that  there  is  no  more  happy 
or  useful  life  than  that  of  the  contented 
farmer  who  has  reached  comfortable  condi- 
tions. This  is  the  ideal  life;  and  such  rural 
communities  are  the  security  of  the  strength 
and  stability  of  our  free  institutions. 

Sec.  2. — Greene. — The  second  to\vnship  to 
be  carved  out  of  the  original  three  w^as 
Greene,  which  was  formed  January  4,  1836. 
The  following  were  the  boundaries  of  the 
township  as  then  constituted :  Commencing 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  section  one,  town- 
ship thirty-six,  range  tw^o  east;  thence  west 
to  middle  of  section  three,  same  township  and 
range;  thence  north  to  the  north  line  of  sec- 
tion twenty-seven,  township  thirty-seven, 
range  two  east;  thence  west  to  the  Kankakee 
river;  thence  with  the  Kankakee  to  the  La- 
porte  county  line;  thence  south  to  the  south 
line  of  congressional  township  thirty-five; 
thence  east  to  the  east  line  of  section  thirty- 
six,  township  thirty-five,  range  two  east; 
thence  north  to  the  point  of  beginning.     This 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   .lOSEPII    COUNTY. 


277 


territory  included  the  present  townships  of 
Greene,  Liberty  and  Lineohi ;  also  the  west 
part  of  Union  and  the  southwest  part  of  Cen- 
ter, besides  the  northwest  part  of  what  is 
now  IMarshall  county,  but  which  at  the  time 
was  still  in   St.   Joseph  county. 

By  the  act  of  February  4,  1836,  fixing  the 
northern  boundary  of  Marshall  county,  the 
south  line  of  Greene  township  was  made  to 
coincide  with  the  present  south  boundary  of 
St.  Joseph  .county,  as  far  to  the  east  as  the 
township  then  extended. 

On  IMareh  6,  1837,  by  the  order  of  the 
county  board  in  forming  the  township  of 
Union,  all  of  the  territory  east  of  the  present 
township  of  Liberty  and  south  of  the  present 
township  of  Center  was  taken  from  Greene 
and  attached  to  LTnion. 

By  the  order  of  the  county  board,  made 
May  2,  1837,  the  to^Aaiship  of  Liberty  was 
formed.  In  this  order  the  south  line  of 
Greene  was  fixed  a.s  at  present,  that  is,  the 
middle  line  of  congressional  township  thirty- 
six. 

Finally,  by  the  order  of  May  6,  1840, 
forming  Center  township,  the  east  line  of 
Greene  was  fixed  as  at  present,  to-wit,  the 
middle  line  of  range  two  east. 

By  orders  of  the  board  of  county  com- 
missioners, made  September  8,  1841,  July  1, 
1843  and  June  6,  1844,  various  slight 
changes  were  made  in  the  boundaries  of  the 
townships  of  Greene,  Olive  and  AVarren,  re- 
sulting, however,  in  leaving  the  Kankakee 
river  as  the  boundary  of  Greene  on  the  north- 
west, as  fixed  by  the  order  of  January  4, 
1836.  when  the  township  was  first  formed. 
But  after  the  drainage  of  the  valley  and  the 
drying  up  of  the  Kankakee  along  this  boun- 
dary, it  was  found  that  the  great  ditch,  which 
was  cut  for  the  purpose  of  making  that  drain- 
age, would  be  a  more  suitable  division  line 
between  the  townships  than  the  winding  line 
of  the  dried  up  river  bed.  Accordingly,  on 
June  20,  1898,  the  commissioners  made  the 
following  order: 

"The    board    having    under    consideration 


the  changing  of  the  boundary  lines  between 
the  townships  of  Olive,  Warren  and  Greene, 
made  necessary  by  private  individuals  caus- 
ing a  large  ditch  [The  Miller  Ditch]  to  be 
dug  through  the  Kankakee  marsh,  thus  dry- 
ing up  the  Kankakee  river  which  has  been 
the  boundary  line  between  said  townships, 
find  that  it  would  be  of  public  interest  and 
benefit  that  the  old  lines  be  vacated,  and  that 
the  middle  line  of  said  ditch,  as  now  estab- 
lished and  dug,  shall  be  the  dividing  line 
between  said  townships,  from  and  after  this 
date." 

The  great  ditch  which  was  thus  made  the 
boundary  between  the  township  of  Greene, 
on  the  one  side,  and  the  townships  of  Olive 
and  Warren  on  the  other  follows  closely  the 
general  line  of  the  Kankakee  river,  whose 
place  it  has  taken  both  as  a  water-course  and 
as  a  boundary. 

The  Kankakee  river  extends  along  all  of 
the  northwest  side  of  the  to\vnship ;  while 
in  the  northeast  part  is  Sumption  prairie,  one 
of  the  richest  and  most  beautiful  of  the 
prairies  of  St.  Joseph  county.  The  township 
is  further  remarkable  by  reason  of  its  numer- 
ous lakes, — Goose  lake.  Duck  lake,  Wharton 
lake,  Bolin  lake, — and  many  others.  The 
township  has  always  been  purely  an  agricul- 
tural one. 

In  the  reminiscences  ,of  Mr.  Daniel  Greene, 
found  in  chapter  fourth,  subdivision  fifth, 
of  this  history,  a  full  and  interesting  account 
of  the  early  settlement  of  this  township  is 
given.  The  beauty  and  fertility  of  Sumption 
prairie  made  this  one  of  the  sections  of  the 
county  to  which  settlers  were  first  attracted. 
The  prairie  was  named  from  George  Sump- 
tion who  settled  upon  it  in  April,  1830; 
while  the  township  received  its  name  from  the 
Greene  family.  Daniel  Greene's  father,  John 
Greene,  first  visited  northern  Indiana,  on 
horseback,  in  1830.  He  continued  his  ex- 
plorations of  Indiana  and  southern  Michigan 
in  1831;  and,  finally,  in  1832,  the  family, 
with  many  kinfolk  and  friends  from  Greene 
county,  Ohio,  made  their  removal  to  Sump- 


278 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


tion  prairie,  which  was  to  be  their  perma^ 
nent  home.  Samuel  Leeper,  in  company  with 
his  father-in-law,  Joseph  Rohrer,  first  came 
to  the  St.  Joseph  valley  in  August,  1829.  In 
]\Iareh,  1830,  he  brought  his  family  here  from 
Ohio.  They  located  near  McCartney's  creek, 
just  north  of  the  crossing  of  the  Michigan 
road,  where  David  R.  Leeper  was  born,  Janu- 
ary 12,  1832.  They  subsequently  removed  to 
a  point  on  Sumption  prairie  road  about  three 
miles  south  of  South  Bend.  Daniel  Greene 
married  Mr.  Samuel  Leeper 's  daughter. 
Those  early  settlers  seemed  to  give  character 
to  the  population  of  the  township;  and  the 
inhabitants  of  that  beautiful  section  of  the 
county  have  to  this  day  stood  breast  to  breast 
with  the  most  intelligent  and  progressive  of 
our  citizens.  It  is  an  ideal  fanning  com- 
munity; and  what  has  been  said  in  this  re- 
spect of  German  township  is  true  also  of 
Greene. 

The  JMethodist  church  was  the  first  to  be 
established  in  the  township.  This  was  in 
1832,  under  the  Rev.  Nehemiah  B.  Griffith.^ 
As  in  German  township,  the  services  were 
for  a  long  time  conducted  in  private  houses 
and  in  the  log  school  houses.  In  1841  a 
church  edifice  was  erected.  Numerous  zealous 
ministers  have  served  the  worthy  members  of 
that  church  from  the  date  of  its  first  or- 
ganization by  Mr.  Griffith,  in  1832,  until  the 
present  time.  Among  them  are  the  Reverend 
James  Armstrong,  R.  T.  Robinson,  G.  M. 
Beswick,  Richard  Hargrave,  Warren  Griffith, 
Elias  Cook,  Mr.  Moore,  J.  S.  Donelson,  Hiram 
Ball.  Thomas  Hackney,  Albion  Fellows,  P.  H. 
Bradley,  John  Mahon,  George  Guion,  A. 
Byers,  A.  Hayes,  Jesse  Hill,  J.  H.  Clay- 
pool,  John  E.  Newhouse,  E.  W.  Lowhouse, 
J.  J.  Hines,  J.  Robertson,  B.  H.  Bradberry, 
Reuben  Saunders,  Francis  Cox,  0.  H.  Beebc. 
In  1865  the  society  built  a  new  and  commo- 

a.  Mr.  Daniel  Greene,  whose  interesting  remi- 
niscences are  given  in  Chap.  4,  Subd.  6,  of  this 
work,  says  that  George  Baker,  father  of  Adam  S. 
and  George  W.  Balder,  was  instrumental  in  estab- 
lishing this  first  Methodist  church  in  Greene 
township,  and  that  he  there  organized  the  first 
Sunday  school  south  of  South   Bend. 


dious  church,  thirty-six  by  fifty-five  feet  in 
(dimensions,   with  basement. 

In  1836,  the  Rev.  Alfred  Bryant,  of  South 
Bend,  organized  the  first  Presbyterian  churcli 
in  Greene  township.  Other  ministers  have 
been  the  Reverend  Messrs.  Tombley,  Reeves 
and  Brown.  The  latter  was  a  chaplain  in 
the  Civil  war.  The  first  members  of  this 
church  were  John  McCullough  and  his  family 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hammond.  Members  of 
the  Greene  family  and  others  soon  after 
joined.  The  original  church  was  built  in 
1838.  Previous  to  that  date  services  were 
held  in  a  school  house  on  the  site  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  church,  on  the  farm  of  Mr. 
McCullough. 

On  February  22,  1846,  Elders  Samuel  Mil- 
ler and  Peter  Hummer  organized  a  Baptist 
society.  Other  ministers  have  been  Elders 
McDonald,  Hastings,  Hitchcock,  Miller, 
Craft,  Vaughn  and  Finch.  The  society,  like 
others,  at  first  occupied  a  school  house;  but 
in  1852  they  took  measures  for  the  erection 
of  a  church,  which  was  completed  in  1855. 

The  German  Baptists,  known  also  as  Dun- 
kards,  whose  pui'pose  is  to  live  the  simple, 
primitive  life  of  the  early  Christians,  erected 
at  an  early  day,  what  is  usually  called  the 
Oak  Grove  church.  One  of  the  earliest 
ministers  of  this  church  was  Mr.  Whitmer. 

In  1868,  the  Rev.  James  Ferris  organized 
the  Adventist  church.  This  society  has  one 
of  the  finest  brick  churches  in  the  town- 
ship. 

A  society  was  also  established  which  built 
a  church  in  the  southeast  part  of  the  town- 
ship, known  as  Maple  Grove  church.  This 
society  was  afterwards  removed  to  Olive 
Branch,  in  Union  township,  where,  in  1878, 
they  erected  a  beautiful  little  church  which 
the  society  still  occupies. 

A  society  of  the  Evangelical  church  was  at 
an  early  date  also  organized  in  the  town- 
ship. 

As  might  be  expected  from  the  character 
of  the  good  people  of  the  township,  not  only 
were  churches  provided  for,  but  also  schools. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


279 


The  first  school  house  in  the  township  was 
erected  in  1832.  There  were  then  neither 
special  nor  common  school  funds  available; 
and  the  people  came  together  and  built  the 
simple  log  structure,  with  its  puncheon  floor 
and  clapboard  roof.  To  keep  up  the  schools 
of  those  early  days  the  people  voluntarily 
taxed  themselves  for  the  necessary  funds. 
Among  the  early  teachers  were  Messrs.  Hollo- 
way,  Rohn,  Dwindle,  and  Miss  Greene.  By 
the  United  States  census  of  1900,  the  popu- 
lation of  Greene  township  was  seven  hundred 
and  seventy-two. 

Sec.  3.— Harris. — In  subdivision  fourth 
of  this  chapter,  it  is  shown  that  the  town- 
ship of  Washington  was  formed  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  St.  Joseph  county,  by  order  of 
the  county  board,  made  i\Iay  4,  1835.  This 
order  was  canceled  soon  after  it  was  made; 
but  a  few  months  later,  on  January  5,  183(5, 
the  township  of  Harris  was  fonned  in  the 
same  locality,  but  embracing  less  territory. 
The  boundaries  of  Harris  township,  as 
formed  by  the  last  mentioned  order  were  as 
follows:  Commencing  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  section  eight,  township  thirty-eight, 
range  three  east;  thence  south  to  the  south- 
west corner  of  section  twentv-nine,  same 
township  and  range;  thence  east  to  the 
county  line ;  thence  north  to  the  state  line ; 
thence  east  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

By  an  order  made  May  5,  1840,  the  county 
board,  in  forming  Clay  township,  detached  a 
section  and  a  half  in  width,  east  and  west, 
off  the  west  side  of  Harris  and  attached  the 
same  to  Clay.  On  December  7,  1842,  another 
half  section  in  width,  east  and  west,  was  de- 
tached from  Harris  and  added  to  Clay.  By 
these  two  orders  Harris  was  reduced  to  its 
present  dimensions,  to-wit :  Beginning  on  the 
north  boundary  of  the  state,  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  fractional  section  ten,  town- 
ship thirty-eight  north,  range  three  east; 
thence  south  to  the  southwest  'corner  of  sec- 
tion twenty-seven,  same  township  and  range; 
thence  east  to  the  line  dividing  St.  Joseph 
and    Elkhart   counties;    thence   north   to   the 


north  boundary  of  the  state;  thence  west  to 
the  beginning. 

Harris  resembles  Greene  township  in  one 
particular:  it  contains  one  of  the  finest  up- 
land prairies  in  the  county,  and  it  also  con- 
tains a  large  area  of  lowland.  There  is, 
how^ever,  no  river  in  or  near  Harris,  as  there 
is  in  Greene;  but  a  sluggish  stream,  known 
as  Sheffield  creek  farther  down,  formerly  led 
through  the  marsh  land  to  the  St.  Joseph 
river.  This  stream  has  been  converted  into 
a  great  state  ditch;  and  the  lowlands  have 
become  nearly  as  valuable  as  the  uplands  of 
Harris  prairie. 

The  prairie  and  the  township  both  received 
their  name  from  Jacob  Harris,  who  settled 
in  the  township  in  1830.  In  the  same  year 
or  the  year  previous  came  the  Baldwins, 
David  and  Josephus.  Samuel  Bell  came  with 
his  father-in-law,  Jacob  Harris.  During  the 
same  year,  1830,  came  Adam  Miller,  a  Bap- 
tist preacher;  also  Adam  Ringle.  Other  very 
early  settlers  were:  Joseph  Buell,  Henry 
Aug-ustine,  Jacob  Meyer,  Mr.  Hartzell,  Rob- 
ert Kennedy,  David  Ringle  and  his  sons  Sam- 
uel and  Levi,  Arbogast  Zaehnle,  W.  and  E. 
M.  Irvin  and  James  Lowry. 

The  firet  school-house  was  of  logs,  and  in 
dimensions  fourteen  by  sixteen  feet.  A  large 
fireplace,  into  which  a  big  "back-log"  was 
first  placed,  with  a  "fore-stick"  supported 
on  "and-irons"  furnished  the  means  of  se- 
curing a  roaring  fire  for  the  winter  days. 
The  chimney  was  of  short  sticks  laid  like  the 
logs  of  the  hoiLse,  and,  like  the  logs,  chinked 
with  mud  made  of  stiff  clay. 

The  first  school  master  was  Robert  Ken- 
nedy. He  was  one  of  the  good  and  strong 
men,  not  only  of  Harris  township,  but  of 
St.  Joseph  county  itself.  He  afterwards  re- 
moved to  St.  Edward,  Nebraska,  and  there 
bore  the  same  high  character  that  had  dis- 
ting-uished  him  in  Indiana. 

The  churches  that  have  been  organized  in 
Harris  township  are  the  Presbyterian,  the 
Evangelical  and  the  Christian. 

Harris  township  is  distinguished  by  having 


280 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


a  thriving,  though  as  yet  quite  small  town, 
the  town  of  Granger,  situated  on  the  Grand 
Trunk  railroad.  This  road  passes  northeast- 
erly from  Mishawaka,  through  Penn  and  Har- 
ris townships.  The  next  station  beyond  Gran- 
ger is  Edwardsburg,  in  the  state  of  Michigan. 
The  population  of  Harris  township  by  the 
eensiLs  of  1900.  including  the  town  of  Gran- 
ger, was  four  hundred  and  eighty-one.  The 
township  is  next  to  the  smallest  in  the  county, 
having  but  a  section  of  land  more  than  Cen- 
ter. But,  like  Center,  Harris  makes  up  in 
quality  for  what  it  lacks  in  quantity. 

Sec.  4.— Union.— On  March .  6,  1837,  by 
order  of  the  county  commissioners,  the  town- 
ship of  Union  was  formed,  with  the  following 
boundaries:  Beginning  at  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  section  twenty,  township  thirty-six, 
range  two  east;  thence  south  to  the  county 
line ;  thence  east  to  the  southeast  corner  of  sec- 
tion eighteen,  township  thirty-five,  range  three 
east;  thence  north  to  the  northeast  corner  of 
section  nineteen,  township  thirty-six,  range 
three  east;  thence  west  to  the  place  of  begin- 
ning. 

The  following  sections  were  afterwards 
taken  from  Madison  and  added  to  Union: 
sections  seventeen,  eight  and  five,  and  the 
west  half  of  sections  sixteen,  nine  and  four, 
township  thirty-five,  north;  also  sections 
thirty-two  and  twenty-nine,  the  west  half  of 
section  thirty-three,  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  twenty-eight  and  the  south  half  of  sec- 
tion twenty,  township  thirty-six,  north,- — all 
in  range  three,  east. 

The  first  settlements  in  this  township  were 
on  the  Michigan  road  lands.  Elijah  Lineback, 
John  Henderson,  John  Gardner  and  the  three 
Rectors,  John,  Jacob  and  Mark,  came  in  1833. 
Other  very  early  settlers  were :  Hubbard  Hen- 
derson, John,  James  and  Eli  Moon,  James  An- 
nis,  Michael  Hupp,  Abijah  Mills,  William  H. 
Robertson,  Henry  Hardy,  Esau  Lamb,  Daniel 
Glenn,  Amos  Heston,  Henry  Riddle,  John 
Riddle,  James  Watson,  John  Shively,  William 
Hughes,  Joseph  Morris,  W.  Nickelson,  David 
Wliitinger  and  John  Long. 


Originally  the  soil  of  this  township  was  not 
looked  upon  with  favor  by  settlere.  It  was 
chiefly  heavily  timbered  clay  and  marsh  land ; 
and  while  the  soil  was  a  strong  and  fertile 
one,  yet  not  until  after  its  drainage  was  the 
locality  looked  upon  as  desirable  for  farming. 
The  drainage  has  now  to  a  great  extent  been 
accomplished,  and  some  of  the  choicest  farms 
of  the  county  are  to  be  found  in  Union  town- 
ship. 

There  is  but  one  town  in  the  township,  the 
village  of  Lakeville.  This  town  was  built  up 
near  the  banks  of  Riddle's  lake,  just  south 
of  the  town.  Pleasant  lake  and  numerous 
other  pretty  little  lakes  are  in  the  vicinity. 
At  first  Lakeville  depended  upon  the  travel 
along  the  Michigan  road  and  upon  the  slowly 
growing  settlements  in  the  vicinity ;  but  after 
the  building  of  the  Vandalia  railroad  its  pros- 
perity was  assured,  and  since  the  Wabash 
from  Toledo  to  Chicago  was  built  through  the 
town,  its  growth  has  been  rapid. 

One  mile  north  of  Lakeville,  in  1858,  was 
built  the  first  church  in  the  township.  This 
was  built  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Society, 
which  had  been  organized  about  1839. 

The  United  Brethren  Society  was  organized 
about  the  same  time  as  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal. The  meeting  place  of  this  society  was 
about  two  miles  north  of  Lakeville.  In  1878, 
they  removed  to  Olive  Branch,  and  built  the 
church  of  that  name  of  which  we  have  made 
mention  in  the  sketch  of  Greene  township. 

The  Advent  Society  erected  a  church  in 
1880.  For  a  great  number  of  years  previous 
to  this  the  society  held  meetings  in  the  school- 
houses  and  in  private  houses.  In  the  summer 
of  1862,  they  held  protracted  services  in  a 
tent  erected  for  that  purpose. 

The  Christian  Society  has  a  fine  church  in 
Lakeville. 

In  1875,  a  Union  church  was  erected  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  township  where  different 
denominations  hold  services. 

The  first  school-house  in  the  township  was 
erected  in  1836.  As  in  other  parts  of  the 
county,  this  primitive  house  of  learning  was 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


281 


built  of  logs,  with  split  slabs  laid  togetlier  for 
a  floor.  The  schools  and  school-houses  of  the 
present  day  are  a  credit  to  the  intelligence  of 
the  enterprising  and  prosperous  citizens  of 
this  township.  The  population  of  Union  town- 
ship by  the  census  of  1900,  including  the  town 
of  Lakeville,  was  one  thousand,  seven  hun- 
dred and  thirty-three. 

Sec.  5. — Liberty. — Liberty  followed  Union 
very  closely.  By  order  entered  IMay  2,  1837, 
the  county  commissioners  provided  that  the 
following  territory  should  be  embraced  within 
a  township  to  be  known  as  Liberty:  Begin- 
ning at  the  northwest  corner  of  section  twen- 
ty, township  thirty-six,  range  two  east; 
thence  west  to  the  Kankakee  river;  thence 
down  the  river  to  the  Laporte  county  line; 
thence  south  to  the  Starke  county  line ;  thence 
east  to  the  west  line  of  Marshall  county; 
thence  north  to  the  north  line  of  Marshall 
county ;  thence  east  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
section  eighteen,  township  thirty-five,  range 
two  east;  thence  north  to  the  place  of  begin- 


ning. 


The  township  continued  as  formed  in  1837, 
until  June  7,  1866,  when  all  the  territory 
south  and  west  of  the  following  line  was  taken 
from  Liberty  and  formed  into  Lincoln  town- 
ship :  Beginning  at  the  intersection  of  the 
south  line  of  Congressional  township  thirty- 
six  with  the  Kankakee  river;  thence  east  to 
the  southeast  corner  of  section  thirty-six, 
to\^Tiship  thirty-six,  range  one  west;  thence 
south  to  the  southwest  corner  of  section  six, 
township  thirty-five,  range  one  east;  thence 
east  to  the  southeast  corner  of  section  five, 
township  thirty-five,  range  one  east;  thence 
south  to  the  Marshall  county  line.  Liberty 
township,  as  so  limited,  has  continued  un- 
changed ever  since. 

The  region  along  the  Kankakee  is  low  land, 
but  has  been  reclaimed.  Several  small  lakes 
are  found  in  other  parts  of  the  township, 
the  lands  in  the  vicinity  having  also  been  re- 
claimed by  drainage.  The  uplands  are  in 
general  exceedingly  fertile;  gravel  and  sandy 


soils  being  found  in  certain  localities.     The 
lands  were  all  heavily  timbered. 

Settlements  were  first  made  in  1833,  near 
the  site  of  the  present  town  of  North  Liberty. 
Those  who  came  that  year  were  Jacob  and 
John  Earhart,  John  Kane  and  Isaac  Town- 
send.  Other  early  settlers  were:  Daniel 
Ross,  Jesse  Palmer,  James  Loring,  John  and 
David  Rupel,  Joseph  Liggett,  Amos  Liggett, 
Levi  and  Benjamin  Collins,  Daniel  Antrim, 
James  P.  Antrim,  Samuel  Loring,  James  Cole, 
Franklin  Pearce,  Jacob  Dukeman,  Samuel 
and  S.  G.  Williams,  Rheinhard  Cripe  and 
Mr.  Waldsmith, — all  worthy  pioneers,  who 
laid  broad  and  deep  the  foundations  of  an 
industrious,  well-ordered  and  prosperous  com- 
munity. 

The  town  of  North  Liberty  is  located  in 
the  northwest  part  of  the  township ;  and  is  a 
growing  and  prosperous  community,  being 
situated  at  the  junction  of  two  of  our  great 
railroads,  the  Wabash  and  the  Three  "I," 
now  operated  by  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad 
Company.  The  town  was  laid  out  January 
12,  1836,  by  Daniel  Antrim  and  James  P.  An- 
trim. Tyra  W.  Bray,  one  of  the  early  engi- 
neers of  the  county,  who  had  been  already 
county  surveyor  and  who  was  afterwards 
county  auditor,  was  the  surveyor  of  the  town 
plat.  Some  of  the  most  enterprising  busi- 
ness men  of  North  Liberty  have  been  the 
Houser  Brothers,  the  Cole  Brothers,  Norman 
S.  Miller  and  Houser  &  Knepp.  The  inhabit- 
ants of  North  Liberty  and  of  the  township 
generally,  are  chiefly  of  the  sturdy  Pennsylva- 
nia German  stock. 

The  Methodist  Society  built  the  first  church 
in  the  township.  It  was  built  in  the  town  of 
North  Liberty  in  1851.  A  finer  one  was 
erected  in  its  place  in  1878.  Some  of  the  most 
eminent  ministers  of  the  church  in  North 
Liberty  have  been  the  Reverends  A.  Bradley, 
R.  H.  Saunders,  Samuel  T.  Cooper,  H.  B. 
Ball,  Nelson  Green,  James  Green,  Samuel 
Godfrey,  J.  C.  Metzger,  S.  Lamb  and  C.  W. 
Miller. 

The  Adventists  erected  a  church  in  North 


282 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Liberty  in  1868.  The  Episcopalians  a  little 
later.  The  German  Baptists  are  amongst  the 
most  numerous  of  the  Christian  societies  in 
the  township.  They  have  two  churches  in  the 
country.  The  Evangelical  denomination  is 
also  represented.  Also  the  Lutheran  and  the 
United  Brethren. 

The  usual  first  log  school-house  was.  erected 
in  1838.  Since  that  date  the  schools  have 
grown  numerous  and  have  improved  as  others 
in  the  county.  A  high-school  was  erected  in 
the  town  of  North  Liberty  in  1868. 

Notwithstanding  the  prosperous  town  of 
North  Liberty,  with  its  fine  railroad  facili- 
ties; the  township  is  nevertheless  essentially 
an  agricultural  district.  The  farming  com- 
munity is  an  example  of  all  that  is  character- 
istic of  good  American  citizenship.  But  little 
litigation  reaches  the  county  seat.  The  people 
lead  sober,  industrious  and  contented  lives. 
The  nation  is  strong  in  the  lives  of  such  citi- 
zens. There  is  no  happier  life  than  that  of 
the  Liberty  township  farmer.  According  to 
the  census  of  1900,  the  population  of  the 
township,  including  that  of  the  town  of  North 
Liberty,  was  one  thousand,  eight  hundred  and 
forty-three,  North  Liberty  having  five  hun- 
dred and  four. 

Sec.  6. — Warren.— The  sixth  township  to 
be  formed  by  subdivision  of  the  original  three, 
— Penn,  Portage  and  Olive — was  Warren,  so 
called  for  Warren  county,  Ohio,  from  which 
many  of  the  first  inhabitants  of  the  township 
emigrated.  The  order  for  the  formation  of 
this  township  was  made  November  5,  1838; 
the  boundaries  then  provided  for  being  as  fol- 
lows :  Beginning  on  the  state  line,  at  the  in- 
tersection of  the  range  line  between  ranges  one 
and  two  east;  thence  west  to  a  point  eighty 
rods  west  of  the  northwest  corner  of  section 
ten,  township  thirty-eight,  range  one  east; 
thence  south  to  Grapevine  creek ;  thence  down 
the  creek  to  the  Kankakee  river;  thence  up 
the  Kankakee  to  the  range  line  aforesaid; 
thence  north  to  the  beginning. 

By  the  orders  of  September  8,  1841,  July 
1,   1843,  June  6,   1844,  and  June  20,   1898, 


already  referred  to  in  this  chapter  and  sub- 
division, in  the  history  of  Greene  township, 
certain  minor  changes  were  made,  from  time 
to  time,  in  the  western  and  southern  bound- 
aries of  Warren  township.  The  Grapevine 
creek  was  always  too  insignificant  a  stream  to 
be  made  a  t/ownship  boundary;  and  the  Kan- 
kakee itself,  after  the  turning  of  the  river  into 
a  great  ditch,  under  operation  of  the  drain- 
age laws,  was  equally  unsuited  for  the  pur- 
pose. 

The  result  of  the  various  orders  referred 
to  was  that  the  west  boundary  of  the  town- 
ship remained  as  originally  fixed,  namely,  the 
line  running  south  from  a  point  on  the  state 
line  eighty  rods  west  of  the  northwest  corner 
of  fractional  section  ten,  township  thirty- 
eight,  range  one  east;  except  that,  in  section 
twenty-one,  township  thirty-seven,  in  the 
same  range,  for  the  second  eighty  rods  from 
the  north,  the  west  boundary  is  removed  one 
hundred  and  twenty  rods  west  of  the  range 
line,  and  for  the  remainder  of  the  distance 
south. through  that  section,  and  south  through 
section  twenty-eight,  and  through  the  north 
half  of  section  thirty-three,  the  same  township 
and  range,  the  boundary  is  removed  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  rods  west  of  the  range  line, 
while  for  the  remainder  of  section  thirty-three 
the  boundary  is  placed  two  hundred  and  forty 
rods  west  of  the  said  range  line. 

Along  the  southwestern  border  of  Warren 
township,  as  we  have  seen  in  relation  to 
Greene,  the  Kankakee  proper,  by  reason  of 
drainage,  ceased  to  be  the  boundary ;  while  the 
great  ditch  which  absorbed  the  river  was  sub- 
stituted for  it  also  as  the  boundary  between 
Warren  and  Greene. 

The  range  line  between  ranges  one  and 
two  east  remains  as  the  eastern  boundary,  and 
the  state  line  as  the  north  boundary  of  the 
township.  . 

As  we  said,  in  chapter  first,  subdivision 
ninth,  in  considering  the  lakes  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  Warren  township  is  distinguished  by 
its  numerous  beautiful  lakes,  extending 
through   the   whole  length  of  the  township. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.  JOSEPH   COUNTY.                                     283 

from  the  Michigan  border  to  the  waters  of  the  Abram    Brown,    Jonathan    Platts,    William 

Kankakee.     Clear  lake,  of  the  extreme  north-  Crum. 

ern  group,  is  partly  in  the  state  of  Michigan.  The  inevitable  log  school  house  appeared  as 

In  the  neighborhood  are  Mud  lake,  Deer  lake,  early  as  1839,  or  sooner.     As  in  other  parts 

and  Twin  lakes.    Further  south  is  Augustine  of  the  county,  the  school  houses  were  at  first 

lake.     Then,   midway   from   north   to  south,  voluntarily  built  by  the  combined  labors  of 

come  Woolverton,  Bass  and  Chain  lakes,  the  the  hardy  pioneere. 

group  being  connected  and  known  together  as  German  Baptists  were  among  the  first  to 

Chain  lakes.     Further  south,  and  near  the  organize  a  religious  society.     They  erected  a 

present  township  of  Portage,  is  Fish  or  Cham-  church  in  1879. 

berlain  lake.  Three  railroads  cross  the  township  from  east 

Chain  lakes,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  clear  to  west, — the  Lake  Shore,  the  Grand  Trunk, 
water  groups  to  be  found  anywhere,  are  drain-  and  the  St.  Joseph  &  Southern,  now  operated 
ed  by  a  branch  of  the  Grapevine;  through  by  the  Michigan  Central.  Two  interurban 
which  the  waters  find  their  way  into  the  Kan-  lines  are  also  projected  and  partly  construct- 
kakee  river.  The  lakes  of  Notre  Dame  are  ed, — the  Chicago,  South  Bend  &  Northern  In- 
the  only  lakes  in  the  county  which  rival  the  diana,  formerly  the  Indiana  railway ;  and  the 
beauty  and  celebrity  of  Chain  lakes.  They  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  &  South  Bend.  In  con- 
were  a  favorite  resort  of  the  Indian  long  nection  with  these  interurban  lines,  it  is  the 
before  the  coming  of  the  white  man;  design  to  establish  pleasure  resorts  at  Chain 
and    perhaps    of    the    Mound    Builder    long  lakes. 

before  the  coming  of  the  Indian.     They  are  There  are  two  towns  in  Warren  township, 

located  a  little  to  the  west  of  the  famous  Port-  One  of  these  is  on  the  Lake  Shore  railroad, 

age ;  and  many  of  those  who  journeyed  up  the  about  seven  miles  west  of  South  Bend;  at  first 

St.  Joseph   and  down  the  Kankakee,   or  the  called    Warren    Center;    afterwards,    Sweet 

reverse,  often  turned  aside  for  rest  and  enjoy-  Home;  and  then  Lindley.  The  railroad  station 

ment  on  the  margins  of  those  clear,  deep  blue  is  now  called  Lydick.    The  town  is  little  more 

sheets   of   water.     The   chief   prehistoric   re-  than  a  railroad  station,  having,  however,  a 

mains  of  the  county  have  been  found  in  this  post  office   and  some  small  business  houses, 

vicinity.  The  other  town  is   Crum's   Town,  formerly 

The  quiet  beauty  of  prairie,  lake  and  wood-  Crum 's  Point,  located  on  the  Grand  Trunk, 

land  has  ever  characterized  the  landscape  of  It  is  also  a  small  place,  but  of  somewhat  more 

Warren  township.  Fertility  of  soil  and  beauty  importance  than  the  town  on  the  Lake  Shore, 

of  scenery  are  the  portion  of  the  favored  in-  The  population  of  Warren  township,  includ- 

habitants  of  this  region.  ing  the  town  of  Lindley   and  the  town  of 

The  first  settlement  of  the  township  dates  Crum's  Point,  according  to  the  census  of 
from  1831,  when  Reynolds  Dunn  took  up  a  1900,  was  nine  hundred  and  forty-four, 
farm  to  the  northwest  of  Chain  lakes.  Other  Sec.  7. — Clay. — The  township  of  Clay  was 
settlers  who  came  very  early  were,  W.  W.  formed  May  5,  1840.  The  boundaries  fixed 
Brick,  Peter  Wikoff,  George  Witter,  John  by  the  order  of  that  date  were  as  follows: 
Kingery,  Walter  Field,  Jesse  Frame  and  Beginning  on  the  state  line,  at  the  intersec- 
his  sons,  William,  Nathaniel,  Cornelius,  Isaac,  tion  of  the  St.  Joseph  river ;  thence  east  to  the 
David  and  Jesse,  Nathaniel  Wilson,  Isaac  W.  middle  point  of  the  north  line  of  fractional 
Phillips,  Harvey  Buckles,  James  Dunbar,  section  nine,  township  thirty-eight,  range 
Joseph  P.  Jones,  Joseph  Price,  Thomas  Jack-  three  east ;  thence  south  through  the  middle 
son,  Calvin  Myler,  John  Skiles,  Theophilus  of  sections  nine,  sixteen,  twenty-one,  twenty- 
Case,     Jacob     Mikesell,     George     Dunnahoo,  eight  and  thirty-three,  to  the  south  line  of  con- 


284 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


gressional  township  thirty-eight;  thence  west 
to  the  St.  Joseph  river;  thence  clown  the  river 
to  the  place  of  beginning. 

By  order  of  December  7,  1842,  the  east  half 
of  sections  nine,  sixteen,  twenty-one,  twenty- 
eight  and  thirty-three  was  taken  from  Harris 
and  Penn  townships  and  added  to  Clay ;  thus 
fixing  the  boundaries  of  Clay  township  as  they 
have  since  remained,  to-wit :  Bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  Michigan  state  line,  on  the  east 
by  the  middle  line  of  range  three  east,  on  the 
south  by  the  south  line  of  congressional 
township  thirty-eight,  and  on  the  west  by  the 
St.  Joseph  river. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  west  part  of 
Clay,  being  that  part  within  range  two  east, 
and  lying  along  the  east  side  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  was  formerly  in  German  township ; 
while  the  east  part,  that  is,  all  within  range 
three  east,  was  in  Harris  and  Penn  town- 
ships. 

The  inhabitants  are  proud  of  the  distinc- 
tion that  the  township  was  named  after  Henry 
Clay,  who  at  that  date  had  reached  the  high- 
est place  in  the  estimation  of  the  American 
people.     The    first    settlements,  which    were 
amongst  the  earliest  in  the  county,  were  near 
the  St.  Joseph  river,  in  what  was  then  Port- 
age, afterwards  German  and  now  Clay  town- 
ship.   Benjamin    Potter,    John    Hague    and 
William  McCombs  came  in  1829.     John  and 
Peter   Cripe   and   Thomas  Longley   came  in 
1830 ;  Pet^r  and  Jacob  Eaton  in  1831.     Other 
early  settlers  w^ere :    William  Smith,  John  H. 
Smith,    John    C.    Stutsman,     Evan    C.    and 
Thomas  B.  Chalfant,  James  Stuckey,  William 
F.    and   Thomas  P.   Bulla,     Samuel   Brooks, 
Jonathan  Hardy,   Francis  Jennings,   Joseph 
and  Stephen  Ulery,  Oliver  P.  Stucky,  Menzo 
Webster,   David    Sossaman,   Jacob   Chirhart, 
Gideon    Draper   and   Ariel    Euclid   Drapier, 
John    Eyler,    Lambert    McCombs    and    John 
Weaver.    In  the  reminiscences  taken  from  the 
paper  of  William  D.  Bulla,  in  chapter  fourth, 
subdivision  sixth,  will  be  found  very  many  in- 
teresting details   of  the   life   of   Thomas   P. 


Bulla  and  other  early  settlers  in  Clay  town- 
ship. 

Mr.   William  H.  Drapier,  now  of  Indian- 
apolis, and  famous  as  the  author  of  the  Indi- 
ana legislative  Brevier  Exports,  but  once  a 
Clay  township  boy,  the  son  of  Ariel  E.  Dra- 
pier, draws  attention  to  the  circumstance  that 
Gideon  and  Ariel  E.  Drapier,  Thomas  P.  and 
William  F.  Bulla  and  Evan  C.  Chalfant,  all 
settled  on  section  thirty-one,  township  thirty- 
eight,  range  three  east,  the  Drapiers  taking 
up   one  quarter,    Chalfant  one  quarter   and 
each  of  the  Bullas  one  quarter;  and  also  to 
the  further  circumstance  tha/t  Evan  C.  Chal- 
fant married  the   sister  of  Thomas  P.   and 
William   F.   Bulla,   while   Thomas   P.    Bulla 
himself  became  the  husband  of  Hannah,  the 
daughter  of  Gideon  Draper.    It  is  further  in- 
teresting to  note  that  the  Bulla  family  w^ere 
closely  related   to  the    distinguished   Julian, 
family  of  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  of  which 
George  W.  Julian  and  Jacob  B.  Julian  were 
perhaps  the  best  known  representatives.  Both 
the  Julian  and  the  Bulla  families  were  un- 
compromising opponents  of  African  slavery. 
The  most  interesting  features  of  the  land- 
scape of  Clay  township  consist  of  the  scenery 
along  the   St.  Joseph  river  and  around  the 
deep  blue  lakes  of  Notre  Dame.  The  Michigan 
Central  railroad,  and  the  Southern  Michigan 
railway  (interurban)  run  through  the  town- 
ship,   from   south   to   north.     The   roads,   in 
general,    are   finely   graveled;    and   excellent 
farms  are  found  in  every  section.     The  soil 
is  chiefly  sand  and  gravel,  there  being  but  lit- 
tle clay  or  lowland  within  the  limits  of  the 
township.     The  crops  average  well,  and  are 
more   uniform   from .  year  to  year   than    on 
stronger  soils,  failures  being  very  rare ;  w^hile 
the    soil    is    easily    worked,    from    March   to 
December,  in  wet  seasons  as  well  as  in  dry. 
Corn,  vegetables  and  fruit  are  most  success- 
fully cultivated. 

The  occupations  of  the  people  of  Clay  town- 
ship are  almost  exclusively  agricultural. 
Four  miles  north  of  South  Bend,  at  a  pictur- 
esque point  on  the  river,  there  stood  for  many 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


285 


years  a  flouring  mill,  called  in  later  years  the 
Sheffield  mill,  and  more  recently  the  Siders' 
mill.  The  water  power  was  supplied  by  a 
small  bnt  constant  stream  usually  known  as 
Sheffield  creek,  which  drained  the  low  lands 
extending  through  the  southwesterly  section 
of  this  township  and  into  the  marshes  in  the 
south  part  of  Harris,  almost  to  the  little  town 
of  Granger.  But  the  drainage  laws  have 
changed  all  this.  A  "state  ditch"  has  taken 
the  place  of  the  pretty  stream,  and  the  old  mill 
has  disappeared  from  its  picturesque  emi- 
nence on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Joseph.  A  little 
above  the  grist  mill  there  was  for  a  time  a  saw 
mill  run  by  the  same  stream.  A  Mr. 
Weaver  also  had  a  carding  and  fulling  mill 
there  in  an  early  day.  Further  up  the  little 
stream  Stephen  Ulery  at  one  time  ran  a  card- 
ing machine.  On  another  small  stream  lead- 
ing from  the  Notre  Dame  lakes  to  the  St. 
Joseph,  a  Mr.  Graham  had  a  fulling  mill.  But 
all  these  "infant  industries''  have  disap- 
peared; and  the  people  of  the  township,  ex- 
cept alone  thovse  connected  with  the  ITniversity 
of  Notre  Dame  and  St.  INIary's  Academy,  are 
wholly  devoted  to  farming. 

On  Saturday,  July  6,  1901,  there  appeared 
in  the  South  Bend  Weekly  Tribune,  a  paper 
on  the  Passing  of  the  Old  Gray  Mill,  which 
contained  many  facts  of  interest  in  relation 
to  this  ancient  "Sheffield"  or  "Siders'  "  mill. 
The  paper  was  undoubtedly  from  the  pen  of 
Mr.  Richard  H.  Lyon,  and  ought  to  be  pre- 
served in  this  history  of  Clay  township. 
Reminiscence  and  description  will  be  found 
admirably  intermingled  in  this  charming 
story : 

"For  more  than  60  years  the  old  gray  mill 
stood  a  picturesque  object  on  the  banks  of  the 
St.  Joseph  river  four  miles  north  of  the  city 
of  South  Bend.  It  was  the  most  ancient  and 
most  interesting  landmark  of  its  kind  in  all 
this  region.  Gray  it  was  in  color  originally, 
then  it  was  painted  red,  but  the  storms  of  over 
half  a  century  had  beat  against  its  antiquated 
clapboards  until  they  had  gone  back  to  brown 
and  gray.     Of  quaint   style   of  architecture, 


planted  in  a  sequestered,  romantic  spot,  it 
had  all  through  its  long  existence  filled  a  mis- 
sion of  usefulness,  as  well  as  attracting  the  at- 
tention of  painter  and  poet,  of  historian  and 
romancer,  of  the  curio  fiend  and  the  lover  of 
the  beautiful  in  nature. 

"For  more  than  a  mile  past  the  site  of  the 
old  mill  the  river  pursues  a  straight  course 
and  its  current  sweeps  smoothly  along,  bright, 
sparkling,  never  changing.  Winding  grace- 
fully through  a  wild  glen  rippled  a  clear  lit- 
tle brook,  that  rose  many  miles  away  and 
coursing  through  a  wide  stretch  of  farming 
lands  found  its  outlet  in  the  St.  Joseph  at  this 
point.  It  supplied  the  mill  with  power,  pour- 
ing its  watei-s  over  the  big  wheel  into  the 
broad  river.  On  every  side  the  willow  and 
the  alder,  the  cedar,  the  juniper  brush,  the 
rugged  oak  and  the  spreading  maple,  the 
sumach  and  the  elder,  the  thorn  tree  and  the 
wild  grape  vine  grow  in  profusion,  adding 
to  the  charm  of  a  picture  of  nature  and 
ancient  art  unsurpassed  anywhere. 

"Before  the  days  of  the  modern  highway 
and  bridges  the  pioneers  came  for  many  miles 
over  the  Indian  trails  through  the  forest  with 
their  grain  to  be  ground  at  this  mill.  A  primi- 
tive ferry  took  those  across  who  lived  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  stream,  and  the  fame  of 
the  mill  extended  far  away.  It  is  related  by 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  region  that 
the  meeting  in  the  autumn  seasons  of  the  year 
of  farmers  who  came  to  the  mill  with  their 
grists,  were  memorable  events.  Often  there 
would  be  a  line  of  teams  reaching  half  a  mile 
in  either  direction,  each  driver  waiting  his 
turn.  On  these  occasions  the  teamsters  had  a 
jolly  time.  They  would  indulge  in  all  kinds 
of  sports  to  while  the  hours  away,  even  to 
racing  horses  on  the  level  stretch  of  road  over 
the  hill,  in  foot  races,  games  of  quoit  pitching, 
shooting  at  a  mark  and  the  like.  Many  would 
bring  their  guns  along  and  to  "kill  time" 
would  go  out  in  the  woods  and  kill  big  game. 
Not  infrequently  a  deer  was  brought  in  and 
the  men,  building  a  big  fire  of  logs,  would 
have  roast  venison,  roast  corn  and  roast  pota- 


286 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


toes  for  supper.  Then  they  would  gather 
around  the  fire  and  spin  yarns  far  into  the 
night.  In  later  days,  over  macadamized 
roads  and  across  the  iron  bridge  near  by,  the 
descendents  of  those  first  settlers  came  with 
their  grists  to  the  same  old  mill  by  the  river 's 
side.  In  the  first  days  of  the  country's  set- 
tlement there  floated  up  and  down  the  river 
past  the  old  mill's  door,  the  keel  boats,  arks 
and  steamers  of  the  early  navigation  period 
and  many  a  salute  did  the  white  capped  mil- 
ler give  to  the  jolly  boatmen  as  they  sped 
along. 

' '  Thus  the  wheels  of  the  old  mill  turned  on 
day  after  day  and  its  massive  beams  were 
thick  with  the  dust  of  more  than  three  score 
years,  when  one  summer  night  an  innocent, 
but  decidedly  unsentimental,  disrespectful 
muskrat  dug  a  hole  beneath  the  flume,  the 
rains  came  in  torrents,  the  foundations  were 
washed  away  and  when  the  morning  appeared 
the  ancient  structure  was  lying  upon  its  side 
a  helpless  ruin.  Soon  the  torn  and  broken 
remnants  were  cleared  away,  the  damaged 
dam  repaired  and  an  insignificant  looking 
one-story,  slightly  built  affair  now  fills  the 
place  of  the  old  gray  mill  of  the  pioneers. 

"The  mill  was  built  in  the  winter  of  1836- 
'37,  by  Jonas  Harris,  a  Quaker  from  Rich- 
mond, Ind.,  who  came  to  this  county  in  1832. 
He  designed  the  building  and  with  its  quaint, 
old-fashioned  windows,  doors  and  high  roof, 
it  stood  and  Avas  used  for  over  60  j^ears  exact- 
ly as  he  had  constructed  it.  Burton  Swearin- 
gen  and  Samuel  Brooks,  both  practical  mill- 
wrights, were  the  contractors,  and  during  the 
siunmer  of  1837  the  mill  was  first  put  in 
operation,  with  Ephraim  Trueblood  as  its  first 
miller.  In  that  early  day  there  were  very 
few  grist  mills  in  the  St.  Joseph  valley,  and  it 
is  believed  this  was  the  first  one,  certainly 
it  was  the  last  of  the  pioneer  grinding  estab- 
lishments to  go.  Its  dimensions  were  26  by 
36  feet,  three  and  a  half  stories  in  height.  It 
had  two  sets  of  buhrs  from  the  beginning, 
one  for  flour  and  one  for  meal,  and  it  kept 
these  two  only  all  through  its  existence.     The 


original  water  wheel  was  of  the  cumbersome 
overshot  variety,  but  later  this  was  supplanted 
by  the  less  cumbersome  turbine  wheel. 

"Mr.  Harris  died  about  the  year  1843,  and 
according  to  his  <}vm  request  was  buried  on 
the  farm  back  of  the  house.  It  was  his  desire 
that  his  remains  be  laid  at  rest  in  that  peace- 
ful, picturesque  place,  and  never  disturbed. 
A  few  vears  later  his  wife,  Barbara  Beeson 
Harris,  died  and  was  laid  beside  him.  Here 
also  others  of  the  neighborhood  were  buried 
when  they  had  laid  aside  the  burdens  of  life, 
including  the  mother  and  an  uncle  of  ex- 
Councilman  Sorden  Lister,  whose  home  was 
north  of  the  old  mill.  All  the  bodies  were  re- 
moved, however,  to  other  cemeteries,  with  the 
exception  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris,  whose  dust 
in  accordance  with  their  wish  lies  undisturbed 
on  the  spot  of  their  pioneer  struggles  and 
pleasures.  Their  resting  place  is  really  un- 
known, as  the  ground  has  Ipng  been  used  for 
agricultural  purposes,  obliterating  all  traces 
of  the  old  burial  spot. 

' '  The  farm  connected  with  the  mill  property 
originally  contained  160  acres  and  after  Mr. 
Harris '  death,  with  the  exception  of  some  por- 
tions divided  among  his  children,  the  place, 
including  the  mill,  was  bought  late  in  1843, 
by  J.  and  E.  S.  Sheffield  and  Edward  Car- 
penter, of  New^  York  city.  Mr.  Carpenter, 
whose  wife  was  a  sister  of  the  Messrs.  Shef- 
field, came  here  the  following  year  and  took 
charge  of  the  mill,  Charles  Deyo  acting  as 
miller. 

"Mr.  Carpenter  about  this  time  began  the 
construction  of  the  large  and  substantial 
house  that  still  stands  on  the  bluff  in  the  rear 
of  the  mill.  It  was  the  country  mansion  of 
this  whole  region  in  that  early  period.  Its 
frame  of  the  heavy  barn  beam  style  was  put 
together  to  stay.  Its  foundation  of  native 
field  granite,  floors  of  oak  and  doors  of  solid 
black  w^alnut,  and  its  large  dimensions,  with 
two  mammoth  chimneys,  gave  it  an  imposing 
appearance.  The  rooms  were  many  and  of 
good  size  and  the  house  was  originally 
warmed  by  five  big  fireplaces. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


287 


''Mr.  Jay  S.  Carpenter,  au  esteemed  resi- 
dent of  the  city,  who  was  the  elder  son  oi 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  Carpenter,  came  here 
from  New  York,  his  birthplace,  to  make  his 
home  with  his  parents  in  1846,  and  remem- 
bers the  site  of  his  new  home  in  this  wild 
spot  as  really  a  paradise  to  his  youthful  mind. 
In  front  of  the  house  the  trees  had  all  been 
cleared  away  and  a  broad  grassy  lawn  extend- 
ed from  the  front  steps  to  the  high  bluff  above 
the  mill.  From  the  front  doorway,  for  nearly 
a  mile  to  the  south  the  river  was  plainly  in 
view  and  the  freight  boats  and  steamers  could 
be  seen  daily  plodding  their  way  along  the 
stream.  Often  they  would  stop  at  the  mill 
and  take  on  a  load  of  flour,  for  there  was  a 
big  sale  in  the  east  for  the  excellent  flour  then 
made  by  the  little  Sheffield  mill  far  away  out 
in  the  Indiana  wilderness  on  the  St.  Joseph. 
Across  the  river  was  a  beautiful  landscape  of 
forest  and  clearing  and  distant  prairie.  In 
rear  of  the  house  still  stood  the  primitive  for- 
est, the  great  trees  towering  toward  the  skies 
in  their  undisturbed  majesty,  while  with  the 
undergrowth  all  removed  a  clear  view  was  ob- 
tained for  a  long  distance  and  the  ground  in 
summer  was  covered  with  a  solid  carpet  of 
green  turf.  At  the  foot  of  the  bluff  the  old 
mill  was  grinding  away  night  and  day,  the 
rattle  and  rumble  of  its  wheels  and  the  com- 
ing and  going  of  the  settlers  with  their  grain 
and  flour  gave  life  to  the  otherwise  quiet  spot 
in  the  wilderness.  The  Lister  house,  now  gone, 
was  a  little  ways  north  of  the  Carpenter  house 
and  there  was  a  well  worn  path  along  the  river 
bank  between  the  two. 

"Mr.  Carpenter  ran  the  mill  successfully 
for  a  few  years  and  then  moved  to  the  city, 
living  in  the  quaint  residence  at  the  corner  of 
Main  and  Madison  streets,  so  long  the  home 
of  his  daughters,  the  Misses  Mary  and  Emma 
Carpenter,  and  where  he  died  in  1851.  He 
was  a  brick  mason  by  trade  and  his  last  work 
in  the  city  was  building  the  First  M.  E.  and 
the  First  Reformed  churches.  His  son,  Oscar 
D.  Carpenter,  of  the  Folding  Paper  Box 
Company,  of  this  city,  was  born  at  the  old 


house  by  the  mill.  John  Sheffield  afterwards 
settled  in  the  city  and  with  Charles  Deyo  for 
several  years  conducted  a  milling  business 
where  Hill  Bros,  are  now  located.  Then  he 
finally  moved  to  Toledo,  0.,  and  carried  on 
the  same  business  there. 

THE  mill's  many  OWNERS. 

"The  old  mill  had  many  owners.  Mary 
Elting  came  into  possession  of  it  on  a  mort- 
gage sale  in  1860.  In  1864,  Dr.  Robert  Har- 
ris and  Elisha  Hall  bought  it  and  the  next 
year  Dr.  Harris  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Hall, 
who  conducted  it  for  a  year  and  then  sold  out 
to  John  Siders  in  1866.  Mr.  Siders  and  sons 
conducted  it  for  many  years  and  it  became 
best  known  in  the  community  by  the  name  of 
Siders'  mill.  The  late  John  F.  Kirby  was  one 
of  the  later  owners  of  the  property  and  for 
a  few  years  before  its  collapse  it  was  in  the 
possession  of  James  L.  Robinson.  Four  years 
ago  he  sold  out  to  the  South  Bend  Power  Com- 
pany, the  present  owners  of  the  property, 
who  tore  away  the  historic  structure  and 
erected  the  one-story  building  in  its  place. 

' '  The  Ullery  creek,  upon  which  the  old  mill 
stood  was  utilized  for  other  manufacturing 
purposes  in  early  times.  A  saw  mill  was 
erected  by  Jonas  Harris  on  his  property, 
about  half  a  mile  above  the  mouth  of  the 
creek,  and  this  he  ran  as  did  the  Sheffields  and 
Mr.  Carpenter,  who  came  after  him.  It  has 
long  since  passed  into  oblivion,  except  that 
a  portion  of  its  frame  was  removed  near  the 
old  grist  mill  and  converted  into  a  stable. 
Near  where  the  creek  crosses  the  Niles  road 
north  of  Notre  Dame,  Stephen  Ullery,  over 
half  a  century  ago,  ran  a  little  carding  mill, 
but  all  traces  of  this  have  disappeared. 

"The  old  gray  mill  of  the  pioneers  is  gone 
yet  it  lives  in  the  hundreds  of  pictures  of 
various  kinds,  great  and  small  that  adorn  the 
homes  and  public  places  of  this  community, 
chief  among  them  being  the  large  painting 
on  the  Auditorium  drop  curtain  with  its  ap- 
propriate couplet  from  the  valley's  most 
gifted  poet,  the  lamented  Ben  King: 


28S 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


"  'For  my  soul  it  seeiiis  caught  in  Old  Time's 

undertow, 
And  I'm  floating  away  down  the  river   St. 
'  Joe.'  " 

The  history  of  Notre  Dame  and  St.  Mary's 
will  be  reserved  for  another  chapter.  In  Mr. 
Bulla's  reminiscences,  already  referred  to, 
will  be  found  some  reference  to  early  educa- 
tional matters  in  the  township.  It  is  said 
that  the  first  school  taught  in  the  township  was 
in  Mr.  Eyler's  house  by  Charles  Murray.  The 
first  school  house  was  in  the  location  now 
known  as  Stover's,  on  the  Edwardsburg  road, 
the  teacher  being  Daniel  A.  Veasey.  Since 
1868,  the  German  Baptists  have  had  a  church 
in  the  middle  of  the  western  part  of  the  town- 
ship. Among  the  pastors  have  been  Jacob 
Cripe,  Christian  Wenger  and  John  B. 
Wrightsman.  There  is  no  other  church  in  the 
township,  except  those  at  Notre  Dame  and  St. 
Mary's.  According  to  the  United  States  cen- 
sus for  1900,  the  population  of  Clay  town- 
ship, including  that  of  Notre  Dame  and  St. 
Mary's,  was  one  thousand,  one  hundred  and 
fifty. 

See.  8. — Center.— Center  township  is  one 
day  younger  than  Clay.  It  was  formed  May 
6.  1840,  with  the  following  boundaries :  Be- 
ginning at  the  northeast  corner  of  section 
thirty,  township  thirty-seven,  range  three 
east;  thence  west  to  the  northwest  corner  of 
section  twenty-seven,  same  township,  range 
two  east ;  thence  south  to  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  section  fifteen,  township  thirty-six, 
range  two  east;  thence  east  to  the  southeast 
corner  of  section  eighteen,  same  township, 
range  three  east;  thence  north  to  the  begin- 
ning. 

Center  has  the  distinction  of  being  one  of 
the  two  townships  of  the  county  whose  limits 
have  remained  unchanged  since  their  forma- 
tion.    The  other  is  Lincoln  township. 

The  Michigaji  road  passes  north  and  south 
through  the  middle  of  the  township,  angling 
northeasterly;  while  the  old  Michigan  bound- 
ary passes  east  and  west  through  the  north 


half  of  the  township.     The  result  is  that  the 
lines  of  survey  are  somewhat  irregular. 

The  soil  is,  in  general,  a  strong  clay.  In 
the  northwest  there  is  a  good  deal  of  low  land. 
Rupel  lake,  in  the  "Rupel  settlement,"  is  in 
this  vicinity.  This  territory  is  drained  by 
Wenger 's  creek,  which  flows  down  through 
Portage  township  and  reaches  the  St.  Joseph 
almost  at  the  exact  south  bend  of  the  river. 
As  in  case  of  other  such  lands  throughout  the 
county,  these  low  lands  have  been  in  a  large 
measure  reclaimed  by  drainage  and  now  con- 
stitute the  most  valuable  lands  of  the  town- 
ship. The  general  character  of  the  soil  and 
of  the  people  in  the  north  part  of  Center  is 
like  those  of  the  neighboring  parts  of  Greene 
township;  while  in  the  southern  part  the  soil 
and  the  population  resemble  those  of  the  ad- 
jacent parts  of  Union  township.  Altogether, 
the  soil  and  the  people  are  amongst  the  best 
in  the  county. 

The  first  settlements  were  made  early  in 
the  thirties,  although  it  is  said  that  Nathan 
Rose  purchased  his  land  from  the  Pottawato- 
mies  in  1829.  Other  very  early  settles  were : 
Andrew  Milling,  James  and  Ashur  Palmer, 
from  whom  Pahner  Prairie  was  named,  John 
Rose,  Henry  StuU,  Peter  Rupel,  Col.  John 
Smith,  George  Smith,  Isaac  Lamb,  Abiel  Hun- 
gerford,  Tyra  W.  Bray,  James  and  Richard 
Inwood,  William  Phillips  and  William  H. 
Robertson. 

Elizabeth  Rose,  daughter  of  Nathan  Rose, 
was  the  first  child  born  in  the  township. 
Mathias  Stover  was  elected  first  justice  of  the 
peace.  Very  few  justices  or  constables 
however,  have  qualified  or  acted  in  the  town- 
ship. It  is  a  simple  law  abiding  people,  who 
obey  the  laws  without  restraint  or  compulsion 
of  any  kind.  The  pioneer  log  school-house 
was  erected  on  Nathan  Rose's  farm,  on  the 
Michigan  road,  in  1835.  A  little  later  a  frame 
school  building  was  erected  on  Col.  Smith's 
farm,  on  the  same  road.  Among  the  early 
teachers  were  Mary  Milling,  Benjamin  Gib- 
bons and  Daniel  Robertson.  The  German 
Baptist  church,  known  as  the  Palmer  Prairie 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


289 


church,  was  built  in  1859.  David  Miller  and 
Christian  Wenger  were  among  the  first  pas- 
tors. As  we  have  seen,  in  chapter  sixth,  sub- 
division sixth,  the  first  infirmary  owned  by 
the  county  was  located  in  Center  township, 
where  it  remained  nine  or  ten  years,  from 
1846  to  1855. 

The  Vandalia  railroad  runs  north  and  south 
through  Center  township.  Nutwood,  a  station 
rather  than  a  town,  is  located  on  the  railroad. 
Except  this  station,  the  township  is  purely 
agricultural.  It  is  the  smallest  township  in 
the  county,  containing  but  twenty  sections  of 
land.  But  the  land  mali,es  up  in  quality  what 
it  lacks  in  quantity.  The  population  by  the 
census  of  1900,  was  six  hundred  and  eight. 

Sec.  9. — Madison. — By  order  of  the  board 
of  county  commissioners,  made  March  4, 
1845,  so  much  as  was  then  left  of  Penn  town- 
ship was  divided  into  two  townships,  by  a 
line  due  east  and  west  through  the  centers  of 
sections  eight,  nine,  ten,  eleven  and  twelve, 
township  thirty-six,  range  three  east,  and 
through  sections  seven,  eight  and  nine,  same 
township,  range  four  east.  The  south  one  of 
these  townships  was  called  Madison,  the  name 
Penn  being  retained  for  the  northern  town- 
ship. 

The  north  boundary  of  Madison  remains 
unchanged;  the  east  boundary  is  the  Elkhart 
county  line ;  and  the  south  boundary,  the  Mar- 
shall county  line.  The  west  line  of  the  town- 
ship, after  some  slight  changes,  is  now  as 
follows:  Beginning  at  the  southwest  corner 
of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  eight, 
township  thirty-six  north,  range  three  east; 
thence  south  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  twenty,  said 
towTiship  and  range;  thence  east  to  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  said 
section  twenty;  thence  south  to  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
twenty-eight,  said  township  and  range ;  thence 
east  to  the  center  of  said  section  tweniy-eight ; 
thence  south  to  the  south  line  of  St.  Joseph 
county. 

The  territory  now  known  as  Madison  town- 

19 


ship  did  not  attract  settlers  until  a  compara- 
tively late  period  in  the  history  of  the  county. 
The  land  was  heavily  timbered  and  the  soil 
a  strong  clay,  while  swamps  and  low  ground 
met  the  explorer  at  every  turn.  Brave,  hardy 
pioneers,  however,  perceived  the  rich  quality 
of  the  soil  of  this  timbered  region.  The  saw- 
mill and  the  ditch  converted  the  forbidding 
region  into  the  most  valuable  farming  section 
of  the  county.  While  the  drains  were  prepar- 
ing the  land  for  tillage,  the  sawmills  con- 
verted the  timber  into  lumber;  so  that  the 
courageous  settlers  were  enabled  not  only  to 
make  their  living,  but  even  to  accumulate 
wealth,  while  waiting  for  their  lands  to  be- 
come dry  enough  for  the  plow.  The  soil  of 
Madison  township,  as  might  be  expected,  is 
of  inexhaustible  fertility ;  and  today  the  most 
favored  sections  of  St.  Joseph  county  yield 
to  Madison  in  the  production  of  every  grain 
and  vegetable  and  fruit  that  grows  in  our 
climate.  The  population,  like  that  of  Union 
and  southern  Penn,  is  to  a  great  extent,  of 
the  vigorous  Pennsylvania  stock,  which  is  so 
substantial  and  valuable  an  element  in  every 
community  of  which  it  forms  a  part.  It  was 
such  a  brave  hearted,  strong  bodied  people 
that  brought  a  change  over  the  face  of 
Madison  township,  until  the  wilderness  and 
the  swamps  have  literally  blossomed  as  the 
rose. 

The  first  settlers,  Mr.  Cline,  Mr.  Bennett 
and  Christian  Helminger,  came  in  1840. 
Other  early  settlers  were  Godfried  Enders, 
Mr.  Palmer,  Peter  Kline,  Adam  Kiefer,  Wil- 
liam Border,  Thomas  Crakes,  Jonathan  Gil- 
man,  Christian  Grose,  John  Schafiier,  Philip 
Berger,  Adam  Rader,  Michael  Kettring, 
Philip  McClellan,  Levi  Knowlton,  Philip, 
Jacob  and  John  Marker,  Daniel  B.  Jewell, 
Samuel  Shearer,  Eli  Leslie,  Joseph  Meyer, 
Anthony  Albert,  Adam  Layman,  Joseph 
Zeiger,  IMichael  Smith,  Amos  Jewell,  Hiraia 
Tiocker,  Jacob  Hetzel,  Jacob  Conrad, 
David  Neweomqr,  Andrew  J.  Strope, 
Daniel  Holmes,  Adam  Mochel,  John  Kelley, 
Charles  Kelley,  Henry  Flory,  Harrison  Pen- 
tecost, John  Hawkins,  Jacob  Loucks,  A.  C. 


290 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Heiner,  John  Shenefield,  John  Barkey,  Jacob 
Birk,  Jacob  Fiitler  and  Henry  Fox. 

There  are  but  two  small  towns  in  the  town- 
ship, Woodland,  in  the  northwest  part,  and 
Wyatt,  in  the  south.  The  latter  is  situated  on 
the  Wabash  railroad,  the  only  railroad  in  the 
township. , 

The  first  church  building  in  Madison  to\^ii- 
ship  was  a  log  house,  built  at  Woodland. 
This  was  erected  by  the  Methodists,  who 
afterwards  built  a  finer  structure  at  the  same 
place.  Later  the  church  was  purchased  by 
the  Evangelicals.  Three  or  four  miles  to  the 
east  of  Woodland,  the  Evangelicals  have 
another  church.  In  the  southwest  part  of  the 
township,  near  the  Yellow  river,  the  society 
known  as  the  Evangelical  Association  erected 
a  church  in  1864.  The  United  Brethren  also 
have  a  society  and  a  church  edifice  in  the 
township. 

The  German  Lutherans  have  a  church  in 
Woodland,  Avhich  was  built  in  1868.  Among 
the  pastors  have  been  the  Rev.  Conrad  Schus- 
ter and  the  Rev.  George  Rosenwinkle. 

As  might  be  inferred,  the  principal  occupa- 
tions of  the  people  of  Madison  township  have 
been  in  the  timber  and  lumber  business  and 
the  business  of  farming.  In  all  of  these  they 
have  succeeded  in  an  eminent  degree.  It  need 
hardly  be  said  that  the  education  of  the  chil- 
dren was  never  neglected.  The  township, 
which  is  now  populous  and  wealthy,  has  the 
only  rural  high  school  in  the  county.  Wisely 
the  substantial  citizens  of  the  township  have 
provided  that  the  ambitious  youth  of  the  com- 
munity may  receive  a  superior  education 
without  the  expense,  and  still  more  without 
the  dangers,  attendant  on  going  away  from 
home  at  an  age  when  parental  care  is  more 
than  at  any  other  time  needful  to  save  the 
dear  ones  from  excesses  which  are  but  miser- 
ably paid  for  by  the  most  finished  intellectual 
training  that  any  school  or  college  can  give. 
According  to  the  L^.  S.  census  for  the  year 
1900,  the  population  of  Madison  township,  in- 
cluding Woodland  and  Wyatt,  was  two 
thousand,  two  hundred  and  four. 


Sec.  10. — Lincoln. — The  last  townaship  to 
be  formed  out  of  the  original  three, — Penn. 
Portage  and  Olive — was  Lincoln.  This  town- 
ship, as  we  have  seen,  was  at  first  a  part  of 
Liberty.  The  boundaries  of  the  township  of 
Lincoln,  as  fixed  by  the  order  of  the  county 
board,  made  June  7,  1866,  are  as  follows: 
Beginning  at  the  southwest  corner  of  section 
thirty-four,  township  thirty-five,  range  one 
west,  being  the  southwest  corner  of  St.  Joseph 
county ;  thence  east,  on  the  line  between  St. 
Joseph  and  Starke  counties,  to  the  southeast 
corner  of  section  thirty-six,  same  township 
and  range ;  thence  north  three  miles,  to  the 
northwest  corner  of  ]\Iarshall  county;  thence 
east,  on  the  line  between  Marshall  and  St. 
Joseph  counties,  two  miles;  thence  north  two 
miles ;  thence  west  two  miles ;  thence  north 
one  mile ;  thence  west  to  the  Kankakee  river 
and  the  Laporte  county  line ;  thence  south, 
by  the  Laporte  county  line,  to  the  place  of 
beginning. 

As  in  the  case  of  only  one  other  township, 
that  of  Center,  the  boundaries  of  Lincoln 
have  remained  unchanged  since  its  formation. 

The  lands  of  Lincoln  township  have  be- 
come valuable  through  drainage.  With  the 
dredging  and  straightening  of  the  Kankakee 
and  the  construction  of  the  great  river  drains 
through  St.  Joseph,  Laporte  and  Starke  coun- 
ties, the  rich  bottoms  that  were  formerly 
water  covered  have  been  changed  into 
meadows  and  corn  fields.  The  inhabitants  of 
the  township  have  shown  the  greatest  enter- 
prise in  this  as  in  all  other  directions.  The 
people  of  Holland,  in  building  their  dykes 
against  the  sea,  have  made  that  country  the 
garden  of  Europe ;  and  the  people  of  Lincoln, 
as  also  the  inhabitants  of  the  other  townships 
along  the  Kankakee,  by  lowering  and 
straightening  that  winding  stream,  have 
turned  their  lowlands  into  rich  farms  and 
gardens. 

The  first  settlements  in  the  territory  now 
forming  Lincoln  township  were  made  as  early 
as  1835.  Christian  Fulmer  came  during  that 
year.     Soon   after  came   Thomas   H.   Wiley, 


PIISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUxXTY. 


291 


Philo  Ruggles,  Joshua  Cole,  Washington 
Fiison,  Thomas  Barton,  Archibald  Goit, 
Samuel  Lorens,  Ebenezer  Jones,  Charles  and 
Jackson  Usher,  Charles  Havens,  Morris  Frost. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  was  the  first  so- 
ciety to  erect  a  church  in  the  township.  This 
was  built  in  Walkerton,  in  1859,  under  direc- 
tion of  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Newhouse  and  the  Rev. 
James  Johnson,  the  latter  being  the  presiding 
elder.  The  society  was  long  known  as  the 
West  York  Mission  church.  The  Baptists 
erected  a  church  in  1870,  and  the  Catholics 
in  1876.  The  Presbyterians,  United  Brethren 
and  Seventh  Day  Adventists  also  have 
churches  in  the  township. 

The  first  school  house  was  erected  in  1858, 
about  a  mile  from  the  present  town  of  Walker- 
ton,  and  was  removed  into  the  town  in  1876. 
Graded  schools  of  a  high  order,  including  a 
high  school  in  Walkerton,  have  long  since 
provided  for  a  superior  education  for  the 
youth  of  the  township. 

No  section  of  St.  Joseph  county  has  a 
brighter  future  then  Lincoln  township  and  its 
enterprising  town  of  Walkerton.  The  popula- 
tion of  the  township,  according  to  the  census 
of  1900,  was  one  thousand,  five  hundred  and 
ninety-nine.  This  included  the  population  of 
Walkerton,  which  was  eight  hundred  and 
eighty-five. 

Sec.  11.— Penn.— When  on  May  6,  1832, 
by  order  of  the  county  board,  St.  Joseph 
county  was  divided  into  three  townships,  cor- 
responding with  the  three  county  commis- 
sioners' districts,  Penn  township  was  made  to 
comprise  the  whole  of  the  territory  of  the 
county  lying  east  of  range  two  east.  By  sub- 
sequent sub-divisions,  as  we  have  seen,  all  of 
the  present  township  of  Harris,  part  of  Clay, 
part  of  Center,  part  of  Union  and  all  of  Madi- 
son, were"  taken  from  Penn. 

Parts  of  Penn  were  added  to  Portage  also, 
as  follows :  On  January  5,  1836,  the  west  six 
sections  of  congressional  township  thirty- 
seven,  range  three  east;  and  on  September  4, 
1850,  the  west  half  of  section  five,  same  town- 
ship and  range.     Of  the  six  sections  so  added 


to  Portage,  January  5,  1836,  the  south  two, 
on  May  6,  1840,  became  a  part  of  the  town- 
ship of  Center. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  amount  of  terri- 
tory taken  from  Penn,  it  still  remains  the 
largest  township  in  the  county,  containing 
sixty-five  and  a  half  sections  of  land,  almost 
equal  to  two  congressional  townships.  It  is 
perhaps  also,  take  it  altogether,  the  richest 
township  in  the  county.  The  soil  and  charac- 
teristics of  the  south  part  of  the  township  are 
quite  similar  to  those  of  the  adjoining  town- 
ship of  Madison,  as  heretofore  described.  The 
St.  Joseph  river  flows  from  east  to  west 
through  the  north  part  of  the  township.  The 
river  receives  two  small  streams,  Twin 
Branch  and  Baugo,  from  the  south,  and 
another  from  the  north  side  of  the  river. 
These  small  streams  drain  large  tracts  of  low 
lands  on  either  side  of  the  river.  The  large 
marsh  between  Mishawaka  and  the  hills  to 
the  south,  and  extending  almost  from  the  west 
to  the  east  of  the  township,  is  the  principal 
of  these  lowlands.  This  is  the  swamp  behind 
which  La  Salle  lost  his  way,  as  related  in 
chapter  first  of  this  work.  Through  drain- 
age, all  these  lowlands  have  now  become  till- 
able, and  are  amongst  the  most  fertile  lands 
of  the  county. 

A  unique  industry  has  grown  up  from  the 
cultivation  of  these  fertile  swamps,  particu- 
larly that  which  may  be  called  the  La  Salle 
swamp.  Such  reclaimed  swamps  have  in 
many  cases  been  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of 
celery,  as  at  Kalamazoo;  and  that  industry 
has  been  engaged  in  at  Mishawaka.  But  it 
was  found  that  these  reclaimed  lowlands  were 
even  more  perfectly  adapted  to  the  cultivation 
of  peppermint.  The  following  account  of  this 
peppermint  industry  will  be  of  particular 
interest  in  connection  with  the  history  of  this 
county,  and  especially  the  history  of  Penn 
township :" 

"The  reports  that  the  peppermint  growers 
and  oil  distillers  of  northern  Indiana,  south- 

a.  Taken  principally  from  a  report  written  for 
the  Indianapolis  News,  of  October  13,  1906. 


292                                      HISTORY   OF   ST.  JOSEPH   COUNTY. 

ern  Michigan  and  Wayne  county,  New  York,  plants  are  running,  the  air  is  filled  with  the 

under  the  leadership  of  James  A.  Everitt,  of  aroma  of  the  mint. 

Indianapolis,    and   his   American    Society   of  ''When  the  crop  is  ready  for  harvesting  the 

Equity,  are  entering  into  a  combine  to  inject  reaper  is  driven  out  of  the  timothy  or  clover 

some    'equity'    into    the   mint    markets,    and  meadow  into  the  peppermint  field  and  there 

also  the  reports  from   Washington  that  the  the  crop  is  felled  with  a  three-and-a-half -foot 

eyes  of  the  attorney-general  have  been  directed  swath,  and  is  raked  up  like  clover,  and  by 

toward  the  infant  combination,   calls  to  the  the   same   process   into   windrows.      Into   the 

attention  of  Indiana  a  supremacy  enjoyed  by  fragrant  fields  come  the  hay  wagons  and  on 

her   in   the   world's    commercial   markets   of  them  the  mint  is  loaded  by  men  who  sweat 

which  few  of  her  citizens  know  anything.  as  profusely  under  their  bending  pitchforlvs 

"If  the  ordinary  Indiana  eater  of  pepper-  as  they  do  under  the  same  forks  and  same 

mint  drops,  chewer  of  peppermint  gum,  or  loads  in  the  hay  field. 

user  of  peppermint  oils  for  medical  or  com-  "But  the  mint  does  not  go  up  into  the  barn 

mercial   purposes   were   put   on   the   witness  loft.    While  it  is  yet  green,  it  is  hauled  to  the 

stand  and  questioned  concerning  where,  ac-  distillation  plants  and  is  dumped  in  ton  lots 

cording  to  his   opinion,   the  peppermint   for  into    great    wooden    casks.      In    these    it    is 

the  world  is  made,  he  would  probably  credit  tramped  tight  and  the  covers  are  let  down 

it  to  distant  tropical  lands.  and  screwed  on  tightly,  and  a  steam  vent  in 

"As  a  inatter  of  fact  the  world's  supply  of  tlie  bottom  of  the  great  cask  or  distilling  vat 

high  grade  peppermint  oils  and  flavors  comes  is  opened.     The  steam  pressing  up  through 

from   the    northern    Indiana   counties,    from  the  mint  causes  the  oil  in  the  leaves  to  liquefy 

those  in  southern  Michigan  and  from  Wayne  and  join  the  steam,  and  this  oil-steam  passes 

county.  New  York ;  and  the  low  grade  supply  ont  through  the  top  and  through  pipes  is  run 

comes  from  Japan.     The  Indiana  1906  crop  into  the  condensing  pipes,   over  which   cool 

has  just  been  harvested  and  distilled  on  the  water  is  kept  running. 

northern  Indiana  farms  and  it  represents  a  "The  temperature  of  these  pipes  is  so  low 

little  more  than  50,000  pounds  of  the  250,000  that  the  steam  precipitates  and  finally,  after 

pounds  national  production.    Probably  a  half  running  the   long   course   of   the   pipes,   the 

of  it  will  be  exported  to  England  and  Oer-  water  and  oil  come  out  into  separating  tanks, 

many  and  some  of  that  may  even  come  back  Here  the  oil  separates  completely  from  the 

on  the  Indiana  markets  as  the  supreme  grades  water  and  floats  on  top  of  it,  and  the  water 

of  Mitcham,   England,  peppermint   oils  and  under  its  own  pressure  is  discharged.     The 

essences.  ton  of  mint  is  left  for  about  an  hour  in  the 

"The  Indiana  mint  crop,   which  has  just  distilling  tanks  and  the  ton  produces,  ordi- 

been  put  into  oil,  represents  considerably  more  narily,    from   ten    to   twelve   pounds   of   oil, 

than  $100,000  of  value  in  ordinary  markets,  though  in   seasons   when   the  oil  values   are 

It  is  understood  that  the  Everitt  combine  of  heavy  it  will  run  above  this, 

mint  growers  proposes  to   hold  the   oil   for  "The  ordinary  oil  yield  is  twenty-five  to 

market  quotations  of  approximately  $2.75  a  thirty-five  pounds  an  acre,  which  selling  at 

pound.  $2.50   a  pound,   would  run   from   $62.50   to 

"Mishawaka  is  the  peppermint  capital  of  $87.50  cash.     But  there  is  nothing  certain  in 

the  Indiana  industry  and  when  the  almost  one  these  figures.    At  times  the  mint  crop  in  this 

thousand  acres  of  peppermint  fields  that  lie  part  of  the  state  has  run  up  to  sixty-five  and 

in  what  might  be  called  the  Mishawaka  dis-  even  seventy  pounds  an  acre,  and  at  times  it 

trict  are  in  harvest,  and  when  the  distilling  has  dropped  to  less  than  twenty  pounds,  while 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


293 


the  prices  have  run  as  wide   a  range — from 
50  cents  to  $6  a  pound. 

"It  is  a  very  costly  crop  to  produce,  the 
weeding-  having  to  be  done  by  hand,  while  the 
distillation  requires  considerable  labor.  Still 
in  years  of  average  production  of  oil  for  each 
acre  and  of  average  market  price  the  mint 
farmer  is  in  clover. 

"While  Mishawaka  ls  really  the  Indiana 
peppermint  capital — its  district  covering 
practically^  all  of  the  fields  in  St.  Joseph 
county — the  culture  is  carried  on  in  parts  of 
Elkhart,  Lagrange,  Noble,  Steuben,  De- 
Kalb,  IMarshall  and  Laporte  counties,  and 
has  been  introduced  recently  in  an  experi- 
mental way  into  the  Jasper  county  Kankakee 
swamps. 

"Like  broom  corn  and  many  other  crops, 
mint  can  be  grown  almost  anywhere,  but  only 
w^ith  commercial  success  and  excellence  in 
very  limited  areas.  Thus  far  in  all  of  this 
country  only  Wayne  county,  New  York,  south- 
ern Michigan  and  the  northern  tier,  or  tier 
and  a  half,  of  Indiana  counties,  have  been 
found  suitable  to  its  culture.  It  thrives  in 
just  those  old  lake  and  drained  swamp  beds 
that  made  Kalamazoo  famous  for  celery. 

"A  black  muck-sand  loam  is  the  soil  in 
which  it  is  raised  with  greatest  sucess,  and  that 
soil  must,  like  that  used  in  raising  the  finest 
grades  of  celery,  be  situated  in  a  finely-drawn 
climatic  zone.  JNIint  of  greater  growth  and 
finer  appearance  perhaps  has  been  grown  in 
the  fine  soils  of  Illinois,  in  Kansas  and  in 
Oregon  by  people  from  this  part  of  Indiana 
w^ho  wished  to  take  the  industry  into  new  sec- 
tions, but  while  it  was  most  promising  in  ap- 
pearance it  was  found,  on  subjecting  it  to  the 
distilling  process,  to  be  decidedly  short  on  oil, 
and  therefore  not  a  profitable  crop. 

' '  The  plant  looks  a  great  deal  like  alfalfa  or 
clover,  when  growing  in  the  field,  and  it  grows 
high  enough  to  reach  almost  above  a  man's 
knees.  It  has  a  stalk  a  great  deal  resembling 
the  clover  or  alfalfa  stalk,  and  its  roots  are 
of  much  the  same  character.  It  would  natur- 
ally be  thought  that  a  considerable  part  of 


the  oil  would  be  found  in  the  stalk,  but  hardly 
a  trace  of  it  comes  from  any  other  part  of 
the  plant  than  the  leaves. 

"The  under  side  of  the  leaf,  when  it  is 
green,  has  a  sort  of  velvety  finish.  When  plac- 
ed under  a  powerful  glass  it  is  seen  that  the 
soft  finish  is  made  up  of  minute  oil  cells.  In 
these  the  oil  is  carried.  It  seems  that  the  oil 
supply  is  much  greater  when  there  is  a  season 
of  hot  weather.  It  seems  also  to  diminish  when 
there  is  a  drop  in  temperature.  Where  does 
it  go,  or  from  whence  the  increased  supply, 
no  one  seems  to  know.  When  the  plant  is 
nearing  maturity  a  person  going  into  a  mint 
field  and  running  his  hand  through  the  grow- 
ing plants  finds  it  "finished"  with  mint  oil 
with  so  great  staying  powder  that  the  odor  will 
remain  for  many  hours. 

"Jerry  Woodward,  who  lives  in  Mishawaka, 
is  known  over  northern  Indiana  as  the  "In- 
diana Peppermint  King. ' '  With  his  brothers, 
Walter  and  William,  he  has  about  320  acres 
in  mint,  and  this  year  the  Woodward  crop 
ran  more  than  4,000  pounds.  The  Wood- 
wards are  the  largest  growers  in  Indiana  and 
the  second  largest  in  this  country  and  possi- 
bly in  the  world,  as  the  Japanese,  who  supply 
the  inferior  oil,  are  said,  individually,  to  be 
small  growers.  The  greatest  grower  is  A.  M. 
Todd,  who  lives  in  Kalamazoo,  and  generally 

has  600  to  800  acres  in  mint. 

"There  are  a  number  of  Indiana  growers 
who  raise  from  100  to  150  acres  of  mint  a 
year.  Each  of  these  has  his  own  distilling 
plant  and  distills  the  crops  of  the  smaller 
growers. 

"In  respect  to  marketing  the  crop  as  a 
finished  oil  or  spirit,  the  peppermint  growei-s 
of  this  country  who  distill  their  own  crops, 
nearest  approach  the  German  potato  growers, 
who  distill  their  crop  into  alcohol  in  their  own 
fami  distilleries. 

"The  mint  grown  by  these  conunercial  cul- 
turists  is  a  cross  between  the  wild  America 
and  the  old  English  mint.  The  growing  in 
this  country  was  begun  a  century  or  more 
ago  in  Wayne  county,  New  York,  the  wild 


294 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


mint  being  used.  At  that  time  Mitcham 
(England)  peppermint  oil  was  standard  and 
was  sold  to  all  countries.  It  was,  in  fact, 
very  limited  in  quantity  and  the  grower  that 
made  the  name  famous  only  grew  his  mint 
in  a  small  garden  and  bought  the  mint  grown 
by  others.  He,  however,  developed  a  very 
superior  plant,  and  this  later  was  crossed 
with  the  American  plant  grown  in  New  York. 
From  New  York  it  was  brought  to  Michigan 
and  from  Michigan  into  Indiana  sixty  or 
seventy  years  ago,  probably  the  first  Indiana 
grower  being  Elam  Eller,  of  St.  Joseph 
county.  The  Woodward  Brothers,  who  moved 
from  Michigan  to  JMishawaka,  seventeen 
years  ago,  were  the  first  extensive  growers. 

"In  recent  years  the  acreage  has  been  great- 
ly increased.  As  yet  the  principal  jobbers  who 
buy  the  oil  have  their  headquarters  in  Michi- 
gan. The  exportation  is  done  through  New 
York  and  Boston,  and  -probably  now  runs  in 
excess  of  125.000  pounds  a  year.  As  a  rule 
the  oil  is  marketed  in  four-pound  cans. 

"Peppermint  oil  is  used  for  the  most  part 
as  an  essential  oil  in  the  manufacture  of  con- 
fections and  chewing-gmn,  though  it  also  is 
largely  used  as  a  medicine,  especially  in  fight- 
ing certain  contagions.  Though  a  total  pro- 
duction of,  say,  a  quarter  of  a  million  pounds, 
does  not  figure  into  much  bulk,  the  possibili- 
ties of  this  amount  of  peppermint  oil  are 
better  grasped  by  the  simple  statement  that 
one  ounce  of  peppermint  oil  will  flavor  a 
barrel  of  sugar  and  a  barrel  of  sugar  will 
make  a  great  deal  of  candy  and  chewing-gum 
filler. 

"One  of  the  greatest  markets  open  to  the 
growers  is  that  of  supplying  the  chewing-gum 
factories,  of  which  there  are  over  6,000  listed 
in  this  country.  The  general  impression  is 
that  a  large  percentage  of  the  oil  is  used  in 
setting  prints  in  dress  goods,  but  at  least  at 
this  time  other  cheaper  oils  are  used. 

' '  The  mint  plant  is  grown  from  roots  which 
are  carefully  carried  through  the  winter. 
They  are  planted  in  rows  about  as  far  apart 
as   corn   rows   and   are   cultivated  much   the 


same  as  corn  for  some  time.  Then  they  throw 
out  runners,  much  like  the  sweet  potato  does, 
and  cultivation  from  that  time  on  has  to  be 
by  hand.  Weeds  grow  very  thick  and  quickly, 
as  a  rule  in  the  loose  soils  used  and  they  all 
have  to  be  pulled  out  by  nimble  fingers.  A 
stand  of  peppennint  is  good  for  three  or  four 
years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  a  short 
rest  for  the  soil  is  followed  in  a  year  or  two 
by  replanting. 

"As  it  grows  the  crop  is  a  beautiful  one  and 
a  delightful  one  to  the  sense  of  smell.  It  is, 
all  considered,  next  to  the  sunflower  crops 
of  Clark  county,  probably  the  most  interest- 
ing and  prettiest  crop  grown  in  the  state. ' ' 

The  soil  of  Penn  township,  except  in  the 
south  part  and  in  the  lowlands,  is  in  general 
a  fertile  sand  and  gravel.  In  places,  particu- 
larly in  the  vicinity  of  the  river,  the  land- 
scape is  most  charming,  resembling  that  of 
our  finest  prairies. 

The  first  settlements  of  the  township  were 
very  early.  William  and  Timothy  Moat  came 
in  1828.  Others  among  the  first  settlers  of 
the  township  were  William  Holt,  Jesse  Skin- 
ner, Samuel  L.  Cottrell,  Jesse  Bell,  Henry 
Huntsinger,  Jonathan  Macy,  Jacob,  George 
and  Edward  Byrkit,  James  Curtis,  John  and 
William  Ireland,  George  W.  West,  George 
Eutzler,  Joseph  Coe,  Daniel,  Da\dd,  William 
and  George  Hollingshead,  Daniel  and  Samuel 
Edwards,  John  McKnight,  Braddock  and 
Uriah  Chandler,  William  and  Menzo  Webster, 
and  Isaac  Parks. 

The  early  life  of  the  settlers  was  much  the 
same  as  that  of  those  in  the  other  townships, 
with  the  exception,  perhaps,  that  what  may 
be  called  the  public  life  of  the  people  was,  to 
a  great  extent,  concentrated  in  and  near  the 
town  of  jMishawaka,  and  somewhat  also  at 
Osceola.  In  the  chapter  on  cities  and  towns 
will  be  found  details  of  the  history  of  these 
places.  Schools  and  churches  were  organized 
here  as  in  other  townships,  and  here  also  the 
religious  societies  frequently  used  the  school 
houses  for  churches  until  they  were  able  to 
have  both.     The  first  church  edifice  was  built 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


295 


in  ^iishawaka.  The  first  school  house  was 
erected  in  1832.  On  the  Baugo  creek,  near 
the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Osceola,  a 
saw"  mill  was  built  in  the  same  year.  The 
power  of  the  little  stream  has  been  used  ever 
since  for  milling  purposes,  both  for  saw  mill 
and  grist  mill.  The  name  of  Zelotes  Ban- 
croft and  that  of  his  family  is  inseparably 
connected  with  the  milling  business  at  this 
point. 

The  Lake  Shore  railroad  and  the  Grand 
Trunk  both  pass  through  Penn  township;  as 
does  also  the  interurban  line  formerly  known 
as  the  Indiana  railway,  but  now  as  the  Chi- 
cago, South  Bend  and  Northern  Indiana. 
There  is  also  a  line  of  railway  extending  from 
Mishawalca  to  Elkhart  to  which  the  name  of 
Mr.  Bucklen  of  Elkhart  is  given,  but  whose 
future  seems  as  yet  not  to  be  fully  known. 
The  population  of  Penn  township,  outside  the 
city  of  Mishawaka,  as  shown  by  the  United 
States  census  for  1900,  was  two  thousand, 
five  hundred  and  fifty-seven.  This  included 
the  town  of  Osceola. 

Sec.  12. — Portage. — By  the  order  of  May 
6,  1832,  forming  the  three  townships  of  Penn, 
Portage  and  Olive,  Portage  was  made  to  in- 
clude all  of  range  tw^o  east.  This  range  was 
also  fixed  as  the  limits  of  the  second  commis- 
sioner's district  of  the  county.  While  the 
three  commissioners'  districts  have  remained 
unchanged,  the  big  townships,  as  we  have 
seen  in  the  preceding  pages,  have  been  sub- 
divided and  changed  almost  beyond  recogni- 
tion. 

Range  two  east,  which  at  first  constituted 
Portage  township,  now  embraces  all  of  the 
present  township  of  German  and  part  of  Clay, 
Greene,  Center,  Liberty  and  Union.  But  the 
present  Portage,  while  embracing  but  a  frac- 
tion of  the  old  township  of  the  same  name, 
is  itself  not  confined  to  the  original  range  and 
commissioner's  district,  but,  as  we  have  seen 
in  considering  the  history  of  Penn  township, 
extends  over  into  range  three  east  and  into 
the  first  commissioner's  district. 

The   township   of  Portage,   as  now   consti- 


tuted, with  the  exception  of  the  part  within 
the  Kankakee  valley,  consists  almost  altogether 
of  high  and  slightly  rolling  lands.  As  the  his- 
tory of  Penn  township  centers  chiefly  in  that 
of  the  city  of  Mishawaka ;  so,  in  even  a 
greater  degree,  the  history  of  Portage  town- 
ship centers  in  that  of  South  Bend.  The 
history  of  South  Bend,  which  will  be  given 
in  another  chapter,  will  therefore  substan- 
tially cover  the  history  of  Portage  township. 
The  earliest  history  of  the  county  also,  as 
already  set  out  in  chapter  four,  is  in  sub- 
stance, a  history  of  Portage  township  for  the 
time  covered.  The  first  settlers  of  the  county 
were  settlers  of  what  is  now  Portage  town- 
ship ;  Pierre  Navarre,  in  1820 ;  Alexis  Coquil- 
lard,  in  1823 ;  Col.  L.  M.  Taylor,  in  1827,  and 
the  others  as  mentioned  in  chapter  fourth. 
The  first  churches  and  school-houses  were 
also  in  what  is  now  South  Bend.  The 
first  flouring  mill,  in  1831,  and  the  first  tan- 
nery, a  little  later,  both  erected  by  William 
McCartney,  were  in  Portage  township,  on  Mc- 
Cartney's  creek,  a  little  below  the  present 
limits  of  South  Bend.  That  the  city  of  South 
Bend  has  become  the  chief  part  of  Portage 
township  is  still  further  apparent  from  the 
United  States  census  for  1900,  where  the 
population  of  the  township,  including  the  city 
is  shown  to  be  thirty-six  thousand,  eight  hun- 
dred and  ninety -six ;  while  the  population 
of  the  city  alone  appears  as  thirty-five  thou- 
sand, nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine,  leaving 
for  the  township  outside  the  city,  eight  hun- 
dred and  ninety-seven. 

Sec.  13. — Olive. — The  third  township, 
formed  I\Iay  6,  1832,  comprised  all  of  the 
county  west  of  range  two  east,  which  terri- 
tory also  constituted  the  third  commissioner's 
district.  The  township,  as  then  formed,  in- 
cluded not  only  the  present  township  of  Olive, 
but  also  Wan-en,  part  of  Greene  and  Liberty 
and  all  of  Lincoln;  besides  the  parts  on  the 
west  and  south  that  were  afterwards  attached 
to  Laporte,  Starke  and  IMarshall  counties,  by 
the  several  acts  of  the  legislature,  as  detailed 
in   chapter   fifth,   subdivision    ninth,    of   this 


296 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


history.  In  addition  to  the  territory  so  taken 
from  Olive  township  by  the  acts  of  the  legis- 
lature, the  board  of  county  commissioners,  by 
the  several  orders  made  in  forming  the  town- 
ships of  Warren,  Greene,  Liberty  and  Lincoln, 
took  other  territory  from  Olive,  on  the  east 
and  the  south,  as  already  detailed  in  our  his- 
tory of  those  townships.  With  all  its  losses, 
however,  Olive,  in  size,  is  still  the  second  town- 
ship in  the  county,  being  exceeded  in  terri- 
tory only  by  Penn.  By  the  census  of  1900, 
Olive  township,  including  the  town  of  JSew 
Carlisle,  had  a  population  of  one  thousand, 
nine  hundred  and  ninety-eight ;  or  fourteen 
hundred  and  ninety-one  outside  the  town. 

In  another  respect  Olive  is  the  first  of  our 
townships ;  that  is,  in  the  beauty  of  her  prairie 
scenery.  We  have  many  beautiful  prairies  in 
St.  Joseph  county,  but  the  finest  of  them  all 
is  Terre  Coupee  prairie,  extending  in  length, 
east  and  west,  six  or  seven  miles,  clear  across 
the  township,  and  in  width,  north  and  south, 
four  or  five  miles.  There  can  be  no  more 
beautiful  stretch  of  garden  land  in  all  the 
world. 

The  first  settlements  of  Olive  township  were 
made  in  1830.  The  township  received  its 
name  from  Olive  (Stanton),  wife  of  Charles 
Vail,  who  settled  in  the  township  in  that 
year.  Other  settlers  who  came  then  or  soon 
after  were  Joseph  Adams,  Jacob  and  Israel 
Rush,  John,  Barzilla  and  Gamaliel  Druliner, 
Samuel  Garwood,  Jonathan  Hubbard,  grand- 
father of  the  Hon.  Lucius  Hubbard,  of  South 
Bend,  Garrett  and  Henry  Nickerson,  William 
White,  John  Carskaddon,  Jacob  Egbert,  John 
Egbert,  George  Boyd,  James  Garoutte,  Benja- 
min Redding,  Job  Smith,  Henry  Ranstead  and 
John  Reynolds. 

In  chapter  four,  subdivision  sixth,  will  be 
found  the  reminiscences  of  Hugh  V.  Compton, 
giving  his  recollection  of  events  in  the  early 
history  of  Olive  township.  These  reminis- 
cences give  us  a  vivid  picture  of  pioneer  life 
in  the  township. 

The  following  additional  reminiscences  have 
been   secured   through   the   courtesy   of   Mr. 


Albert  H.  Compton,  son  of  Hugh  V.  Compton. 

Mr.  Jesse  Haines  says :  The  Haines  family 
came  in  1830.  Israel  Rush  was  the  first  jus- 
tice of  the  peace.  John  Banker  was  an  asso- 
ciate judge  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit  court. 
He  lived  on  Terre  Coupee  prairie,  and  walked 
to  South  Bend  to  perform  his  judicial  duties. 
The  first  election  held  in  Olive  township  was 
at  the  home  of  John  Druliner,  in  a  log  house. 
Charles  Vail  was  inspector  of  that  election. 
Being  a  Quaker,  he  would  not  administer  an 
oath,  but  required  the  members  of  the  elec- 
tion board  to  affirm. 

One  evening  in  1831,  a  little  before  the  or- 
ganization of  the  to^^^lship,  Judge  Egbert, 
while  taking  supper  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Charles  Vail,  said  to  Mr.  Vail :  ' '  This  being 
the  best  and  most  beautiful  township  in  St. 
Joseph  county,  it  shall  be  named  for  your  girl 
wife."    Hence  the  name  Olive  township. 

About  1836,  Samuel  Garwood  sold  a  tract 
of  land  on  the  prairie  to  Jonathan  Hubbard, 
who  laid  out  and  platted  the  town  of  Terre 
.  Coupee.  A  man  named  Hamilton  built  a 
hotel  at  the  place ;  and  from  the  name  of  the 
hotel  the  town  gradually  became  known  as 
Hamilton.  Mr.  Haines  relates  that  in  1832, 
his  father,  then  living  in  what  is  now  Hudson 
township,  Laporte  county,  becoming  alarmed 
on  account  of  the  rumors  as  to  the  Black 
Hawk  uprising,  took  his  wife  and  six  children 
in  a  four-horse  wagon,  riding  himself  on 
horseback,  while  Mrs.  Haines  carried  a  flint- 
lock musket  across  her  lap ;  and  so  provided 
they  started  for  the  Carey  Mission  near  Niles. 
On  reaching  the  home  of  Samuel  Garwood,  at 
Terre  Coupee,  or  Hamilton,  they  found  the 
people  building  a  fort,  and  concluded  to  stop 
there.  After  a  few  days,  finding  that  the 
danger  was  over,  they  returned  home. 

The  early  settlers  of  Olive  township  were 
principally  from  Warren  county,  Ohio.  They 
came  by  way  of  Niles,  Michigan,  or  by  Craw- 
fordsville,  Indiana  ;  the  land  office  being  lo- 
cated at  Crawfordsville.  Those  routes  were 
taken  to  avoid  the  Kankakee  and  Grapevine 
marshes. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


297 


The  Rev.  James  Annstrong  is  said  to  have 
been  the  first  missionary  of  the  Methodist 
church  in  St.  Joseph  county.  Principally 
through  his  efforts,  the  first  Methodist  society 
was  organized  at  the  house  of  Paul  Egbert, 
near  Terre  Coupee,  or  Hamilton,  in  the  year 
1830,  by  the  Rev.  E.  Felton,  of  the  Ohio  con- 
ference. The  class  then  formed  consisted  of 
eight  members,  of  which  John  Egbert  was  ap- 
pointed claSvS-leader.  The  work  of  the  church 
was  re-organized  in  1834,  by  Mr.  Armstrong, 
then  presiding  elder,  who  died  in  the  fall  of 
that  year.  The  church  has  since  been  regu- 
larly continued.  The  first  church  edifice  was 
built  at  Hamilton,  in  1839  and  1840.  The 
prime  movers  in  the  erection  of  this  building 
were  Paul  and  John  Egbert  and  Jonathan 
Hubbard.  The  church  was  the  best  one  then 
north  of  the  Wabash.  Oliver  Emery  was  the 
architect.  The  erection  of  this  church  is  en- 
titled to  more  than  ordinary  consideration  as 
one  of  the  first  important  steps  taken  in  the 
advancement  of  civilization  in  St.  Joseph 
county. 

Early  in  1868,  the  Christian,  sometimes 
called  the  Camj^bellite,  church  was  organized 
in  New  Carlisle  by  the  Rev.  Ira  J.  Chase, 
then  stationed  at  Mishawaka.  Mr.  Chase  was 
assisted  in  his  work  by  the  Rev.  W.  M.  Roe, 
of  Rolling  Prairie;  and,  on  March  29,  1868,  a 
society  was  organized  in  the  chapel  hall  of 
the  New  Carlisle  Collegiate  Institute.  A 
church  building  was  dedicated  March  13, 
1870,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Chase  delivering  the 
sermon.  The  church  has  continued  to  pros- 
per. The  Rev.  Ira  J.  Chase  was  afterwards 
governor  of  Indiana. 

The  land  where  New  Carlisle  now  stands 
was  at  first  owned  by  a  man  named  Bouris- 
sau,  who  was  married  to  an  Indian  woman. 
On  the  death  of  Bourissau,  his  children  sold 
the  land  to  Richard  Carlisle,  who  platted  the 
town  and  gave  it  his  own  name.  The  hotel 
in  New  Carlisle  was  built  in  1836  by  Richard 
Cranmer  who  occupied  it  for  a  time  and  then 
sold  it  to  Joseph  Ivens.  Mr.  Ivens  remained 
the  proprietor  for  several  years,  and  by  his 


genial  and  hospitable  way  of  entertaining 
acquired  for  his  hotel  a  great  reputation  as 
one  of  the  best  houses  on  the  "stage  line." 

The  following  are  some  recollections  of 
fifty  years  ago  by  the  venerable  Mrs.  R.  J. 
Pidge : 

"Yes,  it  is  half  a  century  since  I  came  to 
New  Carlisle.  I  was  married  January  27, 
1847,  to  Rev.  A.  H.  Pidge,  at  Big  Prairie 
Ronde,  Mich.,  and  arrived  here  on  January 
31st ;    and  it  has  been  my  home  ever  since. 

"Very  many  changes  have  taken  place  since 
that  time.  In  looking  over  the  past  fifty 
years  the  scenes  and  events  come  to  my  mind 
like  a  panorama,  which  I  have  no  words  to 
describe. 

"At  that  time  Carlisle  was  a  very  small 
place,  only  a  few  persons  who  were  here  then 
are  left;  mast  of  them  have  passed  away 
from  earth. 

"There  was  a  hotel,  a  dry  goods  store,  a 
post  office  (kept  in  a  blacksmith  shop)  ,and 
perhaps  some  other  small  shops.  The  hotel 
was  kept  by  Joseph  Ivens.  There  was  no 
church  or  school  house  in  the  town  then, 
no  railroad.  The  only  public  conveyances 
then  were  the  large  four-horse  stage-coaches 
which,  perhaps,  the  present  generation  never 
saw.  There  were  no  church  services  held  here 
then ;  but  a  few  years  before  Schuyler  Col- 
fax's  mother,  Mrs.  Mathews,  had  organized  a 
Sunday  school  in  her  own  house,  assisted  by 
Mr.  Mathews  and  her  son  Schuyler.  She  told 
me  she  made  little  tea  parties  to  raise  money 
to  buy  books. 

"We  attended  church  at  Hamilton,  wiiich 
was  then  the  most  important  town  of  this 
vicinity.  In  a  year  or  two  Rev.  Abram  Salis- 
bury, a  Methodist  minister,  was  appointed  to 
the  circuit.  He  resided  at  Byron,  between 
here  and  Laporte  (our  parsonage  was  there 
then).  On  Sunday  morning  he  came  here 
and  preached  at  9  o'clock  and  then  went  to 
Hamilton  and  preached  at  11  o'clock.  I  for- 
^•ot  to  say  that  Rev.  Mr.  Salisbury  preached 
in   what   was   then    called   the   old   Mormon 


298 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Temple.     It  stood  where  Dr.  Davis'  residence 
is  at  present. 

"In  1852  there  was  a  school  house  built 
on  the  lot  where  Mrs.  Hubbard's  house  now 
stands,  which  w^as  used  for  church  purposes 
and  Sunday  school  until  our  present  M.  E. 
church  was  built,  during  the  pastorate  of 
John  R.  Eddy  in  1858  and  1859.  The  Lord 
only  knows  the  great  efforts  and  many  sacri- 
fices it  took  to  build  this  house  for  Him^  and 
w^hen  the  day  for  dedication  came  we  all  re- 
joiced in  this  final  event.  I  think  it  was  in 
September,  1859,  that  our  church  was  dedi- 
cated. Rev.  J.  M.  Eddy  of  Chicago,  brother 
of  our  pastor,  preached  the  dedication  ser- 
mon. ' ' 

The  following  paper  by  Granville  Wool- 
man  was  recently  read  at  the  Woman's  Club 
Banquet,  New  Carlisle : 

"My  father  came  to  this  county  in  1830 
with  three  of  his  neighbors  to  look  the  coun- 
try over  and  learn  whether  they  would  like 
it  and  could  better  their  condition.  On  their 
return  my  father  was  the  only  one  that  con- 
cluded to  come.  He  made  arrangements  to 
move  in  1832,  but  rumors  of  the  Black  Hawk 
war  had  broken  out  and  by  the  time  they 
had  reached  us  it  was  to  the  effect  that  every 
white  man,  woman  and  child  was  murdered 
in  the  most  cruel  manner,  that  property  was 
all  destroyed  and  the  Indians  reigned  su- 
preme. While  that  was  not  the  case,  it  had 
the  effect  to  stop  the  emigration  for  the  time 
being. 

"My  father  not  being  entirely  satisfied 
came  in  1833,  and  liked  the  country  still 
better.  He  purchased  the  land  where  we  now 
live,  for  which  he  paid  $2.50  per  acre,  it  being 
Indian  land,  and  moved  in  1834  in  company 
with  Samuel  Bates,  his  brother-in-law.  We 
left  Ohio  August  20,  and  arrived  here  Sep- 
tember 4th.  The  roads  were  quite  bad  part 
of  the  way,  especially  through  the  Black 
sw^amp  and  Grapevine,  consequently  we  made 
slow  progress  compared  with  travel  nowa- 
days, about  20  miles  a  day.  My  father  drove 
three  horses,  one  of  w^hich  he  rode ;  the  leader 


was  driven  by  a  single  or  jerk  line.  The 
roads  across  the  mareh  were  very  bad  and 
continued  so  most  of  the  way  across  the  prai- 
rie. When  we  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the 
prairie  father  said  to  mother,  'Here  is  Terre 
Coupee,  if  the  bottom  has  not  fallen  out.' 
Not  a  very  pleasing  sight,  I  assure  you.  Mud 
was  12  to  15  inches  deep  with  water  frequent- 
ly standing  either  side  of  the  road.  We 
finally  arrived  at  our  'Bunker  Hill,'  and  a 
far  more  pleasing  sight  it  seemed.  This  some- 
what overcame  the  first  unfavorable  impres- 
sion. There  was  but  one  cabin  and  that  was 
located  where  the  Christian  church  now 
stands.  That  and  the  land  belonged  to  a 
family  by  the  name  of  Bourissau,  a  half-breed 
Indian.  We  crassed  to  the  north  side  of  the 
prairie,  where  our  land  was  located,  and  se- 
lected a  place  to  build  near  where  the  build- 
ings now  stand.  The  road  ran  about  15  rods 
south  of  the  building  and  remained  there  for 
a  number  of  years. 

"We  immediately  built  a  shanty,  intended 
for  a  stable,  covered  with  clapboards  held 
down  by  weight  poles,  and  with  a  door  cut 
in  one  end  of  the  shanty.  Clapboards  laid 
crosswise  extending  to  the  opening  between 
the  logs,  with  bedding  on,  made  a  comfort- 
able lodging  place.  With  a  slab  for  a  table 
and  stools  made  out  of  the  same  material, 
pins  driven  in  the  logs  on  which  to  hang 
wearing  apparel,  a  dirt  floor  and  a  camp 
fire,  we  were  quite  at  home. 

"My  father  went  to  the  east  end  of  the 
prairie  and  bought  a  quarter  of  beef.  As 
we  had  no  place  to  keep  it,  father  climbed 
up  a  small  tree  near  the  shanty,  to  cut  off  a 
limb;  and  with  mother's  help  managed  to 
hang  it  up. 

"But  the  meat  served  to  attract  the  wolves, 
which  came  in  large  numbers,  howling,  snarl- 
ing and  snapping  around  the  shanty.  The 
dogs  we  brought  to  devour  all  the  wolves 
in  the  west  came  through  the  door  with  a 
rush,  slipped  under  the  bed  and  were  very 
docile  until  the  wolves  left.  I  never  could 
understand    why    they    were    so    afraid    of 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


299 


wolves   wlien    they   had   never   been   attacked 
by  them. 

"Every  one  who  passed  along-  the  road  and 
saw  the  shanty  and  covered  wagon  would  stop 
and  inquire  where  we  were  from,  and  if  we 
had  come  to  stay. 

"Mrs.  Abbie  Druliner,  who  lived  on  the 
Wade-Reynolds  place,  came  a  few  days  after 
we  had  located,  introduced  herself  and  in- 
quired where  we  were  from ;  hoped  we  w^ould 
be  satisfied,  saying-  that  they  needed  people 
to  help  improve  the  country  and  as  we  were 
near  neighbors  she  hoped  we  would  remain 
as  such. 

"  'We  have  been  here  two  years,'  she  said, 
'and  anything-  we  have  in  the  Avay  of  pro- 
vision that  you  haven't  we  want  to  divide 
with  you.  I  have  the  material  for  maJjing 
soap ;  come  over  and  help  make  it  and  we 
will  divide. '  Whether  this  kind  act  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  their  friendship  or  not,  I 
assure  you  they  were  fast  friends  all  their 
lives.  They  visited  each  other,  their  neigh- 
bors, and  the  sick  and  needy.  Everyone 
seemed  delighted  to  have  new  comers  and 
worked  for  one  another's  interest.  The  In- 
dians were  quite  numerous,  passing'  along-  the 
road  in  squads  of  two  to  tweniy.  You  may 
imag:ine  how  a  boy  of  ten  would  feel  after 
hearing  all  about  the  depredations  the  Indians 
had  committed  the  past  two  years.  It  so  hap- 
pened one  day  in  my  father's  absence  that 
I  went  down  near  the  road  to  cut  some  wood 
out  of  a  large  oak  top.  We  had  an  old  dog. 
Rover,  in  some  respects  like  Mary 's  lamb ; 
wherever  I  went  he  was  sure  to  go.  He  was 
lying  near  where  I  was  chopping  and  all  at 
once  commenced  growling,  his  hair  standing 
on  end.  I  told  him  to  be  quiet,  but  I  knew 
that  something  was  up.  I  commenced  look- 
ing about  and  soon  discovered  two  big  Indians 
coming  down  the  road,  with  feathers  in  cap, 
and  with  tomahawks  and  scalping  knives  in 
their  belts.  With  not  much  time  to  think,  I 
bade  the  old  dog  be  quiet  and  settled  down 
in  the  top  of  the  tree,  hoping  to  avoid  their 
notice  until  they  passed.     But  when  they  got 


opposite  where  I  was  one  of  them  straightened 
up  and  pulled  out  a  scalping  knife.  I  went 
out  of  that  tree  like  a  jack  rabbit;  out  ran 
the  old  dog ;  and  my  hat  and  everything  else 
landed  into  the  shanty,  half  way  across  the 
room.  My  mother  said,  'What's  the  matter 
with  thee  ? '  '  Two  big  Indians  ;  I  guess  they 
have  scalped  me. '  The  Indians  were  quite 
docile,  except  when  they  had  firewater;  then 
they  would  pass  along  the  road  in  single  file 
no  matter  what  their  number  was,  whooping 
and  yelling,  with  their  ponies  at  full  speed. 
We  soon  became  accustomed  to  them  and  had 
but  little  fear.  Many  of  their  wigwams  were 
very  attractive,  lined  with  furs  of  different 
kinds  and  fancy  blankets,  the  squaws  sitting 
on  robes  doing  fancy  work,  with  papooses 
lashed  to  boards  hanging  to  a  limb  or  leaning 
against  a  tree,  and  the  older  children  frisking 
about,  practicing  with  bow  and  arrow,  jump- 
ing or  running  races.  The  surroundings 
seemed  the  height  of  contentment  and  they 
acted  very  friendly,  but  would  never  invite 
you  inside." 

The  following  extract  is  from  a  paper  by 
Judge  Lucius  Hubbard,  read  by  him  in  the 
public  hall  at  New  Carlisle  a  few  years  ago: 

"The  first  record  I  find  of  white  settlers 
in  Olive  township  was  in  1830.  In  that  year 
quite  a  colony  seems  to  have  arrived,  for  I 
hear  of  Jacob  and  Israel  Rush,  John,  Bar- 
zilla  and  Gamaliel  Druliner,  John  Jacob  and 
Paul  Egbert  Jacob  and  Joseph  Adams,  Sam- 
uel Garwood,  Charles  Vail,  Garrett  and  Henry 
Nickerson,  Wm.  White  and  John  Carskaddon. 

"In  the  same  year.  1830,  an  act  of  the  leg- 
islature had  formed  St.  Joseph  county,  and 
as  the  law  then  stood  it  was  governed  by  a 
board  of  three  justices.  The  board  of  jus- 
tices divided  the  county  into  four  townships, 
Michigan,  Deschemin,  German  and  Portage. 
What  is  now  Olive,  was  in  Deschemin,  taking 
a  strip  of  Laporte  county  on  the  west. 

"The  year  1832  was  an  eventful  one  in  the 
history  of  Olive  township.  The  board  of  oom- 
missioners  reorganized  the  township  and  laid 
it  out  under  its  present  name.     Charles  Vail 


300 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


had  married  Olive  Stanton  and  this  was  the 
first  marriag-e  among  the  white  settlers,  and 
to  her  was  given  the  honor  of  fixing  her  name 
upon  the  new  township. 

"In  June,  1832,  the  Black  Hawk  war  broke 
out.  We  can  hardly  realize  the  fear  and 
trouble  it  brought  upon  our  old  settlers.  It 
may  seem  strange  to  us  now,  that  less  than 
one  thousand  poorly  armed  Sacs  and  Foxes 
in  M^estern  Illinois  could  awaken  such  fears 
as  they  did  in  the  summer  of  1832. 

"But  this  was  when  Fort  Dearborn  and 
half  a  dozen  log  huts  were  all  of  what  is  now 
Chicago,  and  when  five  hundred  volunteers 
were  all  that  could  be  mustered  in  northern 
Indiana  and  southern  Michigan.  Black  Hawk 
was  no  stranger.  He  had  often  led  his  tribe 
along  the  Saulv  trail  that  is  now  the  road 
through  Terre  Coupee  on  his  way  to  Maiden, 
Michigan,  to  receive  the  government  annui- 
ties. Then  northern  Indiana  was  still  the 
home  of  the  Pottawatomies^  and  to  the  north, 
in  Michigan,  the  Ottawas  were  still  numerous 
and  powerful.  It  was  not  then  as  now  that 
the  news  was  flashed  across  the  continent  by- 
telegraph,  or  that  we  could  talk  hundreds  of 
miles  over  a  wire. 

"The  tale  of  the  frightened  and  fleeing 
settlers,  its  horrors  as  it  sped  from  cabin  to 
cabin,  uncontradicted,  until  in  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  fearful,  the  whoop  of  the  savage 
was  heard  borne  on  the  night  wind  and  the 
smoke  of  burning  dwellings  was  seen  in  the 
west  by  day.  This  is  no  exaggeration.  At 
one  time  the  report  came  that  the  Sacs  had 
reached  Door  Village,  in  Laporte  county,  and 
that  they  were  burning  houses  and  murdering 
settlers  on  their  way  east.  Many  fled  to 
Ohio.  One  fugitive  had  stopped  to  pass  the 
night  at  Samuel  Garwood's.  Some  mischiev- 
ous or  badly  scared  traveler  spread  a  report 
that  the  Indians  were  coming.  At  midnight 
he  huddled  his  half-dressed  wife  and  children 
into  his  wagon  and  hurried  on.  I  have 
spoken  of  this  to  mention  the  only  fort  or 
military  erection  of  any  kind  ever  built   in 


Olive  township.  It  was  commenced  in  May, 
1832,  and  was  located  on  land  now  owned  by 
Eugene  Wykoff.  The  location  was  chosen  for 
its  nearness  to  a  narrow  strip  of  timber  that 
ran  out  into  the  prairie  about  half  a  mile 
on  the  lands  of  John  Druliner,  now  owned 
by  James  Reynolds,  and  far  enough  from  the 
woods  so  that  there  would  not  be  a  hiding 
place  within  rifle  shot  of  the  fort.  A  trench 
was  dug  about  four  feet  deep  around  a  square 
of  three  or  four  rods  on  a  side.  In  this  sticks 
of  timber  were  set  12  or  16  feet  long.  They 
were  left  round  if  not  more  than  4  or  5 
inches  in  diameter,  and  if  larger  split  in 
halves.  The  ditches  were  filled  and  on  the 
outside  the  prairie  w^as  broken  up  and  the 
sods  piled  again.st  the  palisades  about  breast 
high  so  as  to  stop  chance  balls  which  might 
otherwise  pass  between  the  palisades. 

"A  shallow  ditch  was  left  just  outside  the 
embankment.  It  was  the  plan  to  erect  block- 
houses at  each  corner  with  loop  holes  for 
riflemen,  higher  than  the  palisades,  from 
which  the  sentinels  could  watch  over  the  prai- 
rie on  all  sides.  The  work  on  the  fort  went 
on  rapidly  at  first ;  but  as  reports  of  coming 
Indians  were  heard,  some  stole  away. 

"The  work  lagged  as  the  scare  grew  old. 
The  blockhouses  were  never  finished  and 
when  the  news  of  the  capture  of  Black  Hawk 
came  the  work  stopped.  The  palisades  were 
carried  off  for  firewood  and  after  a  few  years 
a  few  rotten  timbers  in  the  ground  and  a 
rank  growth  of  grass  was  all  that  marked  the 
site  of  the  old  fort.  Over  thirty  years  ago 
I  could  not  find  its  locality. 

"Plainfield  was  the  first  platted  village  in 
the  township,  platted  in  December,  1833.  The 
village  of  Palestine  was  next  laid  out  in  De- 
cember, 1834.  It  was  about  I14  miles  east  of 
Plainfield,  and  you  can't  point  out  its  site. 
In  fact.  I  doubt  if  many  of  you  ever  heard 
of  it. 

"August  15,  1835,  Richard  Carlisle  laid 
out  the  village  of  New  Carlisle,  the  only  town 
that  has  survived :    for  the  village  of  Hamil- 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


301 


ton,  later  Terre  Coupee,  laid  out  in  1837,  is 
on  its  way  to  join  Plainfield  and  Palestine." 
Mention  is  made  in  Mr.  Haines'  reminis- 
censes  of  the  Carey  Mission,  near  Niles.  Al- 
though that  mission,  like  the  mission  at  Fort 
St.  Joseph,"  above  Niles,  was  without  the 
limits  of  St.  Joseph  county,  and  even  beyond 
the  boundaries  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  yet 
so  intimately  was  each  of  those  missions  con- 
nected with  the  early  settlement  of  the  St. 
Joseph  valley,  that  no  history  of  any  county 
that  borders  upon  our  beautiful  river  would 
be  complete  without  some  account  of  both  of 
them. 

Just  over  the  Michigan  line,  half  way  be- 
tween   Niles    and    Buchanan,    in    the    great 
northern  bend  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  but 
at  a  considerable  distance  to  the  south  of  the 
stream,  was  located  the  Carey  Mission,  named 
after  a  distinguished  Baptist  missionary  to 
the      East      Indies.        an      institution     well 
known    in    the    early    history    of    southern 
Michigan    and    northern     Indiana,    and    of 
particular      interest      to      the      neighboring 
people   of   Olive   township    and   western   St. 
Joseph  county  during  the  years  immediately 
following   the    first   settlement    of   the   town- 
ship.    The  Carey  Mission  was  established  in 
1822  for  the  education  of   Indian   children. 
The  founder  was  the  Rev.   Isaac  McCoy,   a 
zealous  Baptist  missionary  and  educator.   Mr. 
McCoy  and  his  assistants  exhibited  the  great- 
est self-sacrifice  and  zeal  in  their  effort  to 
build  up  in  the  wilderness  an  educational  in- 
stitution that  might  serve  as  a  center  from 
which  Christianity  and  civilization  should  be 
diffused  among  all  the  Indians  of  the  north- 
west.    A  large  farm  was  cleared  and  com- 
fortable log  buildings  erected  which  served 
as  dwellings,  school  houses  and  barns.     Good 
crops  of  wheat  and  other  grains  were  raised, 
and,  in  1825,  a  flouring  mill  was  built,  the 
first  miU  west  of  Tecumseh  or  Ann  Arbor, 
and  for  a  time  the  only  one  within  a  hundred 

a.     For    the    history    of    Fort    St.    Joseph's    see 
Chap.  2,  Subd.  4. 


miles    of    the    mission.      The    enterprise    at- 
tracted the  favorable  attention  of  the  people 
of  Michigan,  and  Lewis  Cass,  then  governor 
of  the  territory,  sent  agents  at  different  times 
to  examine  into  the  management  and  work  of 
the  mission.    The  reports  were  most  favorable. 
At  one  time  there  were  as  many  as  two  hun- 
dred Indian  pupils  in  the  institution,  and  the 
future   of   the   mission   seemed   very   bright. 
White  emigration,  however,  proved  to  be  the 
ruin  of  the  work  of  the  benevolent  mission- 
ary.    It  was  foreseen  that  the  Indian  title 
to    the    adjacent    lands    would   soon    be    ex- 
tinguished,  and  that   the  Indians  would  be 
forced  to  remove  to  the  west,  as  indeed  proved 
to  be  the  case  in  a  very  few  years.    "Accord- 
ingly," says  Mr.   Edward  B.    Cowles,   from 
whose  history  of  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
the  foregoing  account  is  chiefly  taken,  "prep- 
arations were  made  at  the  mission  for  bring- 
ing it  to  a  close,  and  for  its  removal  beyond 
the  western  boundary  of  Missouri.     It  was 
not  fully  wound  up,  however,  until  1832. "« 
The  name  of  the  ' '  Carey  Mission, ' '  and  of  its 
founder,  the  Rev.  Isaac  McCoy,  were  familiar 
words  in  the  history  of  St.  Joseph  county  dur- 
ing  the   existence   of  the   mission,    from   its 
establishment,   in   1822,   until   its  dissolution 
and  removal,  in  1832. 

Among  the  towns  in  Olive  township  are 
Warwick  and  Terre  Coupee,  formerly  called 
also  Prairie  Coupee,  but  better  known  -as  Ham- 
ilton. These  are  on  the  Great  Sauk  Trail. 
Hamilton  was  at  one  time  a  place  of  con- 
siderable importance.  The  Methodist  society 
erected  the  first  church  at  Hamilton,  in  1839, 
or  a  little  later.  Another  old  town  is  Plain- 
field,  a  little  north  of  the  present  Terre 
Coupee  railroad  station  on  the  Lake  Shore. 
The  principal  town  of  the  township,  and  one 
of  the  prettiest  towns  in  the  county,  is  New 
Carlisle,  sometimes  called  Carlisle  Hill.  It 
stands  on  a  fair  eminence  overlooking  the 
beautiful  Terre  Coupee  prairie.  Where  else 
could  the  ideal  rural  home  be  found,  if  not 

a.     Cowles'  Berrien  County  Directory  and   His- 
tory, Niles,  Michigan,  1871,  pp.  31-39. 


302 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


here,  ou  this  fine  hill,  before  which  stretches 
out  so  fair  a  garden  of  delights?  Beautiful 
Terre  Coupee,  how  the  view  must  have  trans- 
ported the  early  missionary,  coureur  des  hois, 
traveler  or  emigrant,  or  even  the  stolid  In- 
dian, as  he  passed  from  the  thick  woods  while 


making  his  way  along  the  old  Sauk  trail  and 
this  vision  of  lovely  landscape  burst  upon  his 
eyes.  Prairie  Coupee,  a  prairie  cut  out  of 
the  dark  woods  and  lit  up  with  the  light  of 
heaven,  it  must  have  seemed  to  his  enrap- 
tured vision. 


\ 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  TOWNS. 


Incidentally,  in  the  general  history  of  the 
county  and  in  that  of  the  townships,  as 
well  as  in  the  reminiscences  set  out  in  various 
chapters,  ranch  of  the  history  of  our  cities 
and  towns  has  necessarily  been  already  de- 
tailed. It  is  not  the  purpose  to  repeat  what 
has  thus  been  sufficiently  stated,  but  it  seems 
proper  that  our  several  municipalities  should 
have  separate  chapters,  in  which,  without  un- 
necessary repetition,  a  connected  urban  his- 
tory of  the  coimty  may  have  a  place. 

I.       TOWNS   THAT    WERE. 

In  a  new  country,  with  few  inhabitants, 
the  forests  vet  standino;  and  the  soil  unculti- 
vated,  except  in  spots  few  and  far  between, 
without  roads,  except  trails  winding  through 
the  woods,  over  the  prairies  and  along  the 
marslies;  and,  with  all  these,  also  ambitious 
men  seeking  fortunes  in  the  increased  values 
which  may  come  to  lands  happily  located  for 
the  purposes  of  commerce  and  manufactures, 
it  is  to  be  expected  that  many  towns  will  be 
started  with  glowing  prospects,  never  to  be 
realized.  It  has  been  .so  in  St.  Joseph  county, 
and  the  plough  runs  over  many  a  townsite 
of  which  even  the  present  proprietor  does  not 
know  the  name. 

Sec.  1. — St.  Joseph.— The  first  of  those 
half  forgotten  towns  was  St.  Joseph.  This 
town,  located  at  La  Salle's  portage  on  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  in  section  27,  township  38 
north,  range  2  east,  in  what  is  now  German 
township,  was.  on  May  24,  1830,  selected  as 
the  county  seat  of  St.  Joseph  county,  by  the 


commissioners  named  in  the  act  organizing 
the  county,  approved  January  29,  1830."  On 
September  14,  1830,  the  town  was  formally 
laid  out  by  William  Brookfield,  our  first  coun- 
ty surveyor,  who  was  the  owner  of  the  tract. 

The  plat  of  St.  Joseph  was  the  firet  town 
plat  laid  off  and  recorded  in  St.  Joseph  coun- 
ty, and  by  reason  of  this  circumstance,  and 
becaiLse  the  town  w^as  our  first  county  seat, 
the  following  quotations  and  other  particu- 
lars taken  from  the  venerable  record  will  be 
of  historical  interest: 

"Town  of  St.  Joseph,  by  William  Brook- 
field. 

"All  the  blocks  in  this  town  plat,  excepting 
those  on  which  ' Brookfield 's  square'  are  writ- 
ten, belong  to  the  county,  agreeably  to  his 
donation  to  the  county.  Donation  September 
14,  1830.  Those  blocks  on  which  '  Brookfield 's 
squares'  are  written  are  exclusively  his  own." 
"State  of  Indiana, 
"St.  Joseph  County, 

"On  this  eighth  day  of  November,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  eighteen  hundred  and  thir- 
ty, personally  appeared  before  me,  Lathrop 
]M.  Taylor,  recorder  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
William  Brookfield,  and  acknowledged  the 
within  instrument  to  be  his  free  act  and  deed 
for  the  purposes  therein  expressed. 

"Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  the  day 
and  year  first  above  written. 

"L.  M.  Taylor  (Seal.)" 

There  is  on  the  plat  a  representation  of  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  turning  sharply  to  the  north, 

a.     See  Chap.  5,  Subd.  2,  of  this  work. 


SS. 


303 


;-{04 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


with  the  following  lettering:  "Big  St.  Jo- 
seph River  of  Lake  Michigan;"  and  on  the 
margin  of  the  river,  at  the  turn,  the  words: 
"Portage  of  the  Kankakee." 

The  following  title  is  also  shown:  "A  cor- 
rect diagram  of  the  county  seat  called  St. 
Joseph,  in  the  county  of  St.  Joseph,  state  of 
Indiana." 

"The  Michigan  State  Road"  is  shown  to 
enter  the  plat  at  the  corner  of  ' '  South  street ' ' 
and  "Broadway,"  three  quarters  of  a  mile 
south  of  the  river,  and  it  turns  west  on  "Wes- 
ley" street,  at  the  corner  of  Wesley  and 
Broadway,  two  hundred  rods  south  of  the 
river.  Its  direction  on  Broadway  is  near- 
ly northwest,  and  it  is  there  marked  on  the 
plat  "Michigan  State  Road."  On  Wesley 
street  appear  the  w^ords:  "Michigan  State 
Road,  running  due  west  to  Lake  Michigan — 
33  miles  nearly  due  west." 

Thirty-three  squares,  of  ten  lots  each,  are 
found  on  the  plat.  Of  these,  four  are  marked 
" Brookfield 's  squares."  Half  a  square,  or 
five  lots,  is  marked  "Public  square."  Two 
lots  are  marked  "Episcopal  church;"  two, 
"Methodist  church;"  five,  "court  house;" 
three,  "jail;"  two,  "Presbyterian  church;" 
three,  "market;"  two,  "Baptist  church;" 
two,  "Academy;"  two,  "R.  Catholic  church;" 
and  two,  "United  Brethren  in  Christ."  The 
remaining  lots,  two  hundred  and  sixty-eight 
in  number,  were  given  to  the  county. 

The  north  and  south  streets  are  marked. 
"Brookfield,"  "Washington,"  "Jefferson," 
' '  Broadway, ' '  and  ' '  Madison  ; ' '  and  the  east 
and  west  streets,  "North,"  "Berry," 
"Worth,"  "Evans,"  "Ross,"  "McBane," 
"Wesley"  and  "South."  Each  street  is  six- 
ty-six feet  wide,  except  Washington,  Jeffer- 
son and  MadLson,  which  are  each  ninety-nine 
feet  in  width,  and  Broadway,  which  is  one 
hundred  and  twenty-three  feet  wide.  The 
alleys,  which  all  run  north  and  south,  are 
each  three  rods  wide.  The  lots  are  each  five 
rods  in  width  by  eleven  rods  in  length. 

Berry,  Worth,  Evans,  Ross  and  McBane 
streets  were  named  after  the  five  commission- 


ers appointed  by  the  legislature  to  locate  the 
county  seat." 

St.  Joseph  was  never  more  than  a  pro- 
jected town,  a  town  on  paper,  and  was  never 
in  fact  the  county  seat,  even  during  the  short 
period  it  was  nominally  so.  The  county  busi- 
ness was  from  the  beginning  transacted  in 
the  house  of  Alexis  Coquillard,  in  the  town 
of  South  Bend.  The  people  were  not  satis- 
fied with  the  location  of  the  county  seat  at 
St.  Joseph,  and,  as  shown  in  chapter  fifth, 
subdivision  seven,  of  this  history,  the  legisla- 
ture, in  the  year  1831,  parsed  an  act  and 
named  commissioners  for  the  re-location  of  the 
seat  of  justice.  On  May  12,  1831,  the  commis- 
sioners so  appointed  removed  the  county  seat 
from  St.  Joseph  to  South  Bend,  from  the  his- 
toric Portage  at  La  Salle's  Landing,  to  the 
south  bend  of  the  river.  The  "bend"  is 
about  four  miles  above  the  portage;  but  the 
city  has  so  extended  that  the  north  limits  are 
now  but  a  mile  and  a  half  above,  and  the 
time  may  yet  come  w^hen  the  territory  of  the 
present  county  seat  will  take  in  the  old  coun- 
ty seat. 

All  that  is  left  of  St.  Joseph  is  the  pioneer 
plat  in  the  office  of  the  county  recorder.  Mr. 
Brookfield  left  the  county  and  the  state  soon 
after  the  disappointment  caused  by  the  re- 
moval of  the  county  seat,  and  the  incipient 
town  quietly  settled  back  into  its  native  wil- 
derness. 

Sec.  2. — Portage. — The  failure  of  the  town 
of  St.  Joseph  at  the  old  portage  did  not 
altogether  extinguish  the  anticipations  of 
those  who  thought  that  a  prosperous  settle- 
ment must,  in  the  end,  grow  up  at  or  near 
the  site  of  the  landing  where  for  countless 
ages  the  commerce  of  the  wilderness  had  been 
transferred  on  its  way  from  the  lakes  to  the 
gulf,  and  from  the  gulf  to  the  lakes.  One 
more  effort  was  to  be  made  to  establish  a 
town  at  the  portage,  and,  to  make  assurance 
doubly  sure,  the  town  itself  would  be 
named  Portage.     St.   Joseph  had   been   laid 

a.  See  Sec.  3,  Acts,  1829,  pp.  28-31,  set  out  in 
Chap.  5,  Subd.   2,  this  work. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


305 


out  as  a  county  seat ;  the  new  town  would  be 
laid  out  as  a  seat  of  commerce,  education  and 
manufactures. 

The  prime  mover  and  the  mainstay  of  the 
town  was  Judge  Elisha  Egbert,  one  of  the 
most  noted  men  in  the  history  of  St.  Joseph 
county.  He  was  judge  of  the  old  probate 
court  for  seven  years,  and  then  became  judge 
of  the  common  pleas  court,  and  held  that 
office  from  the  establishment  of  the  court  in 
1851  until  his  death  in  1870.« 

On  July  12.  1834,  the  town  of  Portage  was 
surveyed  for  Elisha  Egbert  by  Tyra  W.  Bray, 
the  county  surveyor.  It  was  located  on  the 
southwest  fractional  quarter  of  section  26, 
township  38  north,  range  2  east,  about  half 
a  mile  to  the  south  and  east  of  the  site  of 
the  former  town  of  St.  Joseph.  Additional 
surveys  were  made  in  March,  1837,  by  Thomas 
P.  Bulla  for  Abner  Morse,  John  Egbert  and 
Jacob  Egbert ;  and  as  late  as  February,  1838, 
a  still  further  addition  was  made  by  Lemuel 
Crawford.  The  town  seemed  on  the  hFgh  road 
to  prosperity.  Hotels  and  stores  were  erected. 
Physicians  took  up  their  abode  in  the  new 
town,  and  there  were  representatives  of  all 
lines  of  business  suited  to  a  growing  com- 
munity. 

Judge  Egbert  succeeded  in  securing  from 
the  county  commissioners  the  establishment 
of  a  public  ferry  over  the  river  at  this  point  -^ 
as  well  as  to  have  county  roads  laid  out  to 
and  from  Portage,  on  hoth  sides  of  the  river. 

Still  another  project  was  the  cutting  of  a 
mill  race  from  the  Kankakee  to  the  St.  Joseph. 
This  was  an  idea  entertained  by  many  a  pro- 
jector of  that  early  day.  The  Kankakee  is 
many  feet  above  the  St.  Joseph,  and  it  seemed 
extremely  feasible  to  dig  a  mill  race  which, 
with  so  great  a  head,  should  supply  unlimited 
water  power  for  mills  and  machinery.  The 
people  of  the  town  of  Portage  were  so  san- 
guine of  success  in  this  line  that  they  pro- 
cured a  charter  from  the  legislature  for  a 
company  to  engage   in  the  enterprise.      The 

a.     See  Chap.  6,  Subds.  3  and  4. 
h.      See  Chap.  7,  Subd.  2. 

20 


act  granting  the  charter  was  approved  Janu- 
ary 30,  1837,**  and,  amongst  other  things,  pro- 
vided : 

"That  William  McCartney,  sen'r,  Franklin 
W.  Hunt,  Daniel  Dayton,  Abner  Morse  and 
Elisha  Egbert,  be  and  they  are  hereby  author- 
ized to  cut  a  race  of  such  width  as  they  may 
think  proper,  commencing  at  or  near  the 
northwest  side  of  the  Kankakee  pond,''  so  as 
not  to  divert  any  of  the  waters  of  the  Kanka- 
kee that  naturally  flow  into  the  Illinois  river 
down  said  Kankakee  that  lies  west  of  the  town 
of  South  Bend,  in  such  manner  that  the  race 
shall  not  extend  beyond  the  southern  limits 
of  said  pond,  in  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana; 
thence  running  on  the  western  side  of  the 
Kankakee  marsh,  so  as  not  to  injure  the  hy- 
draulic privileges  of  any  other  person  or  per- 
sons, and  terminating  at  or  near  the  town  of 
Portage  in  said  county." 

A  similar  mill  race  was  afterwards  dug  by 
Alexis  Coquillard  and  associates,  from  the 
Kjinkakee  to  the  St.  Joseph,  but  the  water  so 
leaked  away  in  the  loose  soil  that  sufficient 
did  not  reach  down  to  South  Bend  to  supply 
any  available  power. 

A  literary  and  industrial  institution  of  a 
high  order  was  also  projected,  of  which  the 
Rev.  Abner  Morse  was  to  be  the  president. 
This  institution  received  a  charter  from  the 
legislature,  by  an  act  approved  January  30, 
1837,^^  in  which  it  was  provided:  "That 
Abner  Morse,  Caleb  Martin,  William  McCart- 
ney,, sen'r,  Franklin  W.  Hunt,  Daniel  Day- 
ton, S.  Brace,  Elisha  Egbert  and  George 
Hunt,  sen'r,  and  their  successors  in  office  be, 
and  they  are  hereby  constituted  and  declared 
to  be  a  body  corporate  and  politic,  by  the 
name  and  style  of  the  'St.  Joseph  Manual 
Labor  Collegiate  Institute.'  "  The  trustees 
were  given  "power  to  appoint  a  faculty  in 
said  college,  consisting  of  a  president,  pro- 
fessors and  tutors,  as  the  necessities  of  the 
institution  may  demand,   and  the  faculty  so 

a.  Local   Laws,   1836,  p.   393. 

b.  Now  Summit  Lake,  or  La  Salle  Lake. 

c.  Local  Laws,  1836,  p.  292. 


306                                       HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY. 

appointed,  by  and  with  the  approbation  of  and  managed.  There  were,  probably,  more 
tlie  board  of  trustees,  shall  have  power  to  than  a  hundred  persons,  old  and  young,  con- 
grant  and  confer  such  degrees  in  the  liberal  nected  with  us,  from  first  to  last ;  but  I  should 
arts  and  sciences  as  are  usually  granted  and  not  think  more  than  about  seventy  living  on 
conferred  in  other  colleges  in  the  United  the  premises  at  once.  During  a  part  of  the 
States. ' '  A  further  provision  was  that  ' '  said  time  they  ate  at  a  common  table, 
institution  shall  be  located  at  or  within  two  ' '  '  The  main  cause  of  their  dis.solution,  I 
miles  of  the  village  of  Portage,  in  the  county  have  ever  believed,  was  that  Mr.  McCartney 
of  St.  Joseph,  and  state  of  Indiana."  violated  his  promise  to  invest  the  whole  tract 

But  the  ' '  St.  Joseph  Manual  Labor  Collegi-  of  land ;    and,  after  we  were  fully  organized 

ate  Institute"  was  never  anything  more  than  and  on  the  ground,  ready  to  receive  the  title 

a  project  on  paper;    and,  like  all  the  other  and  use  the  land,  he  withheld  all  of  the  valu- 

ambitious  projects  of  the  town,  has  been  long  able  and  available  portion,  and  turned  us  off 

since  altogether  forgotten.    The  panic  of  1837  with  the  broken,  marshy  land,  lying  between 

was  on,  and  the  promoters  of  the  town  suf-  the  road  and  the  river,  at  twenty  dollars  per 

f ered  reverses,  in  common  with  those  of  many  acre,  the  appraised  price  of  the  entire  tract. '  ' ' 

another  struggling  and  hopeful  band  of  pro-  Mr.  Turner  adds,  that  while  the  association 

jectors  in  every  part  of  the  country.  failed,  Mr.   McCartney  succeeded  in  getting 

William  McCartney,  who  appears  as  one  of  his  land  cleared  up  and  improved  for  nothing, 
the  incorporators  of  the  "St.  Joseph  Manual  It  would  seem  that  everything  connected 
Labor  Collegiate  Institute,"  was  the  owner  of  with  an  attempt  to  build  up  any  enterprise 
a  farm  on  the  river,  in  German  township,  a  at  the  old  portage  was  a  failure.  At  first, 
little  above  the  town  of  Portage.  This  farm  the  old  St.  Joseph,  Brookfield's  town,  and  now 
is  connected  in  our  history  with  an  effort  Judge  Egbert's  more  hopeful  town  of  Port- 
made  to  establish  the  only  community  asso-  age,  both  alike  went  down  before  the  vigorous 
ciation  ever  attempted  in  St.  Joseph  county,  municipality  growing  up  at  the  "south  bend" 
Timothy  G.  Turner  has  left  us  the  follow-  of  the  river.  In  the  face  of  financial  and 
ing  brief  account  of  this  ill-starred  commu-  other  difficulties,  the  people  of  Portage  be- 
nity:*^  came  discouraged,  and,  one  by  one,  all  the 

"In  the  winter  of  1845  a  community,  sug-  projected  enterprises  were  abandoned.  The 
gested,  probably,  by  the  system  of  economics  town  went  down  as  rapidly  as  it  had  arisen, 
elaborated  by  the  French  philovsopher,  Charles  until  not  a  vestige  of  its  former  glory  re- 
Fourier,   was  established  on   the  McCartney  mained. 

farm,  about  two  miles  below  South  Bend.     It  With  its  other  misfortunes,  the  town  suf- 

was  a  joint  stock  company,  organized  under  fered   from   a   nickname   which  belittled   its 

the  name  of  the  'Philadelphia  Industrial  As-  pretentions  to  greatness.     The  river  at  this 

sociation.'     Its  objects  were  economical  and  point  turned  abruptly  to  the  east,  and  then 

social.     Its  operations   continued   about  two  as    abruptly    to    the    west,    making    a    little 

years.     The  Hon.  William  C.  Talcott,  of  Val-  peninsula  which  humorous  people  in  derision 

paraiso,  Indiana,  favors  us  with  the  following  called  a  pinhook ;    and  Pinhook  the  town  was 

reminiscences  in  relation  to  it:  named  to  the  end  of  its  days. 

"  'I   think   Mr.   McCartney   was   the   first  The  following  items   concerning  the  good 

president,  and  I  was  secretary  during  almost  old  town  of  Portage,  under  its  nickname  of 

its  entire  existence.     It  was  chiefly  through  Pinhook,  are  from  the  genial  pen  of  the  la- 

my  influence  that  the  association  was  formed  mented   Richard    H.    Lyon,    w^ho    devoted   so 

a.    Gazetteer    of    the    St.    Joseph   Valley,    1867,  ^^^S^  ^  Part  of  his  later  years  to  local  histori- 

p.  48.  eal  investigations.     His  body  most  appropri- 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


307 


ately  rests  in  Riverview  cemetery,  near  the 
site  of  the  historic  scenes  on  which  his  fine 
mind  so  often  dwelt : 

"The  original,  ancient,  historic  Pinhook 
bend  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  was  located  a 
short  distance  below  St.  Mary's  Academy, 
about  four  miles  from  the  city  as  the  stream 
goes,  and  was  on  ground  laid  out  as  the  town 
of  Portage,  platted  in  1834,  but  now  wholly 
extinct.  It  was  nicknamed  by  the  Indians  on 
account  of  the  peculiar  strip  of  land  around 
which  the  river  turned  in  the  form  of  a  bent 
pin.  The  French  traders,  the  boatmen  and 
the  early  settlers  of  the  region  adopted  the 
name  and  Pinhook  became  one  of  the  most 
famous  points  of  interest  on  the  river  from  its 
mouth  to  the  head  of  navigation  in  Branch 
county,  Michigan. 

"The  Portage  town  covered  the  lowland, 
comprising  about  53  acres,  east  of  Riverview 
cemetery,  then  owned  by  Judge  Elisha  Eg- 
bert, now  the  property  of  James  H.  Ray.  It 
took  the  nickname  of  Pinhook  and  was  better 
known  by  that  title  by  the  pioneers  than  by 
its  real  legal  name.  A  ferry  was  established 
there  and  roads  led  to  Pinhook  from  all  direc- 
tions. Several  stores,  shops,  dwellings  and 
warehouses  were  built  in  the  town,  ground  do- 
nated for  a  Congregational  theological  school, 
and  a  distinguished  educator  of  New  Eng- 
land, the  Rev.  Abner  Morse,  father  of  the  late 
Congressman  William  A.  Morse,  of  Massachu- 
setts, sent  to  start  the  college  enterprise  on 
its  way.  It  never  got  beyond  the  purchase  of 
a  bell,  however,  and  when  the  country  arose 
from  the  financial  blow  it  received  in  1837, 
Portage  was  no  more  and  the  bell  went  astray 
somewhere. 

"Productive  farm  lands  now  occupy  the 
entire  site  of  the  old  town,  not  a  vestige  of 
any  kind  of  the  early  habitations  being  left. 
The  last  lot  owner  in  the  plat  was  the  late 
Dr.  Daniel  Dayton,  who  was  one  of  the  town's 
original  boomers  and  for  a  time  maintained 
his  office  and  residence  there.  Until  a  few 
years  ago  taxes  on  his  real  estate  holdings  in 
Portage,  regularly  assessed  against  the  estate, 


were  as  regularly  paid,  annually,  in  the  ag- 
gregate to  about  41  cents  per  annum,  although 
the  corporation  had  ceased  to  exist  for  more 
tlian  half  a  century.  An  effort  was  made  to 
secure  water  power  privileges  for  Portage 
through  a  big  race  constructed  at  the  base  of 
the  high  bluff  south,  west  and  north  of  the 
town,  with  an  outlet  on  the  cemetery  associa- 
tion's grounds.  A  portion  of  the  excavation 
for  this  race  is  the  most  conspicuous  landmark 
left  of  Pinhook 's  palmy  days. 

"About  twenty  years  ago  during  a  freshet 
that  caused  old  St.  Joe  to  rise  and  rage  be- 
yond its  wonted  limit,  the  river  left  its  cir- 
cuitous route  aroimd  the  hook,  burst  over  its 
banks  and  cut  a  new  channel  pretty  straight 
through  the  pin,  thus  destroying  the  remain- 
ing glory  of  the  boatmen's  ancient  landing 
place  and  the  pioneer  town.  Since  that  date, 
with  old  Pinhook  gone  by,  the  river  adhering 
to  its  new  and  straighter  channel,  the  pinhook 
bend  has  been  removed  a  short  distance  down 
the  river,  on  the  east  side,  where  opposite  the 
cemetery  highlands  the  stream  makes  another 
graceful  turn  around  a  narrow  strip  of  low- 
land. Here  is  modern  Pinhook,  on  the  estate 
of  Samuel  S.  Perley,  and  here  it  will  no  doubt 
remain  until  the  contemplated  dam  in  the 
river  at  the  Indiana-Michigan  line  is  con- 
structed, arresting  the  current  and  backing 
the  water  up  for  miles,  completely  submerg- 
ing both  ancient  and  modern  Pinhook  on  the 
old  St.  Joe." 

Is  it  the  irony  of  fate  that  the  sites  of  the 
lost  towns  of  St.  Joseph  and  Portage  are  now 
embraced  by  Riverview  cemetery  on  the  south, 
and  the  County  Infirmary,  on  the  north? 
Should  the  old  towns  arise  for  a  moment  from 
their  ashes,  they  would  find  themselves  en- 
compassed by  the  resting  places  of  the  dead 
and  of  the  old  and  infirm ;  and  they  might 
then,  perhaps,  fall  back  into  their  long  sleep 
with  an  added  sense  of  the  fitness  of  their 
surroundings.  But  would  not  the  ghosts  of 
these  dead  cities  of  the  old  Portage  take  with 
them  into  that  sleep  of  forgetfulness  a  smile 
of  exultati(m  that  across  these  same  grounds. 


308 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


for  long  ages,  even  before  Columbus  dreamed 
of  the  Indies,  went  up  and  down  the  commerce 
of  the  wilderness ;  that  along  this  portage  was 
the  pathway  of  the  Mound  Builder,  the  Mia- 
mi, the  Pottawatomie,  the  coureur  des  bois 
and  the  missionary ;  that  this  soil  was  pressed 
by  the  feet  of  La  Salle  and  Hennepin  and 
Tonti  and  Charlevoix,  and  perhaps  even  by 
those  of  the  sainted  jMarquette  ? 

Sec.  3. — Plainfield. — The  village  of  Plain- 
field  was  the  first  platted  town  to  be  laid  out 
in  Olive  township.  It  was  surveyea  Decem- 
ber 23,  1833,  by  Tyra  W.  Bray ;  and  was  laid 
out  on  "nearly  equal  portions  of  the  north- 
east and  northwest  quarters  of  section  thirty- 
six  and  the  southeast  and  southwest  quarters 
of  section  twenty-five,  in  to^^•nship  thirty- 
eight  north,  range  one  west."  The  proprie- 
tors were  Israel  H.,  Jacob  and  Hiram  Rush. 
The  town  is  still  found  upon  the  map  located 
on  the  Laporte  road,  a  mile  and  a  half  east 
of  New  Carlisle;  but  it  is  for  all  practical 
purposes  among  the  "towns  that  were,"  and 
hence  receives  notice  in  this  place. 

Sec.  4. — Palestine. — A  mile  and  a  half 
east  of  Plainfield,  located  also  on  the  Laporte 
road,  was  once  the  town  of  Palestine.  It, 
too,  was  surveyed  by  Tyra  W.  Bray,  and 
stood  in  "equal  parts  on  sections  twenty-nine, 
thirty,  thirty-one  and  thirty-two,  township 
thirty-eight  north,  range  one  east."  It  was 
surveyed  December  3,  1834,  for  the  proprie- 
tors, Martin  Clark,  Daniel  Curry,  Abijali  S. 
Reeden  and  Matthias  Kinney.  The  existence 
of  this  old  town  is  so  completely  obliterated 
that  Judge  Hubbard,  who  was  born  on  Terre 
Coupee  prairie,  doubts  whether  any  one  on 
the  prairie  can  point  out  its  site. 

Sec.  5. — WiLLiAMSPORT. — This  town  was 
surveyed  by  Thomas  P.  Bulla  for  the  proprie- 
tor, John  Newell,  who  acknowledged  the  plat 
December  13,  1834.  It  was  located  at  the 
junction  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  and  Babaugo 
creek,  on  the  southeast  fraction  of  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  nine,  township  thirty- 
seven  north,  range  four  east.  It  has  left  no 
record  but  its  plat. 


Sec.  6. — Greensburg. — On  December  4, 
1835,  the  town  of  Greensburg  was  sui'veyed 
for  Jacob  Eutzler,  in  section  twenty-five, 
township  thirty-seven  north,  range  three  east. 
It  lay  on  each  side  of  the  South  Bend  and 
Goshen  road.  It  does  not  seem  that  there  was 
any  pressing  need  for  the  existence  of  the 
town,  and  on  March  6,  1843,  it  was  vacated  by 
order  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners. 

Sec.  7. — Canton. — Thomas  P.  Bulla  was 
the  surveyor  of  the  town  of  Canton,  located 
on  the  Babaugo  creek,  in  section  sixteen,  town- 
ship thirty-seven  north,  range  four  east.  The 
survey  was  acknowledged  December  14,  1835, 
by  the  proprietor,  "William  Ireland.  This 
town  did  not  fiourish  as  anticipated,  and  on 
June  3,  1844.  on  the  petition  of  J.  E.  Hollis- 
ter,  the  plat  was  vacated  by  the  county  com- 
missioners. None  of  the  towns  in  this  part  of 
the  county,  except  Osceola,  have  had  more 
than  an  ephemeral  existence. 

Sec.  8. — Mount  Pleasant. — There  is  little 
left  of  fair  Mount  Pleasant  except  the  record 
of  its  plat,  which  reads  as  follows : 

"This  is  a  plan  of  the  Town  of  Mount 
Pleasant  in  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana.  Laid 
out  on  a  part  of  the  northwest  and  southwest 
quarters  of  section  thirty-two  and  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  thirty-one  in  township 
thirty-eight  north  and  range  two  east.  Each 
lot  is  sixty-six  feet  wide  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty-two  feet  long,  except  lots  numbered 
eleven  and  fifty-five,  the  width  of  which  is 
marked  within  them.  The  width  and  the 
course  of  the  streets  is  marked  in  each  re- 
spectively. The  alleys  are  each  ten  feet  wide, 
and  run  parallel  with  Michigan  street.  The 
lots,  which  are  numbered,  form  the  town  plat, 
and  nothing  more  nor  less.  Surveyed  by 
Tyra  W.  Bray,  St.  Joseph  County  Surveyor. 

' '  Before  me,  L.  M.  Taylor,  recorder,  person- 
ally came  the  within  named  proprietors, — 
David  Miller,  Ashbury  Baltimore,  Henry 
Brown,  Jacob  Ritter  and  James  R.  McGee,  and 
acknowledged  the  within  to  be  their  true  act 
and  deed  for  the  purposes  within  represented. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


309 


"Signed,  sealed  and  delivered  in  my  pres- 
ence, August  19.  1836. 

"Attest:   Latlirop  M.  Taylor,  Recorder." 

The  to\\Ti  continued  to  maintain  a  feeble 
existence  until  by  an  act  of  the  legislature, 
approved  January  17,  1850,  the  plat  was  for- 
mally vacated.*  Mount  Pleasant  was  the  third 
town  to  rise  and  go  down  in  German  town- 
ship ;■  St.  Joseph.  Portage  and  Mount  Pleas- 
ant, all  within  the  limits  of  the  great  INIiami 
village  where  La  Salle  held  his  memorable 
conference,  in  May,  1861.^  A  church,  a  school, 
farm  houses  and  other  farm  buildings  now 
remain  to  mark  the  site  of  the  town,  M^ell 
named  Mount  Pleasant. 

Sec.  9. — Terre  Coupee. — The  town  of 
Terre  Coupee,  also  known  as  Hamilton  from 
Hamilton's  tavern,^  was  located  on  each  side 
of  the  Chicago  road,  the  old  Sauk  trail,  in  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  nine,  township 
thirty-eight,  range  one  east.  The  survey  of 
the  town  was  made  by  Thomas  P.  Bulla  for 
Jacob  Egbert  who  acknowledged  the  plat 
April  12,  1837.  Additions  made  to  the  plat 
were  acknowledged  January  30,.  1841,  by 
Jacob  Egbert  and  Jonathan  Hubbard. 
Terre  Coupee,  or  Hamilton,  as  it  is  more  fre- 
quently called,  was  for  a  time  a  very  pros- 
perous town,  located  as  it  was  on  the  great 
through  line  of  travel  from  the  east.  But 
with  the  building  of  the  Lake  Shore  railroad 
through  New  Carlisle  the  greatness  of  Hamil- 
ton declined;  and  even  its  original  name  of 
Terre  Coupee  was  transferred  to  the  Lake 
Shore  railroad  station,  two  miles  east  of  New 
Carlisle.  The  plat  was  vacated  by  order  of 
the  county  commissioners,  June  10,  1841.  As 
the  Hon.  Lucius  Hubbard,  who  spent  his  boy- 
hood in  and  about  the  town,  says  in  his  remi- 
niscences, which  are  set  out  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  the  town  "is  on  its  way  to  join 
Plainfield  and  Palestine." 

An  interesting  item  as  to  the  burial  of 
veterans  of  the  war  of  1812  in  the  old  grave- 

a.  Local  Laws,  1849,  p.  99. 

b.  See  Chap.  2,  Subd.  2. 

c.  See  Chap.  8,  Reminiscences  of  Mr.  Jesse 
Haines. 


yard  at  Terre  Coupee,  and  at  other  points  in 
Olive  township,  appeared  recently  in  the  In- 
dianapolis News,  and  is  here  inserted: 

"Probably  no  township  in  Indiana  is  the 
burial  place  of  so  many  soldiers  of  the  war  of 
1812  as  Olive  township,  the  largest  town  of 
which  is  New  Carlisle.  At  the  village  of 
Hamilton,  on  the  old  Chicago  road,  formerly 
the  Great  Sauk  Trail,  where  the  stages  from 
Detroit  to  Chicago  changed  horses,  is  a  quaint 
old  graveyard.  The  veterans  of  the  war  of 
1812  who  are  buried  there  are  John  Cooper, 
David  Dalrymple,  Gabriel  Druliner,  Moses 
Ivins,  Wm.  D.  Jones,  Jo.shua  Keene,  John 
Lane,  Leonard  R.  Rush,  Jacob  White  and 
Virgil  Reynolds. 

"Three  soldiers  of  the  Indian  war  buried 
at  this  place  are  William  Burden,  Samuel 
Reynolds  and  Elias  Heaton.  In  the  Olive 
Chapel  cemetery,  in  the  same  township,  are 
four  veterans  of  the  war  of  1812.  Two  are 
in  the  New  Carlisle  cemetery  and  two  at 
Maple  Grove." 

Sec.  10. — Denniston. — This  town  was  laid 
out  in  July,  1837,  on  the  northeast  fractional 
half  of  section  twelve  and  the  south  part  of 
section  one,  township  thirty-seven,  range  two 
east.  The  proprietors  were  Garrett  V.  Den- 
niston and  Joseph  Fellows,  who  laid  out  the 
town  in  connection  with  their  ownership  of 
the  water  power  on  the  St.  Joseph  river.*^  As 
in  the  case  of  others,  however,  their  enter- 
prises were  overthrown  by  the  panic  of  1837 ; 
and,  on  September  3,  1845,  the  town  of  Den- 
niston was  formally  vacated  by  order  of  the 
board  of  county  commissioners.  The  site  of 
the  town  was  nearly  identical  with  that  of 
Lowell,  afterwards  laid  out  and  since  become 
a  part  of  the  city  of  South  Bend. 

II.      UNINCORPORATED  TOWNS. 

gee.  1. — Osceola.— The  original  plat  of 
Osceola,  near  the  extreme  east  of  the  county, 
in  Penn  township,  was  laid  out  in  1837.  The 
record  is  as  follows : 

"This  is  a  plat  of  the  town  of  Osceola,  in 

a.     See  Chap.  7,  Subd.  1. 


310 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


St.  Joseph  Coimty,  Indiana,  laid  out  on  the 
west  part  of  the  southwest  part  of  section 
nine,  in  township  number  thirty-seven  north, 
range  four  east.  The  lots  are  each  sixty-six 
feet  front,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-two 
feet  back,  except  those  which  are  fractional. 
The  width  and  courses  of  the  streets  are  mark- 
ed on  each  respectively.  The  alleys  are  each 
fourteen  feet  wide,  and  lie  parallel  with  the 
streets. 

''John  A.  Henricks. 

"November  17,  1837. 

"N.  B.  The  beginning  corner  to  resurvey 
any  of  the  lots  in  this  j)lat  is  the  corner  on 
the  river,  between  sections  eight  and  nine. ' ' 

The  main  street  in  the  town  comes  in  from 
the  west  as  "Vistula  street,"  and  goes  out  on 
the  east  as  the  "Eoad  to  Toledo."  The  plat 
shows  an  elaborate  system  of  mill  races,  triple 
in  form,  connecting  the  river  on  the  north, 
with  the  Babaugo  creek,  on  the  east.  A  small 
island  is  also  shown  on  the  river.  This  plat 
was  vacated  by  an  act  of  the  legislature,  ap- 
proved January  31,  1842.'^ 

An  addition  to  Osceola,  by  William  C. 
Thrall,  was  platted  April  24,  1856.  This  was 
to  the  south  of  the  site  of  the  original  plat,  on 
the  east  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion sixteen,  township  thirty-seven  north, 
range  four  east.  The  plat  was  surveyed  by 
Milton  W.  Stokes,  who  also  made  the  survey 
of  another  addition  June  4,  1859. 

The  town  grew  in  its  additions,  rather  than 
in  the  original  plat,  which,  as  we  have  seen, 
was  vacated  before  the  platting  of  the  addi- 
tions. This  was  no  doubt  due  to  the  building 
of  the  Lake  Shore  road  further  from  the  river 
than  the  original  plat,  through  section  six- 
teen instead  of  section  nine.  The  main  Elk- 
hart-Toledo  public  highway  runs  through  the 
former  site  of  the  original  plat,  while  the 
Goshen  highway  passes  through  the  additions. 

The  town  received  its  musical  name  from 
Osceola,  the  famous  Seminole  chief,  who  was 
taken  prisoner  by  General  Jessup  in  October, 
1837.  a  few  weeks  before  the  town  was  plat- 

a.     Local  Laws,  1841,   p.   163. 


ted.  The  town  of  Osceola  had  but  a  feeble 
growth  until  the  building  of  the  interurban 
railway  from  South  Bend  to  Goshen  in  1899 
and  1900.  The  Indiana  Railway  Company 
built  one  of  its  power  houses  at  Osceola,  and 
new  life  appeared  at  once  in  the  old  town. 
Even  without  the  building  of  the  power  house, 
the  extending  of  the  interurban  through  Osce- 
ola would  have  worked  a  transformation  in  the 
life  of  the  towm.  It  came  at  once  to  have 
many  of  the  advantages  of  a  suburban  town, 
easily  accessible  as  it  was  to  Elkhart  and 
Goshen,  on  the  one  hand,  and  to  Mishawaka 
and  South  Bend,  on  the  other.  After  the  com- 
pletion of  the  interurban  lines  from  South 
Bend  to  the  west,  there  will  be  a  keen  rivalry 
between  Osceola  and  New  Carlisle,  one  ai  the 
extreme  east  and  one  at  the  extreme  west  of 
the  county,  and  both  admirably  located  as  resi- 
dence towns,  with  hourly  connection  with 
metropolitan  cities  to  the  east  and  the  west. 
The  population  in  1900,  was  one  hundred  and 
seventy-seven. 

Sec.  2. — Crum's  Point. — On  April  21, 
1875.  Christian  Holler  laid  out  the  original 
plat  of  the  town  of  Crum's  Point,  on  the  line 
of  the  Grand  Trunk  railroad,  in  Warren 
township,  not  far  from  the  junction  of  the 
Grapevine  creek  with  the  Kankakee  river ;  and 
located  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  twenty-seven,  township 
thirty-seven  north,  range  one  east.  The  sur- 
vey of  the  town  was  made  by  Matthias  Stover, 
September  7  and  8,  1874.  On  January  20, 
1882,  Mr.  Holler  platted  an  addition  to  the 
town.  With  the  drainage  of  the  upper  Kan- 
kakee valley,  Crum's  Point,  or  Crum's  Town, 
as  it  is  frequently  called,  has  Become  the  cen- 
ter of  a  rich  agricultural  district,  and  is  quite 
likely  to  grow  to  be  a  place  of  considerable 
importance.  The  population,  in  1900,  was  one 
hundred.  The  to-svn  is  on  one  of  the  main 
gravel  roads  leading  southwest  from  South 
Bend  and  connecting  with  the  road  to  North 
Liberty  and  Walkerton. 

Sec.  3. — Granger. — The  great  farmer's 
movement  organized  during  the  latter  part  of 


HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.                                       311 

the  nineteenth  century,  and    known    as    the  the  name  of  the  railroad  station.     The  name 

Grange  was  commemorated  by  the  founding  given   to   the  post  office,  however,  was   Sweet 

of  the  town  of  Granger,  in  Harris  township,  Home,  a  very  pretty  designation  for  a  country 

by   Thomas  J.   Foster,   April   3,   1883.     The  town ;  this  name  has  been  changed  to  Lindley. 

town  is  near  the  ]\Iichigan  line,  on  the  east  Recently  the  railroad  company  hunted  up  a 

side  of  what  is  now  the  Big  Four  railroad,  in  fourth  name,  and  the  station  is  now  called 

fractional  section  seven,  township  thirty-eight  Lydick.     It  would  be  fitting  that  all  should 

north,  range  four  east.     An  addition  to  the  compromise    on    the    honored    name    of    that 

town  was  made  by  Mr.  Foster  in  September  worthy  pioneer,  Ashbury  Lindley,  who  lived 

of  the  same  year.     The  population  in  1900,  his  good  life  in  the  neighborhood,  and  platted 

was  yet  small,  being  but  sixtj'-seven  souls.     A  the  town.    A  little  to  the  west  of  the  town  is 

more  suitable  name  than  Granger  could  not  the  crossing  of  the  branch  of  the  Michigan 

have  been  selected  for  the  town.     It  is  situ-  Central  railroad,  running  from  South  Bend 

ated  in  the  heart  of  the  rich  and  beautiful  to  St.  Joseph,  on  lake  Michigan.     The  census 

Harris  prairie ;  and  the  country,  both  in  Indi-  of  1900  shows  the  population  of  Sweet  Home 

ana  and  Michigan,  is  one  of  the  finest  farming  to  be  thirty-four. 

districts  to  be  found  anywhere.  An  extensive  Sec.  6. — Woodland. — At  the  corner  of  see- 
grain  trade  is  carried  on  over  the  Big  Four,  tions  fifteen,  sixteen,  twenty-one  and  twenty- 
Sec.  4. — Wyatt. — East  of  Lakeville,  on  the  two,  township  thirty-six  north,  range  three 
northeast  quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  east,  in  INIadison  township,  the  town  of  Wood- 
section  thirty-four,  township  thirty-six  north,  land  has  been  in  existence  during  a  time  ex- 
range  three  east,  in  Madison  township  and  on  tending  back  at  least  as  far  as  the  year  1860. 
the  Wabash  railroad,  is  the  new  and  busy  The  town  was  never  platted;  although  on 
town  of  Wyatt.  It  was  laid  out  and  platted  August  7,  1899,  Mochel's  plat,  practically  an 
March  27,  1894,  by  Jeremiah  Bechtel  and  addition  to  the  town,  was  laid  out  on  the 
Louisa  Bechtel.  Wlien  the  Wabash  came  north  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  said 
through  the  heavy  timbered  section  of  the  section  twenty -two.  The  place  has  always  been 
south  part  of  Madison  township,  and  the  A  business  center  of  some  importance.  Schools, 
drainage  of  the  rich  lands  turned  that  wet  churches,  groceries,  post  office,  physician's 
region  into  fertile  farms,  the  need  of  a  ship-  office,  saw-milLs,  blacksmith  shop,  and  other 
ping  town  was  evident,  and  Wyatt  came  in  like  features  of  a  rural  town  have  always  been 
answer  to  the  pressing  needs  of  the  enter-  maintained.  The  population  in  the  year  1900 
prising  people.  In  1900  the  population  had  was  ninety  persons.  Some  of  those  who  have 
reached  one  hundred  and  seventy;  and  the  been  prominent  in  the  business  of  the  town 
town  promises  to  be  one  of  the  pushing,  bus-  are:  Martin  Fink,  William  Shenefield,  Dr. 
tling  communities  of  the  county.  Bishop,  Adam  Mochel,  Frederick  Weber,  Con- 
Sec.  5. — Lindley. — The  youngest  of  our-  rad  Kelley,  Michael  Kettring,  Philip  Buhler, 
towns  is  Lindley,  in  Warren  township.  It  Dr.  Fisher,  Frederick  Lang  and  Charles 
lies  on  the  north  side  of  the  Lake  Shore  rail-  Frank,  the  saw-mill  and  lumbermen,  Scott, 
road,  in  the  north  part  of  the  northwest  quar-  Shenefield,  Thomas  Crakes  and  many  others, 
ter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  two,  In  the  lumber  business  particularly,  Wood- 
township  thirty-seven  north,  range  one  east.  It  land  has  been  a  busy  town.  No  less  than  four 
was  platted  September  6,  1901,  by  Ashbury  or  five  saw-mills  were,  at  different  times,  at 
Lindley  and  Mina  Lindley.  The  locality,  work  in  and  around  the  town, 
though  but  little  more  than  a  railway  station.  Sec.  7. — Warwick.  —  In  the  northwest 
has  had  a  surfeit  of  names.  For  a  long  time  quarter  of  section  eighteen,  township  thirty- 
it  was  known  as  Warren  Center,  and  that  was  eight,  range  one  east,  in  Olive  township,  is 


312 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


another  unplatted  hamlet,  which  seems  ad- 
vancing to  the  dignity  of  a  busy  center.  It  is 
known  as  Warwick,  and  is  located  on  the  old 
Chicago  road,  or  Great  Sauk  Trail,  at  the  in- 
tersection of  the  South  Bend  and  St.  Joseph 
branch  of  the  Michigan  Central  railroad. 
The  population  is  very  small. 

Sec.  8. — Nutwood. — -This  town  is  a  station 
on  the  Vandal ia  railroad,  in  Center  township, 
in  the  south  part  of  section  three,  township 
thirty-six  north,  range  two  east.  It  has  a  post 
offic6 ;  and  in  1900  had  a  population  of  forty- 
three.  Some  other  little  hamlets,  or  collec- 
tions of  houses,  may  be  found  in  different  sec- 
tions of  the  county ;  but  they  are  hardly  more 
than  pleasant  neighborhoods  and  need  not  be 
referred  to  as  towns. 

III.      INCORPORATED  TOWNS. 

Sec.  1.- — New  Carlisle. — One  of  the  oldest 
of  our  towns,  as  it  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
fully situated,  is  New  Carlisle,  which  from  its 
picturesque  eminence  overlooks  fair  Terre 
Coupee  prairie  in  Olive  township.  The  town 
was  founded  in  1835  by  Richard  R.  Carlisle, 
a  unique  character  of  our  early  history.  He 
was  of  a  restless  disposition,  a  sportsman  and 
a  traveler  rather  than  a  pioneer  settler.  He 
did  not  remain  in  the  town  to  w^liich  he  gave 
his  name,  and  is  said  to  have  spent  his  last 
days  in  Philadelphia.  The  land  on  which  the 
town  was  laid  out  had  been  obtained  from  the 
Indians  by  one  Lazarus  Bourissau,  a  French- 
man who  married  an  Indian  wife.  It  was  from 
the  children  of  Bourissau  that  the  land  was 
purchased  by  Carlisle.  The  dedication  and 
acknowledgment  of  the  town  plat  reads  as 
follows : 

"This  plat  represents  the  Town  of  New 
Carlisle,  situated  in  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  thirty-four,  in  township  thirty-eight 
north,  in  range  one  west,  in  St.  Joseph  coun- 
ty, Indiana.  Each  lot  is  one  hundred  and 
thirty-two  feet  in  length  by  fifty  feet  in  width. 
All  the  streets  and  alleys  cross  at  right  angles 
- — variation  north  eight  degrees  and  twenty 
minutes   west.     The  width  of  the  streets  is 


marked  in  each  respectively.  [Michigan  street 
is  shown  to  be  one  hundred  feet  in  width ;  and 
Front,  Chestnut,  Cherry,  Filbert,  Arch  and 
Race,  each,  sixty  feet.]  The  alleys  lying  par- 
allel with  Michigan  street  are  each  sixteen  and 
one-half  feet  wide ;  those  of  a  contrary  course 
are  eaeh  eight  feet  wide. 

' '  Richard  R.  Carlisle, 

"Proprietor. 

"The  beginning  point  to  re-survey  any  of 
the  lots  of  this  town  is  at  a  stone  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  No.  thirty-three. 

"Surveyed  by  Tyra  W.  Bray,  St.  Joseph 
County  Surveyor." 

The  plat  was  acknowledged  by  Mr.  Carlisle 
August  15,  1835. 

On  March  15,  1837,  R.  R.  Carlisle  filed  and 
acknowledged  a  very  much  extended  plat  of 
New  Carlisle,  on  the  same  general  plan  as  the 
firet.  This  last  plat  was  printed  and  litho- 
graphed in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  contains 
a  beautiful  view  of  the  town  overlooking 
Terre  Coupee  prairie.  Apparently  a  large 
number  of  these  printed  plats  were  prepared. 
They  were  no  doubt  intended  to  be  circulated 
throughout  the  east  and  to  attract  attention 
to  the  beautiful  town. 

New  Carlisle,  though  still  a  small  place, 
could  hardly  fail  to  hold  its  own  in  the  strug- 
gle for  existence.  The  fine  eminence  on 
which  it  stands;  the  unequaled  landscape 
which  spreads  out  before  it;  the  rich  agricul- 
tural county  that  surrounds  it;  and  the  ab- 
sence of  any  rival  town  for  many  miles, — all 
united  to  attach  its  people  to  the  old  town  and 
to  draAv  others  to  it.  The  coming  of  the  Lake 
Shore  railroad,  in  1851,  secured  the  stability 
of  the  little  municipality.  On  June  7,  1866, 
Samuel  C.  Lancaster  and  thirty-one  others 
filed  with  the  board  of  county  commissioners 
a  petition  for  the  incorporation  of  the  town; 
and  the  board  fixed  June  30,  1866,  for  an 
election  to  determine  the  question.  On  Sep- 
tember 4,  1866,  the  report  of  the  election  was 
filed  with  the  county  board,  and  it  showed 
forty-four  votes  for  incorporation  and  six 
against  it.     Thereupon  the  board  .entered  an 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


313 


order  incorporating-  tlie  town,  under  the  name 
of  New  Carlisle. 

Under  an  act  approved  March  3 ,  1899, 
towns  not  having  more  than  fifteen  hundred 
inhabitants,  and  having  no  school  indebted- 
ness, were  authorized  to  transfer  their  schools 
and  school  property  to  the  trustees  of  the 
to\\Tiships  in  which  such  towns  respectively 
should  be  located.'^  New  Carlisle  took  advant- 
age of  this  law  and  transferred  its  schools  to 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  trustee  of  Olive  town- 
ship ;  and,  consequently,  it  has  since  been 
simply  a  civil  and  not  a  school  town.  The 
schools  of  New  Castle  are  nevertheless  of  a 
high  order  and  excellently  conducted. 

The  New  Carlisle  Collegiate  Institute,  a 
school  for  the  education  of  both  sexes,  was 
erected  by  the  ]\Iethodist  Episcopal  church,  in 
1859 ;  and  the  school  was  opened  in  1861, 
under  the  patronage  of  that  church.  The  In- 
stitute took  high  rank  as  a  classical  school;^ 
and  continued  to  flourish  for  seven  or  eight 
years.  The  Institute  building  was  a  substan- 
tial two-story  brick  structure,  forty-four  by 
seventy-five  feet.  The  expense  of  conducting 
the  school,  however,  proved  too  heavy  for  the 
church;  and  accordingly  the  building  was 
purchased  for  the  use  of  the  school  town  of 
New  Carlisle.^  An  exceedingly  interesting 
reunion  of  the  surviving  students  of  the  old 
Institute  took  place  August  29,  1907,  which 
was  attended  by  about  eighty  alumni  from 
different  parts  of  the  country.  At  the  close 
of  the  reunion,  a  regular  organization'  was 
perfected. 

The  population  of  the  town  of  New  Carlisle, 
according  to  the  census  of  1900,  was  five  hun- 
dred and  ninety-seven. 

The  New  Carlisle  Gazette,  one  of  the  best 
of  our  county  papers,  was  established  Febru- 
ary 6,  1880,  by  George  M.  Fountain  and 
George  H.  Alward.  It  was  at  first  independ- 
ent in  politics;  but  at  the  end  of  six  months 
Mr.   Fountain  bought   out  his  partner,   and 

a.  Acts,  1899,  p.  373. 

b.  Turner's  Gazetteer,  1867,  p.  73. 

c.  See  Chapman's  Hist.  St.  Joseph  County, 
p.  768. 


continued  the  publication  of  the  "Gazette  as  a 
Republican  journal,  until  his  election  as  clerk 
of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit  court,  when  the 
present  proprietor,  Mr.  E.  L.  Maudlin,  took 
charge. 

On  the  incorporation  of  the  town,  it  would 
seem  that  the  people  of  New  Carlisle  had 
everything  needed  to  make  life  full  and  con- 
tent: Churches,  schools,  shops,  stores,  news- 
paper, all  located  in  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
landscapes  in  America ;  and  with  these,  and 
more  than  all  these,  a  highly  iuoral  and  intel- 
lectual community.  It  is  an  ideal  home  for 
the  philosopher,  the  artist  or  the  poet,  as 
well  as  for  the  contended,  right  living  Ameri- 
can citizen.  With  the  completion  of  the  two 
interurban  railways  soon  to  connect  the  town 
with  South  Bend,  on  the  east  and  with  La- 
porte,  Michigan  City  and  Chicago  on  the  west, 
it  would  seem  that  nothing  will  remain  to 
make  New  Carlisle  one  of  the  most  desirable 
residence  towns  in  the  country. 

Sec.  2. — North  Liberty. — The  town  of 
North  Liberty,  situated  in  Liberty  township, 
followed  close  after  New  Carlisle.  It  was 
founded  in  1836  by  Daniel  Antrim.  The 
dedication  of  the  plat  is  as  follows: 

"This  is  the  plat  of  the  Town  of  North 
Liberty,  in  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana.  Laid 
out  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
twenty-eight  and  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion twenty-nine,  in  township  thirty-six  north, 
in  range  one  east.  The  streets  and  alleys 
cross  at  right  angles,  bearing  east,  west,  north 
or  south.  The  width  of  the  streets  is  marked 
in  each,  respectively.  [The  streets  are  each 
sixty-six  feet  in  w4dtli,  except  Main  street, 
which  is  eighty-two  and  a  half  feet  wide.] 
The  alleys  lying  north  and  south  are  each  six- 
teen and  one-half  feet  wide ;  those  lying  east 
and  west,  fourteen  feet  wide.  Each  lot  is  ten 
rods,  east  and  west,  by  four  rods  north  and 
south,  containing  one  quarter  of  an  acre. 

"Laid  out  for  the  purposes  above  men- 
tioned, as  witness  my  hand,  this  12th  day  of 
January,  1836. 

,  "Daniel  Antrim. 


314 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


"N.  B.  The  corner  of  sections  twenty-eight, 
twenty-nine,  thirty-two  and  thirty-three  is 
designated  as  the  beginning  point  in  survey- 
ing the  town  plat. 

"Surveyed  by  Tyra  W.  Bray,  St.  Joseph 
Countv  Surveyor. ' '« 

Since  the  extension  of  the  Wabash  railroad 
and  the  Three  "  I "  railroad  through  the  town, 
North  Liberty  has  become  one  of  our  most  im- 
portant centers  of  business  and  population. 

So  far  as  can  be  learned,  the  first  news- 
paper, the  North  Liberty  Herald,  was  estab- 
lished about  the  year  1892.  The  Herald  was 
published  for  nearly  four  years.  On  March 
23,  1895,  publication  of  the  North  Liberty 
News  was  begun  by  its  present  editor  and  pro- 
prietor, Mr.  Dell  M.  Woodward.  The  News 
is  a  sprightly  well  conducted  paper,  and  fully 
meets  the  wants  of  the  people  of  North  Lib- 
erty and  vicinity.  About  the  year  1903,  the 
North  West  Indianian  was  started  at  North 
Liberty,  but  continued  for  only  about  a  year. 
The  population  of  North  Liberty,  according  to 
the  United  States  census  of  1900,  was  five 
hundred  and  four.  The  toAvn  was  duly  incor- 
porated June  8,  1894'. 

Sec.  3. — Lakeville. — The  town  of  Lakeville 
is  situated  in  Union  township,  on  either  side 
of  the  Michigan  road;  and  is  located  on  the 
east  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
thirty-four,  and  the  west  part  of  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  thirty-five,  in  towmship 
thirty-seven  north,  range  two  east.  It  receives 
its  name  from  a  number  of  small  lakes  south 
of  the  town,  the  chief  of  which  is  Riddle's 
lake.  Originally  this  was  merely  a  place  of, 
rest  and  refreshment  for  the  accommodation 
of  travelers,  merchants  and  others  doing  busi- 
ness along  the  great  highway  leading  through 
the  state  from  the  Ohio  river  to.  Lake  Michi- 
gan. After  the  opening  of  the  Michigan  road 
and  before  the  coming  of  the  railroads,  immi- 
gration and  commerce  for  northern  Indiana 
sought  this  north  and  south  highway  from 
Logansport  to  IMichigan  City,  instead  of  pro- 

a.  See  the  history  of  Liberty  Township,  in  the 
previous  chapter. 


ceeding,  as  formerly,  along  the  Indian  trails 
from  Fort  Wayue  and  Detroit,  or  coming  up 
the  St.  Joseph  from  Lake  Michigan.  The  im- 
migrant seeking  a  home  upon  the  Michigan 
road  lands  or  bringing  his  family  and  house 
hold  goods  to  the  home  already  selected;  the 
speculator  intent  upon  picking  out  the  fat  of 
the  land  or  in  projecting  towns  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  the  merchant  bringing  up  his  goods 
from  the  Wabash, — all  moved  along  the  great 
thoroughfare,  on  foot,  on  horseback,  by  the 
lumbering  stage  coach  or  in  the  weighty 
Pennsylvania  w^agons  that  perchance  had  once 
rolled  across  the  Alleghanies,  bearing  in  their 
capacious  bosoms  the  seeds  of  future  common- 
wealths. And  on  this  thoroughfare  Lakeville 
was  a  modest  station. 

The  original  plat  of  the  town,  consisting 
of  Lots  A.  B.  C.  D.  E.  &  F.,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Michigan  road,  is  first  shown  on  record 
as  lying  north  of  and  adjoining  Coquillard's 
addition  to  the  town ;  which  addition  was 
platted  August  18,  1857,  by  Alexis  T.,  Alexis 
and  Frances  C.  Coquillard.  Alexis  Theodore 
Coquillard  was  the  son;  Alexis,  the  nephew; 
and  Frances  C.  Coquillard,  the  widow  of  the 
elder  Alexis  Coquillard,  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  city  of  South  Bend.  The  original  plat 
was  itself  afterwards  placed  on  record  Decem- 
ber 23,  1859 ;  but  again  in  connection  with 
the  Coquillard  addition. 

Like  others  of  our  towns,  Lakeville  was  for 
many  years  of  slow  growth.  When  the  Michi- 
gan road,  from  South  Bend  to  Plymouth  be- 
came a  plank  road,  an  infusion  of  new  life 
for  a  time  gave  an  air  of  prosperity  to  the 
little  hamlet,  and  several  additions  were  plat- 
ted to  the  town ;  but  after  a  few  years  the 
plank  road  became  out  of  repair  and  the  old 
planks  w^ere  taken  up  and  the  toll  houses  re- 
moved. After  another  interval  the  Vanda- 
lia  railroad  came  in,  and  still  later  the  Wa- 
bash gave  connection  with  Chicago  and  with 
the  east.  The  town  has  since  prospered,  and 
is  now  one  of  the  busiest  of  our  small  munici- 
palities. Additions  have  been  platted  by  John 
Hendereon,  Michael  Hupp,  Stephen  A.  Ulery 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


315 


and  Sarah  E.  Rush;  and  the  population,  in 
1900,  had  reached  three  hundred  and  fifty. 
The  drainage  and  improved  cultivation  of  the 
surrounding  lands  have  also  tended  to  estab- 
lish the  town  upon  a  substantial  basis,  and 
Lakeville  is  now  sure  to  go  on  prospering  and 
to  prosper.  Lakeville  became  an  incorporated 
town  by  order  of  the  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners, July  7,  1902. 

Sec.  4. — River  Park. — River  Park  occu- 
pies the  territory  between  South  Bend  and 
Mishawaka,  on  the  north  side  of  the  St.  Jo- 
seph river.  The  original  plat  was  acknowl- 
edged April  7,  1892,  by  Albert  J.  Home  and 
Benjamin  F.  Dunn.  Several  additions  have 
since  been  platted,  the  principal  of  these  be- 
ing Fordham  and  Berner's  Grove.  A  peti- 
tion for  the  incorporation  of  the  town  was 
filed  with  the  county  board  May  7,  1900,  and 
an  election  ordered  for  May  23,  1900.  While 
the  election  was  in  favor  of  incorporation, 
yet,  on  remonstrance  being  presented  and 
considered,  the  commissioners  refused  to  or- 
der the  town  incorporated.  From  this  de- 
cision of  the  board  an  appeal  was  taken  to 
the  circuit  court,  where  the  decision  was  re- 
versed; and  an  order  was  made  by  the  court, 
December  28,  1900,  incorporating  the  town 
of  River  Park.  The  town  has  grown  rapidly, 
the  population  being  now  estimated  at  from 
two  to  three  hundred  people.  It  has  a  post 
office,  an  excellent  school  and  many  business 
houses  suited  to  the  needs  of  a  suburban  pop- 
ulation. A  fine  fruit  nursery  is  conducted 
by  Mr.  John  B.  Witwer,  who,  like  the  great 
majority  of  his  townsmen,  has  a  most  de- 
lightful home  in  River  Park.  The  South 
Bend  watch  factory,  which  rivals  Elgin  and 
Waltham  in  the  superior  quality  of  its 
watches,  is  located  in  River  Park. 

Pottawatomie  Park  adjoins  the  town  of 
River  Park;  although  this  fine  pleasure 
ground,  the  largest  in  the  county,  was 
placed  in  the  custody  of  the  city  of 
South  Bend  by  the  county  commission- 
ers. The  park  consists  of  sixty  acres, 
including    forty     acres    formerly    used    for 


the  St.  Joseph  county  fair  grounds.  On 
the  discontinuance  of  the  holding  of  an- 
nual county  fairs  on  those  grounds,  an  act, 
approved  March  1,  1905,«  was  passed  by  the 
legislature  authorizing  the  county  commis- 
sioners to  place  such  lands  in  the  care  of  the 
city  authorities,  to  be  used  as  a  park,  which 
on  April  3,  1906,  was  done  in  this  case.  The 
county  afterwards  added  twenty  acres 
of  fine  woodland  on  the  north,  formerly  a 
part  of  the  old  county  farm.  The  city  of 
South  Bend,  in  accepting  this  trust,  gave  to 
the  grounds  the  exceedingly  appropriate 
name  of  Pottawatomie  Park.  The  late  Rich- 
ard H.  Lyon,  whose  fine  taste  and  historical 
instinct  were  sensibly  affected  by  the  erection 
of  this  noble  park  for  the  use  of  the  people 
of  the  county,  wrote  the  following  beautiful 
tribute  to  the  friendly  Indians,  after  whom 
the  park  was  named : 

"The  action  of  the  South  Bend  authorities 
in  adopting  the  name  Pottawatomie  for  the 
new  park  on  the  old  fair  grounds,  recently 
donated  to  the  city  by  the  county  commis- 
sioners, will  meet  the  general  approbation  of 
this  community.  It  is  a  commendable  pro- 
ceeding, thus  honoring  the  gTeat  nation  of 
red  men,  who  with  their  cousins,  the  Ottawas 
and  the  Chippewas,  once  possessed  and  occu- 
pied this  vast  territory  now  embraced  in 
northern  Indiana,  by  giving  to  the  largest 
and  most  important  tract  of  the  region  dedi- 
cated to  public  use  this  highly  appropriate 
title  in  recognition  of  a  tribe  whose  name  is 
written  high  in  Algonquin  history. 

"Too  little  attention  is  paid  in  this  part  of 
the  west  to  the  preservation  of  good  old  In- 
dian names  by  the  white  race  that  took  the 
land  from  their  dusky  brethren,  the  original 
and  rightful  owners.  South  Bend's  streets, 
most  of  her  leading  ones,  are  laid  out  on 
Indian  trails,  yet  not  one  beare  an  Indian 
name  with  the  sole  exception  of  Miami  street, 
formerly  the  old  Turkey  Creek  road.  There 
have  been  distinguished  red  men  enough  as- 
sociated with  the  early  history  of  this  country 

a.     Acts,  1905,  p.  108. 


316 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


to  have  afforded  each  of  our  important  thor- 
oughfares a  representative  Indian  name.  In 
the  states  east  of  us,  particularly  in  New 
York  and  New  England,  Indian  names  of 
appropriate  significant  meaning  have  been 
generously  applied  to  streets,  public  buildings, 
parks  and  private  estates,  thus  preserving 
permanently  the  quaint  lore  of  the  original 
Americans. 

"Every  Indian  word  and  especially  an  In- 
dian name,  has  a  distinct  meaning  and  that 
is  one  reason  so  many  have  been  adopted  by 
the  whites  of  the  east.  The  word  Pottawato- 
mie has  its  peculiar  definition  or  meaning  in 
English.  The  Indians  of  this  race  were  said 
to  be  experts  in  starting  fires  from  the  rub- 
bing of  two  sticks  together,  hence  they  were 
called  flame  creators  or  blaze  blowers.  They 
originated  in  the  Green  bay  country,  Wiscon- 
sin, and  followed  the  explorer,  Robert  Cave- 
lier  de  La  Salle,  into  the  St.  Joseph  valley, 
soon  after  he  discovered  this  region  in  1679. 
It  is  an  important  fact  that  the  first  friendly 
service  that  La  Salle  received  from  either 
whites  or  Indians,  after  he  launched  out  on 
his  tour  of  the  discovery  of  the  great  north- 
west, was  at  the  hands  of  a  Pottawatomie 
chief.  The  Pottawatomies  were  ever  the 
white  man's  friend,  but  the  white  man  wa.s 
not  always  their  friend,  at  least  did  not  al- 
ways treat  them  as  they  deserved. 

"During  the  Chicago  massacre  in  1812  and 
the  Black  Hawk  war  of  1832,  the  Pottawato- 
mies of  the  St.  Joseph  valley  rendered  invalu- 
able service  to  the  whites,  which  at  the  time 
^■as  duly  appreciated,  but  forgotten  in  after 
years  when  the  government  obtaining  pos- 
session of  their  lands  by  subterfuge,  bundled 
the  most  of  them  off  to  Kansas,  where  they 
were  given  a  small  and  unfruitful  reserva- 
tion for  the  vast  and  rich  lands  they  and 
their  fathers  once  owned  here.  The  last  of  the 
tribe  to  leave  this  vicinity  was  the  Pokagon 
band,  which  removed  from  the  original  vil- 
lage on  the  old  Sac  and  Fox  trail  down  the 
river  near  Bertrand  to  VanBuren  and  Cass 
counties,  Michigan,  in  1836. 


"There  is  not  a  full-blooded  Pottawatomie 
living  in  St.  Joseph  county  now.  Not  many 
moons  in  the  past  the  brave  red  man  held 
undisputed  sway  in  the  wilds  hereabouts,  but 
his  wigwam,  his  hunting  grounds,  his  Avtp' 
whoop  and  his  quaint  garb  have  all  disap- 
peared and  in  their  place  the  productive 
farms,  the  thriving  cities  and  villages  of  the 
white  man  cover  the  landscape.  Nothing  is 
left  of  the  Pottawatomie  but  the  unknowji 
graves  of  his  ancestors,  the  memory  of  his 
useful  deeds  and  his  extreme  friendliness 
toward  his  white  brethren.  Why  should  we 
not  honor  his  memory  by  christening  the 
new  and  extensive  park  with  the  name  of 
Pottawatomie?  When  shall  we  see  a  statue 
of  a  representative  Pottawatomie  chief 
placed  in  a  conspicuous  spot  in  the  grand 
park? 

Sec.  5. — Walkerton. — The  town  of  Walk- 
erton,  not  far  from  the  center  of  Lincoln 
township,  is  one  of  the  most  flourishing  cen- 
ters in  northern  Indiana.  Except  the  cities 
of  South  Bend  and  Mishawaka.  it  is  the  larg- 
est and  most  important  municipal  corpoia- 
tion  in  St.  Joseph  county.  The  town,  as  it 
now  stands,  is  a  combination  of  different 
towns  and  additions,  all  united  under  the 
name  and  government  of  Walkerton.  The 
first  of  these  corporations  was  that  of  West 
Troy,  laid  out  by  Elias  D.  Jones  in  the  south- 
east part  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
twenty-three,  toAATiship  thirty-five  north, 
range  one  west.  This  town  was  platted  by 
Mr.  Jones  December  14,  1854. 

On  June  20,  1856,  William  C.  Hannah 
platted  the  town  of  WaIl?:erton,  which  was 
laid  out  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
twenty-four,  in  the  same  township  and  range 
as  West  Troy.  Burk's  addition  to  West  Troy 
was  platted  April  27,  1860.  On  December  11, 
1868,  Jacob  Rupel  had  the  plats  of  his  first 
three  additions  to  Walkerton  placed  on  rec- 
ord. A  fourth  addition  was  platted  by  him 
on  July  2,  1875,  and  a  fifth  on  January  23, 
1884.  Dixon  W.  Place  platted  his  first  addi- 
tion to  Walkerton  September  3,   1887.     All 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


317 


these  corporations  and  additions,  with  the 
snbseqnent  growth  of  each,  are  now  united 
in  one  vigorous  municipality,  the  center  of 
an  active  and  enterprising  business  and  farm- 
ing community. 

The  town  was  named  from  John  Walker, 
the  promoter  of  a  railroad  through  the  town, 
from  Plymouth  to  Laporte,  known  at  first 
as  the  Indianapolis.  Peru  &  Chicago  railroad, 
but  long  since  become  a  part  of  the  Lake 
Erie  &  Western  system,  extending  from  In- 
dianapolis to  Michigan  City.  This  railroad, 
during  the  feeble  period  of  its  existence,  was 
nicknamed  the  Pe-wee  road.  Two  other  rail- 
roads unite  with  the  Lake  Erie  &  Western 
to  make  Walkerton  an  important  railroad 
center.  These  are  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio,  and 
the  Three  I,  otherwise  the  Chicago,  Illinois 
&  Southern.  The  Lake  Erie  and  the  Three  I 
are  under  the  control  of  the  Lake  Shore  sys- 
tem. These  railroads  are  of  great  moment  to 
Walkerton  and  the  southwest  part  of  the 
county.  Formerly  the  connections  with  the 
outside  world  were  practically  confined  to 
exits  by  way  of  Plymouth  and  Laporte.  Now, 
in  addition,  the  people  are  in  close  connection 
with  Chicago  and  the  east  by  the  great  trunk 
line,  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio,  and  with  the  coun- 
ty seat  at  South  Bend,  as  well  as  with  the 
Illinois  coal  fields,  by  the  Three  I,  or  Chi- 
cago, Illinois  &  Southern,  as  it  is  now  called. 

Mr.  Samuel  J.  Nicoles,  long  a  leading  citi- 
zen of  the  town,  as  he  is  indeed  a  Christian 
gentleman,  whose  citizenship  would  be  an 
honor  to  any  community,  gives  the  following 
comprehensive  statement  of  present  condi- 
tions: Walkerton,  says  Mr.  Nicoles,  is  com- 
pactly built,  with  a  very  good  class  of  homes 
in  the  residence  sections,  and  with  good  two- 
story  brick  buildings  in  the  business  part. 
Among  these  is  an  excellent  hotel.  Another 
is  the  two-story  cement  stone  building,  occu- 
pied and  owned  by  William  A.  Endly,  the 
enterprising  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
AValkerton  Independent. 

The  first  newspaper  established  in  the  town 
was  the  Walkerton  Visitor,  the  first  copy  of 


which  was  issued  by  Henry  S.  Mintle,  April 
7,  1875.  ]\Ir.  Mintle  continued  the  publica- 
tion until  his  death,  May  13,  1886,  when  the 
paper  was  sold  to  J.  F.  Endly,  w^ho  changed 
the  name  to  the  Walkerton  Independent. 
Since  the  death  of  Mr.  Endly,  his  son,  Wil- 
liam A.  Endly,  has  continued  the  publicatioii 
of  the  Independent,  which  has  become  a  first 
class  newspaper. 

In  1879,  before  J.  F.  Endly  became  the 
owner  of  the  Independent,  he  started  the 
publication  of  the  St.  Joseph  County  Repub- 
lican, which,  in  1881,  he  sold  to  D.  M.  Eve- 
land.  This  paper  was  afterwards  purchased 
by  Theodore  Needham,  who,  in  turn,  sold  it 
to  Burroughs  &  Son.  Later  it  ceased  publi- 
cation, and  the  presses  and  material  were  re- 
jiioved  to  Laporte.  > 

The  Walkerton  State  Bank,  with  a  capital 
of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  is  a  well  con- 
ducted and  very  safe  and  conservative  insti- 
tution. A  grain  elevator  of  ample  capacity 
is  owned  and  managed  by  a  reliable  com- 
pany with  abundance  of  capital.  The  mer- 
chants are  agreeable  and  accommodating 
business  men,  and  carry  at  all  times  large  and 
well  assorted  stocks  of  goods.  The  town  is 
also  well  supplied  with  lawyers  and  doctors. 
There  is  a  substantial  brick  school  building, 
in  Avhich  is  conducted  a  graded  school,  in- 
cluding a  first  class  high  school. 

There  are  at  present  five  church  organiza- 
tions: the  Presbyterian,  the  Catholic,  the 
United  Brethren,  the  jMethodist  and  the  Sev- 
enth Day  Adventist.  Two  of  these  have  re- 
cently built  fine  church  edifices,  one  of  ce- 
ment stone  and  one  of  pressed  brick.  An- 
other has  in  course  of  erection  a  fine  large 
building  of  stone  and  concrete.  The  first 
church  to  be  erected  in  the  town  was  by  the 
Methodists,  in  1859.  The  Baptists  erected  a 
church  in  1870,  and  the  Catholics  in  1876. 
The  Presbyterian  society,  as  stated  by  Mr. 
Endly,  was  organized  February  5,  1876,  with 
sixteen  members,  when  the  old  Baptist  church 
linildinu-  was  used   as  its  house  of  worship. 


318 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


The  present  fine  edifice  was  formally  dedi- 
cated June  12,  1904. 

The  streets  of  Walkerton  are  wide,  with 
cement  sidewalks  extending-  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  with  shade  trees  on  either  side. 
The  town  is  in  some  degree  committed  to 
municipal  ownership  of  public  utilities.  It 
has  a  well  constructed  and  well  managed 
system  of  water  works:  and  also  a  fine  elec- 
tric light  plant.  Both  are  owned  and  oper- 
ated by  the  town. 

After  several  fruitless  attempts,  Walkerton 
became  an  incorporated  town  June  8,  1877. 
The  first  petition  for  incorporation  was  filed 
with  the  county  auditor  December  2,  1873, 
and  an  election  was  ordered  for  the  22nd  of 
the  same  month.  By  reason  of  irregularities 
in  the  proceedings,  the  commissioners  re- 
fused to  act  favorably  on  the  petition.  A 
second  petition  was  not  filed  until  March  8, 
1876,  when  an  elction  was  ordered  for  April 
3,  1876.     No  further  proceedings  were  had 


on  this  second  petition.  The  third  petition 
was  filed  with  the  board  March  5,  1877,  and 
an  election  was  ordered  for  April  2nd  fol- 
lowing. The  report  of  this  third  election  was 
returned  on  June  8,  1877;  and  the  board  of 
county  commissioners  finding  everything  reg- 
ular and  according  to  law%  an  order  was  en- 
tered duly  incorporating  the  town. 

By  the  census  of  1900,  the  population  of 
"Walkerton  was  one  thousand  and  thirty-sev- 
en. The  town  has  grown  rapidly  since  that 
date,  and  Mr.  Nicoles  estimates  the  present 
population  at  fifteen  hundred.  With  its  enter- 
prising citizens,  its  fine  farming  surround- 
ings and  its  excellent  railroad  facilities, 
Walkerton  is,  besides,  well  located,  being  at  a 
sufficient  distance  from  South  Bend,  Laporte, 
Plymouth  and  Knox  to  admit  of  free  and 
ample  gTO^^-th.  Its  future  is  assured;  and 
St.  Joseph  county  has  good  cause  to  be  proud 
of  her  southwestern  capital. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  CITY  OF  MISHAWAKA. 


I.      FORMATION  AND  INCORPORATION. 

Unlike  as  they  are  in  many  respects,  there 
is  one  thing  in  which  Mishawaka  resembles 
Walkerton.  The  town  consisted  originally  of 
several  towns,  plats  and  additions,  which,  ul- 
timately, were  brought  into  a  single  munici- 
pal body.  To  this  municipality  was  given  the 
musical  name  of  Mishawaka,  a  name  which 
before  the  union  did  not  belong  in  a  dis- 
tinctive manner  to  any  of  the  divisions. 

Sec.  1. — The  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works. — 
The  first  and  principal  of  these  minor  divi- 


six  and  the  northeast  part  of  lot  number  five, 
in  school  section  number  sixteen,  township 
thirty-seven  north  of  range  number  three 
east,  called  the  town  of  the  St.  Joseph^  Iron 
Works. 

' '  In  testimony  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand 
and  seal,  this  15th  day  of  July,  1833. 

''A.  M.  HuRD." 

Acknowledged  July  15,  1833,  by  William 

L.  Earl,  his  attorney-in-fact.    "Laid  out  and 

surveyed  for  Earl  and  Hurd,  by  T.  W.  Bray, 

St.  Joseph   county  surveyor."     The  river  is 

sions  Was  the  St.  Joseph  Iron  WorksTa  tmvn     ^.^I'^^^^l  in  the  plat  as  the  "Great  St.  Joseph 

laid  out  in  1833  by  Alanson  M.  Hurd,  who     ^i^^^'-" 

is  therefore  generally  regarded  as  the  founder         ^^"^   original   plat   was   re-filed  by  A.   M. 

of  the  city  of  Mishawaka.     The  following  is     ^"'''^'  ""^  February  21,  1835,  together  with 

Mr.  Hurd's  dedication  and  deseription  of  his     ^'^^^^^^^o^s  o^  the  north,  west  and  south.     It 


plat : 

"The  exterior  line  of  this  village  plat  be- 
gins on  the  top  of  the  bluff,  on  the  south  side 
of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  and  runs  thence  south 
seventy  poles  to  a  stake;  thence  west  eighty 
and  1/1621  poles  to  a  stake;  thence  north 
sixty-one  poles  to  a  stake ;  thence  west  seven- 
teen poles  to  a  stake;  thence  north  sixty-two 
poles  to  the  river;  and  thence,  as  the  river 
meandere,  one  hundred  fourteen  and  one-half 
poles,  containing  fifty-two  and  seven-tenths 
acres.  The  subdivLsion  is  as  this  plat  rep- 
resents. Each  lot  is  four  by  eight  perches, 
containing,  of  course,  thirty-two  square 
perches  each.  The  alleys  are  sixteen  and  a 
half  feet  wide,  and  the  width  of  each  street 
is  marked  in  them  respectively.  This  village 
is  laid  out  on  the  north  part  of  lot  number 


is  this  second  plat  that  is  usually  referred 
to  as  the  "Original  Town." 

On  October  23,  1835,  a  plat  of  out  lots  was 
filed  by  Mr.  Hurd,  lying  on  the  west  of  the 
original  town,  and  opposite  the  island  in  the 
river  at  that  point.  On  this  last  plat  the 
name  of  the  principal  east  and  west  street 
is  recognized  as  the  "Vistula  Road." 

On  'August  17,  1836,  Francis  P.  Taylor 
acknowledged  and  filed  his  plat  as  an  addi- 
tion to  the  town  of  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works. 
This  plat  was  surveyed  by  Thomas  P.  Bulla, 
and  the  road  from  the  west  is  called  "Vistula 
and  Loteas  Road." 

The  name  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works  was 
taken  from  that  of  a  company  of  the  same 
name  which  Mr.  Hurd,  Mr.  Earl  and  others 
had  organized   for  the  manufacture  of  iron 


319 


320 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


at  this  point.  Bog  iron  ore  was  found  in  con- 
siderable quantities  in  the  swamp  under  the 
hills  south  of  the  town,  being  the  same  swamp 
around  which  La  Salle  was  forced  to  find  his 
way  on  the  night  in  December,  1679,  when 
he  got  lost  in  seeking  for  the  portage  to  the 
Kankakee."  Mr.  Hurd  and  his  company  were 
of  opinion  that  the  ore  in  this  marsh  would 
prove  inexhaustible  and  that  his  iron  works 
would  expand  into  a  flourishing  manufactur- 
ing town.  The  construction  of  a  blast  fur- 
nace for  the  reduction  of  the  ore  had  been 
commenced  the  spring  previous  to  the  plat- 
ting of  the  town,  and  was  completed  in  1834. 

The  company  was  duly  incorporated  by 
an  act  of  the  legislature,  approved  January 
22,  1835.  in  which  it  was  declared,  "That 
Alanson  M.  Hurd,  of  the  county  of  St. 
Joseph,  John  J.  Deming  and  John  H.  Orr, 
and  their  associates,  be,  and  they  are  hereby 
constituted  a  body  corporate  and  politic,  by 
the  name  and  style  of  the  president,  directors 
and  company  of  the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works, 
for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  iron."^ 

By  section  6  of  the  act,  it  was  provided 
'  ■  That  the  said  corporation  shall  be  and  they 
are  hereby  authorized  to  erect  a  dam  across 
.  >-  river  St.  Joseph,  at  the  head  of  the  Mish- 
awaka  rapids."  The  dam  thus  authorized 
was  built  by  the  iron  company  in  1835.  It 
was  the  first  dam  across  the  St.  Joseph  river 
and  is  still  in  good  condition. 

The  elaborate  title  of  the  company,  being 
the  "President.  Directors  and  Company  of 
the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works,"  proved  to  be 
needlessly  cumbrous,  and  the  legislature,  by 
an  act  approved  February  1,  1836,  shortened 
the  name  of  the  corporation  to  the  "St. 
Joseph  Iron  Company."'^  Under  this  title 
the  company  continued  to  operate  its  fur- 
naces and  manufacture  iron  until  1856,  when 
the  bog  ore  was  exhausted.  The  business  of 
the  corporation  was  thereupon  changed  to 
manufacturing.     A  foundry  was  put  in  oper- 

a.     See  Chap.  2,  Subd.  2. 
6.     Local  Acts,  1834,  p.  79. 
c      Local  Laws,  1835,  p.  206. 


ation,  and  plows,  cultivators  and  other  like 
machinery  were  manufactured.  In  1868  the 
name  of  the  corporation  was  again  change<l 
and  it  has  since  been  known  as  the  St.  Joseph 
Manufacturing  Company.  This  old  corpora- 
tion has  been  one  of  the  effective  forces  in 
building  up  Mishawaka  and  in  making  it  a 
great  manufacturing  center. 

Alanson  M.  Hurd  and  other  enterprising 
citizens,  not  content  with  the  building  of  the 
dam  and  laying  the  foundation  of  great 
manufacturing  industries,  were  desirous  of 
having  a  bridge  across  the  river.  For  this 
purpose  a  charter  w^as  obtained  from  the 
legislature  by  an  act  approved  February  7, 
1835,«  in  which  it  was  provided,  "That  N.  M. 
Wells,  A.  M.  Hurd,  John  J.  Deming,  J.  H. 
Orr  and  0.  Hurd,  with  their  associates,  be 
and  are  hereby  constituted  a  body  corporate 
and  politic,  by  the  name  and  style  of  the 
Mishawaka  bridge  company,  for  the  purpose 
of  constructing  a  bridge  across  the  St.  Joseph 
river  at  the  Mishawaka  rapids,  in  the  town- 
ship of  Penn,  in  the  county  of  St.  Joseph." 
The  bridge  was  finally  constructed  in  1837. 
It  was  built  across  the  river  at  Bridge  street 
and  was  a  substantial  structure  creditable  to 
the  private  enterprise  of  its  builders.  This 
was  the  first  bridge  to  be  placed  across  the 
St.  Joseph  river.*^ 

It  will  have  been  noticed  that  although  the 
official  name  of  the  town  was  the  St.  Joseph 
Iron  Works,  yet  the  name  Mishawaka  per- 
sisted in  indicating  its  presence,  even  before 
its  time.  In  each  of  the  acts  of  the  legisla- 
ture to  which  reference  has  been  made  the 
name  Mishawaka  appears;  the  president,  di- 
rectors and  company  of  the  St.  Joseph  Iron 
Works  were  authorized  to  build  a  dam  "at 
the  head  of  the  Mishawaka  rapids,"  and  the 
company  incorporated  to  construct  a  bridge 
over  the  river  was  styled  "the  Mishawaka 
bridge  company,"  and  was  authorized  to 
build  its  "bridge  across  the  St,  Joseph  river 
at    the    Mishawaka    rapids."       Even    earlier 

a.     Local  Laws,  1834,  p.  87. 
T).     See  Chap.  7,  Subd.  2. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


321 


than  this  action  on  the  i)art  of  the  legislature 
of  the  state  of  Indiana,  was  the  action  of  the 
United  States  government.  In  the  spring  of 
1834  a  post  office  was  established  for  the 
new  town  and  the  name  of  Mishawaka  was 
given  to  the  post  offiee  at  the  suggestion,  it 
is  said,  of  Mr.  Yerrington,  the  first  post- 
master. It  is  said,  too,  that  this  was  the 
name  of  an  Indian  village  formerly  located 
on  the  site  of  Taylor's  addition  to  the  St. 
Joseph  Iron  Works. "^ 

Sec.  2. — Barbee's  Plat. — The  first  record- 
ed plat,  however,  on  which  the  name  of 
Mishawaka  appears  is  that  made  by  William 
Barbee  and  Henry  Harman,  April  2,  1835. 
For  convenience,  perhaps,  this  plat  is  usually 
referred  to  as  Barbee's  addition;  but  it  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  intended  as  an  addi- 
tion, but  rather  as  an  independent  town.  The 
name  of  the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works  nowhere 
appears,  although  the  Barbee  plat  adjoins  the 
"Original  Town"  on  the  east.  The  title  is 
"Pla.t  of  the  Town  of  Mishawaka,"  and  it 
was  acknowledged  April  20,  1835,  as  the 
"Town  Plat  o£  Mishawaka,"  by  the  pro- 
prietors, "William  Barbee  and  Henry  Har- 
man, by  William  Barbee  as  Agent."  The  de- 
scription by  the  surveyor,  Tyra  W.  Bray, 
reads : 

"This  plat  represents  the  town  of  Misha- 
waka, in  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana.  Laid 
out  by  William  Barbee  and  Henry  Harman 
on  the  20th  day  of  April,  1835,  on  a  part  of 
the  northwest  fractional  quarter  of  section 
fifteen,  in  township  thirty-seven  north,  and 
in  range  three  east  (2  Mer.),  and  on  a  part 
of  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  southwest 
quarter  of  the  same  section.  The  beginning 
point  of  this  plat  is  the  quarter  section  cor- 
ner on  the  line  dividing  sections  fifteen  and 
sixteen,  running  thence  north  fifty-six  poles 
to  a  stake ;  thence  east  five  poles  to  the 
northwest  corner  of  lot  number  eleven,  etc., 
etc." 

Sec.    3. — Fowler's    Addition. — The    next 

a.     Chapman's  Hist.   St.   Joseph  County,  Chica- 
go, 1880,  p.  790. 
21 


plat  laid  out  is  entitled  "Fowler's  Addition 
to  Mishawaka."  The  surveyor's  description 
is  as  follows:  "Town  plat  for  G.  W.  R. 
Fowler,  north  side  river  St.  Joseph,  opposite 
St.  Joseph  Iron  Works.  First  lot,  No.  1, 
north  of  the  southwest  corner  of  section  ten, 
14^  rods,  size  of  lots  four  rods  in  front, 
eight  rods  back.  All  streets  four  rods.  Al- 
leys one  rod,  running  north  and  south,  hav- 
ing eight  lots  in  a  block.  T.  P.  Bulla,  sur- 
veyor." The  plat  was  acknowledged  April 
22,  1836,  by  "George  W.  R.  Fowler,  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  above  mentioned  and  described 
village. ' ' 

Sec.  4. — Indiana  City. — During  the  same 
year  another  plat,  called  "Indiana  City," 
was  laid  out  on  the  north  side  of  the  river. 
This  appears  also  as  an  independent  town. 
The  plat  was  acknowledged  June  28,  1836,  by 
the  proprietors,  Joseph  Battell,  James  R. 
Lawrence  and  Grove  Lawrence,  and  is  de- 
scribed as  follows :  ' '  This  is  a  plat  of  In- 
diana City,  in  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana, 
laid  out  on  the  south  half  of  section  number 
nine  and  the  northwest  fraction  of  section 
sixteen,  in  township  thirty-seven  north,  in 
range  three  east."  Between  Joseph  street 
and  the  river  the  plat  shows  a  vacant  tract 
marked  "Reserved  for  water  power,"  and  a 
mill  race  is  shown  from  the  rapids  along 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  down  to  the 
"Island."  The  mill  race,  however,  was 
never  dug  along  the  plat  of  Indiana  City, 
and  consequently  the  vacant  tract  was  never 
used  "for  water  power."  Years  afterwards 
this  sightly  tract,  high  over  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  M^as  presented  by  Mr.  Battell  to  the 
city  of  Mishawaka,  to  be  used  as  a  public 
park.  It  has  been  kept  up  and  maintained 
by  the  city,  with  walks  and  drives,  green- 
sward, flowers  and  shade  trees.  The  delight- 
ful spot  is  known  as  Battell  Park.  The  plat 
of  "Indiana  City"  discloses  another  circum- 
stance showing  that  Messrs.  Battell  and  Law- 
rence were  ambitious  of  great  things  for 
their  town.  Two  large  squares,  of  several 
acres  each,  are  set  apart  for  public  purposes; 


322 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


one  is  marked  "College  Green,"'  and  the 
other  "Court  House  Square."  No  college 
has  been  erected  on  the  "College  Green,'' 
nor  has  any  court  house  been  built  upon  the 
"Court  House  Square";  and  "Indiana 
City"  itself  was  destined  soon  to  lose  its 
own  identity. 

Sec.  5. — Other  Additions. — On  March  8, 
1837,  the  plat  of  "H.  H.  Fowler's  Addition 
to  Mishawaka,"  also  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river,  was  acknowledged  by  Henry  H. 
Fowler. 

On  April  19,  1837,  Thomas  P.  Bulla  sur- 
veyed a  second  plat  for  G.  AV.  R.  Fowler, 
laid  out  on  the  southwest  fractional  quarter 
of  section  ten,  township  thirty-seven  north, 
range  three  east,  "Commencing  eighty  rods 
east  of  the  southwest  corner  of  section  ten." 
There  is  nothing  on  this  plat  to  show  whether 
it  was  intended  as  an  addition  or  not;  there 
being  no  reference  to  any  other  plat. 

Sec.  6. — Union  op  the  Towns. — At  the 
close  of  the  year  1837,  there  were  therefore 
no  less  than  four  independent  town  plats, 
besides  the  additions.  On  the  south  side  of 
the  river  were  the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works, 
platted  by  Alanson  ]M.  Ilurd ;  and  Misha- 
waka, platted  by  Barbee  &  Harman.  On 
the  north  side,  were  Indiana  City,  platted 
by  Battell  &  Lawrence;  and  Fowler's  vil- 
lage, platted  by  George  W.  R.  Fowler.  Tay- 
lor's, as  well  as  Hurd's  own  additions,  rec- 
ognized the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works;  while 
the  remaining  additions  seemed  to  recognize 
Mishawaka.  The  post  office,  as  we  have  seen, 
was  also  called  Mishawaka. 

On  February  17,  1838,  an  act  of  the  legis- 
lature was  approved,  designed  to  bring  the 
several  towns  and  additions  under  one 
name."^     The  act  declared: 

"That  the  name  of  the  town  of  St.  Joseph 
Iron  Works  and  the  name  of  the  town  of 
Indiana  City,  in  St.  Joseph  county,  be,  and 
the  same  are  hereby  changed  to  that  of 
Mishawaka ;  and  that  all  the  lots  now  laid 
out  on  either  side  of  the  Big  St.  Joseph  river, 

a.     Local  Laws,  1837,  p.  410. 


whether  included  within  the  towns  of  St. 
Joseph  Iron  Works,  Indiana  City,  Misha- 
waka, or  additions  thereto,  be  included 
within  the  incorporation  of  the  town  of  St. 
Joseph  Iron  Works  (hereafter  to  be  known 
by  the  name  of  Mishawaka)." 

Thus  was  unity  given  to  the  several  towns 
and  their  additions,  gathered  "at  the  head 
of  the  ]\Iisha^^'aka  rapids,  in  the  township  of 
Penn,  in  the  county  of  St.  Joseph."  For 
convenience  of  reference,  the  old  divisions 
are  still  recognized  as  the  "original  plat," 
"Taylor's  Addition,"  " Barbee 's  Addition," 
"Lawrence  &  Battell's  Addition,"  and  the 
several  "Fowler's  Additions";  but  all  these, 
and  many  others  since  formed,  are  merged 
under  the  happily  chosen  name  of  Misha- 
waka. 

The  word  Mishawaka  is  Indian,  meaning, 
as  it  w^ould  seem.  Big  Rapids;  the  etymology 
being  similar  to  that  of  the  word  Michigan, 
signifying  Great  Lake.  The  town  therefore 
took  its  name  from  the  most  remarkable  nat- 
ural feature  of  the  locality,  the  great  falls 
in  the  river  at  this  point.  This,  too,  gave 
to  the  citizens  an  indication  of  the  fine  water 
power  that  could  be  secured  by  throwing  a 
dam  across  the  river  just  above  the  rapids. 
The  actual  fall  of  the  river  for  a  few  rods 
at  the  rapids  has  been  found  to  be  two  feet 
and  nine  inches.  Thus,  Mishawaka 's  future 
history  as  a  manufacturing  town  was  recog- 
nized in  the  very  name  given  to  the  infant 
municipality, — the  town  of  the  big  rapids, 
the  town  of  the  great  water  power.  The  iron 
ore  which  had  suggested  the  name  of  the 
St.  Joseph  Iron  Works  has  all  been  taken 
from  the  bog  where  it  was  once  thought  to  be 
inexhaustible;  but  the  water  power  of  the 
rapids  which  suggested  the  name  of  Misha- 
waka remains  a  perennial  boon  to  the  town 
and  to  the  city  which  has  grown  from  the 
town. 

Sec.  7. — Incorporation. — Even  before  the 
date  of  the  act  of  the  general  assembly  unit- 
ing the  several  divisions,  the  town,  under 
the  name  of  the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works,  had 


HISTORY   OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


323 


already  been  incorporated.  On  Monday,  tlie 
first  day  of  September,  1834,  being  the  first 
daj^  of  the  September  term,  1834,  of  the 
board  of  commissioners  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
the  following  order  was  entered: 

"Now  at  this  day  comes  in  before  the 
board  Orlando  Hurd  and  files  a  petition  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  St.  Joseph 
Iron  Works,  praying  for  the  said  board  to 
order  an  election  in  said  town,  that  they 
may  have  the  said  to^^^l  incorporated.  And 
the  said  board,  after  examining  the  prem- 
ises and  the  evidence  adduced,  order  and  di- 
rect that  notice  to  the  said  citizens  be  given 
to  meet  at  the  house  of  Orlando  Hurd  on 
the  last  Saturday  in  this  month,  to  elect 
trustees    of   said    incorporation." 

For  some  reason  which  does  not  appear  of 
record,  the  election  was  not  held  as  ordered: 
and,  on  Tuesday,  January  5,  1835,  being  the 
second  day  of  the  January  session  of  the 
board  of  county  commissioners  for  that  year, 
the  following  further  order  was  made: 

"It  is  ordered  by  the  board  that  an  alias 
notice  be  given  to  the  citizens  of  St.  Joseph 
Iron  Works  to  meet  at  the  house  of  Orlando 
Hurd  and  elect  trustees  for  the  incorporation 
of  said  town." 

The  following  return  was  made  of  the 
election  so  called: 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  qualified  electors 
of  the  village  of  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works,  held 
pursuant  to  publick  notice  given  by  the  sher- 
iff of  the  county  of  St.  Joseph,  at  the  house 
of  Orlando  Hurd  in  said  village,  on  Satur- 
day, the  thirty-first  day  of  January,  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-five,  for 
the  purpose  of  electing  five  trustees  in  and 
for  said  village,  Elias  Smith  was  called  to 
the  chair  and  John  J.  Deming  appointed 
clerk.  And  thereupon  the  said  chairman  and 
clerk  were  duly  sworn  to  the  faithful  dis- 
charge of  their  duties  respectively,  in  super- 
intending said  election,  by  Samuel  J.  H.  Ire- 
land, Esq.,  one  of  the  justices  of  the  peace 
in  and  for  said  county.  The  votes  of  the 
electors  were  then  taken  and  canvassed,  and 


the  result  of  said  election  declared  to  be  as 
follows:  James  White,  Alexander  Sandi- 
lands,  John  J.  Deming,  Samuel  Stancliff, 
Henry  De  Camp,   trustees. 

"It  witness  hereof  I  have  hereunto  set 
my  hand  this  3  Apl.,  1835. 

"Jno.  J.  Deming,  Clerk." 

This  was  the  first  town  incorporation  in 
St.  Joseph  county,  preceding  by  a  few 
montlis  the  incorporation  of  the  town  of 
South  Bend. 

II.       BUSINESS    ENTERPRISES. 

From  the  beginning  Mishawaka  has  been 
noted  for  its  business  enterprise.  The 
founders  and  early  settlers  of  the  town  were 
men  remarkable  for  their  public  spirit.  Thej'' 
were  enterprising,  pushing,  persevering. 
They  built  the  first  dam  across  the  St.  Joseph, 
and  likewise  erected  the  first  bridge,  and 
both  by  private  means.  A  mill  race  was  dug 
on  each  side  of  the  river;  and  early  use  was 
made  of  the  unequaled  water  power  at  the 
rapids. 

The  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works,  the  original 
corporation  organized  by  Alanson  M.  Hurd 
to  reduce  the  iron  ore  found  in  the  bog 
south  of  town  long  continued  to  be  the 
leading  business  corporation.  Under  the 
name  of  the  St.  Joseph  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, and  engaged  in  the  production  of 
plows  and  other  farming  implements,  it  con- 
tinues to  this  day  as  one  of  the  business 
forces  of  the  community. 

Another  company,  organized  under  an  act 
approved  February  17,  1838,«  was  the  Misha- 
ivaka  Iron  mid  Manufacturing  Company, 
with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars, the  incorporators  being  John  N.  Sher- 
man, Orlando  Hurd,  George  W.  R.  Fowler, 
Charles  W.   Pomery  and  Alonzo  Delano. 

In  1836,  leading  citizens  of  the  town  had 
taken  a  prominent  part  in  organizing  the 
first  insurance  company  of  St.  Joseph  county. 
The  St.  Joseph's  County  Mutual  Fire  Insur- 
ance  Company.     By  an  act  approved  Feb- 

a.    Local  Laws,  1837,  p.  211. 


324 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


ruary  8,  1836,"'  the  company  received  a  char- 
ter from  the  legislature,  the  first  section  of 
which  provided : 

"That  Samuel  Sample,  Horatio  Chapin, 
L.  M.  Taylor,  A.  Coquillard,  John  Brown- 
field,  Elias  Smith,  Orlando  Hurd,  J.  E.  Hol- 
lister,  J.  H.  Orr,  Francis  P.  Taylor,  A.  M. 
Hurd,  and  all  other  persons  who  may  here- 
after associate  with  them  in  the  manner  herein 
prescribed,  shall  be  a  corporation  by  the  name 
of  the  St.  Joseph's  County  Mutual  Fire  In- 
surance Company,  for  the  purpose  of  in- 
suring their  respective  dwelling  houses, 
stores,  shops,  and  other  buildings,  household 
furniture  and  merchandise,  against  loss  or 
damage  by  fire." 

This  company  is  of  interest,  if  for  no  other 
cause,  in  that  it  brought  together,  seemingly 
for  the  first  time,  the  prominent  founders  of 
South  Bend  and  Mishawaka.  It  is  of  interest 
for  another  reason,  that  its  organization  and 
management  seem  to  have  been  quite  sim- 
ilar to  those  of  the  present  St.  Joseph  County 
Farmers'  Fire  Insurance  Company,  which 
for  many  years  has  proved  so  successful  and 
economical  for  the  insurance  of  the  propertj'' 
of  the  farmers  of  the  county. 

During  the  year  1834,  Orlando  Hurd 
opened  a  hotel  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  traveling  public ;  and  in  the  following 
year  Francis  P.  Taylor  erected  the  first  flour- 
ing mill.  The  town  at  the  rapids  was  thus 
fairly  under  way. 

At  this  early  date,  after  the  St.  Joseph 
Iron  Works  had  been  incorporated,  but  be- 
fore the  passage  of  the  act  of  the  legislature 
organizing  the  several  town  plats  into  the 
one  town  of  Mishawaka,  and  before  the  erec- 
tion of  the  bridge  over  the  river,  we  have  a 
ray  of  light  thrown  upon  the  condition  of  the 
enterprising  community,  in  a  record  left  by 
Dr.  E.  W.  H.  Ellis,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  St.  Joseph  county.  Dr.  Ellis  tells  us  that 
he  reached  the  north  bank  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  "opposite  Mishawaka,"  August  7, 
1836,  and  was  taken  across  the  river  by  the 

a.     Local  Laws,  1835,  p.  157. 


ferryman.  He  adds  that  the  population  was 
then  not  over  five  hundred;  and  that  the 
population  of  South  Bend  at  the  same  time, 
was  not  over  eight  hundred. 

While  the  dam  was  built,  the  races  dug 
and  a  number  of  manufacturing  plants  or- 
ganized at  an  early  day ;  yet  the  greater 
number  of  the  concerns  that  have  given  to 
Mishawaka  its  high  place  as  a  manufactur- 
ing center  are  of  a  later  date.  The  most 
important  step  taken,  perhaps,  in  giving  sta- 
bility and  activity  to  the  Mishawaka  manu- 
facturing industries,  was  the  organization, 
June  28,  1867,  of  the  Mishawaka  Hydraulic 
Company.  This  company  was  made  up 
ehiefiy  of  the  manufacturers  already  engaged 
in  using  the  water  power  of  the  river.  The 
list  of  names  of  the  incorporators  alone  is 
sufficient  to  show  the  importance  attached  to 
the  proper  management  and  care  of  the  dam, 
races  and  other  things  connected  with  the 
use  and  protection  of  the  invaluable  water 
power,  from  the  beginning  regarded  as  the 
true  source  of  the  prosperity  of  the  town. 
The  incorporators  of  the  Hydraulic  Com- 
pany were : 

George  Milburn,  Ann  M.  Studebaker, 
Thomas  H.  Milburn,  Washington  J.  Brower_. 
John  S.  Ball,  David  Nottage,  Horace  B.  Mar- 
tin, Lorenzo  W.  Martin,  George  Kuhn,  John 
Kuhn,  Anthony  Kuhn,  Albert  Cass,  Adol- 
phus  Eberhart,  Palmer  C.  Perkins,  Adoniram 
B.  Judson,  Nelson  Ferris,  William  Dawley, 
Martin  K.  Lushbaugh,  Thomas  Costello, 
Warren  Palmer,  Joseph  Warden  and  the  St. 
Joseph  Iron  Company,  by  Henry  G.  Niles, 
trustee. 

The  subscribed  capital  of  the  company  was 
fifty  thousand  dollars;  and  the  objects 
stated  in  the  articles  of  association  were  to 
keep  up  the  dam,  water  power,  races,  banks 
and  other  matters  connected  with  the  power, 
and  to  sell  and  dispose  of  water  power  to 
other   manufacturers. 

The  Mishawaka  Furniture  Company  was 
organized  October  10,  1867,  with  a  capital 
of  sixty  thousand  dollars.     The  incorporators 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


325 


were:  Acloniram  B.  Judson,  Robert  Mont- 
g-oniery,  Lewis  T.  Booth  and  De  Witt  C. 
Eygieston. 

On  August  23,  1869,  the  famous  Milburn 
Wagon  Company  was  incorporated,  with  a 
capital  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The 
incorporators  were  :  George  Milburn,  Thomas 
H.  Milburn  and  John  Milburn.  The  business 
of  the  company  was  the  manufacturing  of 
wagons,  farm  implements  and  other  business 
incident  thereto. 

George  Milburn  was  a  man  of  extraordi- 
nary energy  and  force  of  character.  His 
company  at  once  entered  upon  a  career  of 
great  activity  and  prosperity;  and  it  seemed 
that  Mishawaka  was  about  to  become  one  of 
the  great  wagon  making  centers  of  the 
world.  The  company  reported  the  value  of 
vehicles  manufactured  during  the  year  end- 
ing July  1,  1873,  at  four  hundred  and  forty- 
six  thousand,  six  hundred  and  fifty-two  dol- 
lars. During  the  same  year,  however,  an  un- 
fortunate controverey  arose  between  the 
company  and  the  town.  Mr.  Milburn  asked 
for  certain  facilities  for  side  tracks  along 
the  sitreets  from  the  factory  to  the  Lake 
Shore  railway  which  the  authorities  of  the 
town  felt  unable  to  agree  to.  Instead  of 
exercising  a  spirit  of  forbearance  towards 
one  another,  the  parties  allowed  the  breach 
to  widen  until  the  Milburn  "Wagon  AVorks 
abandoned  the  town  of  Mishawaka  where 
they  had  grown  and  prospered.  Induce- 
ments held  out  to  the  company  to  locate  in 
Toledo  had  perhaps  something  to  do  in  com- 
pleting the  estrangement. 

It  was  an  unhappy  quarrel  for  both  town 
and  company.  A  mammoth  building  in 
process  of  erection  by  the  company  at  To- 
ledo was  blown  down  by  a  storm  on  Decem- 
ber 4,  1873,  entailing  a  loss  of  over  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  In  other  respects  it  does 
not  seem  that  the  company  prospered  as  it 
would  have  done  in  the  town  of  its  origin 
and  vigorous  youth.  As  for  Mishawaka  it- 
self, the  loss  of  the  factory  seemed  almost 
irreparable.     Coming  as  it  did,  so  soon  after 


the  fearful  conflagration  that  destroyed  the 
business  section  of  the  town,  on  September 
5,  1872,«  the  blow  was  such  as  might  well 
stagger  the  energies  of  the  people.  For 
years,  the  silent  walls  of  the  Milburn  wagon 
works  were  an  unpleasant  sight  to  those  who 
had  so  long  hoped  and  labored  for  Misha- 
waka's  prosperity.  But,  by  degrees,  this 
loss,  as  well  as  that  occasioned  by  the  great 
fire,  was  overcome.  The  vacant  buildings, 
one  after  another,  were  filled  with  new  in- 
dustries; until,  finally,  the  wounds  were  all 
healed,  and  the  good  town  went  ahead  and 
flourished  as  if  no  harm  had  ever  been  suf- 
fered. As  in  case  of  Chicago  after  its  fire, 
or  San  Francisco  after  its  earthquake,  it 
was  demonstrated  that  Mishawaka,  by  rea- 
son of  her  situation  and  surroundings,  was 
destined  to  be  a  successful  manufacturing 
center,  so  that  even  what  appeared  as  over- 
whelming calamities  could  not  destroy  her. 

Among  the  plants  established  in  the  early 
seventies  and  later  that  had  very  much  to 
do  in  determining  the  success  of  Mishawaka 
as  a  manufacturing  town  were  the  following: 

The  Andrews  ScJiool  and  Church  Furni- 
ture Company  w^as  incorporated  December 
20,  1870,  with  a  capital  of  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars. The  incorporators  were:  William  W. 
Ferris,  S.  E.  Wliite,  J.  Q.  C.  Vandenbosch, 
William  N,  Dunn,  James  Welliver,  Henry  G. 
Niles  and  Alfred  H.  Andrews. 

The  Hollow  Axle  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany was  organized  March  4,  1871,  with  fi 
capital  of  twenty  thousand  dollare;  the  in- 
corporators being:  George  Milburn,  Wil- 
liam A.  Lewis  and  William  Mofiitt. 

The  Bostwick  Refrigerator  Company  was 
incorporated  August  10,  1873,  with  a  capital 
of  twenty  thousand  dollars.  The  incorpo- 
rators were :  Joseph  Bostwick,  Thomas  A. 
Bless,  Christian  Bless  and  William  Bost- 
wick. They  manufactured  not  only  refrig- 
erators, but  also  other  house  furnishing 
goods. 

The    Mishawaka     Woolen    Manufacturing 

a.     See  Subd.  3  of  this  chapter,  Sec.  13. 


326 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Company  was  incorporated  January  31, 
1874,  with  a  capital  of  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars.  The  ineorporatore  were:  George 
Hartstein,  Jacob  Beiger,  Martin  V.  Beiger, 
D.  A.  Dixon  and  George  E.  Wells.  This 
company  has  become  noted  for  its  success 
in  the  manufacture  of  wool  boots;  the  ex- 
tent of  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  such 
wool  felt  boots  having  long  since  attained 
mammoth  proportions. 

On  July  14,  1873,  the  Perkins  Wind  Mill 
and  Ax  Company  was  incorporated.  The 
capital  was  fixed  at  forty  thousand  dollars. 
The  incorporators  were:  Palmer  C.  Per- 
kins, Pardon  J.  Perkins,  Albert  Hudson, 
Luther  I.  Clark,  Bja'on  C.  O'Connor,  Jacob 
C.  Snyder  and  Reuben  E.  Perkins.  By  de- 
grees the  production  of  windmills  engaged 
the  attention  of  the  company  to  such  an 
extent,  that,  on  September  9,  1902,  on  pe- 
tition to  the  St.  Joseph  circuit  court,  the 
name  was  changed  to  the  Perkins  Wind  Mill 
Company.  The  company  has  sold  its  prod- 
ucts all  over  the  United  States.  During  the 
year  preceding  its  incorporation,  the  con- 
cern made  and  sold  over  one  hundred  wind 
mills;  and  the  production  and  sales  have 
increased  enormously  since  that  date.  Per- 
kins' windmills  are  as  well  known  in  ]\Iichi- 
gan  or  Nebraska  as  they  are  in  Indiana. 

The  MisJiawaka  Wagon  Company  was  in- 
corporated January  18,  1876,  Avith  a  capital 
of  fifty  thousand  dollars;  the  incorporators 
being  Robert  Montgomery,  De  AA^itt  C.  Eg- 
gleston  and  Charles  E.   Sillsbee. 

Several  paper  and  wood  pulp  companies 
were  established,  as  follows: 

March  4,  1880.  the  Mishawaka  Wood  Pulp 
Company;  capital,  fifteen  thousand  dollars; 
incorporators,  Lucius  Clark,  John  F.  Clark 
and  Robert  R.   Clark. 

April  21,  1881,  the  Mishawaka  Paper  Com- 
pany; capital,  fifteen  thousand  dollars;  in- 
corporators, George  H.  Taylor,  Lucius  Clark 
and  Robert   F.   Fram. 

February  24,  1882,  the  A.  Gaylor  Pulp 
Company;  capital,  twelve  thousand  dollars; 


izicorporators,  Lucius  Clark,  Albert  Gaylor 
and  Edmund  C.  Westervelt. 

April  1,  1887,  the  Misliawaka  Pump  Com- 
pany; capital,  nine  thousand  dollars;  in- 
corporators, William  Miller,  J.  W.  Vanden 
Bosch  and  AV.  L.  Kimball. 

The  Mishawaka  Pump  Company  was  in- 
corporated February  27,  1883,  with  a  cap- 
ital of  ten  thousand  dollars.  The  incorpo- 
rators were  James  Dougherty,  John  H. 
Uline  and  George  Dougherty. 

The  St.  Joseph  Milling  Company  was  or- 
ganized July  2.  1883,  with  a  capital  of  six- 
teen thousand  dollars.  The  incorporators 
were:  Aclolph  Kamm,  Simon  Yeun.  John  J. 
Schindler  and  Caspar  Kuhn.  The  mill  was 
erected  in  1861  by  George  Kuhn,  Caspar 
Kuhn  and  August  Kellner.  It  was  after- 
wards operated  by  George  Kuhn;  and  finally 
by  the  corporation  organized  in  1883,  as 
before  stated. 

Somewhat  more  than  a  quarter  century 
ago,  Wallace  H.  Dodge  founded  at  Misha- 
waka, Ind..  what  has  since  become  known  as 
the  Dodge  Manufacturing  Company.  The 
embryo  was  in  the  form  of  a  little  sawmill 
property  for  the  production  of  hard-wood 
lumber.  This  industry  prospered  so  well 
that  on  February  24,  1880,  the  Dodge  Manu- 
facturing Company  was  incorporated  by 
Wallace  H.  Dodge,  William  W.  Dodge  and 
Elizabeth  H.  Dodge.  The  business  contin- 
ued to  grow  rapidly  and  steadily,  with  every 
indication  of  most  gratifying  prosperity. 
AVithin  a  year,  however,  in  1881,  the  little 
factory  was  totally  destroyed  by  fire. 

The  loss  of  its  uninsured  plant  was  a  se- 
i-ious  one  for  the  young  concern,  but  rebuild- 
ing was  undertaken  at  once,  on  a  larger  and 
more  substantial  plan. 

As  an  indication  of  the  growth  of  the  fac- 
tory, it  may  be  stated  that  the  original  cap- 
ital was  fixed  at  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and 
that,  in  1897,  it  became  necessary  to  increase 
the  capital  to  five  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
Two  products  of  this  factory  have"  brought 
fame  to  it  from  all  over  the  world. — one  is 


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HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


331 


the  wood  split  pulley,  designed  to  be  clamped 
to  iron  shafts ;  the  other  is  the  use  of  the 
continuous  wrap  system  of  rope  transmis- 
sion power,  using  a  single  endless  rope,  in 
successive  wraps,  to  convey  power,  instead 
of  the  old  plan  of  iLsing  separate  ropes. 
Wallace  H.  Dodge,  the  founder  of  the  com- 
pany and  the  perfecter  of  its  notable  in- 
ventions, was  perhaps  the  most  original  me- 
chanical genius  produced  by  St.  Joseph 
county.  Unhappily,  he  died  in  189-1,  in  the 
prime  of  his  manhood.  He  was  not  only  a 
genius,  but  a  most  amiable  and  lovable  gen- 
tleman. His  brother-in-law,  the  Hon.  Mel- 
ville W.  Mix:,  succeeded  to  the  presidency  of 
the  company. 

On  November  27,  1885,  the  Power  and 
Transmission  PubUsJii)tg  Company  was  or- 
ganized by  Wallace  H.  Dodge,  Edward  A. 
Jernegan  and  Alexander  L.  Thorp,  with  a 
capital  of  ten  thousand  dollars. 

The  purpase  of  this  company  was  the 
"iNIanufacture,  publication  and  sale  of  a  se- 
ries of  mechanical  journals  in  the  interests 
of  manufacturers,  millers,  master  mechanics, 
aiul  all  interested  in  the  use  and  transmis- 
sion of  power."  The  monthly  magazine 
called  Rope  Transmission  Power  published  by 
this  company  reached  so  large  a  circulation 
as  to  affect  very  sensibly  the  business  and 
standing  of  the  past  office  at  ]\Iishawaka. 

Two  other  companies  organized  by  AVallace 
H.  Dodge  bore  directly  on  the  welfare  of  the 
town. 

The  first  of  these  was  the  Mishawaka 
Water  Works  Company,  incorporated  Sep- 
tember 9,  1890,  with  a  capital  of  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  The  incorporators  were 
AVallace  H.  Dodge,  Henry  G.  Niles  and  John 
J.  Schindler.  The  town  was  in  need  of  a 
system  of  water  works,  but  financially  un- 
able to  build  them.  The  purpose  of  the  or- 
ganization, as  stated  in  the  articles  of  in- 
corporation, was  to  "construct  water  works 
for  the  use  of  the  town  of  Mishawaka,  to 
rent  to  the  town  of  Mishawaka  for  an  an- 
nual rental,  and  after  the  payment  of  a  given 


amount    of    rent    then    to    deed    such    water 
works  to  said  town." 

Of  like  character  to  the  water  works  com- 
l)a.ny  was  the  Dodge  Electric  Light  and 
Power  Company,  incorporated  November  29, 
1890,  with  a  capital  of  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars.  The  incorporators  were:  Wallace 
H.  Dodge,  William  W.  Dodge,  W.  B.  Hos- 
ford,  R.  D.  0.  Smith,  .Charles  Endlich, 
George  Phillion  and  Melville  W.  Mix.  The 
ob.ject  of  this  organization  was  the  produc- 
tion of  "electric  light,  heat  and  power  for 
commercial,  domestic  and  manufacturing 
purposes. ' ' 

Mishawaka  was  thus  supplied  with  water  ■ 
and  light,  and  given  easy  terms  of  payment 
for  utilities  which  had  become  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  comfort  and  safety  of  the 
people.  With  the  rapid  growth  of  the  town, 
however,  there  grew  up  a  demand  for  the  ex- 
tension of  water  mains  and  electric  light  poles 
and  wires,  which  the  municipality  found  it- 
self unable  to  supply.  This  need  grew  more 
acute  from  year  to  year;  until  finally  a  sen- 
timent developed  in  favor  of  the  formation 
of  a  private  corporation  by  public  spirited 
citizens,  who,  in  the  interests  of  the  public 
welfare,  should  agree  to  take  upon  them- 
selves the  burden  of  sustaining  the  water 
works  and  electric  light  works,  and  issuing 
bonds  to  complete  the  payments  still  due  the 
Dodge  companies,  and  aLso  in  sufficient 
amount  to  procure  means  to  extend  the  water 
mains  and  electric  facilities  so  as  to  satisfy 
the  wants  of  the  people.  This  plan  involved 
the  sale  of  the  water  works  and  the  electric 
light  plant  to  the  proposed  company,  reserv- 
ing to  the  city  the  continued  management  to- 
gether with  an  option  to  repurchase  the  same 
as  soon  as  able  to  do  so. 

As  there  was  some  doubt  whether  the  city 
had  power  to  nuike  such  a  sale,  an  act  was 
passed  by  the  legislatui-e,  approved  February 
26,   1903,  giving  the  necessary  poAver."^ 

The  next  step  taken  to  carry  out  the  plan 
was  the  organization  of  the  Mishawaka  Puh- 

a.     Acts,  1903,  p.  89. 


332 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


lie  Utility  Company,  which  was  incorporated 
April  1,  1903,  with  a  capital  of  ten  thousand 
dollars.  Carrying  out  the  public  character 
of  this  work,  which  was  purely  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  public,  and  without  profit  to  the 
company,  a  large  number  of  the  most  pa- 
triotic and  public  spirited  citizens  became  in- 
eorporatore,  as  follows:  ]Martin  V.  Beiger, 
James  A.  Roper,  E.  Volney  Bingham.  Fred- 
erick G.  Eberhart,  Jr.,  Everett  G.  Eberhart, 
IManuel  M.  Fisher,  Vincent  Bruner,  Melville 
W.  ]\Iix,  Nicholas  Schellinger,  Frank  R. 
Eberhart,  William  B.  Hosford,  Henry  G. 
Niles,  James  De  Lorenzi,  John  A.  Herzog, 
Adolph  Kamm,  William  M.  Clark,  John  E. 
Baker,  Edward  A.  Jernegan,  Francis  X. 
Ganser,  Charles  Endlich.  Simon  Yenn,  John 
J.  Schindler.  David  A.  Shaw.  Albert  Gay- 
lor  and  William  N.   Schindler. 

That  list  is  Mishawaka's  roll  of  honor. 
The  water  works  and  electric  light  plant 
were  taken  over  by  the  Utility  Company; 
bonds  were  issued  for  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  the  old  debts  were  paid  off; 
the  water  pipes  and  electric  appliances  ex- 
tended for  the  accommodation  of  the  citi- 
zens; a  city  hall  was  erected;  the  water 
works  and  electric  light  works  meanwhile 
continuing  to  be  operated  wholly  by  the  city. 
The  stipulated  rents  have  been  paid  to  the 
Utility  Company,  and  are  applied  by  the 
company  to  the  payment  of  interest  on  the 
bonds  and  the  making  of  stated  payments 
upon  the  principal.  When  the  city  becomes 
possessed  of  sufficient  means  to  take  up  the 
remainder  of  the  bonds,  it  has  the  option  to 
do  so,  and  will  then  be  entitled  to  a  deed  back 
from  the  company.  This  arrangement  has 
relieved  the  city  of  ]\Iishawaka  of  an  ex- 
ceedingly embarrassing  situation;  and  has 
given  to  the  inhabitants  the  facilities  of  a 
first  class  system  of  water  works  and  elec- 
tric light,  bringing  also  in  their  train  an 
extended  sewer  system  and  paved  streets  and 
sidewalks. 

The  Beatty  Felting  Company  was  incor- 
porated January  2,  1886,  with  a  capital  of 


fifty  thousand  dollars,  for  the  "manufacture 
and  sale  of  felt  goods."  The  incorporators 
were  Dempster  Beatty,  Luthera  Beatty  and 
Emmett  L.  Beatty.  The  company  is  one  of 
the  strongest  fn  Mishawaka,  and  has  built 
up  a  great  plant  for  the  manufacture  of  felt 
boots. 

On  ]\Iarch  7,  1887,  the  extensive  Kamm  & 
Schellinger  Brewing  Company  was  incorpo- 
rated. The  capital  was  fixed  at  sixty-five 
thousand  dollars;  the  incorporators  being, 
Adolph  Kamm,  Nicholas  Schellinger  and 
William  Bender,  Jr. 

The  Mishawaka  Factory  Company  was  in- 
corporated July  4,  1887,  with  a  capital  of 
twenty  thousand  dollars,  and  with  Frederick 
A.  Rohleder,  Joseph  Bostwick  and  Jared  R. 
Morse  as  incorporators.  It  was  organized 
"For  the  purpose  of  inanufacturing  various 
articles  of  wood  and  iron,  furnishing  mo- 
tive power  and  factory  buildings  connected 
therewith,  etc." 

The  Mishawaka  Pulley  Company  was  or- 
ganized March  19,  1888,  with  a  capital  of 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  incorpo- 
ratoi*s  were  John  J.  McErlain,  Frank  A. 
Baker  and  Charles  T.  Lindsey. 

On  August  12,  1890,  the  Mishawaka  Fur- 
niture Manufacturing  Company  was  incor- 
porated with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  incorporators  were :  J. 
P.  Creque,  A.  J.  Wheeler  and  Leonard 
Adsit. 

The  Eberhart  Milling  Company,  with  a 
capital  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  was  in- 
corporated June  25,  1891.  The  incorporators 
were :  Henry  G.  Niles,  Adolphus  Eberhart 
and  John  H.  Eberhart. 

The  Mishawaka  Pad  and  Harness  Company 
was  organized,  with  a  capital  of  ten  thou- 
sand dollars,  on  November  27,  1893.  The 
incorporators  were :  C.  K.  Beam,  John  INIay, 
Fred  W.  Shultz,  H.  A.  Camfer  and  J.  F. 
Tascher. 

On  June  24,  1902,  the  Roper  Furniture 
and  Carpet  Company  was  incorporated,  with 
a  capital  of  fifty  thousand  dollars.     The  in- 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


333 


corporators  were:  C.  J.  Wenderoth,  J.  A. 
Roper,  H.  C.  Roper,  L.  E.  Roper,  C.  A. 
Roper  and  N.  E.  Roos. 

The  Major  Brothers'.  Packing  Company 
was  incorporated  February  10,  1906,  with  a 
capital  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The 
objects  of  the  company  are  to  buy,  sell  and 
slaughter  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep,  and  to  vend 
meats  and  other  products.  The  incorpora- 
tors were :  Ambrose  J.  Major,  Frank  T.  ]\Ia- 
jor  and  Frederick  Major. 

While  the  date  of  incorporation  is  given 
as  to  each  of  the  foregoing  companies,  yet 
it  will  be  understood  that  in  most  cases  the 
business  was  actually  begun  and  under  way 
before  the  organization  of  the  corporation,  in 
some  cases  for  many  years.  As  a  rule,  the 
manufactories  that  have  made  Mishawaka 
famous  have  grown  from  small  beginnings. 
Indeed,  that  has  been  one  source  of  their  suc- 
cess. The  proprietors  grew  up  with  their* 
business,  and  each  member  of  the  firm  or 
corporation  had  the  experience  of  years  in 
building  up  the  institution  from  its  simple 
bC;>?inning  until  it  had  attained  state  and 
national  reputaton. 

The  Mishawaka  Mills,  erected  in  1836,  were 
long  operated  by  Joseph  Miller  and  Wil- 
liam Miller,  and,  with  the  St.  Joseph  Mills, 
long  gave  to  Mishawaka  a  high  reputation 
for  the  production  of  superior  flour.  The 
Uipple  Mills,  erected  and  long  owned  by  A. 
Cass  &  Company,  and  afterwards  by  J.  H. 
&  A.  Eberhart,  added  their  share  to  this 
enviable  reputation. 

In  addition  to  her  manufactories,  which 
have  made  the  name  of  ]\Iishawaka  a  house- 
hold word  throughout  the  United  States,  all 
lines  of  business  characteristic  of  a  wide- 
awake and  progressive  town  have  flourished 
in  the  busy  town.  Indeed,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  there  is  anywhere  a  city  of  the  size 
of  Mishawaka  in  which  so  large  a  business 
has  been  done  for  so  many  years.  It  is  truly 
a  hive  of  industry. 


III.      RELIGIOUS,   EDUCATIONAL   AND    SOCIAL. 

The  religious,  moral,  educational  and  so- 
cial well  being  of  Mishawaka  has  at  all  times 
kept  pace  with  its  business  development. 
Churches  and  schools  have  been  provided  for 
from  the  beginning.  The  result  is  that  the 
population  of  Mishawaka  has  at  all  times 
ranked  high  in  morals  and  intelligence. 

Sec.  1. — The  Episcopal  Church. — On 
January  25,  1907,  the  people  of  St.  Paul's 
parish,  Mishawaka,  took  part  in  a  notable 
service,  being  the  dedication  of  their  fine  new 
church  by  the  Right  Rev.  John  Hazen  White, 
bishop  of  the  diocese  of  northern  Indiana. 
It  was  indeed  a  great  day  in  the  history  of 
St.  Paul's  Church.  The  congregation  left 
the  old  church,  which  had  been  attended  by 
them  for  no  less  than  seventy  years,  and  en- 
tered tl;e  new  temple,  one  of  the  handsomest 
church  edifices  in  the  state.  The  following 
historical  reminiscences  were  brought  out  in 
connection  with  the  dedication  of  the  new 
church  :* 

Just  seventy  years  ago  Friday,  January 
25,  1837,  St.  Paul's  Day,  there  was  organ- 
ized in  Mishawaka  St.  Paul's  parish,  and  it 
was  most  fitting  that  the  seventieth  anniver- 
sary should  be  celebrated  Friday  evening  in 
the  dedication  of  the  handsome  new  St. 
Paul's  Episcopal  Church  on  East  Second 
street. 

The  old  church  vacated  is  noteworthy  both 
as  to  history  and  tradition.  It  is  located  on 
Spring  street  between  First  and  Second 
streets  and  stands  on  a  high  hill,  which  is 
said  to  have  been  the  burying  ground  of  the 
Indians  many  years  ago.  Tradition  says  that 
here  the  Indian  chief,  Elkhart,  and  his  bride, 
Mishawaka,  after  whom  this  city  was  named, 
are  buried.  The  hill  is  rich  in  gravel  and  a 
part  of  it  has  largely  been  sold.  Nearly  two 
years  ago  the  site,  a  church  and  rectory  Avere 
sold  to  Mrs.  J.  A.  Roper,  Harry  Roper  and 

a.  From  the  South  Bend  Tribune,  January  26, 
1907. 


334 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


other  members  of  the  Roper  family,  who  will 
move  the  church  to  First  street  and  remodel 
it  into  a  house. 

The  church  to  the  best  knowledge  of  the 
members  was  erected  in  1837.  This  is  doubted 
by  some  who  claim  that  in  1842  the  lots  were 
purchased  of  Sarah  M.  and  N.  S.  Hollister, 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  by  the  vestrymen,  Hiram  Doo- 
little,  John  H.  Orr,  J.  E.  Hollister,  Samuel 
P.  Knight  and  Norman  Eddy,  afterward  a 
colonel  in  the  army,  for  "$100,  good  and  law- 
ful money,"  and  that  in  1843  lumber  was 
purchased  of  Judge  Deming,  who  then  owned 
a  saw  mill  south  of  the  town.  There  is  no 
positive  record,  however,  of  the  building  of 
the  church,  and  as  the  Hollisters  were  mem- 
bers here  it  is  possible  that  the  structure 
was  erected  in  1837.  Mrs.  D.  H.  Smith,  who 
is  well  along  in  years  and  has  resided  here 
a  long  time,  says  the  church  was  erected  in 
1836  and  dedicated  January  25,  1837.  The 
old  bell  now  in  the  belfry  cracked  from  hard 
usage  was  made  in  1836.  It  has  been  sug- 
gested that  the  Historical  society,  of  South 
Bend,  should  have  this  bell,  on  account  of 
its  historic  associations  and  age. 

The  church  is  the  oldest  in  the  diocese, 
and  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  state.  The  rec- 
tory was  erected  in  1876.  Very  little  can 
be  learned  regarding  the  early  history  of 
the  church  or  its  rectors,  but  it  is  known 
that  some  of  the  most  influential  men  of  the 
country  were  baptized,  confirmed  and  many 
of  them  married  in  this  old  house  of  worship 
which  is  still  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 

In  1860  Elias  Birdsell  was  rector ;  Joseph 
Adderly  served  in  1866.  He  was  followed  by 
Richard  Brass.  In  1872  J.  Gierlow  came  and 
in  1874  M.  C.  Stanley  was  the  rector.  Other 
rectors  were  as  follows:  1881,  S.  Rosevelt; 
1883,  A.  Prentiss;  1886,  J.  G.  Miller;  1888, 
Frederick  Thompson;  1890,  A  Prentiss,  fol- 
lowed by  Rev.  De  Lou  Burke ;  1899,  H.  D.  B. 
MacNeil;  1902,  the  present  incumbent.  Rev. 
J.  A.  Linn. 

Sec.  2. — The  Baptist  Church. — What  is 
said  to  have  been  the  original  Baptist  church 


in  St.  Joseph  county,  was  constituted  at  a 
meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Eli  B.  Mead, 
a  few  miles  south  of  Mishawaka,  February 
11,  1837.  The  meeting  was  presided  over 
by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Price,  of  Edwardsburg, 
Michigan.  Elan  S.  Colby,  of  Lockport,  was 
present,  and  acted  as  clerk.  Mr.  Alger,  of 
iMishawaka,  was  also  present.  Those  exam- 
ined by  Elder  Price  and  pronounced  a  church 
were :  Isaiah  Ferris,  Jacob  M.  Gaylor.  Jona- 
than Buck,  John  Barton,  Lucinda  Ferris, 
Sr.,  Elizabeth  Ferris,  Azubah  Gaylor,  Anna 
Buck,  Belinda  Barton  and  Parmelia  Ferris. 
The  church  so  organized  was  to  be  known 
as  "The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Penn 
Township."  John  Barton  was  chosen  as  the 
first  clerk,  and  B.  J.  Ferris  as  first  treasurer. 
Jacob  M.  Gaylor  and  Jonathan  Buck  were 
elected  trustees.  A  small  log  church  building 
was  erected  in  1838.  The  first  pastor  was  the 
Rev.  Adam  Miller.  In  1849  a  large  frame 
church  building  was  erected  about  four  and  a 
half  miles  south  of  Mishawaka.  By  emigra- 
tion and  removals  to  Mishawaka,  as  well  as 
by  death,  the  membership  declined,  until  the 
church  became  extinct;  so  that  the  story 
of  this  first  Baptist  church  is  now  purely 
historical.'* 

There  was  another  organization  of  the  Bap- 
tist church,  in  Mishawal^a,  previous  to  1840; 
but  this  also  has  become  extinct.  This  was 
succeeded  by  the  church  organized  May  14, 
1867,  by  Elders  T.  P.  Campbell,  of  South 
Bend,  and  B.  P.  Russell,  of  Niles,  Michi- 
gan, and  other  brethren  from  the  churches 
of  South  Bend,  Niles  and  Penn  township. 
There  were  eighteen  charter  members  of  this 
church.  The  Rev.  M.  T.  Lamb  was  the  first 
pastor.  Palmer  C.  Perkins  first  clerk,  and 
J.  C.  Snyder  first  treasurer.  The  first  dea- 
cons were  John  Merriman,  A.  J.  Ames  and 
J.  C.  Snyder.  Other  pastors  were  the  Rev. 
F.  Moro.  the  Rev.  H.  H.  Lipes,  the  Rev.  B. 
P.    Russell,   the   Rev.    H.    J.    Finch    and   the 

a.  For  many  of  tlie  facts  relating  to  the  early 
churches  of  Mishawaka  credit  should  be  given  to 
Chapman's  Hist.  St.  Joseph  County,  p.  798,  and 
following. 


THE 

NEW'  YORK 

'PUBLIC    LIBi^ARvl 

i^Ast«r,  Lenax  and  Tilden  , 

Founaqtioni, 

1909 


Rev.  Auguste  13.  Oecntering 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


335 


Rev.  Fred  A.  Lankin.  In  the  northeast  part 
of  Penn  township  is  still  another  society,  the 
Pleasant   Valley    Baptist    Church. 

See.  3. — The  Christian  Church. — About 
the  year  1843,  the  Christian  church  was  or- 
ganized at  Mishawaka.  Harris  E.  Hurlbut, 
A.  Alden  and  Morris  Ilartwick  were  the  tirst 
elders;  and  S.  B.  Hutchinson,  A.  L.  Wripht 
and  C.  Hartman,  the  first  deacons.  Among 
the  early  ministers  of  this  church  were,  R. 
Wilson,  C.  Martin,  J.  Martindale,  P.  T.  Rus- 
sell, H.  E.  Hurlbut,  William  T.  Plorner: 
afterwards  came   Elders  Lane,  New,  Beggs, 


men  from  Notre  Dame.  Among  these  first 
missionaries  were,  the  Rev.  Francis  Cointet, 
the  Rev..  J.  F.  Gouesse,  the  Rev.  W.  Master- 
son,  the  Rev.  R.  A.  Shortis,  the  Rev.  Alexis 
Granger  and  the  Rev.  Edward  Sorin.  The 
first  regular  pastor  was  the  Rev.  John  Mayer, 
appointed  in  July,  1857.  He  was  succeeded, 
in  1859,  by  the  Rev.  H.  Koenig.  In  March, 
1860,  the  little  church  was  destroyed  by  fire; 
and  during  the  same  year  a  new  church,  of 
ampler  proportions,  was  erected  on  the  south 
side,  at  the  corner  of  Third  and  Spring 
streets.     Mr.   George  Milburn,  though  not  a 


ST.  JOSEPH'S  CATHOLIC  CHURCH,  MISHAWAKA. 


Green,  Shepard,  Sutton,  Ira  J.  Chase,  Wil- 
liam B.  Hendrin,  R.  Fauret,  S.  K.  Sweet- 
man  and  C.  P.  Hendershot.  Elder  Ira  J. 
Chase,  who  became  pastor  in  1867,  and  re- 
mained for  two  years,  w^as  afterwards  gov- 
ernor of  the  state  of  Indiana,  succeeding  to 
that  high  office  on  the  death  of  Governor 
Alvin  P.   Hovey,  November  23,  1891. 

Sec.  4. — The  Catholic  Church. — The  first 
organization  of  a  Catholic  congregation  in 
Mishawaka  was  in  December,  1848,  when  a 
church  edifice  erected  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river,  was  dedicated.  Previous  to  that 
date  there  were  occasional  services  by  clergy- 


member  of  the  church,  materially  assisted  in 
this  undertaking,  and  he  is  held  in  grateful 
remembrance  by  the  congregation.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1861,  this  church  was  dedicated  as  St. 
Joseph's  Church  by  the  Right  Rev.  John  H. 
Luers,  who  in  1857  had  been  appointed  as 
the  first  bishop  of  Fort  Wayne.  In  1865  a 
parochial  school  was  built.  In  May,  1867, 
the  Rev.  Auguste  Bernard  Oechtering  became 
pastor  and  remained  in  charge  of  the  parish 
until  his  lamented  death  Sunday  afternoon, 
December  27,  1902.  The  thirty-five  years  of 
the  Rev^.  Father  Oeehtermg's  pastorate  were 
distinguished  by  extraordinary  activity.     As 


336 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


results  of  his  labors,  St.  Joseph's  congrega- 
tion increased  in  a  manifold  manner.  He 
left  after  him  also  one  of  the  finest  churches 
in  northern  Indiana,  besides  an  excellent 
pastoral  residence,  and  a  school  building 
and  parish  hall  suitable  to  the  needs  of  a  city 
far  larger  than  Mishawaka.  Long  before  his 
death,  Father  Oechtering  was  universally 
looked  upon  as  one  of  the  representative  citi- 
zens of  Mishawaka,  ever  foremost  in  promot- 
ing the  interests  of  the  city  of  his  choice.  His 
successor  was  the  Rev.  Louis  A.  Moench,  the 
present  pastor,  who  is  carrying  on  the  good 
work  of  St.  Joseph's  congregation  to  the  ut- 
most advantage  of  the  people  and  with  the 
good  will  of  all  the  people  of  Mishawaka. 
During  the  year  succeeding  Father  Oechter- 
ing's  death,  the  Flemish  Catholics  of  Misha- 
waka formed  a  congregation  of  their  own, 
under  the  efficient  direction  of  the  Rev. 
Charles  L.  Stuer.  They  have  a  neat  church, 
under  the  name  of  St.  Bavo's,  and  also  an 
excellent  parochial  school.^  The  corner 
stone  of  St.  Bavo's  church  was  laid  May  8, 
1904;  and  the  church  completed  that  year. 
It  was  solemnly  blessed  by  Bishop  H.  J.  Aler- 
ding,  New  Year 's  Day,  1905. 


gelical  Association  resemble  those  of  the 
Methodist  church;  and  consequently  they  are 
sometimes   called   German   Methodists.'* 

St.  Andrew's  Evangelical  Church  was  or- 
ganized in  1864,  with  twenty-five  members,  by 
the  Rev.  Philip  Wagoner.  The  congrega- 
tion erected  a  church  edifice  the  same  year. 
This  society  differs  in  certain  respects  from 
the  Evangelical  Association,  although  some 
disposition  has  been  shown  to  unite  the  two 
societies. 


Sec. 


5. — The  Evangelic.vl  Association.- 


There  have  been  two  Evangelical  Assoeiations. 
The  Mishawaka  Evangelical  Association  was 
organized  in  1846,  with  fifteen  charter  mem- 
bers. The  organizer  of  the  association  was 
the  Rev.  G.  G.  Platz,  who  was  also  the  first 
presiding  elder.  The  first  pastor  was  the 
Rev.  William  Kolb.  The  association  erected 
a  house  of  worship  in  1857,  and  another  and 
finer  church  in  1872. 

The  Coal  Bush  Evangelical  Association  is 
located  three  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Mish- 
awaka. It  was  organized  in  1847,  also  by  the 
Rev.  G.  G.  Platz.  A  church  was  erected  in 
1856.  The  Rev.  Henry  Arlen  held  services 
for  this  assoeiation,  and  also  for  the  associa- 
tion in  Mishawaka. 

The   rules   and   regulations   of   the    Evan- 

c.  See  St.  Joseph  County  Atlas;  Higgins  Bel- 
den  &  Co.,  Chicago,  1875,  p.  21. 


M.   E.   CHURCH,   MISHAWAKA. 

Sec.  6. — The  Methodist  Church.^ — -This 
church  has  greatly  prospered  in  Mishawaka. 
The  Mishawaka  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
was  organized  iij  1835.  The  chartered  mem- 
bers were  Richmond  Tuttle  and  wife,  Joseph 
Skerritt  and  wife,  Susan  Hurd  and  brother. 
The  society  at  first  worshiped  in  a  vacant 
store  building,  which  was  also  used  by  the 
Presbyterians.  The  first  church  building  was 
erected  in  1836 ;  another  was  built  in  1844, 
which  was  afterwards  sold  and  then 
used    by    a    furniture    store.      In    1872,    a 

a.    Known  also  as  Allbrlghts. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


337 


large  and  elegant  church  was  erected 
on  West  Second  street,  which  is  still 
occupied  by  a  large  and  earnest  congre- 
gation. The  M.  E.  Church  is  also  repre- 
sented by  another  society  in  Penn  township, 
the  Tamarack  Methodist  Church,  seven  miles 
southeast  of  Mishawaka.  This  class  was  or- 
ganized in  a  log  school  house,  December  19, 
1855.  by  the  Rev.  E.  P.  Church,  with  eleven 
charter  nieiubei's, — A.  B.  Lamport,  A.  M. 
Lamport,  Roxy  Lamport,  AVillard  Rockwell, 
Deborah  Rockwell,  Elam  Crouch,  Benjamin 
Pickard,  Isaac  Ghrist,  Esther  S.  Ghrist,  Ed- 
win Sawyer  and  Phoebe  Sawyer.  Services 
were  held  in  the  Tamarack  school  house  until 
1880,  when  a  church  thirty-four  by  fifty  f'.^^t 
was  erected. 

The  Free  ^lethodists  are  also  represented 
in  Mishawaka.  Their  society  was  organized 
in  1877.     They  have  not  a  large  membership. 

Sec.  7. — The  Lutheran  Church. — The 
Lutheran  church  was  organized  at  ]\Iisha- 
waka  prior  to  1848,  by  the  Rev.  Philip  Bern- 
venther,  with  about  twelve  members.  The 
luembership  increased  considerably  during 
the  following  years,  and  a  parochial  school 
was  established  liy  the  congregation.  Among 
tlie  pastors  was  the  Rev.  Gustavus  Rosen- 
winkel.    • 

Sec.  8. — The  Presbyterian  Church. — 
The  Presbyterian  church  at  Mishawaka  was 
organized  July  25,  1834,  by  the  Rev.  X.  :\1. 
Wells,  at  the  house  of  Philo  Hurd.  The 
charter  members  were ;  The  Rev.  X.  'SI. 
Wells,  Elias  Smith.  Alma  Smith,  Levi  Dean, 
Polly  Dean,  Philo  Hurd,  Martha  Hurd,  Alan- 
son  M.  Hurd,  Sarah  L.  Hurd  and  Willis  S. 
Garrison.  The  first  elders  were  Philo  Hurd 
and  Elias  Smith.  The  first  deacon  was  Philo 
Hurd.  On  January  29,  1835.  John  J.  Dem- 
ing  was  received  into  the  church  as  an  elder, 
and  was  elected  clerk.  A  chandelier  now  in 
the  church  was-  presented  to  the  society  by 
Judge  Deming's  daughter,  ^L-s.  Charles 
Crocker,  of  San  Francisco.  The  first  church 
building  was  erected  in  1837.  Anothei'  was 
erected    in    1845.     The    latter    was    burned 

22 


in  the  conflagration  of  September  5,  1872, 
by  which  no  less  than  thirty-two  buildings 
\vere  destroyed  in  the  business  section  of  the 
city.  The  energetic  membership  of  the 
church,  consisting  of  some  of  the  best  stock 
of  Mishawaka,  with  the  courage  of  their  fel- 
low citizens,  rebuilt  their  church  at  once; 
only  making  a  greater  and  a  better  building, 
as  their  fellow  citizens  built  up  a  greater  and 
better   Mishawaka. 

Sec.  9. — ScHOOLS.^The  architecture  of  the 
l^ioneer  school  house  was  a  very  simple  mat- 
ter. It  w^as  a  small  cabin,  built  up  of  round 
logs.      The   floors   were   made   of   puncheons ; 


HIGH    SCHOOL,    MISHAWAKA. 

that  is,  small  logs  split  in  halves,  with  the 
flat  sides  turned  up.  The  doors  were  like- 
wise of  puncheons,  as  were  the  seats  and 
desks.  A  huge  fireplace  occupied  one  end  ol 
the  room,  and  was  piled  with  great  logs  cut 
Uesh  from  the  woods.  The  roof  wa.s  made 
of  clapboards,  fastened  by  poles  laid  length- 
wise, three  feet  apart,  from  the  eaves  to  the 
ci'own  of  the  roof.  The  chimney  was  liuilt 
lip  of  sticks,  the  chinks  filled  in  with  moist- 
ened clay.  The  windows  consisted  of  a  log  re- 
moved from  a  part  of  one  side  of  the  build- 
ing, the  opening  closed  with  greased  paper. 
Often  the  pupils  found  the  "window"  well 
named,  when  the  cold  wind  came  sharply 
Ihi-ough  the  "eye"  of  the  dark  little  building. 


338 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


The  revenues  of  the  schools  were  at  first 
supplied  entirely  hy  subscription.  Our  school 
laws,  as  well  as  most  other  things  relating 
to  our  social  and  industrial  life,  have  greatly 
changed  since  1832,  when  the  first  log  school 
house  in  Penn  township  was  built.  The  first 
school  building  in  Mishawaka  itself  was  a 
small  frame  structure  erected  in  1834.  The 
first  teacher  in  this  school  is  said  to  have 
been  a  Miss  Sheldon,  of  Wliite  Pigeon,  Mich- 
igan. Greater  interest,  perhaps,  has  been 
taken  in  the  public  schools  by  the  people  of 
Mishawaka  than  by  those  of  any  other  com- 
munity in  this  part  of  the  state.  One  result 
of  this  interest  is  the  existence  of  the  fine 
school  buildings  of  the  city.  The  high  school, 
with  its  fine  grounds,  is,  as  it  may  well  be, 
the  pride  of  the  city.  Prof.  Elisha  Sump- 
tion, remembered  as  one  of  the  most  pains- 
taking and  zealous  educators  of  the  state,  did 
very  much  to  place  the  schools  of  Mishawaka 
on  the  high  plane  which  they  have  so  long 
occupied.  The  several  parochial  schools,  espe- 
cially that  built  up  by  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Oech- 
tering,  are  equally  an  honor  to  the  good  peo- 
ple of  Mishawaka. 

Sec.  10. — Reminiscences. — The  following 
reminiscences  of  early  life  in  Mishawaka  are 
from  the  graceful  pen  of  Mrs.  ^Marion  B. 
Vanpelt,  daughter  of  Mr.  John  Niles,  long 
a  resident  of  Mishawaka  and  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  of  St.  Joseph  county.  From 
the  intimate  relations  of  the  Niles  family 
with  all  the  first  residents  of  ]\Iishawaka,  the 
opportunities  enjoyed  by  Mrs.  Vanpelt  to 
obtain  the  multitude  of  facts  here  detailed 
were  such  as  have  been  possessed  by  very  few 
of  those  who  have  written  of  our  early  his- 
tory. The  paper  was  read  before  the  North- 
ern Indiana  Historical  Society,  in  the  month 
of  May,  1901.  It  will  be  found  to  refer  to 
the  names  of  many  persons  and  places  men- 
tioned heretofore  in  this  work,  in  treating 
of  the  history  of  Penn  township  and  of 
Mishawaka : 

"In  looking  backward  more  than  three 
score  years  it  is  best  to  forget  for  a  little  our 


modern  environment  and  if  possible  close  our 
ears  to  the  noise  of  the  bustling  present  and 
take  this  ^lay  ramble  among  the  old  homes  of 
Mishawaka  along  grass  grown  streets  and 
sunny  lanes  by  the  brookside  and  over  the 
hills  of  the  village,  now  nearly  lost 
in  the  city  of  today.  From  the  vigorous 
memory  of  the  daughter  of  a  pioneer  settler 
in  the  little  town,  w^ho  as  a  girl,  was  one  of  a 
merry  company  gathered  at  the  home  built 
by  Mr.  A.  M.  Hurd  in  1834,  we  glean  this 
word  picture  of  that  hospitable  abode. 

' '. '  Imagination  fondly  stoops  to  trace 

The  parlour  splendours  of  that  festive  place. ' 

"Its  one  story  and  basement  formed  a 
commodious  dwelling  divided  by  a  hall  and 
having  two  rooms  on  either  side.  The  loca- 
tion on  the  site  of  Dr.  Grimes'  residence 
probably  favored  a  ground  floor  entrance  to 
the  kitchen  and  work  rooms  below.  In  those 
days  houses  were  often  built  with  a  cellar 
kitchen  and  it  is  quite  possible  that  a  lift 
or  sliding  cupboard  w^as  used  to  convey  the* 
savory  dishes  of  that  period  of  good  old- 
fashioned  cookery,  to  the  dining  room  above 
at  the  end  of  the  hall  on  the  first  floor,  as 
there  is  one  in  existence  in  a  house  built 
on  the  same  blufi".  The  furnishings  of  this 
home  were  good  and  substantial,  the  win- 
dows being  curtained  after  the  most  approved 
fashion  of  the  day,  in  drapery,  half  red  and 
half  white,  and  the  whole  effect  of  the  es- 
tablishment was  considered  elegant.  Mrs. 
Wing,  who  has  so  kindly  imparted  much  of 
this  story  of  the  past,  was  often  a  guest  at 
this  home  and  it  was  there  that  a  spirited 
reply  to  a  merry  bantering  challenge  from  n 
young  man,  the  burden  of  whose  song  was, 
'Westward  Ho!'  led  to  the  marriage  of  Maria 
Tuttle  and  Andrew  M.  Wing.  Fire  was  a 
fi-rim  enemy  as  well  as  a  useful  servant  in 
those  early  days.  This  home  and  the  one 
built  by  Mr.  John  Orr,  which  stood  where  Mr. 
Fisher  now  lives,  were  burned. 

"Very  dimly  remembered  and  a  somewhat 
mistv  tradition,  the  first  home  built  bv  Mr. 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


339 


Philo  Hurd,  the  father  of  A.  M.  Hurd,  prob- 
ably stood  near  the  site  of  Mr.  Kamm  's  house 
at  the  west  end  of  Second  street,  and  is  said 
to  have  been  built  of  wood  and  brick  com- 
bined. Its  beautiful  garden  within  a  prim 
hedge  of  box  is  one  of  the  sweet  memories 
of  a  lady  who  played  as  a  child  among  the 
old-fashioned  flowers. 

"Beside  another  old  home,  'remembrance 
wakes  with  all  her  busy  train. '  Still  sturdy 
and  sound,  a  familiar  landmark  to  the  few 
remaining  to  tell  us  of  its  hospitality,  an 
old  friend  to  those  of  a  later  day,  who  can 
recall  the  story  of  the  ghost  in  the  garret 
and  remember  the  luscious  fruit  on  the  big 
pear  tree  in  the  garden,  stands  the  old  Orr 
house  on  Main  street.  Built  in  1835  by  Mr. 
Asa  Taylor,  the  father  of  Mrs.  John  Orr, 
its  black  walnut  timbers,  solid  foundation 
walls  of  St.  Joseph  county  granite,  and  mas- 
sive chimney  six  feet  wide,  speak  of  the  wis- 
dom of  one  who  builded  better  than  he  knew. 
'  A  part  of  the  chimney  still  stands  in  the  big 
cellar.  What  mighty  fires  must  have  roared 
in  its  giant  throat !  Wliat  bed-time  lullabies 
and  cheery  neighborhood  chat  enlivened  the 
eventide  in  those  old  days  in  the  spacious  liv- 
ing room!  The  hall  and  staircase  are  on  the 
south  side,  extending  the  length  of  the  par- 
lor with  doors  on  the  north  opening  into 
parlor  and  living  room.  A  smaller  room  at 
the  end  of  the  hall  and  the  kitchen  and  wash 
room  in  the  wing  at  the  back  were  included 
in  the  original  structure.  The  wing  on  the 
north  side  of  the  house  was  added  at  a  later 
period  and  was  probably  used  for  a  nursery 
or  family  room.  The  upper  story  contains 
four  bed  rooms  and  an  old-fashioned  garret, 
where  the  heavy  black  walnut  beams  may 
still  be  seen.  Upon  the  floor  of  this  garret 
the  children  of  the  family  spread  their  treas- 
ures of  Indian  relics,  and  not  many  years  ago 
quantities  of  stone  arrow  heads  were  seen 
there.  A  part  of  the  household  once  gath- 
ered about  the  hearth  stone  of  this  home, 
sleep  in  the  plat  of  earth  given  to  Indiana 
City  for  a  cemetery  by  men  who  saw  in  a 


vision  bright  the  fair  and  goodly  proportions 
of  that  ambitious  hamlet  rise  from  the  green 
sward.«  And  one  comes  now  and  then  to 
look  upon  the  scene  where  the  days  of  boy- 
hood slipped  away  and  wonders  why  the  old 
house  seems  small  and  plain.  We,  too,  liv- 
ing in  the  opening  era  of  an  electric  age, 
must  sunnnon  up  the  rural  setting  of  the 
little  village. 

"  'To  me  more  clear,  congenial  to  my  heart. 
One  native  charm  than  all  the  gloss  of  art.' 

"The  noble  forests,  the  sweep  of  the  river 
alive  with  the  laden  craft  of  the  pioneer,  the 
sunny  brooks  winding  in  and  out  of  cottage 
gardens,  the  green  slope  of  the  gentle  hills 
formed  the  scene,  obscured  now,  it  is  true, 
by  the  mists  of  rolling  years,  but  clear 
enough  to  enable  us  to  realize  the  verdant 
beauty  of  the  scene  so  inspiring  to  the  pride 
which  filled  the  hearts;  the  courage  which 
strengthened  the  purpose  of  those  early  set- 
tlers and  builders  of  homes  in  the  little 
community. 

"Directly  across  the  street  and  attached 
to  the  Kuss  grocery  is  a  portion  of  one  of 
the  old  dwellings,  built  by  Mr.  Henry  John- 
son in  1835,  and  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
the  same  block  may  be  seen  the  old  Delmo 
House,  built  by  Mr.  Zenas  Dunbar  at  about 
the  same  time.  It  resembles  the  Orr  house 
and  is  still  a  comfortable  dwelling,  having 
a  central  hall  with  square  rooms  on  either 
side  and  a  wing  at  the  back.  Mr.  Dunbar 
having  lost  heavily  by  the  washing  out  of 
the  dam,  sold  this  property  to  Mr.  Delmo, 
who  lived  there  a  number  of  years.  Of  the 
Andrew  Taylor  house  opposite,  no  especial 
details  were  learned.  It  must,  however,  have 
been  built  at  an  early  day,  and  is  now  most 
interesting  because  of  its  unaltered  appear- 
ance and  the  fact  of  having  been  the  family 
residence  since  its  erection.  The  quaint  por- 
ticos are'  a  distinctive  feature  of  the  old- 
fashioned  cottage,   and  as  such  it  is  hoped 

a.  The  Mishawaka  cemeteries  are  all  within 
the  former  plat  of  Indiana  City. 


3-10 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


that  it  may  be  preserved.  The  small  house 
on  the  corner  of  First  and  Spring  streets 
was  built  by  Edward  Mulligan,  one  of  the 
molders  in  the  old  bog  iron  furnace.  In  the 
parlor  of  this  cottage  mass  was  said  by  the 
Reverend  Father  Cointet,  then  a  young  priest 
at  Notre  Dame.  The  Reverend  Father  Sorin, 
of  blessed  memory,  often  held  services  there 
at  a  time  when  no  church  was  available.  An 
altar  was  raised  on  the  parlor  table  and  the 
small  bedroom  next  the  pa.rlor  was  used  as 
sible  to  learn  the  order  in  which  the  early 
homes  of  the  village  were  built,  but  very 
evidently  a  number  were  raised  at  nearly  the 
same  time.  So,  during  our  ramble  past  the 
portals  of  these  simple  homesteads  and  tread- 
ing in  the  footsteps  of  those  who  lived  and 
loved  and  toiled  and  hoped  and  prayed,  so 
long  ago,  we  reach  the  old  Nicar  house  which 
might  have  been  called  Brook  Side,  so  closely 
did  the  w^aters  of  the  little  stream  in  which 
all  the  children  of  the  village  played  and 
paddled  in  by-gone  summers  past  the  door 
way.  Robert  Nicar,  its  builder,  came  from 
Virginia,  and  the  broad  chimneys  of  that 
little  home  were  the  "Golden  Mile  Stones" 
of  his  southern  heart.  In  tbe  kitchen  fire- 
place swung  the  crane  and  the  pot-hooks  of 
a  past  regime.  The  house  was  low  and  wide, 
with  two  rooms  opening  from  a  small  entry, 
fronting  on  First  street,  and  was  considered 
a  roomy  cottage. 

"  'Up  yonder  hill  the  village  murmur  rose.' 

"Up  the  hill,  past  old  Saint  Paul's,  whose 
fluted  pillars  and  hand-carved  doors  give  si- 
lent testimony  of  the  honest,  patient  work  of 
men.  not  called  contractors  nor  architects, 
l)ut  carpenters,  a  calling  dignified  by  the 
Master  whose  symbol  gleams  above  the  little 
steeple,  we  pass  one  or  two  old  houses,  an<l 
on  the  left  hand  side  in  the  high  bank,  so 
says  an  'oft-told  tale'  whispered  among  the 
children  as  they  played  on  the  hill  side  in 
the  summer  evenings,  an  Indian  chief  lies 
buried  by  the  hands  of  those  who  found  him 
on  his  rude  bier. 


"The  house  back  of  the  church  and  front- 
ing the  high  school,  known  for  years  as  the 
James  Smith  property,  was  built  by  Mr. 
Wilson  and  is  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Leonard 
Adsit,  of^  South  Bend.  It  probably  dates 
from  about  1839,  and,  though  much  enlarged, 
still  preserves  the  harmonious  lines  of  houses 
built  at  that  time,  having  a  story  and  a  half 
upright,  and  one  story  wing,  with  pillared 
porch,  giving  a  touch  of  the  colonial  to  its 
exterior.  The  interior  finish  of  hand- 
wrought  doors  and  window  casings  is  still 
sound  and  pleasing,  but  the  great  charm  of 
this  old  home,  and  lovingly  remembered  by 
those  who  played  in  childhood  beneath  its 
trees,  was  the  garden.  The  big  grass  plat 
in  the  northwest  corner,  completely  shaded 
by  an  immense  tulip  tree,  the  long  well-kept 
walks  betw^een  ti'im  flower  beds  and  leading 
from  the  house  to  the  little  gate  opening  into 
the  church  yard  appeal  to  remembrance. 
Surely,  such  peonies — red,  pink  and  white — 
never  grew  in  any  other  garden.  There  honey- 
suckle and  snowballs,  i-ibbon  grass  and.  roses 
nourished  in  profusion. 

"Where    smiling    sjjring    its    earliest    visit 
paid. 
And  parting  summer's  lingering  blooms  de- 
lay'd.' 

"On  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  high 
school  building  and  grounds  another  old  home 
and  its  well-kept  boundaries  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  landmarks  of  ^Tishawaka. 
]\Ir.  Zelotes  Bancroft  Iniilt  the  house  and  his 
wife,  one  of  j\Ir.  Philo  Hurd's  daughters, 
more  familiarly  known  in  later  years  as  ]\Irs. 
Edwin  Hollister.  played  the  little  pipe  organ 
in  St.  Paul's  church.  We  feel  the  sweet 
spirit  of  those  days  unmarred  by  the  vandal- 
ism of  street  connnissioners  when  told  that 
an  elevated  Avalk  leading  from  her  gate  to 
the  church  was  built  that  the  dainty  lady 
might  pass  in  stormy  weather  unharmed  to 
liei'  laboi-  of  love  at  the  organ,  brought  from 
AVaterloo,    N.   Y.,   where   it   once   stood   in    a 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


341 


hotel.  Pathetic,  indeed,  is  the  little  chant  and 
hymn  book  marked  Z.  Bancroft  and  pnb- 
lished  by  Elam  Bliss  in  1836,  now  among  the 
relics  in  the  collection  belonging  to  the 
Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society. 

"It  is  not  possible  to  give  more  than  a  pass- 
ing glance  at  some  of  the  old  homes,  but  we 
mnst  linger  for  a  little  before  two  houses  on 
West  street  near  the  spot  once  known  as  the 
Indian  ])urial  ground.  The  one  now  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Samuel  McQuillan  was  built  by 
Levi  Dean,  a  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Philo  Hurd. 
The  second,  near  the  corner,  where  steel  rail 
and  noisy  engines  have  usurped  the  place 
once  made  lovely  by  the  brook's  song,  was 
bnilt  by  A.  M.  Hurd,  as  a  home  for  his 
father,  Mr.  Philo  Hurd,  who  lived  there  until 
his  death. 

"The  McQuillan  home,  known  for  many 
years  as  the  Samuel  Towle  place,  has  been 
enlarged  and  changed  somewhat,  but  the 
charm  of  the  old  time  has  been  carefully  pre- 
served. The  heavy  cross-paneled  door,  made 
from  l)la.ck  walnut  and  having  an  iron 
knocker  with  a  brass  plate,  was  recently 
bronght  from  the  garret  and  restored  to  its 
old  place  at  the  entrance  to  the  hall.  Tlie 
staircase  and  all  of  the  woodwork  is  of  the 
same  dark  material,  the  large  fireplace  in  the 
sitting  room  having  curious  cupboards  like 
doors  below  the  mantel  to  enclose  the  hearth 
stone  when  not  in  use.  An  old  painting 
below  the  parlor  mantel  piece  and  thought 
by  one  who  has  lived  there  for  many  years 
to  have  been  an  original  decoration,  is  most 
interesting.  All  of  the  timbers  in  this  house 
are  of  heavy  walnut  and  a  recent  attempt  to 
reduce  the  size  of  an  exposed  beam  was  found 
to  be  quite  impracticable.  In  the  door  yard 
of  this  old  home  are  many  fine  old  trees,  suV- 
vivors  of  the  forest  primeval,  which  were 
probably  cherished  by  the  first  inmates  who 
were  valued  members  of  the  community. 

"Indeed,  the  very  walls  of  these  old  homes 
seem  reminiscent  of  the  simple,  cordial  hos- 
pitality which  x^i'pvailed  during  the  early 
growth  of  the  village,   when  singing  schools 


and  donation  parties  were  the  chief  social 
functions.  Fi-om  letters  written  in  1837  and 
1838,  we  learn  that  music  and  musical  par- 
ties were  the  principal  amusements.  The  vil- 
lage contained  one  piano  and  expected  the 
arrival  of  another  at  that  time. 

"The  Ireland  house  is  another  relic.  It 
was  built  by  Mr.  Goodrich,  but  has  for  so 
many  years  been  occupied  l\v  the  Ireland 
family  that  it  has  become  part  and  parcel  of 
that  name.  One  of  the  household  treasures 
is  a  record  of  the  firvSt  marriage  in  the  vil- 
lage, dated  March  29,  1834,  a  faded  reminder 
of  one  of  the  early  duties  of  Squire  Ire- 
land. 

"The  Looman  Smith  house,  now  owned  by 
Mr.  Daniel  Bieger,  is  one  of  the  few  brick 
houses  built  at  an  early  day.  and  must  have 
been  erected  during  the  forties.  Like  others 
of  that  era,  it  is  solidly  framed  and  finished 
in  black  walnut.  The  carving  on  door  frames 
and  window  casings  is  very  good  and  more 
elaborate  and  ornate  than  was  usual  at  that 
time.  There  is  a  large  fireplace  in  the  sitting 
room,  and  a  hall  originally  led  from  this 
room  to  a  staircase  on  the  other  side  of  the 
main  part.  The  designer  must  have  contem- 
l)lated  the  use  of  solitary  confinement  as  a 
means  of  family  discipline,  as  a  small,  dark 
room  was  formerly  a  part  of  the  house.  This 
home  was  rather  gloomy  in  appearance  at 
one  time,  but,  although  unchanged  externally-, 
seems  completely  transformed. 

"The  home  on  the  corner  of  Hill  and 
Second  streets  was  built  by  Mr.  Colby  at  an 
early  date  and  was  originally,  much  like  the 
Adsit  house.  It  was  owned  for  many  years 
by  Mr.  John  Niles.  The  increasing  needs  of 
the  household  and  the  numerous  clan  of  kin- 
dred ever  welcomed  there  caused  its  roof  to 
widen  over  many  additions  extending  on  all 
sides  and  without  regard  for  artistic  appear- 
ance, hut  was  always  essentially  old- 
fashioned,  roomy  and  comfortable.  Divided 
and  enlarged  in  late  years,  only  the  front  of 
the  main  house  and  a  portion  of  the  wing 
remain  the  same.     It  was  once  famous  for  its 


342 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


rose  garden  and  from  the  place  in  the  days 
of  its  first  ownership  Gilbert  Colby,  after- 
ward a  successful  manufacturer,  moved  all 
of  his  worldly  possessions  across  the  street 
in  a  wheelbarrow  to  his  first  home,  having 
a  cash  fund  of  25  cents  as.  a  nucleus  of  his 
fortune. 

"The  home  of  Mrs.  Marcella  Terry  was 
built  by  Robert  Montgomery  when  he  was  a 
young  man.  The  main  part  of  the'  house  is 
said  to  have  been  rafted  down  the  river  from 
Michigan.  An  exposed  beam  gives  a  quaint 
look  to  the  front  room  of  the  wing,  and  if 
the  giant  elm  which  shelters  under  its  spread- 
ing branches  the  entire  house  could  whisper 
tales  of  the  men  and  women  who  have  lived 
and  died  since  that'  old  tree  was  young,  we 
would  need  no  better  historian. 

"Many  points  of  interest  must  be  passed 
unnoticed   in  this  paper,   but   we   must  not 
miss  the  old  house  standing  beside  the  Terry 
homestead.     Its  native   heath  was   the   high 
school  playground  and  has  been  mentioned  as 
the  Bancroft  cottage.     It  was,  however,  the 
home  of  Mr.  Allan  Sisson  until  moved  to  its 
present    site,    and    stood    back    of    another 
famous  garden  during  the  intervening  years 
which  link  the  old  days  to  the  present.     An- 
other old  home  near  by  recalls  the  builder, 
one    of   the   men   who    helped   to   bring   the 
cylinder  for  the  furnace  many  weary  miles, 
a  kindly  Scotchman,  James  Wliite  by  name. 
The  house  was  surrounded  by  a  fine  orchard 
which  was  then   at  the  west   end  of   Third 
street.     It  was  a  pretty  old  place  and  was 
sold  by  Mr.  White  to  Mr.  Colby  and  after- 
wards  became   the    home   of   Mr.    and   Mrs. 
James  Oliver.     One  old  apple  tree  marks  the 
spot  where  many  others  made  fragrant  the 
Maytime   of  years   long   past,   but   a  public 
highway  has   swept   away  all  traces  of   the 
garden.     The  house,  still  used  as  a  dwelling, 
was  built  in  1835. 

"Gone  is  the  little  pink  house  which  stood 
on  the  banks  of  the  creek  back  of  M.  Tromp's 
home.  It  used  to  nestle  under  the  trees  at 
the   foot  of   the   garden,   like   a   pink    lady- 


slipper.  There  were  bees  and  blossoms  and 
happy  children  in  that  cosy  cottage  garden 
during  many  summers.  In  the  little  kitchen 
were  baked  the  delicious  tarts,  always  in  de- 
mand for  donation  parties  and  made  famous 
by  the  art  of  Grandpa  Martling,  who  never 
parted  with  the  recipe  brought  from  'Merrie 
England.' 

"The  house  of  Mr.  Charles  Towle,  built  by 
Judge  Demming  during  1835,  is  one  of  the 
veteran  homesteads.  Its  present  sound  condi- 
tion bears  witness  to  the  fact  that  sturdy 
hewn  timbers  and  handmade  nails  were  used 
by  Mr.  Wing  and  his  fellow  craftsmen  who 
framed  and  finished  the  old  landmark.  In 
the  parlor  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
house  Mary  Demming  and  Charles  Crocker 
were  married  with  not  a  soul  among  the  wed- 
ding guests  to  dream  of  the  golden  dower  to 
be  won  for  the  happy  pair  from  the  unde- 
veloped resources  of  the  far  west.  It  became 
the  home  of  Mr.  Oilman  Towle,  who  enlarged 
and  improved  it  in  various  ways  and  is  now 
an  ample  and  dignified  homestead.  Here, 
too,  was  a  dear  old  garden  where,  beneath  the 
mould,  a  tiny  bit  of  china  was  found  not  long 
ago  which  fitted  the  broken  edge  of  an  old 
colonial  plate  found  between  the  walls  of  the 
house. 

' '  The  house  built  by  Mr.  Asher  Miller  some 
time  during  the  forties  and  now  the  home  of 
Mrs.  Booth  is  in  design  and  detail  a  most 
pleasing  member  of  the  group  of  old  timers. 
The  quaint  look  given  by  the  projection  of 
the  center  beyond  the  columned  porches  of 
the  wings  is  unique  and  like  the  New  Eng- 
land village  homes.  The  roomy  parlor  has  a 
beautifully  carved  mantle  piece,  supported 
by  Ionic  columns,  and  happily  the  ornaments 
so  entirely  in  keeping  with  the  design  are 
old  hand  wrought  candelabra  purchased  for 
the  house  by  Mrs.  Edwin  Hollister  when  she 
was  chatelaine  of  this  old  home.  In  this  par- 
lor she  played  upon  the  first  piano  brought  to 
St.  Joseph  county  while  children  and  grown- 
ups stopped  outside  to  listen  to  a  novelty 
more  wonderful  in  the  western  village  than 


HISTORY   OF   ST.  JOSEPH   COUNTY.                                      343 

automobiles  in  the  same  streets  today.     The  fact  that  many  of  the  primitive  features  of 

room  in  the  right  wing  was  called,  the  Bish-  the  landscape  exist  about  this  old  home  is 

op's  room,  as  the  Millers  and  Hollisters  often  most    delightful    in    this    day    of    ravenous 

entertained  that   right  welcome  visitor.     In  growth.    Returning  down  the  street  we  reach 

the  large  room  at  the  back,  evidently  used  the  site  of  the  old  Barbee  tavern,  which,  in- 

occasionally  as  a  dining  room,  there  is  a  slid-  corporated  into  the  modern  residence  of  Mrs. 

ing  cupboard  running  from  below.    The  large  Quigg,  offers  no   suggestion   of  the  roadside 

room   in   the   basement   seems   to  have  been  hostelry,  where  the  stage  once  drew  up  with 

finished  for  a  dining  room,   as  glass  knobs  a  flourish  of  whip  and  horn.    The  bar  was  in 

and  brass  button  shaped  fastenings  give  an  a  wing  on  the  left  and  the  landlord's  name 

air  of  elegance  to  the  interior.  was  Kellogg.     Another  tavern  stood  on  the 

''During  the  summer  of  1834,  Mr.  Joseph  corner  west  of  the  Doty  house,  and  there  were 

Skerritt  built  a  house  on  the  corner  directly  three  others  in  the  town.     All  succumbed  in 

west  of  the  Booth  house.    No  trace  of  it  has  due  time,  leaving  the  field  to  Orlando  Hurd 

been  found  but  many  persons  will  remember  of  jovial  memory. 

it  as  the  Harris  house.  The  old  Si  Burt  "The  Judsou  home,  built  during  the  early 
house  was  once  the  residence  of  Mr.  Doty  years  of  Mishawaka's  prosperous  growth,  was 
and  here  under  her  father's  roof.  Miss  Susan  a  pretty  place  and  intended  by  Mr.  Judson 
Doty  and  Mr.  James  Oliver  were  married  by  to  be  the  home  of  his  old  age.  The  material, 
the  Rev.  Norman  Kellogg.  Mr.  George  Mer-  carefully  selected,  was  the  best  to  be  had.  '  I 
rifield  was  one  of  the  wedding  guests  and  pre-  am  building  upon  a  rock, '  said  the  master 
sented  the  bride  with  a  bouquet  of  roses  from  of  that  home.  Alas !  that  the  adverse  winds 
his  garden.  Transplanted  to  memories'  fair  of  an  unkind  fortune  should  have  swept  him 
fields  they  still  bloom,  'A  thing  of  beauty  from  that  haven.  The  house,  completely  re- 
and  a  ,joy  forever. '  The  house  has  been  modeled  by  its  present  owner,  presents  a  new 
turned  around  and  changed  in  appearance.,  face  to  the  passer  and  as  the  home  of  Mr. 
The  joist  beams  are  round  logs  and  all  of  the  Martin  V.  Belger  is  one  of  the  attractive 
timbers  so  heavy  that  alterations  were  dif-  places  of  East  Second  street, 
ficult  to  make.  Mr.  George  Merrifield  is  still  "The  house  built  by  Mr.  Albert  Hudson 
growing  roses  on  land  purchased  in  1838  and  was  the  first  brick  dwelling  erected  in  town, 
where,  mid  scenes  of  pastoral  beauty  on  the  and  has  always  been  a  family  possession.  It 
grassy  slopes  of  the  lovely  river  valley,  the  looks  quite  the  same,  and  though  older  and  a 
lines  of  the  old  Indian  trail  may  be  traced,  little  worn  is  familiar  as  in  the  old  time. 
The  spring  about  which  the  red  men  camped  "A  late  fire  has  changed  the  Henry  John- 
still  sends  its  waters,  a  tiny  cress  filled  son  house.  Built  in  1838,  it  was  at  that  time 
stream,  to  the  river  and  the  lark  spur  which  the  finest  dwelling  in  northern  Indiana  and 
grew  about  the  cabin  of  Joseph  Pemberton  in  presented  the  only  colonial  front  in  the  vil- 
1831  blooms  as  cheerily  as  ever.  The  house  lage.  With  spacious  double  parlors  and  hand- 
built  by  Mr.  Merrifield  now  belongs  to  the  somely  finished  interior,  it  was  much  admired 
Cass  family.  It  was  made  after  the  good  old  by  townsfolk  and  visitors.  There  was  orig- 
fashion  of  thick  timbers  cut  on  the  river  inally  a  large,  open  fireplace  in  the  kitchen 
bank;  has  large  chimneys  and  once  boasted  and  doubtless  the  cooking  was  done  there, 
a  huge  'dutch'  oven,  where  12  loaves  of  Much  of  the  substantial  mahogany  furniture 
bread  and  numerous  pies  were  baked  at  one  placed  in  this  home  by  Mr.  Johnson  was  pur- 
time  and  removed  on  a  big  shovel.  The  house  chased  by  Mr.  George  Milburn,  who  bought 
occupied  by  the  family  at  present  was  built  the  property  many  years  ago  and  lived  there 
by  Mr.  Jacob  Merrifield  somewhat  later.    The  with  his  family  until  their  departure  to  To- 


344 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


ledo.  Mrs.  Milburn  treasures  in  her  Kansas 
home  the  fine  old  furniture  brought  from  the 
East. 

"It  is  quite  remarkable  that  so  many  of  the 
old  walls  remain  for  us  to  ponder  over,  and 
enter  today,  when  we  consider  that  Misha- 
waka  is  a  western  town,  not  placed  among 
the  rocky  hills  of  the  East.  The  cottage  built 
by  Mr.  Milburn  on  Fourth  street  is  still  a 
cozy  dwelling  standing  in  a  large  garden,  and 
Mr.  William  Milburn  built  an  old  style  house 
in  the  same  block  and  lived  there  several 
years.  It  finally  became  the  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  A.  I\I.  Wing  and  the  latter  resides  there 
with  her  niece,  Mrs.  J.  R.  Hudson.  The 
house  has  the  same  interior  finish  and  much 
the  same  arrangement  of  the  others  described 
in  this  paper. 

"On  the  north  side  of  the  river  are  many 
old  homes,  well  preserved  and  worthy  of  de- 
scription. It  is  not  possible  to  mention  more 
than  one  at  this  time.  Mr.  William  Sisson 
built  this  home  when  Indiana  City  still  pre- 
served its  identity  and  it  is  very  little 
changed,  the  old  hardwood  finish  and  brass 
door  knobs  remaining  intact.  The  property 
was  bought  by  the  order  of  the  Sistere  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  and  Mother  Angela  lived  there 
for  some  time. 

"A  portion  of  Earl's  tavern,  built  in  1833, 
still  stands,  and  one  room  of  the  foundry 
boarding  house  is  a  part  of  Mr.  Charles  San- 
dilands'  residence.  A  jolly  set  of  moulders 
must  have  met  around  the  table  where  Mrs. 
Ireland  supplied  the  wants  of  the  brawny 
workers.  One  of  the  pranks  of  those  merry 
m^n,  related  by  Mr.  Merrifield.  was  a  mad 
chase  to  capture  a  fat  pig  to  grace  the  rous- 
ing supper  always  given  in  the  old  furnace 
after  'blowing  out.'  Foreman  Lueas  led  his 
men  eastward  over  the  Barbee  creek,  en  route 
over  hill  and  dale,  the  odors  wafted  from 
a  dutch  oven  suggested  its  savory  contents. 
Having  secured  the  pig  and  homeward  bound, 
the  foragers  stole  oven  and  all,  to  the  utter 
bewilderment  of  the  housewife,  whose  Satur- 
day baking  added  zest  to  the  feast  of  roast 


pig  eaten  around  a  glowing  fire  in  the  fur- 
nace that  night. 

"From  pork  to  pictures  is  a  wide  digres- 
sion, but  that  art  and  artists  were  not  want- 
ing in  the  village  the  portraits  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wing,  exhibited  by  the  historical  so- 
ciety, give  evidence.  They  were  painted  in 
1847,  by  ]Mr.  William  Utley,  afterwards  a 
colonel  in  the  civil  war.  where  he  became 
famous  for  conducting  a  negro  boy  who 
wished  to  join  the  Federal  army  into  the 
l^nion  lines  in  a  hollow  square  formed  of  his 
men,  with  bayonets  fixed,  the  rebels  in  full 
pursuit.  Young  Mr.  ITtley  was  a  nephew  of 
Mr.  Wing,  wiio  lived  in  IMishawaka  for  a 
time,  painting  other  portraits  of  which  little 
has  been  learned. 

"The  fact  that  'a  prophet  is  not  without 
honor  save  in  his  own  county'  is  generally 
found  to  be  most  unpleasantly  true,  but  that 
Rose  Hartwick  Thorpe  has  written  real 
poetry  none  will  deny.  She  lived  as  a  child 
in  a  little  cottage  near  Barbee  creek  and 
spent  hours  dreaming  by  the  brookside. 

"Many  years  have  passed  since  the  old 
homes  visited  in  this  Maytime  were  new,  but 
they  served  their  day  and  generation  well  and 
from  their  doors  the  builders  passed  to  rest, 
while  many  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
those  scattered  households  have  won  distinc- 
tion in  the  fuller,  more  restless  life  of  to- 
day." 

Sec.  11. — ^SociETiEvS  AND  Clubs. — While,  as 
might  be  inferred  from  Mrs.  Vanpelt's  remin- 
iscences, Mishawaka  has  always  been  a  home 
town,  a  city  of  homes;  yet  the  friendly  spirit 
of  the  people  has,  from  the  beginning,  mani- 
fested itself  also  in  the  formation  of  social, 
benevolent  and  patriotic  associations. 

St.  Joseph  Lodge,  No.  27,  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  Fellows,  was  organized  about 
1843.  Among  the  members  at  that  time  were 
Dr.,  afterwards  Colonel,  Norman  Eddy,  John 
Niles,  Albert  Cass,  Harris  E.  Hurlbut,  A.  H. 
Long  and  James  Easton.  This  lodge  was  aft- 
erwards discontinued.  I)ut  on  August  13, 
1867,  Monitor  Lodge,  No.  286.  was  instituted. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


345 


Tilt'  charter  members  of  Monitor  Lodge  were 
A.  H.  Long,  James  Easton,  Washington  Gib- 
son, Philip  McElvain  and  Thomas  S.  Long. 
On  September  5.  1872.  the  great  fire  de- 
stroyed the  lodge  hall  with  all  its  costly  fnr- 
nitnre ;  but  very  soon  a  new  and  finer  hall  in 
the  Phoenix  bnilding,  took  its  j^lace.  The 
lodge  is  still  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

A  Masonic  lodg'e  was  organized  JNIay  26, 
1852.  The  first  officers  were:  R.  S.  Alden. 
W.  M.:  D.  H.  Smith,  S.  W. :  J.  Holdridge, 
J.  W. ;  J.  E.  Ilollister,  treasurer;  T.  S. 
Cowles,  secretary;  A.  C.  Foot,  S.  D. ;  W.  M. 
Wood.  J.  D..  and  A.  L.  Rrimsmaid,  Tyler. 

The  following  is  believed  to  be  a  list  of 
about  all  the  other  societies  and  clubs  of  the 
city  as  they  now  exist : 

Fidelity  Rebecca  Lodge,  No.  122,  I.  0. 
0.  F. — Mrs.  Vona  Borden.  X.  G.:  ]Mrs.  Marie 
Burkhart,  secretary. 

Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  jMishawaka 
Lodge,  No.. 130,  F.  &  A.  M.— A.  H.  Henwood, 
W.  M. ,'  John  W.  Hutchinson,  recorder. 

Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  Houghton 
Post,  No.  128 — Manuel  Fisher,  post  com- 
mander; Charles  Frank,  adjutant. 

Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  Mishawaka 
Tribe.  No.  304,  I.  0.  R.  M.— John  C.  Quick, 
sachem ;  George  Hitesman,  secretary. 

Independent  Order  of  Foresters,  St.  John's 
Court,  No.  1490. — B.  F.  Pew,  chief  ranger; 
P.  A.  Young,  secretary. 

Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  St.  John's 
Court,  No.  952. — John  Barry,  chief  ranger; 
William  Gehl,  secretary. 

Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  Sacred  Heart 
Court. — Mrs.  Minnie  S.  Vincent,  chief  ranger ; 
Mrs.  Anna  Winters,  record  keeper. 

Knights  and  Ladies  of  Columbia,  Misha- 
waka Council,  No.  2.  K.  &  L.  of  C— C.  F. 
Taylor,  scribe. 

Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  Mishawaka  Tent, 
No.  12,  K.  0.  T.  M.— W.  J.  Armstead,  com- 
mander; F.  A.  Partridg'e,  record  keeper. 

Knights  of  the  Modern  Maccabees,  Twen- 
tieth Century  Tent,  No.  1121.— Elbert  Robin- 


son,   commander;    George    Hitesman,    record 
keeper. 

Annex  Christian  Association. — Everett  G. 
Eberhart,  president;  Vernice  Ludwig,  secre- 
tary. 

Catholic  Benevolent  Legion.  St.  Joseph 
Valley  Council,  No.  503,  C.  B.  L. 

Catholic  Knights  of  America,  St.  Michael's 
Branch,  No.  498,  C.  K.  of  A.— John  J. 
Schindler,  recording  secretary. 

Knights  of  Pythias,  Mishawaka  Lodge,  No. 
453,  K.  of  P.— William  Garman,  C.  C. ; 
Frank  P.  Christoph,  K.  of  R.  and  S. 

Uniform  Rank,  Knights  of  Pythias — Wal- 
ter C.  Herzog,  captain;  William  Drumhiller, 
recorder. 

Ladies'  Branch  W.  0.  W.,  Home  Grove 
Circle,  No.  10,  W.  0.  W.— Mrs.  Lizzie  Philion, 
guardian ;  Mrs.  Minnie  Spaeth,  secretary^ 

Ladies  of  the  Maccabees,  Mishawaka  Hive, 
No.  68,  L.  0.  T.  M.— Mrs.  Ella  Middleton, 
commander;  Mrs.  Allie  Michael,  record 
keeper. 

Ladies  of  the  Modern  Maccabees,  Misha- 
waka Hive.  No.  907. — Carrie  Diltz,  command- 
er; Bertha  Beeman.  record  keeper. 

Royal  Arch  Masons,  Mishawaka  Chapter, 
No.  83.— Tabor  Ham,  H.  P. ;  John  W.  Hutch- 
inson, secretary. 

Masonic  Club  of  Mishawaka— H.  A.  Edris, 
president;  Guy  Richards,  secretary. 

Order  of  Eastern  Star,  Mishawaka  Chap- 
ter, No.  26,  0.  E.  S.— Amelia  Henwood,  W. 
M. ;  Allie  Michael,  secretary. 

Mishawaka  Court  of  Honor,  District  Court, 
No.  167.— J.  A.  Rishel.  chancellor;  Mrs.  Hazel 
Pontius,  secretary. 

Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  Mishawaka 
Camp,  No.  4788,  M.  W.  A.— Fred  Schroeder, 
eon.;  B.  Kraushanski,  clerk. 

Woodmen  of  the  World,  Enterprise  Camp, 
W  0  W.— E.  K.  Reed.  C.  C. ;  A.  C.  Brown, 
clerk. 

Bricklayers',  Masons'  and  Plasterers' 
Union,'  No.  39. — Alfred  Swift,  president; 
Harry  Lowder,  secretary. 

Odd  Fellows' Mishawaka  Encampment,  No. 


346 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


98.  I.  0.  0.  F.— E.  S.  Selders,  C.  P.;  Harry 
Knee,  scribe. 

Order,  of  Owls,  Mishawaka  Nest,  No.  4. — W. 
E.  Zweigle,  president;  H.  D.  Roper,  secre- 
tary. 

Order  of  Patricians,  Mishawaka  Court,  No. 

104. — J.  E.  Roper,  sen.;  Enos  E.  Long,  scribe. 

The  Pathfinders,  St.  Joseph  Lodge,  No.  59. 

— J.     A.     Purviance,     president;     Margaret 

Avers,  secretary. 

The  Protective  Home  Circle,  Mishawaka 
Circle,  No.  518. — Guy  S.  Thompson,  presi- 
dent ;  Amelia  Behny,  secretary. 

The  Rathbone  Sisters,  Sunlight  Temple, 
No.  286. — Mi-s.  Clara  Austin,  com. ;  Mrs.  Min- 
nie Huntsinger,  record  keeper. 

Royal  Neighbors  of  America,  Spring  Camp, 
No.  1992,  R.  N.  A.— Mrs.  EfQe  Pelton,  orator; 
Mrs.  Clara  Austin,  recorder. 

The  St.  Joseph  Benevolent  Society. — 
Charles  Koeppen,  president;  A.  G.  Hoerst- 
mann,  secretary. 

Twentieth  Century  Club.^ — -D.  J.  Campbell, 
president;  R.  P.  "Wines,  secretary. 

Council  of  Royal  and  Select  Masters,  J\Iish- 
awaka  Council,  No.  19,  R.  &  S.  M.— W.  P. 
Robinson,  PI.  P.;  John  W.  Hutchinson,  re- 
corder. 

The  Country  Club  of  the  St.  Joseph  Val- 
ley.— M.  P.  Reed,  president  and  treasurer; 
H.  T.  Reynolds,  secretary. 

The  Dodge  Club— Melville  W.  Mix,  presi- 
dent; A.  J.  Williams,  secretary. 

Sec.  12. — Soldiers'  Monument  Associa- 
tion.— On  June  4,  1874,  the  Mishawaka  Sol- 
diers' Monument  association  was  formed, 
for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  monument  to 
commemorate  the  deceased  soldiers  and  sail- 
ors who  enlisted  in  the  war  for  the  Union 
from  Mishawaka  and  Penn  township.  The 
incorporators  of  this  patriotic  society  were : 

Almon  Stuart,  Elizabeth  Stuart,  Martin 
Barnhart,  Minerva  Barnhart,  James  H. 
Loughman.  Abbie  A.  Loughman,  M.  A.  Cur- 
tis, William  H.  Judkins,  Belle  M.  Judkins, 
Nelson  Ferris,  F.  R.  Eberhart,  J.  M.  ]\Ian- 
wairing,  James  Aitken,  S.  M.  Garom,  B.  Hol- 


comb,  B.  R.  O'Connor.  F.  J.  O'Connor,  Wil- 
liam B.  Hoover,  Elias  Hoover  and  J.  Q.  Z. 
Vandenbosch. 

As  the  people  of  Mishawaka  and  Penn 
to\Miship  had  supported  their  first  schools 
by  voluntary  subscriptions  and  had  built  the 
first  dam  and  erected  the  first  bridge  across 
the  river,  in  the  same  public-spirited  manner, 
so  now  they  began  to  solicit  from  one  another 
the  means  necessary  to  do  honor  forever, 
both  to  their  patrotic  dead,  and  also  to  the 
patriotic  living  who  thus  generously  remem- 
bered the  heroes  who  had  gone  out  from  their 
neighborhoods  to  battle  for  the  Union,  the 
constitution  and  the  laws. 

For  ten  years  the  work  of  contribution  and 
preparation  went  bravely  on,  until,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1884,  the  people  assembled  in  beauti- 
ful Battell  park,  to  dedicate  the  noble  memo- 
rial. The  material  selected  was  white  bronze. 
The  monument  is  surmoiuited  by  the  figure 
of  a  soldier  about  to  load  his  gun,  and  the 
w^hole  structure  is  in  harmonious  proportion 
and  with  appropriate  inscription.  At  the 
base,  on  the  four  sides,  are  read  Shiloh,  Vicks- 
burg,  Chickamauga  and  Mobile,  while  higher 
up,  on  the  north  and  south  sides,  are  the 
names  of  no  less  than  fifty-eight  other  famous 
fields  on  which  Mishawaka  and  Penn  town- 
ship boys  did  battle  for  their  country. 

Much  praise  is  due  those  who  had  the  good 
taste  to  cause  the  monument  to  be  placed  out 
in  the  heart  of  Battell  park,  not  hiding  it  in 
among  lofty  buildings,  nor  crowding  it  out 
upon  the  street  corners,  but  giving  to  it 
spacious  grounds  where  its  beauty  may  be 
seen  and  admired.  This  park,  extending  for 
a  distance  of  three  squares  along  the  river 
front,  and  overlooking  the  whole  city  from 
the  highlands  between  Joseph  street  and  the 
water's  edge,  is.  with  its  fine  forest  trees,  one 
of  the  most  attractive  pleasure  resorts  in 
northern  Indiana  and  forms  a  magnificent 
setting  for  the  soldiers'  monument. 

Sec.  13. — The  Press. — The  first  newspaper 
published  in  Mishawaka  seems  to  have  been 
the  Mishawaka  Tocsin,  established  in  1841  by 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


347 


Wilbur  F.  Storey,  afterwards  famous  as 
editor  of  the  Chicago  Times.  Mr.  Storey  re- 
mained in  charge  of  the  Tocsin  for  but  a 
short  time  and  disposed  of  it  to  George  Merri- 
field.  In  1845  Thomas  Jernegan  purchased 
the  paper  and  removed  it  to  South  Bend, 
changing  the  name  to  the  Indiana  Tocsin. 
The  Tocsin  was  no  better  sustained  in  South 
Bend  than  in  IMishawaka  and  was  soon  dis- 
continued. 

In  1848  Dr.  E.  W.  H.  Ellis  established  a 
paper  called  the  Free  Democrat.  It  sup- 
ported Martin  Van  Buren  for  the  presidency 
against  Lewis  Cass.  The  paper  did  not  sur- 
vive the  campaign  of  1848.  The  Mishawaka 
Bee,  started  in  1846  by  S.  P.  Hart,  was  also 
of  short  duration,  being  discontinued  after 
two  years. 

In  1853  the  people  seemed  to  be  ready  for 
a  permanent  newspaper.  In  that  year  D.  C. 
Ireland  began  the  publication  of  the  Free 
Press.  After  two  years  Mr.  Ireland  sold  out 
to  L.  A.  Elliott,  who  changed  the  name  of  the 
paper  to  the  Mishawaka  Enterprise  and  soon 
after  disposed  of  it  to  Archibald  Beal.  In 
1865  Norman  V.  Brower  became  the  owner  of 
the  paper.  Finally,  in  1872,  the  Enterprise 
was  purchased  by  Edward  A.  Jernegan,  since 
which  time  the  name  of  Jernegan  has  become 
almost  synonymous  with  that  of  the  Enter- 
prise. The  paper  and  its  publisher  suffered, 
in  common  with  the  rest  of  the  city,  in  the 
calamity  of  September  5,  1872."'  Both,  how- 
ever, rose  nobly  to  the  task  before  them  and 
not  only  overcame  that  disaster,  but,  after 
that  event,  the  Enterprise,  more  than  ever, 
deserved  its  title.  It  is  praise  enough  of  the 
IMishawaka  Enterprise  to  say  that  it  has  kept 
pace,  step  by  step,  with  the  progress  of  the 
good  city  of  Mishawaka  itself. 

As  for  the  enterprise  of  the  city  at  this 
time,  it  may  be  noted,  as  stated  by  the  press 
in  the  succeeding  summer:  "Outside  the 
burnt  district,  more  buildings  have  been  put 
lip  this  season  than  ever  before.  This  can  be 
set    down    as    Mishawaka 's   most   prosperous 

a.     See  Subd.  2,  this  chapter.  , 


year."  And  that  was  written  within  less 
than  a  year  after  what  seemed  to  be  the  com- 
plete destruction  of  the  town.  It  was  enter- 
prise, not  to  say  ' '  The  Enterprise, ' '  that  built 
up  a  new  Mishawaka. 

The  plucky  people  had  so  far  overcome 
their  calamity  that  on  the  first  anniversary 
they  made  up  their  minds  to  have  a  meeting 
to  celebrate  their  victories  of  the  year.  This 
is  what  the  South  Bend  Tribune  said  on  the 
evening  before  the  anniversary: 

"One  year  ago  tomorrow  night  Mishawaka 
was  visited  by  the  most  destructive  conflagra- 
tion that  ever  occurred  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  Over  sixty  buildings  were  burned,  at 
a  loss  of  nearly  two  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  many  who  were  not  animated  with 
the  pluck  and  enterprise  of  the  citizens  of 
]\Iishawaka  believed  that  the  town  had  re- 
ceived its  death  blow.  We  wish  that  all  such 
could  be  at  the  anniversary  celebration  to- 
morrow night,  in  Phoenix  hall,  and  then  take 
a  glance  over  the  rebuilt  town — its  solid 
brick  blocks — and  see  how  far  they  were  from 
reading  our  plucky  neighbors  aright." 

The  Mishawaka  Enterprise  did  its  full 
share  in  that  eventful  year's  work. 

On  July  4,  1891,  there  seemed  to  a  young 
man  an  opportunity  for  another  paper  in 
IMishawaka,  and  the  Mishawaka  Democrat 
was  launched  upon  the  sea  of  journalism 
by  William  P.  O'Neill.  That  his  anticipa- 
tions were  well  founded  seems  to  have  been 
justified  by  the  event.  The  Democrat  has  con- 
tinued to  hold  its  place  and  has  thus  shown 
that  there  was  room  for  two  newspapers  in 
Mishawaka. 

Sec.  14. — MiSHAV^AKA  Summary. — Misha- 
waka is  beautifully  situated  on  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  one  of  the  most  picturesque  streams  in 
the  world,  in  the  center  of  a  fertile  valley,  90 
miles  east  of  Chicago.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
healthful  and  most  charming  places  of  resi- 
dence. It  has  every  modern  convenience. 
While  it  is  a  manufacturing  city  with  sev- 
eral of  the  largest  plants  of  their  kind  in  the 
world  it  has  retained  that  simplicity  which 


348 


HISTOKY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


makes  life  worth  the  living.  The  Hen  Island 
dam  across  the  St.  Joseph  river  a  few  miles 
above  the  city  creates  a  lake  30  feet  deep, 
nearly  a  mile  wide  at  points  and  14  miles 
long.  Pickerel,  bass,  croppies,  perch  and 
other  fish  abound.  Mishawaka  is  advertised 
world  wide. 

City  hall. 

A  theater. 

High  school. 

Veneer  plant. 

Plow  factory. 

Cigar  factories. 

Masonic  temple. 

Healthful  climate. 

Good  newspapers. 

Population  10,000. 

A  beautiful  park. 

An  orphans'  home. 

One  G.  A.  E.  post. 

A  famous  brewery. 

Artificial  ice  plant. 

One  national  bank. 

Pipe  organ  factory. 

Rural  mail  routes. 

Reasonable  taxation. 

Four  public  schools. 

Beautiful  residences. 

Fine  machine  shops. 

An  automobile  plant. 

Odd  Fellows'  temple. 

Paid  fire  department. 

Four  Catholic  schools. 

Fifty  miles  of  sewers. 

Free  delivery  of  mail. 

Two  telephone  systems. 

Two  express  companies. 

Large  furniture  factory. 

Three  parochial  schools. 

Vegetable  slicer  company. 

Over  30  fraternal  societies. 

Three  medicine  companies. 

Felt  shoe  and  slipper  plant. 

Three  bridges  across  river. 

An  aluminum  last  company. 

Gamewell  fire   alarm  system. 

A  folding  carnage  company. 


Annual  pay  rolls  of  $2,000,000. 

Three  miles  of  electric  service. 

Thirteen  church  organizations. 

Four  square  miles  of  territory. 

Largest  pulley  factory  in  world. 

Gas.  electric  and  water  service. 

A  building  and  loan  association. 

Twelve  handsome  church  edifices. 

Twenty-five  miles  of  water  mains. 

Three  trust  and  savings  companies. 

Largest  knit  boot  factory  in  world. 

The  largest  rubber  factory  in  the  west. 

The  finest  of  manufacturing  facilities. 

Macadam,  asphalt  and  brick  pavement. 

A  malt  cream  and  medicine  company. 

Largest  windmill  factory  in  the  world. 

PoM'Cr  house  generating  10,000  horse  elec- 
tric power. 

A  large  number  of  modern  stores  handling 
ever.y  commodity. 

IV. TOWN    AND    CITY    GOVERNMENT. 

From  the  election  of  the  first  board  of  trus- 
tees of  the  town  of  the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works, 
January  31,  1835,  and  the  act  of  the  legis- 
lature, approved  February  17,  1838,  re-incor- 
porating said  town,  together  with  adjoining 
towns  and  additions,  under  the  name  of  the 
town  of  Mishawaka,  as  set  out  in  the  first 
subdivision  of  this  chapter,  the  i>eople  con- 
tinued for  over  sixty  years  to  be  satisfied  with 
their  simple  and  inexpensive  form  of  govern- 
ment. But  as  the  town  grew  in  population 
and  as  new  and  diversified  interests  mani- 
fested thenxselves  with  the  years,  it  became 
apparent  that  a  more  efficient  form  of  gov- 
ernment was  needed ;  consequently,  as  the  old 
century  drew  to  a  close  the  people  prepared 
to  take  upon  themselves  the  obligations  and 
to  secure  the  advantages  of  a  city  form  of 
government. 

On 'January  23,  1899,  a  petition,  signed  by 
five  hundred  and  thirty-seven  voters,  being 
more  than  one-third  of  the  voters  of  the  town, 
was  presented  to  the  board  of  town  trustees, 
asking  for  the  incorporation  of  the  town  of 
Mishawaka  as  a  city.     The  board  fixed  Febru- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


349 


ary  20.  189!).  as  the  day  of  election,  when  the 
peoph^  shoukl  determine  the  question  of  in- 
corporation. The  opposition  to  the  change 
was  quite  pronounced;  but.  at  the  election, 
seven  hundred  and  two  voted  for  incorpo- 
ration, and  only  three  hundred  and  thirty-six 
against  it.  On  March  1,  1899.  the  board  di- 
vided the  new  city  into  tive  wards  and  or- 
dered notice  to  be  given  for  the  election  of 
city  officers  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  JNIay, 
being  May  2.  1899.  After  the  election  the 
board  of  town  trustees  met  for  the  last  time, 
on  May  8,  1899,  to  close  up  town  affairs  and 
turn  over  the  government  to  the  city  officers. 
The  accounts  showed  tlie  receipts  of  the  treas- 
uvy  for  the  last  fiscal  year  to  be  $38,11-1:. 76, 
and  the  expenditures  $27,368.01.  leaving  a 
balance  foi'  flic  new  government  to  start  out 
on  of  $10,746.75.  ThenMi|)<)n  tlie  Ijoard  of 
trustees  of  the  town  of  Mishawaka,  after  a 
government  extending  from  .January  31, 
1835.  to  May  8.  1899,  adjourned  sine  die,  and 
Mishawaka     entered     upon     its    career    as    a 

city. 

The  hist  boa  I'd  of  town  trustees,  who 
elosed  up  the  affairs  of  the  old  corporati<m 
and  superintended  the  transfer  of  .Mishawaka 
from  a  town  to  a  city  government,  were: 
John  C.  Protsman.  Charles  E.  Drapier,  John 
J.  Sehindler,  John  \V.  Zigler  and  Peter  W. 
Ipes. 

The  new  city  council  proceeded  at  once  to 
elect  a  city  attorney  and  other  officers  to  be 
chosen  by  the  council.  The  fii-st  and  third 
^londays  of  each  month  were  fixed  upon  for 
the  regular  meetings.  At  the  next  meeting. 
^lay  15,  1899.  the  mayor  appointed  the  coun- 
cil committees,  -and  the  machinery  of  the  city 
government  was  fairly  started.  The  order 
adopting  a  seal  for  the  city  of  Mishawaka  was 
as  follows : 

"The  seal  of  said  city  shall  consist  of  a  cir- 
cular device,  around  the  margin  of  which 
shall  lie  inscribed  the  words,  'City  of  Misha- 
waka. Indiana,'  and  in  the  center  thereof  the 
American  flag,  across  which  shall  be  inscribed 
the  word  'Liberty.'  " 


The  officers  of  the  city  of  Mishawaka  since 
its  organization  have  been  as  follows : 

May,  1899:  Mayor,  Manuel  M.  Fisher; 
clerk,  Henry  C.  Eggleston ;  treasurer,  Wil- 
liam M.  Clark;  street  commissioner,  Charles 
H.  Doolittle;  marshal.  Grant  Needhani;  at- 
torney, Archibald  G.  Graham;  councilmen, 
First  Ward.  Lorenzo  D.  Partridge,  John  Z. 
Wilklow:  Second  Ward.  William  B.  Hosford, 
Millard  F.  Kerr;  Third  Ward,  Samuel  G. 
Todd,  Peter  Tollens;  Fourth  Ward,  Jesse  H. 
Gaines,  Alfred  S.  Hess;  Fifth  Ward,  Milton 
.McKnig^ht,  William  Lerner. 

May,  1900:  Mayor.  Manuel  M.  Fisher; 
clerk,  Henry  C.  Eggieston;  treasurer,  Wil- 
liam M.  Clark;  marshal,  Grant  Needham ; 
street  commissioner,  Charles  H.  Doolit- 
tle ;  attorney,  Archibald  G.  Graham ;  coun- 
cilmen,  First  Ward,  Albert  E.  Kreutz, 
John  Z.  Wilklow;  Second  Ward,  Millard  F. 
Kerr.  William  B.  Hosford;  Third  Ward, 
Samuel  G.  Todd,  Peter  Tollens;  Fourth 
AVard,  Jesse  H.  Gaines,  Alfred  S.  Hess;  Fifth 
Ward,  Milton  McKnight,  William  Lerner. 

May,  1902:  Mayor,  .Alelville  W.  Mix; 
elerk,  Horace  G.  Eggieston;  treasurer,  Wil- 
liam 'SI.  Clark-;  marshal,  Jerome  Rossman; 
street  commissioner.  Charles  H.  Doolittle;  at- 
torney, Edward  A.  Howard ;  councilmen. 
First  Ward,  Albert  E.  Kreutz,  August  H. 
Herzog;  Second  Ward,  John  A.  Graham, 
Leander  Deleamp;  Third  Ward.  Peter  Jan- 
sen.  Henry  De  Groote ;  Fourth  Ward,  Alfred 
S.  Hess,  James  H.  Neftleton ;  Fifth  Ward, 
Otto  ^luinch,  Alvin  A.  Keltner. 

May,  1904:  Mayor,  Melville  W.  Mix; 
clerk.  Francis  X.  Ganser;  treasurer,  William 
M.  Clark:  marshal,  Frederick  Stockberger; 
street  commissioner.  Chaiies  II.  Doolittle;  at- 
torney. Archibald  Graham;  councilmen.  First 
Ward,  August  H.  Herzog,  Lorenzo  D.  Part- 
ridge; Second  Ward,  Leander  Deleamp,  David 
H.  Wilber;  Third  Ward,  John  J.  Sehindler, 
Peter  Jansen ;  Fourth  Ward,  Jesse  H.  Gaines, 
James  H.  Nettleton ;  Fifth  Ward,  Albert  T. 
Garner.  Joseph  Colbert.  Edward  H.  Suther- 
land. 


350 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


November,  1905 :  Mayor,  Charles  Frank ; 
clerk,  "Walter  Michael;  treasurer,  William  M. 
Clark;  marshal,  Benjamin  F.  Jarrett;  street 
commissioner,  Charles  H.  Doolittle;  attorney, 
William  P.  O'Neill;  board  of  health,  Dr. 
James  J.  Bostwick,  secretary.  Dr.  Christian 
A.  Dresch,  Alfred  S.  Hess;  councilmen.  First 
Ward,  Lorenzo  D.  Partridge ;  Second  Ward, 


John  D.  Fulmer;  Third  Ward,  August  H.  De 
Groote;  Fourth  Ward,  William  L.  Minzey; 
Fifth  Ward,  Burton  Varney ;  at  large,  Frank 
McNabb,  Frederick  W.  Kuss. 

As  shown  by  the  United  States  census,  the 
population  of  Mishawaka,  in  1860.  was  1,486 ; 
in  1880,  2,640;  in  1890,  3,371;  in  1900,5,560. 


CHAPTER  XL 


THE  CITY  OF  SOUTH  BEND. 


I. — BEGINNINGS   OF   THE   TOWN, 

Sec.  1. — The  Michigan  Road. — "At  this 
point  is  a  beautiful  site  for  a  town."  These 
words,  written  in  1828,  are  found  entered 
on  the  field  notes  of  the  second  survey  of  the 
^Michig^an  road.  The  point  referred  to  is 
where  the  survey  of  the  road  reached  the 
south  bend  of  the  St.  Josaph  river — the  site 
on  which  the  town,  now  city,  of  South  Bend 
wa,s  afterward  founded,  and  where  it  has 
flourished  in  a  far  greater  degree,  no  doubt, 
than  the  prophetic  surveyor  could  then  have 
anticipated.  It  is  quite  certain  that  the  con- 
struction of  the  Michigan  road  to  the  south 
bend  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  according  to  the 
second  survey,  instead  of  running  it  directly 
from  Logansport  to  Michigan  City,  across  the 
marshes,  as  contemplated  in  the  first  survey, 
had  a  decided  influence  in  promoting  the 
early  growth  of  the  town.*  Yet  the  place  was 
an  important  trading  point  for  several  years 
before  the  coming  of  the  road  and  even  be- 
fore any  survey  was  made. 

Sec.  2. — Names  Given  to  the  Town. — As 
we  have  already  seen,  Alexis  Coquillard  es- 
tablished an  Indian  trading  post  at  this  point 
in  1823.^  He  was  agent  of  the  American  Fur 
company  and  his  trading  post  was  called  the 
Big  St.  Joseph's  Station,  to  distinguish  it 
from  another  trading  post  at  Fort  Wayne,  on 
the  little  St.  Joseph  river,  conducted  for  the 
same  fur  company  by  his  father-in-law,  Fran- 
cis Comparet. 

a.     See  Chap.  5,   Subd.  1,  Sec.  3;   also  Chap.  7, 
Subd.  2. 
&.     See  Chap.  4,  Subd.  4. 


351 


We  have  likewise  seen  that,  in  1827,  Lath- 
rop  Minor  Taylor,  or  Col.  L.  M.  Taylor,  to 
use  the  name  by  which  he  is  generally  known, 
established  a  trading  post  here,  as  agent  for 
Samuel  Hanna  &  Co.,  of  Fort  Wayne.'*  The 
Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society  has  come 
into  possession  of  Col.  Taylor's  account 
books.  The  opening  entry  on  these  books  is 
dated  at  "St.  Joseph's,  Indiana,"  October  29, 
1827,  and  the  name  "St.  Joseph's"  is  re- 
tained throughout  the  books  of  the  company. 
Indeed,  it  would  seem  that  this  was  for  some 
time  the  recog-nized  name  of  each  of  the  trad- 
ing posts.  Years  afterwards,  when  these 
trading  posts  had  developed  into  a  town,  and 
the  ambitious  citizens  became  dissatisfied 
Avith  the  name  of  South  Bend,  which  to  them 
seemed  plebeian  and  meaningless,  public 
meetings  were  held  to  consider  other 
names  for  the  incipient  Queen  City  of  the 
St.  Joseph  Valley ;  and  among  the  names  then 
suggested  was  this  old  one  of  St.  Joseph's  or 
St.  Joseph.  At  that  time,  and  even  long  aft- 
erwards, serious  efforts  were  made  for  the  re- 
vival of  the  original  name  given  to  the  trad- 
ing posts  of  Coquillard  and  Taylor. 

In  1829  a  post  office  was  established,  and 
on  June  6,  1829,  Lathrop  ]\I.  Taylor  was  com- 
missioned as  first  postmaster.  In  connection 
with  the  establishment  of  the  post  office  is 
the  mystery  of  still  another  name  for  the 
new  town.  In  Mr.  Taylor's  commission  he 
was  appointed  postmaster  at  "Southold,  Al- 
len county,  Indiana."     The  county  of  Allen 

a.     Chap.  4,  Subd.  4. 


352 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


then  extended  over  this  part  of  Indiana,  but 
no  one  ha.s  ever  given  a  satisfactory  explana- 
tion of  Southold  as  the  name  of  the  town. 
There  is  a  town  of  this  name  in  Sufitolk  coun- 
ty, New  York,  on  the  coast  of  Long  Island 
sound,  and,  for  want  of  a  better  explanation, 
the  supposition  has  been  entertained  that  an 
official  connected  with  the  post  office  depart- 
ment and  having  some  charge  of  the  appoint- 
ment of  post  masters,  may  have  been  familiar 
with  this  town  of  Southold,  on  Long  Island, 
and  so  have  designedly  or  by  mistake  sug- 
gested the  name  for  the  new  town  on  the 
banks  of  the  St.  Joseph.  This,  however,  is 
mere  conjecture,  and  the  origin  of  Southold 
as  a  former  name  of  our  city  is  yet  to  be  dis- 
covered. The  name  was  retained  but  a  short 
time,  and  on  October  18,  1830,  the  United 
States  authorities  directed  the  name  of  the 
post  otftce  to  be  changed  to  South  Bend, 
which  has  since  been  retained.  It  has  been 
said  that  the  origin  of  this  name  is  due  to 
Alexis  Coquillard,  but  it  is  plain  that  the 
name  came  naturally  from  the  location  of  the 
town  upon  the  river.  Up  to  a  recent  time 
the  place  was  often  referred  to,  simply  as 
"The  Bend,"  and  even  yet  one  occasionally 
hears  this  irreverent  appellation  applied  to 
the  fair  metropolis  of  northern  Indiana.  From 
the  most  remote  time,  the  great  south  bend 
of  the  Big  St.  Joseph's  was,  to  the  red  man, 
and  to  the  white  man,  as  it  is  to  the  geologist 
of  our  day,  the  most  remarkable  natural 
phenomenon  of  the  region  south  of  the  great 
lakes.  The  portage  of  the  St.  Joseph  was 
hardly  more  noted  than  the  bend  two  miles 
up  the  river:  and  it  was  for  a  time  uncertain 
at  which  of  these  historical  points  the  coming 
town  would  be  built,  whether  at  the  "Port- 
age" or  at  the  "Bend.' 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  two  efforts  were  made  to  build  a  town  at 
the  portage,  but  Mr.  Brookfield's  old  "St. 
Joseph"  and  Judge  Egbert's  "Portage"  are 
both  among  the  towns  that  were.* 

It  was  natural  enough  that  the  town  l)nili 

a.     See  Chap.  9,  Subd.  1. 


at  the  bend  should  be  referred  to  as  "The 
Bend,"  even  before  it  w'as  formally  given 
that  name.  It  is  an  instance  in  which  the 
name  was  given  to  the  locality  long  before 
the  existence  of  the  town  itself.  The  town 
was  l)uilt  at  the  bend,  and  hence  called  "The 
Bend."  Some  dignity  was  added  to  the 
woodsman's  simple  designation  by  prefixing 
to  it  the  word  "South,"  suggested  by  the  lo- 
cation of  the  bend,  strengthened  also,  per- 
haps, ))y  the  accidental  name  of  Southold  first 
given  to  the  post  office.  South  Bend  it  is, 
and  South  Bend  it  will  be,  for  the  people 
have  become  attached  to  the  simple  and  ex- 
pressive, even  if  homely,  title  that  has  come 
down  to  us  from  that  geological  catastrophe 
which  turned  the  Kankakee  from  its  ancient 
bed  and  swept  it.  in  this  noble  bend  from  the 
south,  until  it  found  its  way,  as  the  St. 
Joseph,  into  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan." 

Sec.  3. — The  Original  Plat  of  South 
Bend. — The  town  of  South  Bend  was  laid 
out  l)y  Alexis  Coquillard  and  Lathrop  M.  Tay- 
lor on  the  28th  day  of  March,  A.  D.  1831. 
The  dedication  and  description,  as  entered  on 
the  recorded  plat,  are  in  the  following  words : 

"Town  of  Soutli  Bend,  by  Alexis  Coquil- 
lard  and   Lathrop   M.   Taylor. 

"The  aforesaid  town  is  laid  off  on  the 
ncn^thwest  fractional  quarter  of  section  num- 
l)ei'  twelve  and  on  the  southern  part  of  the 
soutliwest  fractional  (juarter  of  section  num- 
ber one,  of  township  number  thirty-seven 
north,  and  range  number  two  ea,st  of  the  sec- 
ond principal  meridian  of  the  State  of  In- 
diana. Each  lot  is  ten  rods  east  and  west  and 
four  I'ods  north  and  south,  containing  one 
(juarter  of  an  acre.  The  fractional  lots,  ac- 
cf)rding  to  the  number  of  feet  and  I'ods 
marked  on  the  sides  of  said  lots.  The  alleys, 
running  east  and  west,  north  and  south, 
through  the  center  of  each  square,  are  four- 
teen feet  wide.  Lots  numbered  two  hundred 
and  forty-seven,  two  hundred  and  forty-eight 
and  two  hundred  and  forty-nine  are  hereby 
donated  foi-  the  i)uriK)se  of  building  a  court- 

a.     Chap.  1,  Subds.  2  and  7. 


X 
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THE 
/^       NEW  VORK 
PUfe'         ■    "■*ARY1 


HISTORY   OF    ST.  JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


355 


house  and  gaol  ou,  whenever  the  county  seat 
of  said  county  may  be  established  at  the  town 
aforesaid.  And  lots  numbered  sixty-seven 
and  two  hundred  and  eight  are  hereby  do- 
nated to  said  town  of  South  Bend  for  the  use 
and  purpose  of  erecting  school  houses  there- 
on. And  lot  numbered  three  hundred  and 
twenty-one  is  hereby  donated  to  the  INIethod- 
ist  society,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a 
church  thereon.  And  also  lots  numbered  one 
hundred  and  seventeen  and  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  are  hereby  donated  to  the  Catholic 
church  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  suitable 
buildings  for  a  church  thereon. 

"In  testimony  whereof,  the  said  Alexis 
Coquillard  and  Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  pro- 
prietors of  said  town  of  South  Bend,  have 
hereunto  set  their  hands  and  seals  this  28th 
day  of  March,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand,  eight  hundred  and  thirty-one. 

"Alexis  Coquillard. 
"Lathrop  M.  Taylor." 
"State  of  Indiana,  St.  Joseph  County,  ss. : 

"On  this  28tb  day  of  March,  A.  D.  1831, 
Alexis  Coquillard  and  Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  the 
proprietors  named  in  the  foregoing  instru- 
ment and  town  plat  of  the  town  of  South 
Bend,  personally  appeared  before  me,  one  of 
the  associate  judges  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit 
court  in  and  for  said  county,  and  severally 
acknowledged  the  signing  and  sealing  of  the 
aforesaid  instrument  of  writing,  and  the 
aforesaid  plat,  to  be  their  own  free  act  and 
deed  for  the  purposes  therein  expressed. 

"Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  the  day 
and  year  first  above  written. 

"William  Brookfield, 

"Asst.  J.  C.  C. 

' '  The  within  town  plat  was  recorded  March 
28th.  1831." 

William  Brookfield,  who  took  the  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  foregoing  plat,  as  associate 
.judge  of  the  St.  Joseph  circuit  court,<^  was 
himself  also  the  surveyor  of  the  plat,  as  ap- 

c.  As  to  Mr.  Brookfield's  office  of  Associate 
Judge,  see  note  to  "Circuit  Court,"  Cha^.  6, 
Subd.  2,   Sec.  4. 


pears    from    the    following    additional    entry 
found  on  the  same  record: 

"The  scale  by  which  this  town  is  laid  off 
is  ten  rods  to  the  inch. 

"William  Brookfield,  Surveyor. 

"March  28,  1831." 

The  river  is  marked  on  the  plat  as  the  ' '  Big 
St.  Josef  river." 

Sec.  4. — South  Bend  the  County  Seat. — 
We  have  seen,  in  chapter  fifth  of  this 
work,  that  the  town  of  St.  Joseph,  as  laid  out 
by  William  Brookfield  at  the  old  portage,  was 
the  first  county  seat  of  St.  Joseph  county; 
that,  on  petition  of  the  people  of  the  county, 
the  legislature,  by  an  act  approved  February 
1,  1831,  appointed  commissioners  to  re-locate 
the  county  seat;  and  that  on  May  12,  1831, 
the  commissioners  so  appointed,  after  having 
met  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Brookfield,  and  ' '  after 
making  all  the  examinations, ' '  re-located  the 
county  seat  at  South  Bend.* 

The  master  hand  of  Alexis  Coquillard  was 
shown  in  the  change  of  the  county  seat.  Mr. 
Coquillard  "s  house  was  at  first  the  only  con- 
venient building  in  the  county  for  holding 
the  meetings  of  the  county  board,  and  was, 
therefore,  in  fact,  the  seat  of  the  county  gov- 
ernment, even  though  the  legal  seat  of  justice 
was  nominally  at  the  projected  town  near 
the  portage.  Considering,  therefore,  that 
for  the  first  years  of  the  county's  history  the 
actual  place  of  government  was  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  Coquillard,  it  may  be  said  that 
South  Bend  was  always  the  real  coimty  seat, 
even  during  the  short  time  that  the  town  of 
St.  Joseph  was  the  nominal  seat  of  govern- 
ment. 

But  it  was  not  enough  that  the  county  busi- 
ness was  actually  done  at  South  Bend,  or 
rather  "at  the  house  of  Alexis  Coquillard," 
to  use  the  expression  in  the  records.  It  was 
also  necessary  that  South  Bend  should  be 
the  county  seat  according  to  law.  The  steps 
in  bringing  about  the  change  taken  in  chron- 
ological order,  were :   Firet,  The  petition  pre- 

a.  See  "Location  of  the  County  Seat,"  Chap. 
5,  Subd.  7. 


356 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


sented  to  the  legislature,  in  December,  1830, 
signed  by  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  citi- 
zens of  St.  Joseph  county,  praying  for  a  re- 
location of  the  county  seat;  Second,  The  act 
approved  February  1,  1831,  appointing  com- 
missioners to  consider  the  question  of  re-loca- 
tion, and  to  act  thereon  as  they  should  .judge 
best;  Third,  The  platting  of  the  town  of 
South  Bend,  IMarch  28,  1831;  Fourth,  The 
meeting  of  the  legislative  commission,  on  May 
9,  1831;  Fifth,  The  concessions  made  by 
Coquillard  and  Taylor,  in  addition  to  those 
shown  on  the  original  plat,  to  wit:  Fifteen 
lots  given  to  the  county;  lot  three  hundred 
and  fortj^-one  given  to  the  United  Brethren 
church;  lot  four  hundred  and  three  to  the 
German  Baptists ;  lot  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
four  to  the  Presbyterians;  four  acres  to  the 
town  for  a  cemetery ;  also  three  thousand  dol- 
lars in  cash  to  the  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners for  the  use  of  the  county  of  St.  Joseph. 
All  these  additional  donations  were  made  "in 
consideration  that  the  county  seat  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  in  the  state  aforesaid,  shall  be 
permanently  located  at  the  South  Bend,  in 
said  county."  As  to  the  title  to  the  lots  the 
further  agreement  was  made  that  they  were 
"to  be  legally  conveyed  in  a  reasonable  time 
after  the  patents  shall  have  issued  to  the  said 
Coquillard  and  Taylor,  in  consideration  that 
the  county  seat  shall  be  permanently  located 
at  South  Bend,  in  said  county."  To  secure 
the  donations,  Coquillard  and  Taylor  exe- 
cuted their  individual  bond,  and  also  filed 
the  written  guaranty  thereof,  signed  by 
Samuel  Hanna,  Joseph  Rohrer,  Samuel  Stud- 
ebaker  and  David  H.  Colerick;  Sixth,  The 
conclusion  of  the  legislative  commission, 
May  12,  1831,  after  receiving  the  fore- 
going concessions  and  after  an  exami- 
nation of  "the  present  seat  of  justice 
for  said  county,"  was  "that  public  inter- 
est requires  a  removal  of  said  seat  of  jus- 
tice." Thereupon  they  "immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  select  a  suitable  site  for  the  county 
seat  of  said  county  of  St.  Joseph ;  and,  after 
making    all    examinations    required    by   law, 


have  selected  the  town  of  South  Bend,  as  laid 
out  and  recorded  on  the  records  of  said  coun- 
ty, and  have  hereby  established  the  same." 

Thus  was  the  town, — called  at  first  "The 
Bend,"  then  the  "Big  St.  Joseph's  Station," 
then  "St.  Joseph's,"  then  "Southold,"  and 
finally  "South  Bend," — brought  into  exist- 
ence— platted  March  28,  1831,  and  made  the 
permanent  county  seat  of  St.  Joseph  county 
May  12,  1831.  In  chapters  fifth  and  sixth 
of  this  history,  in  detailing  the  early  chron- 
icles of  the  county,  we  have  given  further 
particulars  of  the  early  history  of  the  town. 
As  the  county  seat  of  St.  Joseph  county,  the 
history  of  the  county  for  a  long  time  necessar- 
ily included  the  greater  part  of  the  history  of 
the  town,  and  it  is  not  necessary  to  repeat 
these  details  in  the  present  chapter. 

II. — THE  TOWN   GOVERNMENT. 

Sec.  1. — The  First  Incorporation. — Al- 
though the  town  was  platted  and  made  the 
county  seat  in  1831,  yet  there  were  no  steps 
taken  to  secure  an  incorporation  until  1835, 
when  a  petition  for  that  purpose  was  laid  be- 
fore the  board  of  county  commissioners.  On 
Tuesday,  September  8,  being  the  second  day 
of  the  September  term,  1835,  the  board  of 
county  commissioners  made  the  following  or- 
der: 

"Ordered,  that  the  sheriff:  of  said  county 
give  notice  to  the  citizens  of  South  Bend,  by 
advertising  the  same,  to  meet  at  the  court 
house,  in  the  town  of  South  Bend,  on  the  3rd 
day  of  October  next,  and  then  and  there  to 
elect  trustees  for  the  incorporation  of  the 
town  of  South  Bend.  The  said  order  was 
granted  on  petition  of  the  two-thirds  of  the 
citizens  of  South  Bend  filed." 

The  election  was  held  on  October  3,  1835, 
as  ordered,  and  the  following  board  of  town 
trustees  elected:  William  P.  Howe,  Horatio 
Chapin,  Peter  Johnson,  John  IMassey  and 
James  A.  Mann.  Horatio  Chapin  was  chosen 
as  the  first  president  of  the  board.  In  1837 
Edmund  Pitts  Taylor,  brother  of  L.  M.  Tay- 
lor, was  made  president,  and  Francis  R.  Tutt 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


357 


secretary.  During  the  panic  of  1837  the  town 
languished  and  for  a  time  the  organization 
was  wholly  abandoned. 

Sec.  2.— The  Second  Incorporation. — 
But,  as  shown  in  a  previous  chapter,  local 
conditions  grew  better  in  a  few  years. **  By  a 
special  act  of  the  legislature,  approved  De- 
cember 28,  1842,  the  South  Bend  Manufactur- 
ing Company  was  incorporated.  The  object 
of  this  organization  was  to  finish  the  dam 
across  the  St.  Joseph  and  so  make  use  of 
the  powder  of  the  river.  This  work  was  begun 
during  the  spring  of  184:3,  and^  in  1844  the 
dam  was  completed,  together  with  a  mill  race 
on  each  side  of  the  river.  This  great  accom- 
plishment roused  the  people  to  a  realization 
of  the  fine  prospects  before  them  for  building 
up  a  great  manufacturing  town  at  the  south 
bend  of  the  St.  Joseph. 

The  old  prophesies  were  about  to  come  true. 
Coquillard,  in  1823.  had  no-t  established  the 
''Big  St.  Joseph's  Station"  in  vain,  nor  had 
Taylor,  in  1827,  been  mistaken  in  following 
with  another  Indian  trading  post,  at  "St. 
Joseph's,  Indiana,"  nor,  in  1828,  did  the  sur- 
veyor of  the  Michigan  road  err  in  judgment 
when  he  wrote  on  the  face  of  his  field  notes: 
"At  this  point  is  a  beautiful  site  for  a  to\\Ti,'' 
nor  was  that  correspondent  of  the  Indian- 
apolis Journal  deficient  in  mental  vision,  who, 
under  date  of  November  30,  1830,  wrote  the 
following : 

"Having  lately  traveled  through  the  north 
part  of  Indiana,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  a 
description  of  it  will  not  be  without  interest 
to  your  readers.  Traveling  west,  I  passed  the 
southern  bend  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  at  the 
intersection  of  the  IMichigan  road,  where  it 
is  supposed  the  seat  of  justice  of  St.  Joseph 
county  will  ere  long  be  established.  This 
town,  I  have  no  doubt,  will  in  a  very  few 
years  become  one  of  the  most  important  towns 
north  of  Indianapolis,  and  it  is  a  misfortune 
that  the  law  of  the  last  session  authorizing  the 
partial  opening  of  the  Michigan  road,  did  not 

a.     See  Chap.  7,  Subd.   1. 


cause  it  to  be  opened  to  the  St.  Joseph  at  this 
bend." 

So,  with  the  panic  past,  the  Michigan  road 
became  a  great  north  and  south  thoroughfare, 
the  boats  up  the  St.  Joseph  bringing  here  the 
commerce  of  the  lakes,  the  county  seat  fixed, 
the  mill  dam  and  the  two  mill  races  completed, 
the  population  rapidly  increasing,  and,  in 
a  word,  all  the  early  anticipations  far  on  the 
way  to  fulfillment,  it  was  high  time  to  start 
again  the  wheels  of  local  government.  By 
reason  of  the  failure  to  elect  officers  or  to 
keep  up  the  meeting  of  trustees  formerly 
elected,  it  was  a  matter  of  doubt  whether  the 
original  incorporation  had  not  altogether 
lapsed.  In  this  dilemma  it  was  thought  best 
to  apply  to  the  legislature  for  a  special  char- 
ter, as  might  be  done  under  the  constitution 
of  1816,  then  in  force.  This  course  was  ac- 
cordingly taken,  and,  by  "An  act  incorpor- 
ating the  town  of  South  Bend,  St.  Joseph 
county,  Indiana,"  approved  Januarj^  15, 
1844,""^  the  new  charter  was  granted,  as  fol- 
lows : 

"Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  That  Ben- 
jamin F.  Price,  William  H.  Patteson,  John 
Brownfield,  Abraham  Wilson  and  Bicketson 
Burroughs  be  and  they  are  hereby  appointed 
trustees  of  the  corporation  of  the  town  of 
South  Bend,  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  to 
serve  as  such  until  the  first  Monday  in  March, 
1845,  and  until  their  successors  are  elected 
and  qualified,  as  hereinafter  directed. 

"See.  2.  That  the  said  trustees,  at  their 
first  meeting,  after  the  passage  of  this  act, 
shall  elect  a  president  from  their  own  body, 
whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  preside  at  all  meet- 
ings of  the  board  and  preserve  order,  put  all 
questions,  and  upon  an  equal  division  of  the 
board,  give  the  casting  vote,  and  at  the  close 
of  each  meeting  shall  sign  the  minutes  of  the 
same.  And  the  said  trustees  shall  also,  at  said 
meeting,  or  as  soon  after  as  may  be  con- 
venient, appoint  all  officers  necessary  to  carry 
into    effect    the    provisions   of   this    act,    and 

a.     Local  Laws,  1843,  pp.  35-44. 


358 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


make  to  them  such  compensation  as  to  said 
trustees  shall  appear  reasonable  and  right. 

"See.  3.  The  said  president  and  trustees 
of  said  town  and  their  successors  in  office 
shall  be  a  body  politic  and  corporate,  with 
perpetual  succession,  by  the  name  and  style 
of  'The  President  and  Trustees  of  the  Town 
of  South  Bend.'  " 

By  other  sections  of  the  act,  the  following 
additional  provisions  were  made :  The  first 
election  was  fixed  for  the  first  Monday  in 
March,  1845,  and  annually  thereafter  on  the 
first  Monday  in  March  each  year.  The  town 
was  to  be  divided  into  five  wards,  and  one 
trustee  elected  from  each  ward.  Trustees 
should  be  residents  of  the  wards  from  which 
they  were  elected.  It  was  provided  that  the 
limits  of  the  corporation  should  extend  to 
and  embrace  the  original  plat  of  the  town, 
with  all  additions  of  in-lots  or  out-lots 
"which  have  been  or  hereafter  may  be  made 
thereto."  The  right  to  amend  or  repeal  the 
charter  was  reserved  by  the  legislature.  The 
old  incorporation  was  expressly  dissolved,  but 
not  so  as  to  impair  the  deed  made  March  1, 
1841,  by  Alexis  Coquillard  for  the  cemetery 
west  of  the  town. 

By  an  act  approved  January  19,  1846,«  cer- 
tain amendments  to  the  foregoing  charter 
were  made,  chiefly  affecting  the  assessment 
and  collection  of  taxes.  These  provisions 
were  also  made  applicable  "to  the  charter  of 
the  village  of  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works,  or 
Mishawaka,  in  said  county." 

Sec.  3. — The  Officials  of  the  Town. — 
The  trustees  named  by  the  legislature,  chose 
John  Brownfield  as  president  and  William  H. 
Patteson  as  clerk.  The  same  board,  appoint- 
ed Dr.  William  A.  Brown,  Dr.  Daniel  Dayton, 
Dr.  E.  S.  Sheffield,  Dr.  A.  B.  Merritt,  Dr. 
Louis  Humphreys,  Mr.  A.  M.  Lapierre  and 
Mr.  B.  F.  Miller  as  a  board  of  health.  The 
duties  of  this  board  were  of  unusual  import- 
ance by  reason  of  an  epidemic  of  small  pox 
then  prevalent  in  the  town.    John  Hooper  was 

a.     Local  Laws,  1845,  pp.  312,  313. 


appointed  town  marshal,  and  after  a  few  days 
was  succeeded  by  Evan  C.  Johnson. 

The  first  election  under  the  new  charter,  as 
required  by  the  statute,  was  held  on  Monday, 
March  3,  1845;  and  resulted  in  the  election 
of  the  following  named  trustees :  John  Brown- 
field,  Benjamin  F.  Price,  William  H.  Patte- 
son, Ricketson  Burroughs  and  Joseph  Andre. 
The  trustees  selected  John  Brownfield  as  pres- 
ident; Charles  M.  Heaton,  as  clerk;  Schuyler 
Colfax,  as  assessor;  Albert  Monson,  as  treas- 
urer; and  William  Suavely,  as  marshal. 

The  names  of  the  subsequent  town  officers, 
elected  and  appointed,  so  far  as  can  now  be 
learned,  are  set  out  below.  In  some 
years  there  were  no  elections,  the  old  officers 
holding  over;  and  in  other  cases  we  have  no 
record  of  the  officers  elected  or  appointed. 
The  officers,  so  far  as  known  were  as  follows : 

1846. — President,  John  Brownfield;  Trus- 
tees, Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  William  H.  Patteson, 
Harrison  M.  Crockett  and  Benjamin  F.  Mil- 
ler ;  Clerk,  Charles  M.  Heaton ;  Treasurer,  Al- 
bert Monson ;  ]\Iarshal,  Jacob  Grassnical ;  As- 
sessor, Jacob  Hardman. 

1848. — President,  John  A.  Henricks;  Trus- 
tees, John  Hooper,  A.  M.  Lapierre,  Benjamin 
Wall,  John  Becraft;  Clerk,  Charles  M.  Hea- 
ton ;  Treasurer,  John  Brownfield ;  Asscvssor, 
Daniel  Dayton;  Marshal,  Charles  B.  Chan- 
donai. 

1850. — President,  Solomon  W.  Palmer; 
Trustees,  John  M.  Veasey,  David  P.  Gerberck, 
Abraham  Wilson,  (No  election  in  Second 
Ward);  Clerk,  John  M.  Veasey;  Treasurer, 
John  Brownfield;  Assessor,  Daniel  Dayton; 
^larshal,  John  Becraft. 

1851.— President,  Matthias  Stover;  Trus- 
tees: David  P.  Gerberck,  Charles  A.  Stover 
(resigned),  Lathrop  M.  Taylor  (appointed 
to  fill  vacancy),  A.  G.  Deavitt,  John  Becraft; 
Clerk,  Daniel  Matthews;  Treasurer,  John 
Brownfield ;  Assessor,  Jacob  Hardman ;  Mar- 
shal, John  Becraft. 

1858.— President,  Henry  Carleton ;  Trus- 
tees, Jesse  L.  Walterhouse,  Thomas  S.  Stan- 
field,   Edmund  Pitts  Taylor,  H.   A.  Finley; 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


359 


Clerk,    Daniel    Matthews;    Assessor,    Cassiiis 
Caldwell ;  Marshal,  Charles  Vinson. 

1859. — President,  Benjamin  F.  Price ;  Trus- 
tees, John  A.  Henricks,  Elmer  Rose,  George 
W.  Matthews,  Isaac  Ford;  Clerk,  Daniel 
Matthews;  Treasurer,  Daniel  Dayton;  As- 
sessor, John  Caldwell;  Marshal,  William  S. 
Saunders. 

1860. — President,  Benjamin  F.  Price;  Trus- 
tees, John  T.  Lindsey,  Edmund  Pitts  Taylor, 
George  W.  Matthews,  Dwight  Deming ;  Clerk, 
Edwin  E.  Ames;  Treasurer,  Daniel  Dayton; 
Assessor,  Elisha  Sumption;  Marshal,  William 
S.  Saunders. 

1861.— President,  Edmund  Pitts  Taylor; 
Trustees,  John  C.  Knoblock,  Jolm  Hooper, 
Aaron  A.  Webster,  AVright  Clapp ;  Clerk,  Ed- 
win E.  Ames;  Treasurer,  Daniel  Dayton;  As- 
sessor, Charles  M.  Baker;  Marshal,  William 
S.  Saunders. 

1862.— President.  Edmund  Pitts  Taylor; 
Trustees,  John  C.  Knoblock,  John  Hooper, 
Aaron  A.  Webster,  Wright  Clapp ;  Clerk, 
George  H.  Alward;  Treasurer,  Daniel  Day- 
ton; Assessor,  Elisha  Sumption;  Marshal, 
Daniel  Roof. 

1863. — President.  John  A.  Henricks;  Trus- 
tees, Charles  W.  Martin,  William  Miller,  John 
Gallagher,  Ulrich  Foegley;  Clerk,  George  H. 
Alward;  Treasurer,  Elisha  Sumption;  Asses- 
sor, C.  William  Price ;  Marshal,  Evan  C.  John- 
son. 

1864.— President,  John  A.  Henricks ;  Tras- 
tees,  Charles  W.  Martin,  William  Miller,  Esq., 
(father  of  General  John  F.  Miller,  so  called 
to  distinguish  him  from  William  Miller, 
afterwards  Mayor),  Aaron  A.  Webster,  Ul- 
rich Foegley;  Clerk,  George  H.  Alward; 
Treasurer,  George  W.  Matthews;  Assessor, 
Elisha  Sumption;  Marshal,  Daniel  Roof. 

1865.— President,  Henry  Carleton ;  Trus- 
tees, William  G.  George,  Thomas  S.  Stanfield, 
Lemuel  M.  Staples,  John  Gallagher;  Clerk, 
George  H.  Alward;  Treasurer,  George  W. 
Matthews;  Assessor,  Elisha  Sumption;  Mar- 
shal, Daniel  Roof. 


III.      THE    CITY   GOVERNMENT. 

In  1865,  the  town  organization  came  to  an 
end,  and  South  Bend  was  incorporated  as  a 
city.  On  May  8,  1865,  John  H.  Keedy  and 
two  hundred  and  eighty-five  others  presented 
a  petition  to  the  trustees  of  the  town  praying 
for  an  incorporation  as  a  city.  Thereupon  it 
was  ordered  by  the  board  of  trustees  that  an 
election  be  held  at  the  sheriff's  office  in  the 
court  house,  on  Monday,  May  22,  1865,  be- 
tween the  hours  of  nine,  A.  M.,  and  four, 
P.  M.,  to  determine  whether  said  town  should 
be  incorporated  as  a  city. 

The  election  resulted  in  favor  of  a  city 
organization.  At  a  special  session  of  the 
board  of  town  trustees,  held  on  Friday,  June 
2,  1865,  the  report  of  the  election  was  laid 
l)efore  the  board,  whereupon  the  following 
preamble  and  order  were  made  and  entered 
of  record: 

"Whereas,  at  an  election  held  on  the  twen- 
ty-second day  of  May,  1865,  the  citizens  have 
decided  by  a  large  majority  (286  ayes,  194 
nays)  that  the  town  of  South  Bend  should  be 
incorporated  as  a  city : 

"Ordered,  that  the  city  be  divided  into 
three  wards,  and  that  an  election  be  held  on 
the  fifth  of  June,  1865,  for  the  election  of  of- 
ficers. ' ' 

The  first  city  officers,  elected  on  Monday, 
June  5,  1865,  and  all  subsequent  city  officers 
for  eaeh  year,  to  this  date,  are  here  set  out 
in  full : 

Section  1. — Officers. — Chronological  table 
of  Municipal  Officers  of  the  City  of  South 
Bend  from  its  incorporation.  May  22,  1865,  to 
July  1,  1907 : 

1865.— Wm.  G.  George,  Mayor;  Geo.  H.  Al- 
ward, Clerk;  Geo.  W.  Matthews,  Treasurer; 
Daniel  Roof,  Marshal ;  Washington  Saunders, 
Civil  Engineer;  Elisha  Sumption,  Assessor. 
Councilmen— First  Ward,  William  Miller 
and  John  Klingel;  Second  Ward,  William 
Miller  and  Thomas  S.  Stanfield ;  Third  Ward, 
John  Gallagher  and  Israel  C.  Sweet. 

1866.— W.  G.   George,  Mayor;  John  Hag- 


360 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


erty,  Clerk ;  John  H.  Spain,  Treasurer ;  Jacob 
K.  Huston,  Marshal;  Elisha  Sumption,  Asses- 
sor; Rufus  Rose,  Civil  Engineer;  A.  B.  Wade, 
City  Judge;  J.  A.  Hartman,  Street  Commis- 
sioner. Councilmen — First  Ward,  William 
Miller  and  John  Klingel ;  Second  Ward,  T.  S. 
Stanfield  and  David  Stover;  Third  Ward. 
Isaac  Ford  and  A.  B.  Merritt. 

1867.— W.  G.  George.  Mayor;  Jolin  Hag- 
erty,  City  Clerk ;  Joseph  B.  Eaker,  Treasurer : 
W.  Carlton,  Marshal;  Matthias  Stover,  Civil 
Engineer;  A.  B.  Wade.  City  Judge;  J.  A. 
Hartman,  Street  Commissioner.  Councilmen — 
First  Ward,  S.  F.  :\Iyers  and  William  Miller ; 
Second  Ward,  T.  S.  Stanfield  and  David 
Stover;  Third  Ward,  T.  W.  Defrees  and  A.  B. 
Merritt;  Fourth  Ward.  A.  Russwurm  and 
Samuel  Parry. 

1868. — Louis  Humphreys,  Mayor;  David 
M.  Rennoe,  Clerk;  Joseph  B.  Eaker,  Treas- 
urer; Lea  P.  Johnson,  Assessor;  George  W. 
Foulke,  Marshal;  Geo.  H.  Alward,  City 
Judge;  Matthias  Stover,  Ci\al  Engineer;  Cas- 
sius  Caldwell,  Street .  Commissioner.  Coun- 
cilmen^ — First  Ward,  S.  F.  Myers  and  Wil- 
liam :\Iiller;  Second  Ward.  T.  S.  Stanfield 
and  William  Miller;  Third  Ward.  T.  W.  De- 
frees  and  Elliott  Tutt;  Fourth  Ward,  An- 
drew Russwurm  and  S.  L.  Cottrell. 

1869. — Louis  Humphreys,  ]\Iayor;  David 
I\I.  Rennoe,  Clerk;  Joseph  B.  Eaker,  Treas- 
urer; Lea  P.  Johnson,  Assessor;  George  W. 
Foulke,  Marshal;  Geo.  H.  Alward,  City 
Judge;  John  R.  Foster.  City  Attorney;  Mat- 
thias Stover,  Civil  Engineer :  Cassius  Cald- 
well, Street  Commissioner.  Councilmen — • 
First  Ward,  William  Miller  and  John  H. 
Keedy;  Second  Ward.  William  ]Miller  and  T. 
S.  Stanfield;  Third  Ward,  Elliott  Tutt  and 
T.  W.  Defrees;  Fourth  Ward,  S.  L.  Cottrell 
and  A.  T.  Coquillard. 

1870. — Louis  Humphreys,  Mayor;  David 
M.  Rennoe,  Clerk;  John  G.  Maughermar, 
Treasurer:  George  W.  Foulke.  Marshal; 
George  Pfleger,  City  Judge;  John  R.  Foster, 
City  Attorney:  Lea  P.  Johnson.  Assessor; 
Matthias    Stover,    Civil    Engineer;     Ca.ssius 


Caldwell,  Street  Commissioner.  Councilmen 
— First  Ward,  John  H.  Keedy  and  William 
Miller;  Second  Ward,  Lucius  Hubbard  and 
Clement  Studebaker ;  Third  Ward,  T.  W.  De- 
frees  and  Adam  Bernhard ;  Fourth  Ward,  A. 
T.  Coquillard  and  A.  C.  Staley. 

1871. — Louis  Humphreys,  Mayor;  David 
M.  Rennoe,  Clerk;  John  G.  Maughermar, 
Treasurer ;  George  W.  Foulke,  Marshal ; 
George  Pfleger,  City  Judge;  John  R.  Fos- 
ter, City  Attorney;  Lea  P.  Johnson,  As- 
sessor; Matthias  Stover,  Civil  Engineer;  Cas- 
sius Caldwell,  Street  Commissioner.  Council- 
men — First  Ward,  William  Miller  and  Irvin 
Skinner;  Second  Ward,  Luciu.s  Hubbard  and 
Clement  Studebaker;  Third  Ward,  Adam 
Bernhard  and  Elliott  Tutt ;  Fourth  Ward,  A. 
C.  Staley  and  A.  T.  Coquillard. 

1872.— William  Miller,  Mayor;  David  M. 
Rennoe.  Clerk ;  John  G.  ]\Iaughermar,  Treas- 
urer; J.  A.  Hartman,  Marshal;  Mark  Whin- 
ery,  City  Judge;  Edward  Egbert,  City  Attor- 
ney ;  Lea  P.  Johnson,  Assessor ;  William  M. 
Whitten,  Civil  Engineer:  Charles  Zigler, 
Street  Commissioner.  Councilmen — First 
Ward,  Irvin  Skinner  and  Charles  Hartman; 
Second  Ward,  Clement  Studebaker  and  John 
R.  Foster:  Third  Ward.  Elliott  Tutt  and 
Alex.  Staples;  Fourth  Ward,  A.  T.  Coquil- 
lard and  X.  S.  ]\Iarsh. 

1873.— William  Miller,  Mayor;  David  M. 
Rennoe.  Clerk;  John  G.  Maughermar,  Treas- 
urer; William  Crews,  Marshal;  Mark  Whin- 
ery.  City  Judge :  Edward  Egbert,  City  Attor- 
ney; William  M.  Whitten,  Civil  Engineer; 
Charles  Zigler,  Street  Commissioner.  Coun- 
cilmen— First  Ward,  Charles  Hartman  and 
Joseph  Warden;  Second  Ward.  John  R.  Fos- 
ter and  Seeley  R.  King;  Third  Ward.  Alex. 
Staples  and  William  Simmons :  Fourth  Ward, 
X.  S.  Marsh  and  Peter  Weber. 

1874.— William  Miller,  Mayor:  E.  W. 
Hoover,  Clerk;  Jacob  X.  Massey.  Treasurer: 
Robert  Hardy,  ]\Iai\shal:  John  Hagerty,  City 
Judge:  Edwarl  Egbert,  City  Attorney; 
George  W.  Sumption,  Assessor;  William  M. 
Whitten,     Civil     Engineer;     Charles    Zigler, 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


361 


Street  Commissioner.  Councilmen  —  First 
Ward,  Joseph  Warden  and  A.  Defree^; 
Second  AVard,  Seeley  R.  King-  and  A.  N. 
Thomas;  Third  Ward,,  T.  W.  Defrees  and 
M.  N.  Walworth ;  Fourth  Ward,  Peter  Weber 
and  Simon  Raff;  Fifth  Ward,  William  Sim- 
mons and  J.  ^I.  Asire. 

1875.— William  :\Iiller.  Mayor;  E.  W. 
Hoover,  Clerk;  Jacob  N.  Masses',  Treasurer; 
Robert  Hardy,  ^Marshal;  John  Hagerty, 
City  Judge;  Edward  Egbert,  City  Attorney; 
George  W.  Sumption,  Assessor;  William  M. 
Whitten,  Civil  Engineer;  Charles  Zigier, 
Street  Commissioner.  Councilmen  —  First 
Ward,  A.  Defrees  and  Ricketson  Burroughs ; 
Second  Ward,  A.  X.  Thomas  and  Robert  Har- 
ris; Third  Ward,  M.  N.  Walworth  and  A. 
J.  Jaquith;  Fourth  Ward,  Simon  Raff  and 
Dwight  Deming;  Fifth  Ward,  J.  M.  Asire 
and  Lester  F.  Baker. 

1876.— A.  X.  Thomas,  Mayor;  E.  W.  Hen- 
ricks,  Clerk;  D.  C.  Rush,  Treasurer;  George 
Bernhard,  Marshal :  William  L.  Farr,  As- 
sessor; John  Brownfield,  Jr.,  City  Attorney; 
William  M.  Whitten,  Civil  Engineer;  Charlas 
Zigier,  Street  Commissioner.  Councilmen — 
First  Ward,  Ricketson  Burroughs  and  Dan- 
iel Dayton ;  Second  Ward,  Robert  Harris  and 
E.  P.  Taylor;  Third  Ward,  A.  J.  Jaquith  and 
W.  W.  Giddings;  Fourth  Ward,  Dwight 
Deming  and  L.  A.  Hull;  Fifth  Ward,  L.  F. 
Baker  and  L.  R.  Richardson. 

1877.— Alexander  X.  Thomas,  Mayor ;  E.  W. 
Henricks,  Clerk;  D.  C.  Rush,  Treasurer; 
George  Bernhard,  Marshal;  William  L.  Farr, 
Assessor;  John  Brownfield,  Jr.,  City  Attor- 
ney; William  M.  Whitten,  Civil  Engineer; 
Charles  Zigier,  Street  Commissioner.  Council- 
men — First  Ward,  Daniel  Dayton  and  Ricket- 
son Burroughs;  Second  Ward,  E.  P.  Taylor 
and  George  F.  Xevius;  Third  Ward,  W.  W. 
Giddings  and  H.  C.  Crawford ;  Fourth  Ward, 
L.  A.  Hull  and  Jonas  Lontz ;  Fifth  Ward,  L. 
A.  Richardson  and  S.  W.  Palmer. 

1878.— Lucius  G.  Tong,  Mayor;  E.  W.  Hen- 
ricks, Clerk;  D.  C.  Rush.  Treasurer;  E.  C. 
Johnson,    Marshal;    William    L.    Farr,    As- 


sessor; Lucius  Hubbard,  City  Attorney; 
William  M.  Whitten,  Civil  Engineer;  Dennis 
O'X'eil,  Street  Commissioner.  Councilmen — 
First  Ward,  Ricketson  Burrouglis  and  Dan- 
iel Dayton;  Second  Ward,  George  F.  Xevius 
and  Xathaniel  Frame;  Third  Ward,  H.  C. 
Crawford  and  James  Butler;  Fourth  Ward, 
Jonas  Lontz  and  T.  E.  Howard;  Fifth  Ward, 
S.  W.  Palmer  and  George  W.  Loughman. 

1879.— L.  G.  Tong,  Mayor;  E.  W.  Hen- 
ricks, Clerk;  D.  C.  Rush,  Treasurer;  E.  C. 
Johnson,  ^Marshal;  William  L.  Farr,  Assessor; 
Lucius  Hubbard,  City  Attorney;  William  M. 
Whitten,  Civil  Engineer;  Dennis  O'Xeil, 
Street  Commissioner.  Councilmen  —  First 
Ward,  Daniel  Dayton  and  Sorden  Lister; 
Second  Ward,  X^athaniel  Frame  and  Joseph 
Henderson ;  Third  Ward,  James  Butler  and 
W.  W.  Giddings ;  Fourth  Ward.  T.  E.  How- 
ard and  J.  A.  X'^euperth :  Fifth  Ward,  George 
W.  Loughman  and  William  S.  Weaver. 

1880.— Levi  J.  Ham.  Mayor;  Fred  B. 
W^illiams,  Clerk;  D.  C.  Rush.  Treasurer; 
George  Bernhard,  Marshal;  William  L.  Farr, 
Assessor ;  John  Hagerty,  City  Attorney ;  Ar- 
thur J.  Staee^  Civil  Engineer;  A.  Defrees, 
Street  Commissioner;  John  M.  Studebaker,  A. 
C.  Staley,  Jacob  Strayer,  Water  Works  Trus- 
tees. Councilmen — First  Ward,  Sorden  Lister 
and  Irvin  Skinner;  Second  Ward,  Joseph 
Henderson  and  David  Stover;  Third  Ward, 
W.  W.  Giddings  and  James  Butler;  Fourth 
Ward,  J.  A.  Xeuperth  and  T.  E.  Howard; 
Fifth  Ward.  AA^illiam  S.  Weaver  and  George 
W.  Loughman. 

1881.— Levi  J.  Ham,  Mayor ;  Fred  B.  Wil- 
liams, Clerk;  D.  C.  Rush,  Treasurer;  George 
Bernhard,  Marshal;  William  L.  Farr,  Asses- 
sor; John  Hagerty,  City  Attorney;  William 
:\r.  Whitten.  Civil  Engineer;  A.  Defrees, 
Street  Commissioner;  J.  M.  Asire,  A.  C.  Sta- 
ley, Jacob  Strayer,  Water  Worlvs  Trustees. 
Councilmen — First  Ward,  Irvin  Skinner  and 
Sorden  Lister;  Second  Ward,  David  Stover 
and  J.  P.  Creed;  Third  Ward,  James  Butler 
and   Peter  Makielski;    Fourth   Ward.    T.  E. 


362 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Howard  and  Samuel  C.  Lontz;  Fifth  Ward, 
Geo.  W.  Loiighman  and  X.  J.  Bernhard. 

1882.— Levi  J.  Ham,  Mayor;  Fred  B.  Wil- 
liams, Clerk;  E.  E.  Wills,  Treasurer;  George 
Bernlia.rd,  ^Marshal;  William  L.  Farr,  Asses- 
sor; John  Hagerty,  City  Attorney;  William 
M.  Whitten,  Civil  Engineer;  A.  Defrees, 
Street  Commissioner;  Patrick  O'Brien,  J.  M. 
Asire,  Jacob  Strayer,  Water  Works  Trustees. 
Councilmen-^First  Ward,  Irvin  Skinner  and 
Sorden  Lister;  Second  Ward,  David  Stover 
and  J.  P.  Creed ;  Third  Ward,  Cornelius  Hag- 
erty and  Peter  Makielski ;  Fourth  Ward,  T.  E. 
Howard  and  Samuel  C.  Lontz;  Fifth  Ward, 
H.  E.  Jackson  and  X.  J.  Bernhard. 

1883.— Levi  J.  Ham,  Mayor;  Fred  Wil- 
liams, Clerk;  E.  E.  Wills,  Treasurer;  George 
Bernhard,  Marshal;  William  L.  Farr,  Asses- 
sor; John  Hagerty,  City  Attorney;  William 
M.  Whitten,  Civil  Engineer;  A.  Defrees, 
Street  Commissioner;  William  Mack,  P. 
O'Brien.  J.  M.  Asire,  Water  Works  Trus- 
tees. Councilmen — First  Ward,  Irvin  Skin- 
ner and  T.  E.  Knoblock;  Second  Ward,  David 
Stover  and  William  H.  Longley;  Third 
Ward,  Cornelius  Hagerty  and  Peter  ]\Iakiel- 
ski;  Fourth  Ward,  T.  E.  Howard  and  J.  C. 
Dille:  Fifth  Ward.  H.  E.  Jackson  and  X.  J. 
Bernhard. 

1884. — George  W.  Loughman,  Mayor;  B. 
B.  Kimble,  Clerk;  John  Roth,  Treasurer; 
Thomas  Hoban,  ]Marshal:  Jolm  Hagerty,  City 
Attorney;  William  M.  Whitten,  Civil  Engi- 
neer; James  Butler,  Street  Commissioner;  X. 
P.  Bowsher.  William  Mack,  P.  O'Brien, 
Water  Works  Trustees.  Councibnen — First 
Ward,  T.  E.  Knoblock  and  Sorden  Lister; 
Second  Ward,  W.  H.  Longley  and  John  Yant : 
Third  Ward,  Peter  Makielski  and  Cornelius 
Hagerty ;  Fourth  Ward.  J.  C.  Dille  and  Mar- 
tin Hoban ;  Fifth  Ward,  X.  J.  Bernhard  and 
W.  S.  Anderson. 

1885. — George  W.  Loughman,  Mayor ;  B.  B. 
Kimble,  Clerk ;  John  Eoth,  .  Treasurer ; 
Thomas  Hoban,  Marshal ;  John  Hagerty,  City 
Attorney;  William  M.  Whitten,  Civil  Engi- 
neer;  James    Butler,   Street    Commissioner; 


John  C.  Birdsell,  Sr.,  X.  P.  Bowsher,  William 
^lack.  Water  Works  Trustees.  Councibnen — 
First  Ward,  T.  E.  Knoblock  and  Sorden  Lis- 
ter; Second  Ward,  Robert  Harris  and  John 
Yant ;  Tliird  Ward,  Frank  Kowalski  and  Cor- 
nelius Hagerty ;  Fourth  Ward,  J.  C.  Dille  and 
Martin  Hoban;  Fifth  Ward,  A.  J.  Eudduck 
and  W.  S.  Anderson. 

1886. — George  W.  Loughman,  Mayor;  B. 
B.  Kimble,  Clerk;  Jolm  Roth,  Treasurer; 
Thomas  Hoban,  Marshal;  Lucius  Hubbard, 
City  Attorney;  William  ]\I.  Whitten,  Civil 
Engineer;  James  Butler,  Street  Commission- 
er; E.  R.  St.  John,  J.  C.  Birdsell,  Sr.,  N.  P. 
Bowsher,  Water  Works  Trustees.  Council- 
men — First  Ward,  T.  E.  Knoblock  and  M.  R. 
Staley;  Second  Ward,  Robert  Harris  and 
John  Yant;  Third  Ward,  Frank  Kowalski 
and  L.  T.  Stedman ;  Fourth  Ward,  J.  C.  Dille 
and  Martin  Hoban ;  Fifth  Ward,  A.  J.  Rud- 
duck  and  George  H.  Asire. 

1887. — George  W.  Loughman,  Mayor;  B. 
B.  Kimble,  Clerk;  John  Roth,  Treasurer; 
Joseph  Turnoek,  Marshal;  Lucius  Hubbard, 
City  Attorney;  William  :\I.  Whitten,  Civil 
Engineer;  James  Butler,  Street  Coromission- 
er;  Alex.  Staples,  E.  R.  St.  John,  J.  C.  Bird- 
sell,  Sr.,  Water  Works  Trustees.  Councilmen 
—First  Ward,  M.  R.  Staley  and  P.  0  'Brien ; 
Second  Ward,  John  Yant  and  David  Stover; 
Third  Ward,  L.  T.  Stedman  and  Jacob  Ja- 
nowski;  Fourth  Ward,  M.  Hoban  and  S.  C. 
Lontz:  Fifth  Ward,  George  H.  Asire  and  A. 
J.  Rudduck. 

1888.— William  H.  Longley,  Mayor;  David 
Casey,  Clerk;  John  Wagener,  Treasurer;  L. 
T.  Stover,  :\Iarshal :  T.  E.  Howard,  City  At- 
torney; William  M.  Whitten,  Civil  Engineer; 
James  Butler,  Street  Commissioner;  Charles 
H.  Pavey,  Alex.  Staples,  E.  R.  St.  John, 
Water  Works  Trustees.  Councilmen — First 
Ward,  P.  O'Brien  and  Henry  F.  Elbel ; 
Second  Ward,  David  Stover  and  Hanford  T. 
Roberts;  Third  Ward,  Jacob  Janowski  and 
Adam  AVeaver;  Fourth  Ward.  S.  C.  Lontz 
and  Joseph  E.  Robert:  Fifth  Ward,  A.  J. 
Rudduck  and  Joseph  E.  Williams. 


m) 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


363 


1889.— William  H.  Longley,  Mayor;  David 
Casey,  Clerk ;  Jolin  Wagener,  Treasurer ;  L. 
T.  Stover,  Marshal;  T.  E.  Howard,  City  At- 
torney; William  M.  Wliitten,  Civil  Engineer; 
James  Butler,  Street  Commissioner;  R.  L. 
Braunsdorf,  Charles  H.  Pavey,  Alex.  Staples, 
Water  Works  Trustees.  Councilmen — First 
Ward,  Henry  F.  Elbel  and  A.  S.  Ginz,  Second 
Ward.  Hanford  T.  Roberts  and  Chris.  Fass- 
nacht ;  Third  Ward,  Adam  AVeaver  and  Peter 
Makielski;  Fourth  Ward,  Joseph  E.  Robert 
and  J.  F.  Weiss;  Fifth  Ward,  Joseph  E.  Wil- 
liams and  Thomas  A.  Kerr. 

1890.— William  H.  Longley.  Mayor;  Cor- 
nelius Hunt,  Clerk;  John  Wagener,  Treas- 
urer; Lewis  T.  Stover,  Marshal;  T.  E.  How- 
ard, City  Attorney;  William  M.  Wliitten, 
Civil  Engineer;  A.  Defrees,  Street  Commis- 
sioner; Jonathan  Mathews,  Water  Works 
Trustee.  Councilmen — First  Ward,  A.  S. 
Ginz  and  Henry  F.  Elbel ;  Second  Ward, 
Chris.  Fassnacht  and  Hanford  T.  Roberts; 
Third  Ward,  Alex.  Rex  and  Jeremiah  Hager- 
ty ;  Fourth  Ward,  J.  F.  Weiss  and  John  Tag- 
gart;  Fifth  Ward,  Thomas  A.  Kerr  and 
George  Kerner;  Sixth  Ward,  Peter  Makielski 
and  Chas.  V.  Korpal;  Seventh  Ward,  Joseph 
E.  Robert  and  AI.  J.  Roach. 

1891. — William  H.  Longley,  Mayor;  Cor- 
nelius Hunt,  Clerk;  John  Wagener,  Treas- 
urer; Lewis  T.  Stover,  Marshal;  T.  E.  How- 
ard, City  Attorney;  William  M.  Whitten, 
Civil  Engineer;  A.  Defrees,  Street  Commis- 
sioner; S.  L.  Brubaker,  R.  L.  Braunsdorf, 
Charles  Pavey,  AVater  Works  Trustees. 
Councilmen — First  Ward,  A.  S.  Ginz  and 
Henry  F.  Elbel;  Second  Ward,  M.  J.  Wor- 
rell and  Hanford  T.  Roberts;  Third  Ward, 
Jeremiah  Hagerty  and  Fred  Schafer ;  Fourth 
Ward.  John  F.  Weiss  and  John  Taggart ; 
Fifth  Ward,  Thomas  A.  Kerr  and  George 
Kerner;  Sixth  Ward,  Valentine  Duszynski 
and  Chas.  V.  Korpal;  Seventh  Ward,  M.  J. 
Roach  and  Joseph  E.  Robert. 

1892.— David  R.  Deeper,  Mayor;  Louis  A. 
Hull,  Clerk;  Will  A.  Rutherford,  Treasurer; 
Benjamin  H.  Rose,  Marshal;  0.  M.  Cunning- 


ham, City  Attorney;  William  M.  Whitten, 
Civil  Engineer;  A.  Defrees,  Street  Commis- 
sioner; Chas.  M.  Collins,  Chas.  W.  Clapp, 
Chas.  Brehmer,  Water  Works  Trustees. 
Councilmen — First  Ward,  J.  B.  Haberle  and 
A.  S.  Ginz;  Second  Ward,  James  H.  Roberts 
and  M.  J.  Worrell ;  Third  Ward,  Fred  Scha- 
fer and  Jeremiah  Hagerty;  Fourth  Ward. 
Addison  McNabb  and  J.  Ed.  Skillman ;  Fifth 
Ward,  Chris.  Sieg  and  Thomas  A.  Kerr ;  Sixth 
Ward,  Frank  Gonsiorowski  and  V.  Duszyn- 
ski ;  Seventh  Ward,  S.  C.  Schmidt  and  M.  J. 
Roach. 

1893. — David  R.  Deeper,  Mayor;  L/ouis  A. 
Hull,  Clerk ;  Will  A.  Rutherford,  Treasurer ; 
Benjamin  H.  Rose,  Marshal;  Joseph  G.  Orr, 
City  Attorney;  William  M.  Whitten,  Civil 
Engineer ;  A.  Defrees,  Street  Commissioner ; 
Chas.  M.  Collins,  Chas.  W.  Clapp,  Chas.  Breh- 
mer, Water  Works  Trustees.  Councilmen — 
First  Ward,  J.  B.  Haberle  and  A.  S.  Ginz; 
Second  Ward,  James  H.  Roberts  and  W.  B. 
Russell;  Third  Ward,  Fred  Schafer  and 
Jeremiah  Hagerty;  Fourth  Ward,  Addison 
McNabb  and  J.  Ed.  Skilhnan;  Fifth  Ward, 
Chris.  Sieg  and  Thomas  A.  Kerr;  Sixth 
Ward,  Frank  Gonsiorowski  and  Anton  Bilin- 
ski ;  Seventh  Ward,  S.  C.  Schmidt  and  M.  J. 
Roach. 

1894.— David  B.  J.  Schafer,  Mayor;  Louis 
A.  Hull,  Clerk;  Will  A.  Rutherford,  Treas- 
urer; Wilbert  Ward,  City  Attorney;  Dr.  C. 
Stoltz,  Health  Officer;  AVilliam  M.  Whitten, 
Civil  Engineer;  John  Yant,  Street  Commis- 
sioner; Otto  M.  Knoblock,  Chas.  M.  Collins, 
Chas.  W.  Clapp,  Water  Works  Trustees. 
Councilmen — First  Ward,  Isaiah  H.  Unruh 
and  J.  B.  Haberle;  Second  Ward,  iMarcus  W. 
Doolittle  and  James  H.  Roberts ;  Third  Ward, 
Peter  B.  Johnson  and  Fred  Schafer;  Fourth 
Ward,  J.  Ed.  Skillman  and  Addison  McNabb  ; 
Fifth  Ward,  Albert  G.  Harliii  and  Chris. 
Sieg ;  Sixth  Ward,  Anton  Bilinski  and  Frank 
Gonsiorowski;  Seventh  Ward,  Patrick  A. 
Joyce  and  S.  C.  Schmidt. 

1895.— D.  B.  J.  Schafer,  Mayor;  Louis  A. 
Hull,  City  Clerk;  Wm.  A.  Rutherford,  Treas- 


364 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


urer;  Wilbert  Ward,  City  Attorney;  Dr.  C. 
Stoltz,  Health  Officer;  Wm.  M.  Whitten,  City 
Engineer;  John  Yant,  Street  Commissioner; 
Otto  M.  Knoblock,  Chas.  M.  Collins,  Chas.  W. 
Clapp,  Water  Works  Trustees.  Coimcilmen 
— First  Ward,  J.  B.  Haberle  and  I.  H.  Un- 
ruh;  Second  Ward,  J.  H.  Roberts  and  F.  W. 
Doolittle ;  Third  Ward,  Fred  Schafer  and  P. 
B.  Johnson;  Fourth  Ward,  A.  McNabb  and 
J.  Ed.  Skillman ;  Fifth  Ward,  Chris.  Sieg  and 
A.  G.  Harlin;  Sixth  Ward,  Anton  Bilinski 
and  F.  Gonsiorowski ;  Seventh  Ward,  S.  C. 
Schmidt  and  Patrick  Joyce. 

1896.— D.  B.  J.  Schafer,  Mayor;  Louis  A. 
Hull,  City  Clerk ;  Wm.  A.  Rutherford,  Treas- 
urer; Wilbert  Ward,  City  Attorney;  Dr.  C. 
Stoltz,  Health  Officer;  Wm.  M.  Whitten,  City 
Engineer;  John  Yant,  Street  Commissioner; 
John  T.  Kelley,  Samuel  C.  Lontz,  Wesley 
Hill,  Water  Works  Trustees.  Councilmen — 
First  Ward,  Sorden  Lister  and  Isaiah  H.  Un- 
ruh;  Second  Ward,  Thomas  V.  Evans  and 
Marcus  W.  Doolittle;  Third  Ward.  Henry 
Hartzer  and  Peter  B.  Johnson ;  Fourth  Ward, 
Patrick  Joyce  and  J.  Edward  Skillman ;  Fifth 
Ward,  Henry  C.  Morgan  and  Albert  G.  Har- 
lin; Sixth  Ward,  Martin  Zielinski  and  Anton 
Bilinski;  Seventh  Ward.  John  W.  Files  and 
William  Kingsley. 

1897.— D.  B.  J.  Schafer,  Mayor;  Louis  A. 
Hull,  City  Clerk ;  Wm.  A.  Rutherford,  Treas- 
urer; Wilbert  Ward,  City  Attorney;  Dr.  C. 
Stoltz,  Health  Officer;  Wm.  H.  Rosencrans. 
City  Engineer;  John  Yant,  Street  Commis- 
sioner; S.  W.  Hill,  John  T.  Kelley,  F.' .V. 
Krzeszewski,  Water  Works  Trustees.  Coun- 
cilmen— First  Ward,  Sorden  Lister  and  Isaiah 
H.  Unruh;  Second  Ward,  Thomas  V.  Evans 
and  Marcus  W.  Doolittle ;  Third  Ward,  Henry 
Hartzer  and  Peter  B.  Johnson ;  Fourth  Ward, 
Patrick  Joyce  and  J.  Edward  Skillman; 
Fifth  Ward,  Henry  C.  Morgan  and  Albert  G. 
Harlin;  Sixth  Ward,  Martin  Zielinski  and 
Anton  Bilinski ;  Seventh  Ward,  John  W.  Fites 
and  William  Kingsley. 

1898.— Schuyler  Colfax,  Mayor;  Louis  A. 
Hull,  City  Clerk;  Wm.  A.  Ruiherford,  Treas- 


urer; 0.  M.  Cunningham,  City  Attorney; 
Wm.  H.  Rosencrans,  City  Engineer;  John  P. 
Butler,  Street  Commissioner;  John  T.  Kelley, 
John  F.  Irvin,  F.  V.  Krzeszewski,  Water 
Works  Trustees;  Schuyler  Colfax,  J.  C.  Sto- 
ver, Dr.  H.  A.  Fink,  Board  of  Health.  Coun- 
cilmen— First  Ward,  Sorden  Lister  and  John 
Beyrer;  Second  Ward,  Thomas  V.  Evans  and 
George  A.  Knoblock;  Third  Ward,  Henry 
Hartzer  and  Frank  Essex;  Fourth  Ward, 
William  Schermann  and  P.  A.  Joyce;  Fifth 
Ward,  Henry  C.  Morgan  and  James  N. 
Thumm;  Sixth  Ward,  Martin  Zielinski  and 
Peter  Koczorowski ;  Seventh  Ward,  J.  W. 
Fites  and  W.  H.  Kingsley. 

1899.— Schuyler  Colfax,  Mayor;  Louis  A. 
Hull,  City  Clerk ;  Wm.  A.  Rutherford,  Treas- 
urer; 0.  M.  Cunningham,  City  Attorney; 
Wm.  H.  Rosencrans,  City  Engineer;  John 
P.  Butler,  Street  Commissioner;  F.  V. 
Krzeszewski,  John  F.  Irvin,  William  Tur- 
nock,  Water  Works  Trustees;  Schuyler  Col- 
fax, J.  C".  Stover,  Dr.  H.  A.  Fink,  Board  of 
Health.  Councilmen — First  Ward,  Sorden 
Lister  and  John  Beyrer;  Second  Ward, 
Thomas  V.  Evans  and  George  A.  Knoblock; 
Third  Ward,  Henry  Hartzer  and  Frank  Es- 
sex; Fourth  Ward,  William  Schermann  and 
P.  A.  Joyce;  Fifth  Ward,  Henry  C.  Morgan 
and  James  N.  Thumm;  Sixth  Ward,  Martin 
Zielinski  and  Peter  Koczorowski;  Seventh 
Ward,  J.  W.  Fites  and  W.  H.  Kingsley. 

1900.— Schuyler  Colfax,  Mayor;  Louis  A. 
Hull,  City  Clerk ;  Wm.  A.  Rutherford,  Treas- 
urer; 0.  M.  Cunningham,  City  Attorney; 
John  F.  Meighan,  City  Engineer;  John  P. 
Butler,  Street  Commissioner ;  Dr.  H.  A.  Fink, 
Health  Officer;  John  F.  Irvin,  William  Tur- 
nock,  jMarshel  Hughes,  Water  Works  Trus- 
tees. Councilmen — First  Ward,  John  Beyrer 
and  Henry  F.  Elbel;  Second  Ward,  George 
A.  Knoblock  and  Hugh  T.  Montgomery ;  Third 
Ward,  Frank  Essex  and  J.  Henry  Hartzer; 
Fourth  Ward,  P.  A.  Joyce  and  Gustav  A. 
Stueckle ;  Fifth  Ward,  James  N.  Thumm  and 
James    H.  '  Loughman ;  Sixth    AVard.    Peter 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


365 


Koezorowski  and  Leo  M.  Kucharski ;  Seventh 
Ward,  W.  H.  Kingsley  and  M.  J.  Somers. 

1901. — Schuyler  Colfax,  Mayor;  Louis  A. 
Hull,  City  Clerk ;  Wm.  A.  Rutherford,  Treas- 
urer; E.  P.  Stanfield,  Comptroller;  Wilbert 
Ward,  City  Attorney;  Alonzo  J.  Hammond, 
City  Engineer;  John  0.  Barker,  Park  Super- 
intendent; J.  W.  Fites,  Street  Commissioner; 
Charles  M.  Butterworth,  M.  D.,  Health  Com- 
missioner; Arthur  L.  Hubbard,  Samuel  Lee- 
per,  Charles  L.  Goetz,  Board  of  Public 
Works;  R.  Orchard  Cotton,  George  W.  Fea- 
ser,  Andrew  J.  Ward,  Board  of  Public 
Safety;  Peter  Kline,  Superintendent  of 
Police;  Irving  W.  Sibrel,  Chief  of  Fire  De- 
partment; A.  G.  Bailey,  Sealer  of  Weights 
and  Measures;  William  L.  Benitz,  City  Elec- 
trician. Councihnen  —  Fii*st  Ward,  John 
Beyrer  and  Henry  F.  Elbel;  Second  Ward, 
George  A.  Knoblock  and  H.  T.  Montgomery; 
Third  Ward,  Frank  Essex  and  J.  Henry 
Hartzer ;  Fourth  Ward,  P.  A.  Joyce  and  Gus- 
tav  A.  Stueckle;  Fifth  Ward,  James  N. 
Thumm  and  James  H.  Loughman;  Sixth 
Ward,  Peter  Koezorowski  and  Leo  M.  Kuchar- 
ski ;  Seventh  Ward,  W.  H.  Kingsley  and  M.  J. 
Somers. 

1902.— Edward  J.  Fogarty,  Mayor;  Nelson 
H.  Kyser,  City  Clerk;  George  G.  Feldman, 
Judge  City  Court.  Councihnen — First  Ward, 
Henry  F.  Elbel;  Second  Ward,  Dr.  H.  T. 
Montgomery;  Third  Ward,  J.  Henry  Hart- 
zer; Fourth  Ward,  Gustav  A.  Stueckle ;  Fifth 
Ward,  James  H.  Loaghman;  Sixth  Ward, 
Leo  M.  Kucharski ;  Seventh  Ward,  Mitchell 
J.  Somers;  John  C.  Schreyer,  George  N. 
Whiteman,  Peter  Koezorowski,  At  Large. 

Department  of  Finance — Fred  W.  Martin, 
City  Comptroller;  George  J.  Martin,  Deputy 
City  Comptroller. 

Department  of  Law — Benjamin  F.  Shively, 
City  Attorney. 

Department  of  Public  Works — William  A. 
Mclnerny,  President;  John  W.  Papczynski, 
Edwin  Nicar,  Nelson  H.  Kyser,  Clerk;  Har- 
vey F.  Rostiser,  Deputy  Clerk. 


Water  Works — George  W.  Shock,  Superin- 
tendent. 

Engineering — Alonzo  J.  Hammond,  City 
Engineer. 

Streets  and  Alleys — John  P.  Butler,  Street 
Commissioner. 

Parks — John  G.  Barker,  Superintendent. 

Cemetery — James  D.  Gillis,  Sexton. 

Department  of  Health  and  Charities — Dr. 
D.  W.  McNamara,  Commissioner. 

Plumbing  Inspector— Fred  P.  Futter. 

Department  of  Public  Safety — Robert 
Codd,  President;  J.  T.  Niezgodzki,  H.  A. 
Lundy. 

Police  Department — James  McWeeny,  Su- 
perintendent. 

Fire  Department — Wilfrid  Grant,  Chief. 

Weights  and  Measures— John  T.  Willett, 
Sealer. 

Electrician — William  E.  Williams. 

1903. — Edward  J.  Fogarty,  Mayor;  Nelson 
H.  Kyser,  City  Clerk;  George  G.  Feldman, 
Judge  City  Court.  Councilmen — First  Ward, 
Henry  F.  Elbel;  Second  Ward,  Dr.  H.  T. 
Montgomery;  Third  Ward,  J.  Henry  Hartz- 
er; Fourth  Ward,  Gustav  A.  Stueckle;  Fifth 
Ward,  James  H.  Loughman ;  Sixth  Ward, 
Leo  M.  Kucharski;  Seventh  Ward,  Mitchell 
J.  Somers;  John  C.  Schreyer,  George  N. 
Whiteman,  Peter  Koezorowski,  At  Large. 

Department  of  Finance — Fred  W.  Martin, 
City  Comptroller;  George  J.  Martin,  Deputy 
City  Comptroller. 

Department  of  Law — Frank  H.  Dunnahoo, 
City  Attorney. 

Department  of  Public  Works— William  A. 
Mclnerny,  President;  John  W.  Papczynski, 
Edwin  Nicar,  Nelson  H.  Kyser,  Clerk;  Har- 
vey F.  Rostiser,  Deputy  Clerk. 

Water  Works — George  W.  Shock,  Superin- 
tendent. 

Engineering — Alonzo  J.  Hammond,  City 
Engineer. 

Streets  and  Alley^— John  P.  Butler,  Street 
Commissioner. 

Parks— John    G.    Barker,    Superintendent. 

Cemetery — James  D.  Gillis,  Sexton. 


366 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Department  of  Health  and  Charities — Dr. 
D.  W.  McNamara,  Commissioner. 

Plumbing  Inspector — Fred  P.  Flitter. 

Department  of  Public  Safety  —  Robert 
Codd,  President;  J.  T.  Xiezgodzki,  H.  A, 
Lundy. 

Police  Department — James  INIcAVeeny,  Su- 
perintendent. 

Fire  Department— Wilfrid  Grant,  Chief. 

Weights  and  Measures — John  T.  Willett, 
Sealer. 

Electrician — William  E.  Williams. 

1904. — Edward  J.  Fogarty,  Mayor;  Nelson 
H.  Kyser,  City  Clerk;  George  G.  Feldman, 
Judge  City  Court.  Councilmen — First  Ward, 
Albert  P.  Sibley;  Second  Ward,  ]\Iarion  S. 
Goreki ;  Third  Ward,  Albert  Bernhard ; 
Fourth  Ward,  Gustav  A.  Stueckle;  Fifth 
Ward,  Charles  G.  Folsom ;  Sixth  Ward,  Peter 
Koczorowski;  Seventh  Ward,  Charles  E. 
Maurer;  George  N.  Whiteman,  Jacob  E. 
Kuntz,  Casimir  Woltman,  At  Large. 

Department  of  Finance — Fred  W.  Martin, 
City  Comptroller;  George  J.  Martin,  Deput}^ 
City  Comptroller. 

Department  of  Law — Frank  H.  Dunnahoo, 
City  Attorney. 

Department  of  Public  Works — William  A. 
IMcInerny,  President;  John  W.  Papczjoiski, 
Edwin  Nicar,  Nelson  H.  Kyser,  Clerk;  Har- 
vey F.  Rostiser,  Deputy  Clerk. 
.  Water  Works — Fred  Schafer,  Superintend- 
ent. 

Engineering — Alonzo  J.  Hammond,  City 
Engineer. 

Streets  and  Alleys — John  P.  Butler,  Street 
Coimnissioner. 

Parlvs — Herman  H.  Beyer,  Superintendent. 

Cemetery'— James  D.  Gillis,  Sexton. 

Department  of  Health  and  Charities — Dr. 
D.  W.  McNamara,  Commissioner. 

Plumbing  Inspector — Fred  P.  Futter. 

Department  of  Public  Safety — Robert 
Codd,  President;  J.  T.  Niezgodski,  H.  A. 
Lundy. 

Police  Department — James  McWeeny,  Su- 
perintendent. 


Fire  Department — Wilfrid  Grant,  Chief. 

Weights  and  ^Measures — -John  T.  Willett, 
Sealer. 

Electrician — William  E.  Williams. 

For  the  years  1905,  1906  and  1907,  the 
officers  were  the  same  as  for  1904,  with  the 
following  exceptions :  Councilmen — First 
Ward,  Frank  Rogers ;  Second  Ward,  Frank 
S.  Hosinski ;  Seventh  Ward,  Herman  Lang ; 
Second,  at  large,  John  A.  Hans;  Third,  at 
large,  Adam  Zell.  By  the  Municipal  Code  of 
1905  the  name  of  the  office  of  Comptroller 
was  changed  to  Controller. 

Sec.  2. — Growth. — Wards. — Population. 
— When  the  city  of  South  Bend  was  organ- 
ized, in  1865,  it  was  divided  into  three  wards, 
and  these  continued  unchanged  for  two  years. 
In  1867,  Lowell,  an  unincorporated  to-v^Ti  on 
the  east  side  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  was  an- 
nexed to  the  city  and  designated  as  the  Fourth 
Ward.  Although  additions  continued  to  be 
made  to  the  city  from  time  to  time,  yet  there 
was  no  further  change  in  the  wards  until 
1874,  when  a  large  extent  of  territory  having 
been  taken  in,  on  the  south  and  east  sides  of 
the  city,  the  Fifth  Ward  was  created.  In 
1890,  there  was  a  rearrangement  of  the  wards, 
by  reason  of  unequal  growth  in  different  sec- 
tions; and  the  city  was  then  divided  into 
seven  wards,  by  dividing  the  fourth  into  two 
wards,  the  Fourth  and  the  Seventh,  and  creat- 
ing the  Sixth  Ward  in  the  southwest  part  of 
the  city.  In  1892,  the  incorporated  town  of 
Myler,  lying  south  of  and  adjoining  South 
Bend,  was  united  to  the  city,  by  the  votes  of 
a  majority  of  those  voting  on  the  subject,  in 
the  city  and  the  town,  at  an  election  held  in 
both  corporations  on  May  the  third  of  that 
year.  There  was  some  litigation  resulting 
from  the  act  of  union,  but  the  supreme  court 
held  that  the  union  had  taken  place  according 
to  law.<*  The  territory  of  ]\Iyler  was  attached 
to  the  existing  wards  of  the  city,  without  in- 
creasing their  number.  In  1896,  the  wards 
were  once  more  rearranged,  but  not  increased 

a.  See  the  City  of  South  Bend  against  Lewis, 
138  Ind.  512. 


HIkSTORY    of    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.                                       367 

in  number.     The  east  side  of  the  river  was  ferent  periods  of  the  history  of  the  town  and 

;)iiain  made  one  ward;  while  the  old  town  of  city,    is    a    good    indication    of    this    steady 

Myler,  together  with  other  territory  on  the  growth. 

sonth  side  of  the  city,  was  made  the  Seventh  In  1831,  when  the  original  plat  was  record- 
Ward.  There  has  been  no  further  change,  ed,  and  the  county  seat  was  located  at  the 
except  as  the  wards  have  been  added  to  from  new  town,  the  population  was  128 ;  in  1840,  it 
time  to  time,  by  annexation  of  adjacent  terri-  had  increased  to  728 ;  in  1850,  it  was  1,652 ; 
tory  to  the  city.  Up  to  the  time  of  the  adop-  in  1860,  3,833 ;  in  1870,  7,206 ;  in  1880,  13,392 ; 
tion  of  the  Special  Charter  of  1901,  the  wards  in  1890,  21,819 ;  and  in  1900,  35,999.  No  esti- 
of  the  city  of  South  Bend,  like  those  of  all  mate  has  placed  the  population  in  1907  at 
other  cities  of  the  state,  were  represented  by  less  than  50,000;  and  the  people  have  confi- 
two  councilmen  each,  one  elected  every  other  dence  that  the  census  of  1910  wall  show  the 
year ;  but  since  the  adoption  of  the  charter,  good  city  at  the  south  bend  of  the  St.  Joseph 
and  also  under  the  present  Municipal  Code,  to  have  more  than  60,000  inhabitants.  "At 
each  ward  has  been  represented  by  one  conn-  this  point  is  a  beautiful  site  for  a  town." 
cibnan  only,  while  three  additional  council-  Sec.  3. — The  Speclvl  Charter. — By  an 
men  have  been  elected  by  the  city  at  large,  act  approved  March  8,  1901,"  South  Bend  was 
The  purpose  of  this  change  was,  undoubtedly,  given  a  special  charter,  based  upon  the  act  of 
to  diminish  the  importance  and  power  of  the  March  6,  1891,''  granting  a  special  charter  to 
w^ards,  as  separate  divisions  of  the  city;  while  the  city  of  Indianapolis.  These  charters  em- 
the  election  of  three  councilmen  at  large  bodied  the  principles  of  what  has  been  called 
would  secure  an  elevation  in  the  character  of  modem  city  government.  The  chief  purpose 
the  council,  give  the  city,  as  a  whole,  direct  was  to  separate  the  powers  of  government  into 
representation  in  the  legislative  body,  and  the  three  departments, — legislative,  adminis- 
would,  almost  certainly,  result  in  the  election  trative  and  judicial, — after  the  plan  adopted 
of  a  majority  of  the  council  who  should  be  in  in  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  and 
sympathy  with  the  views  of  the  mayor  and  the  several  state  constitutions, 
other  executive  officers  of  the  government.  The  legislative,  or  law  making,  department 
Effectiveness  and  harmony  of  action  have  was  the  common  council;  the  administrative 
thus  been  given  to  the  city  government ;  while  functions  were  confided  to  the  mayor  and  the 
personal  responsibility  has  been  placed  upon  several  officers  and  boards  to  be  appointed 
the  single  councilman  from  each  ward,  as  well  by  him ;  while  the  judicial  department  was 
as  upon  the  mayor  and  the  heads  of  the  sev-  placed  in  a  court  presided  over  by  a  city 
eral  executive  departments.  judge. 

Not  only  since  the  organization  of  the  city.  The  principal  advantage  of  this  form  of 

but  even  from  the  original  platting  of  the  city  government  was  to  secure  greater  unity 

town,  and  the  first  organization  of  the  town  and  independence  in  the  government,  and  also 

government.  South  Bend  has  grown  steadily,  greater   responsibility   and  efficiency  on  the 

in  business,  in  civic  development  and  in  popu-  part  of  city  officers.     Under  former  laws  the 

lation.      This   growth   has   never   been   spas-  common  council  not  only  passed  ordinances 

modic,    advancing    one    year    and    declining  but  practically  controlled  all  departments  of 

another.    There  never  was  a  boom  in  business  the    city   government.      Such    a   system   had 

or  population ;  but  always,  through  good  re-  proved  sufficient  for  the  wants  of  a  primitive 

port  and  evil  report,  through  panic  and  pros-  form  of  town  and  city  government,  when  the 

perity,  an  even,  steady,  irresistible  advance,  population  was  small  and  it  was  easy  for  each 

like  the  quiet  flow  of  a  noble  river.    The  pop-  .   .     ^g^j       ^^^ 

ulation  of  South  Bend,  as  taken  at  the  dif-  b.    Acts!  1891,  p.  137. 


368 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


officer  to  be  acquainted  with  all  the  wants  of 
the  conununity.  By  degrees,  however,  various 
private  and  local  interests  began  to  have  un- 
due influence  upon  the  members  of  the  com- 
mon council;  and  as  the  membei-ship  was 
numerous,  and  each  one  particularly  inter- 
ested in  his  own  ward,  the  responsibility  to 
the  city  at  large  could  not  easily  be  fixed.  In 
the  new  form  the  council  was  confined  to  its 
proper  functions, — the  making  of  laws  and 
ordinances;  the  responsibility  of  enforcing 
.these  laws  and  ordinances,  as  well  as  the 
general  laws  of  the  state,  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  mayor  and  his  appointees,  while  pun- 
ishment for  the  violation  of  the  laws  and 
ordinances  was  entrusted  to  the  city  court, 
instead  of,  as. formerly,  to  the  mayor  and  his 
court.  The  new  system  gave  entire  satisfac- 
tion to  the  people  of  South  Bend,  as  it  did 
to  the  people  of  the  other  cities  of  the  state 
where  it  was  adopted. 

Sec.  4. — The  Municipal  Code. — So  great 
an  improvement  were  the  special  charters  over 
the  old  municipal  laws,  that  there  came  to  be 
a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  all  the 
cities  of  the  state  to  have  a  revised  municipal 
code,  according  to  which  every  city  should 
have  the  benefit  of  the  so-called  charter  form 
of  government,  so  far  as  the  system  could  be 
applied  to  each,  making  due  allowance  for  dif- 
ference of  population  and  other  conditions. 
By  means  of  a  conunon  code  it  was  desired 
also,  so  far  as  possible,  to  do  away  with  a 
vicious  habit  which  had  grown  up  of  securing 
from  the  legislature  the  enactment  of  a  multi- 
tude of  special  and  local  laws  for  the  different 
cities,  in  plain  violation  of  the  spirit  of  the 
state  constitution,  though  not  perhaps  of  its 
letter. 

Accordingly,  by  an  act  approved  March  9, 
1903,°'  the  legislature  created  a  codification 
commission,  to  consist  of  the  secretary  of  state 
and  two  other  persons  to  be  appointed  by  the 
governor,  whose  duty  it  should  be  to  prepare 
for  the  action  of  the  succeeding  legislature  a 
bill  for  a  "compilation,  revision  and  codifica- 

a.     Acts,  1903,  p.  391. 


tion  of  the  statute  laws  of  the  state  of  Indi- 
ana, concerning  public,  private  and  other  cor- 
porations," as  well  as  concerning  other  sub- 
jects named  in  the  act,  if  the  commission 
should  have  time  or  deem  it  proper. 

The  most  important  "compilation,  revision 
and  codification"  of  the  statutes  concerning 
"public  corporations"  which  suggested  itself 
to  the  mind  of  this  commission  had  relation 
to  the  chaotic  condition  of  the  laws  for  the 
government  of  the  towns  and  cities  of  the 
state.  The  preparation  of  a  municipal  code 
was  therefore  begun  very  early  in  the  time 
given  the  conmiission  for  its  work ;  and  at  the 
opening  of  the  legislative  session  for  1905,  "A 
Bill  for  An  Act  Concerning  Municipal  Corpo- 
rations," as  prepared  by  the  commission,  was 
laid  before  the  general  assembly.  By  an  act 
approved  March  6,  1905,°'  this  bill,  with  many 
modifications,  some  of  them  undoubtedly  bene- 
ficial, and  others,  it  is  believed,  injurious, 
finally  became  a  law,  placing  all  the  towns 
and  cities  of  the  state,  as  classified,  for  the 
fii*st  time  under  a  uniform  code  of  laws. 

Besides  the  towns,  for  which  the  simplest 
form  of  government  is  provided,  there  are 
five  'classes  of  cities.  The  cities  of  the  fifth 
class,  those  under  ten  thousand  population, 
according  to  the  last  United  States  census,  of 
which  class  Mishawaka  is  one,  are  governed 
with  as  few  officers  and  at  as  moderate  ex- 
pense as  consistent  with  efficient  government. 
Indianapolis  is  the  only  city  of  the  first  class, 
and  in  that  class  the  system  is  most  complete. 
Evansville  and  Fort  Wayne  are  the  only  cities 
of  the  second  class.  South  Bend  and  Terre 
Haute  are  the  principal  cities  of  the  third  class. 
As  a  city  of  tlie  third  class,  under  the  code, 
the  system  of  government  does  not  greatly  dif- 
fer from  that  under  the  special  charter. 
Under  the  charter,  and  still  more  so  under 
the  municipal  code.  South  Bend  enjoys  per- 
haps the  best  form  of  government  that  a 
city  with  its  population  and  attendant  condi- 
tions could  have.  Under  the  code,  we  have 
good   government;   public   improvements    are 

a.     Acts,  1905,  pp.  219-410. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


;3G9 


advanced,  and  our  town  has  become  indeed 
a  city  beautiful. 

IV.       CITY     IMPROVEMENTS. 

Many  of  the  most  important  improvements 
of  the  city  have  already  been  noted  in  treating 
of  the  public  improvements  of  the  county ;« 
among  these,  the  mill  dam  and  mill  races  on 
the  St.  Joseph,  the  bridges  over  the  river,  the 
railroads,  street  and  interurban  railways,  the 
electric  plant  and  the  telegraph  and  telephone 
lines.  Other  public  improvements  will  now 
be  referred  to : 

Sec.  1. — Streets  and  Sidewalks. — The  first 
systematic    grades    of    the   streets    of    South 
Bend   were  established  on   surveys  made   in 
1865,    by    Rufus    Rose,    city    engineer.      The 
grades  so  established  are  usually  referred  to 
as  the  "Rose  Grade."     The  street  improve- 
ments were  at  first  a  simple  working  or  grad- 
ing of  the  streets  to  the  grade  so  established. 
Afterwards,    the  sti*eets  were   graveled,  there 
being  an  abundance  of  good  road  gravel  easy 
of  access  just  northwest  of  the  city.^     The 
next  improvement  made  was  to  pave  the  gut- 
ters on  each  side  of  the  roadway  with  cobble 
stones,  the  stones  being  from  three  to  seven 
inches  in  diameter.     These  cobble  stones  were 
also  used  in  paving  the  alley  crossings  on  the 
sidewalks;    the    remainder    of    the    sidewalks 
being  at  first  paved  with  boards  or  planks,  and 
afterwards    with    brick.     The    work    to    this 
point  may  be  called  primitive  street  improve- 
ment. 

The  manner  of  doing  this  primitive  work  is 
well  illustrated  by  the  following  ordinance 
for  paving  the  sidewalk  on  the  north  side  of 
Washington  street,  along  what  is  now  the 
south  front  of  the  Oliver  hotel: 

"Section  1.  Be  it  ordained  by  the  common 
council  of  the  city  of  South  Bend.  That  the 
sidewalk  on  the  north  side  of  Washington 
street,  between  Main  street  and  the  first  alley 
west,  be  graded  to  the  grade  established  by 
the  city  engineer,  and  that  the  same  be  paved 
with  brick  fourteen  feet  wide. 

a.     See  Chap.  7,  Subds.  1,  2,  3,  4  and  5. 
h.     See  Chap.  1,  Subd.  7. 
24 


i  i 


Sec.  2. — Unless  said  sidewalk  is  graded 
and  paved  by  each  land  owner  in  front  of  his 
property  by  the  tenth  day  of  November,  1866, 
the  street  commissioner  will  immediately  ad- 
vertise the  work  to  be  done  by  the  best  bidder 
by  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  November,  and  the 
cost  thereof  will  be  assessed  upon  the  property 
in  front  of  which  the  grading  and  paving  is 
done,  to  be  collected  according  to  law. 
"Passed  October  15,  1866. 

"  W.  G.  George,  Mayor. 
"John  Hagerty,  City  Clerk." 
The  first  steps  towards  the  paving  of  the 
streets  were  taken  in  1865,  the  year  in  which 
the  city  was  incorporated.  On  December  5, 
1865,  an  ordinance  was  passed  by  the  common 
council  for  the  paving  with  cobble  stone  of 
a  part  of  Michigan  street  and  a  part  of  Wash- 
ington street.  Section  four  of  this  ordinance 
reads  as  follows: 

"Sec.  4.  That  Michigan  street,  from  Mar- 
ket street,"  to  the  south  side  of  Washington 
street,  and  Washington  street  to  the  west  side 
of  Main  street,  shall  be  graded  as  provided  in 
the  first  and  second  sections  of  this  ordinance,^ 
and  paved  with  small  boulder  stone  of  not 
less  than  three  nor  more  than  five  inches  in 
diameter.  The  center  of  the  street  when 
paved  to  be  one  inch  below  the  top  of  the 
curbstone.  The  gutter  at  the  bottom,  to  be 
one  foot  below  the  center  of  the  street,  and 
the  street  to  have  a  regular  curve  from  the 
bottom  of  one  gutter  over  to  the  other.  The 
gutters  to  be  shaped  according  to  the  direc- 
tion of  the  street  commissioner. ' ' 

This  cobble  stone  pavement  was  but  little, 
if  indeed  it  was  any,  improvement  over  the 
graveled  street ;  but  the  people  endured  it  for 
over  twenty  years.  They  endured  the  cobble 
stone  gutters  and  alley  crossings  for  even  a 
longer  time. 

In  1888,  a  new  departure  was  taken.  The 
people  deftermined  to  try  cedar  block  pave- 
ment. On  April  9,  1888,  the  cobble  stone  laid 
down    on   Michigan    and   Washington    streets 

a.     Now  La  Salle  Avenue. 

h.     That  is,  according  to  the  Rose  grade. 


370 


•HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


was  ordered  replaced  with  cedar  blocks.  This 
pavement  won  many  encomiums  for'  two  or 
three  years;  but,  in  the  end,  it  proved  even 
rougher  than  the  cobble  stone. 

In  1889,  a  further  advance  was  made.  On 
July  22,  1889,  an  experiment  in  brick  pave- 
ment was  determined  upon.  Jefferson  street, 
from  Michigan  to  Lafayette,  was  ordered 
paved  with  "two  courses  of  hard  burned 
brick."  This  was  the  first  modern  pavement 
laid  on  the  streets  of  South  Bend.  William 
M.  Whitten,  then  the  efficient  city  engineer, 
drew  up  the  specifications  with  great  care. 
The  block  from  Main  to  Lafayette  was  an  ex- 
cellent pavement.  The  brick  for  the  experi- 
ment was  ordinaly  building  brick,  made  in 
the  Leeper  brick  yard  in  South  Bend.  This 
brick  pavement  was  laid  do^\n  by  Martin 
Hoban,  contractor,  and  remained  in  good  con- 
dition until  its  removal  in  1907. 

By  an  act  approved  March  8,  1889,"  the  leg- 
islature provided  for  the  payment  of  the  cost 
of  street  and  sewer  improvements  in  install- 
ments of  ten  per  cent  a  year  for  ten  years. 
This  act,  known  as  the  Barrett  law,  is  one 
of  the  excellent  series  of  laws  enacted  by  the 
reform  legislatures  of  1889  and  1891.  The  law 
has  proved  a  boon  to  the  cities  and  towns  oi 
Indiana.  It  came  just  in  time  for  South 
Bend.  The  brick  pavement  on  Jefferson  street 
was  so  decided  a  success  that  the  only  ques- 
tion left  for  consideration  was  the  matter  of 
payment  for  the  work.  The  city  was  then 
up  to  the  contitutional  two  per  cent  limit  of 
indebtedness,  and  the  treasury  could  not  be 
resorted  to  in  order  to  lighten  the  burden  of 
the  property  owner.  But  by  making  the  pay- 
ments in  ten  annual  installments,  as  was  done 
by  the  Barrett  law,  the  problem  was  solved. 
Street  and  sidewalk  pavements,  as  well  as 
isewers,  were  at  once  projected  in  every  busi- 
ness  and  populous  residence  section   of  the 

In  1898,  an  asphalt  pavement  was  laid 
down  on  Washington  street,  and  two  years 
afterwards  one  was  laid  on  Lafayette  street, 

a.     Acts,  1889,  pp.  237-246. 


and  since  that  time  on  several  other  streets. 
It  was  said  at  the  time,  and  has  since  proved 
to  be  true,  that  the  asphalt  on  Washington 
street  was  too  dry,  had  too  large  a  proportion 
of  gravel,  and  that  it  would  soon  ' '  grind  out ' ' 
in  spots  by  the  action  of  the  wheels  of  vehicles 
passing  over  it.  The  complaint  on  the  part 
of  the  people  on  Lafayette  street,  on  the  con- 
traiy,  was  that  the  pavement  was  too  soft, 
that  the  wheels  would  sink  into  it  in  warm 
weather.  The  Lafayette  pavement  has  grown 
harder  and  better  with  years;  but  that  on 
Washington  street  has  ' '  ground  out ' '  in  num- 
erous places,  as  predicted. 

Street  paving  has  gone  on  in  South  Bend 
since  1889,  until  at  the  end  of  the  year  1906 
there  were  forty-two  miles  of  pavement.  Of 
this,  about  thirty-six  and  a  half  miles  are  of 
brick.  The  chief  part  of  the  remainder  is  of 
asphalt ;  there  being  a  little  creosote  block  and 
other  experimental  pavements. 

Originally  the  sidewalks,  like  the  roadways 
of  the  streets,  were  principally  of  gravel ;  but 
plank  and  boards  were  also  used,  and  in  time 
brick  also.  Early  in  the  eighties,  the  common 
council  prahibited  the  putting  down  of  any 
more  wooden  sidewalks;  for  the  reason  that  so 
many  accidents  had  occurred  from  rotten  and 
broken  planks  that  there  were  almost  constant 
suits  for  damages  against  the  city.  As  early 
as  1867,  John  E.  Foster  laid  a  cement  side- 
walk on  the  north  side  of  West  Washington 
street  at  the  corner  of  North  Taylor  street. 
This  cement  sidewalk  is  still  in  good  condition, 
notwithstand  its  age.  Soon  afterwards  cement 
walks  began  to  come  into  general  use ; 
although  for  a  while  there  was  trouble  with 
persons  who  claimed  to  have  patents  on  the 
proper  mixing  of  the  cement.  This  was  but  a 
temporary  check,  and  it  was  not  long  until 
the  cement  sidewalk  was  a  favorite  all  over 
the  city.  Brick,  however,  continued  to  be  used 
for  walks  until  1907,  when  its  further  use  for 
this  purpose  was  forbidden,  for  reasons  simi- 
lar to  those  which  had  caused  the  disuse  of 
plank  sidewalks. 

Sec.  2. — Sewers. — The  first  sewer  in  South 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


o 


71 


l^cnd  was  constructed  in  1861,  long  before  the 
incorporation  of  the  city.  After  several  pre- 
liminary steps  were  taken,  the  board  of  town 
trustees,  on  December  24,  1860,  entered  into 
contract  with  William  Mack  to  construct  a  cir- 
cular brick  sewer  on  AA^ashington  street,  four 
feet  in  diameter  and  twelve  hundred  feet  long, 
extending  from  the  west  line  of  Lafayette 
street  to  the  river.  It  was  to  be  finished  by 
May  1,  1862,  the  cost  to  be  twelve  hundred 
and  forty-three  dollars.  But  one  fault  has 
been  found  with  this  first  and  most  noted  of 
our  sewers.  The  sewer  was  not  laid  low 
enough.  It  was  provided  that,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  work,  at  Lafayette  street, 
the  bottom  of  the  sewer,  on  the  inside,  should 
be  eight  feet  and  a  half  below  the  street  grade, 
and  should  fall  at  the  rate  of  three  inches  to 
each  one  hundred  feet  to  the  east  line  of  Mich- 
igan street,  after  which  the  rate,  of  fall  should 
be  as  required  by  the  board  of  town  trustees. 
This  depth  proved  quite  insufficient  to  drain 
the  basements  of  business  houses  afterwards 
constructed  along  Washington  street;  and  it 
was  necessary  to  correct  the  defect  by  the  con- 
struction of  other  sewers. 

Under  the  city  government  ail  the  principal 
streets  have  been  supplied  with  sewers,  and 
others  are  being  constructed  every  year,  and 
paid  for  by  property  assessments  under  the 
Barrett  law.  At  the  close  of  the  year  1906, 
there  were  fifty-four  miles  of  sewers  in  the 
city  of  South  Bend. 

One  of  the  sewers  of  the  city  has  a  peculiar 
history.  On  October  8,  1875,  the  city  pro- 
vided for  the  construction  of  what  has  been 
called  the  Lafayette  street  sewer.  This  was 
built,  primarily,  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  South  Bend  Iron  Works,  now  known  as 
the  Oliver  Chilled  Plow  Works,  which 
had  then  been  recently  located  in  the  south- 
west part  of  the  city,  on  the  Kankakee  side 
of  the  "divide."  The  sewer  was  paid  for  out 
of  the  city  treasury;  but  the  owners  of  lots 
along  Ford,  Scott,  Railroad,  South  and  Lafay- 
ette streets,  fronting  on  the  sewer,  were  allow- 
ed to  tap  the  same  by  paying  into  the  city 


treasury  sixty-two  and  one-half  cents  per 
front  foot. 

Sec.  3. — Water  Works. — In  Turner's 
South  Bend  Directory  for  1871-2,  is  the  fol- 
lowing, entitled,  "Water — Fire": 

"A  company  has  recently  been  formed  for 
the  purpose  of  erecting  Holly  Water  Works 
and  furnishing  the  city  with  pure  water  from 
the  St.  Joseph  river.  Action  has,  however, 
been  deferred  for  the  year  1871,  it  being  con- 
sidered too  late  in  the  season  to  commence 
operations.  Another  year  will,  doubtless,  see 
this  important  work  completed.  A  good  sys- 
tem of  water  works  would  be  highly  advanta- 
geous to  South  Bend,  although  we  have  at 
present  an  abundance  of  most  excellent  water 
for  domestic  use,  furnished  by  wells;  while 
thirty  public  cisterns,  entirely  self -supplying, 
are  distributed  throughout  the  city  for  fire 
purposes.  These  cisterns  are  six  feet  in 
diameter,  with  a  minimum  depth  of  six  feet 
of  water.  No  steam  fire  engine  can  make  any 
perceptible  diminution  in  the  depth.  These 
cisterns  form  an  extraordinary  means  of  pro- 
tection against  fires,  and,  in  connection  with 
a  well  organized  and  efficient  fire  department, 
serve  greatly  to  reduce  the  premium  on  insur- 
ance. We  have  one  first-class  steam  fire 
engine,  which  will  soon  be  duplicated.  Few 
cities  have  so  good  protection  against  the 
ravages  of  fire  as  South  Bend,  and  few 
during  the  past  five  years,  have  suffered  so 
little." 

The  foregoing  paragraph  by  Judge  Turner 
shows  the  condition  of  the  city  in  regard  to 
the  subject  of  water  works  at  the  close  of  the 
year  1871.  The  people  were  becoming  restless 
on  the  question  of  adequate  fire  protection. 
The  actual  means  then  provided  for  this  pur- 
pose are  disclosed  in  the  statement  quoted; 
while  the  proposed  action  to  form  a  HoUy 
Water  Works  Company  shows  that  the  situa- 
tion was.  not  altogether  satisfactory.  The 
Holly  system  had  very  earnest  advocates.  In- 
deed, the  majority  of  the  common  council  was 
at  first  in  favor  of  the  Holly  system,  to  such 
an  extent  that  a  contract  was  entered  into  for 


372 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  erection  of  Holly  Water  Works.  This 
system  provided  for  pumping  water  directly 
from  the  river  into  the  mains  and  water  pipes, 
as  it  should  be  required.  Two  other  systems 
were  talked  of,  the  Reservoir  and  the  Stand 
Pipe  systems.  It  was  practically  agreed  by  all 
parties  that  the  reservoir  system,  that  is,  the 
drawing  of  water  by  pipes  from  a  large  body 
of  water  located  on  a  height  above  the  city, 
would  be  most  desirable,  provided  we  had  such 
a  high  location,  and  the  water  upon  it ;  but  we 
had  neither.  The  stand  pipe  advocates  said 
that  next  in  excellence  to  the  reservoir  came 
the  stand  pipe,  or  water  tower,  as  Professor 
Wilcox  preferred  to  call  it ;  that  when  the 
stand  pipe  was  pumped  full  of  water  the  pres- 
sure on  the  water  mains  throughout  the  city 
would  be  of  that  equable  and  uniform  charac- 
ter which  marked  the  reservoir  system.  The 
Holly  advocates  replied  that  if  it  were  neces- 
sary to  pump  water  into  the  stand  pipe,  why 
not  pump  it  directly  into  the  mains?  The 
answer  to  this  was  that  an  equable  pressure 
was  preferable,  besides  the  stand  pipe  would 
be  ready  at  the  instant,  while  the  Holly  en- 
gines might  not  be  in  order  to  do  their  work 
at  the  moment  of  danger.  And  so  the  argu- 
ment raged  for  two  years. 

The  leader  of  the  Holly  advocates  was 
William  H.  Beach,  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
the  first  paper  mill  established  in  South  Bend. 
The  leader  for  the  stand  pipe  party  was  Leigh- 
ton  Pine,  the  superintendent  of  the  Singer 
Sewing  Machine  factory,  then  recently  located 
in  this  city.  Mr.  Pine  was  one  of  the  most 
able,  enterprising  and  public  spirited  citizens 
that  ever  resided  in  South  Bend.  The  war 
between  him  and  Mr.  Beach,  for  it  was  a  war 
without  quarter  given  or  taken,  was  carried 
on  in  the  newspapers,  on  street  corners,  on 
the  stages  of  the  theaters,  in  meetings  of  citi- 
zens, and  in  every  other  way  in  which  public 
opinion  could  be  influenced.  Great  meetings 
were  held  in  the  court  house.  In  one  of  these 
Mr.  Pine  had  a  small  stand  pipe  erected  upon 
the  rostrum,  with  a  faucet  at  the  bottom; 
and   when    the   little   stand   pipe   was   filled 


with  water,  and  the  faucet  turned  to  rep- 
resent the  tapping  of  a  water  main  for 
the  fire  hose,  Mr.  Pine's  triumph  was  com- 
plete. The  little  jet  of  water  flew  up  half 
way  the  height  of  the  stand  pipe ;  and  the 
people  left  the  court  room  shouting  for  the 
stand  pipe  party.  As  may  be  imagined,  politi- 
cal parties  were  rent  asunder.  The  elections 
were  on  the  lines  of  Holly  and  stand  pipe.  The 
stand  pipe  won  by  a  tremedoas  majority ;  and, 
in  1872,  William  Miller  was  elected  mayor, 
and  a  majority  of  the  common  council  were 
with  him  in  favor  of  Mr.  Pine 's  plan. 


HON.    WILLIAM   MILLER. 

The  new  city  government,  backed  by  the 
great  body  of  the  people,  were  not  only  in 
favor  of  the  stand  pipe,  but  also  in  favor  of 
municipal  ownership.  They  were  resolved 
that  the  city  should  build,  own  and  operate 
its  own  water  works.  It  was  an  era  of  con- 
flagrations, and  the  minds  of  the  people  were 
wrought  up  to  a  keen  anxiety  for  protection 
against  the  dreaded  danger.  The  Chicago 
fire,  the  greatest  in  history,  with  its  loss  of 
two  hundred  millions  of  dollars,  had  occurred 
on  October  8  and  9,  1871.     The  Mishawaka 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


373 


fire,"  with  its  loss  of  two  hiiudred  thousand 
dollars,  as  great  as  that  of  Chicago,  in  propor- 
tion to  wealth  and  population,  took  place  on 
September  5,  1872,  in  the  very  heat  of  the 
South  Bend  agitation.  And,  soon  after,  on 
November  9,  1872,  Boston  had  its  eighty  mil- 
lion dollar  fire. 

The  city  authorities,  however,  were  not 
hasty  in  action ;  and  it  was  not  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1873  that  the  first  steps  were  taken. 
On  July  7,  1873,  a  carefully  prepared  ordin- 
ance on  the  subject  passed  the  common  coun- 
cil. The  ordinance  contained  the  following 
provision : 

That  "William  ^liller  (mayor),  Joseph 
Worden,  Peter  Weber,  Alexander  Staples  and 
S.  R.  King  be  and  they  are  hereby  constituted 
a  committee  on  behalf  of  the  city  of  South 
Bend,  and  as  such  are  hereby  authorized  and 
empowered  to  enter  into  a  contract  on  behalf 
of  the  city  with  suitable  and  responsible  party 
or  parties  for  the  erection  and  construction 
for  said  city  of  a  suitable  and  sufficient  sys- 
tem of  water  works,  of  what  is  called  the  stand 
pipe  system,  and  as  proposed  and  planned 
by  John  Birkinbine;  for  the  purpose  of 
furnishing  said  city  with  a  sufficient  supply  of 
water  for  fire  purposes  and  fire  protection." 

This  was  followed  up,  on  July  9,  1873,  by 
an  ordinance  for  the  issue  of  water  works 
bonds  for  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  On 
October  6,  1874,  the  issue  so  authorized  was 
supplemented  with  an  additional  amount  for 
sixty-five  thousand  dollars.  The  great  work 
was  under  way.  The  specifications,  as  re- 
ported by  John  Birkinbine,  the  very  compe- 
tent engineer,  provided  for  a  wrought  iron 
pipe  five  feet  in  diameter  and  two  hundred 
feet  high.  For  the  first  tw^enty-one  feet,  the 
plates  were  to  be  of  seven-sixteenth  inch  iron ; 
for  the  next  twenty-seven  feet,  of  three-eighth 
inch ;  for  the  next  thirty-six  feet,  five-sixteenth 
inch ;  for  the  next  forty-eight  feet,  one-fourth 
inch;  and  for  the  last  sixty-eight  feet,  three- 
sixteenth  inch.  The  weight  oi  the  plates  was 
forty-tw^o  thousand  pounds.     The  casting's  for 

a.     See  Chap.  10,  Subd.  3. 


the  support  of  the  pipe,  themselves  resting 
upon  concrete  foundations,  w^eighed  twelve 
thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds. 
The  wrought  iron  bolts  used  to  put  the  plates 
together  weighed  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds.  On  July  29,  1873,  the  committee  de- 
termined to  erect  the  stand  pipe  at  the  cross- 
ing of  "Pearl,  Jefferson  and  Carroll 
streets."  The  actual  location  was  ultimately 
fixed  on  the  north  side  of  Pearl,"  not  far  from 
the  intersection  of  the  first  alley  west  of 
Carroll  street,  nearly  opposite  the  site  of  the 
fort  erected  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  in  1832, 
where  the  pipe  now  stands.  The  excavation 
was  thirty  feet  square  and  fourteen  feet  below 
the  grade  of  the  street,  and  was  filled  with 
stone  imbedded  in  cement  and  afterwards 
grouted,  so  that  the  whole  formed  one  solid 
mass  of  stone.  The  specifications  further  pro- 
vided for  an  enclosure  of  brick,  two  and  a 
quarter  feet  from  the  pipe  and  rising  to  a 
height  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  feet 
from  the  street.  Between  the  pipe  and  the 
protecting  wall  was  a  winding  stairway  of 
two  hundred  and  ninety  steps  to  the  top.  A 
pointed  roof  over  all  was  to  reach  a  distance 
of  two  hundred  and  twenty-one  feet. 

Separate  contracts  w'ere  let  for  the  several 
parts  of  the  work,  all  under  supervision  of 
John  Birkinbine.  The  greatest  anxietj^  was 
as  to  the  lifting  of  the  stand  pipe  into  posi- 
tion after  the  plates  should  be  riveted  and 
water  tight.  This  most  responsible  task  was 
confided  to  Alexander  Staples,  then  one  of  the 
common  council  and  a  member  of  the  commit- 
tee in  charge  of  the  water  works;  and  well 
did  he  perform  the  task  assigned  him.  It  was 
determined  to  raise  the  great  pipe  as  one  piece, 
rather  than  in  sections,  which  had  been  at 
one  time  contemplated.  In  September  he  be- 
gan to  get  his  huge  gin  poles  and  other  neces- 
sary apparatus  in  readiness.  On  November 
11,  1873,  the  council  appointed  as  special 
peace  officers,  George  V.  Glover,  Noah  Hug- 
gins,  William  Overacker,  Ananias  Forst  and 
0.  C.  Perry,  w^ho  Avere  directed  to  obey  strictly 

c.     Now  Vistula  Avenue. 


374 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  orders  of  John  Birkinbine  and  Alexander 
Staples,  during  the  momentous  and  exceed- 
ingly dangerous  work  of  raising  the  stand 
pipe.  This  precaution  was  timely,  both  for 
the  protection  of  the  people  who  should  be 
gathered  at  the  time  and  also  for  that  of 
the  great  pipe  itself.  The  undertaking  ol 
lifting  this  mass  of  iron  from  the  ground  to 
a  perpendicular  was  the  greatest  engineering 
feat  ever  attempted  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try. A  like  attempt  at  Toledo  resulted  in 
the  falling  and  breaking  of  the  stand  pipe 
when  it  had  been  lifted  half  way  up. 

On  Friday,  November  the  fourteenth,  the 
raising  of  the  massive  tube  was  begun  and 
on  that  day  the  stand  pipe  was  elevated  about 
twenty-two  feet,  on  two  capstans  and  with  a 
force  of  twelve  men.  On  Saturday,  the  fif- 
teenth, the  work  of  lifting  the  great  pipe  was 
continued,  in  the  presence  of  five  thousand 
people.  Three  capstans  were  used  for  raising 
the  pipe,  one  for  guiding  it  and  one  for  pull- 
ing it  forward.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon it  had  reached  an  elevation  of  seventy 
degrees,  at  which  it  hung  in  the  air  all  that 
night.  On  Sunday  morning  the  perilous  task 
was  resumed ;  but  the  pipe  again  hung  in  the 
air  over  Sunday  night.  On  Monday,  Novem- 
ber 17,  1873,  at  eleven  o'clock,  it  was  nearly 
plumb,  and  at  half  past  two  o'clock  on  that 
day,  the  great  iron  tube  stood  in  position,  two 
hundred  feet  perpendicular  from  its  rocky 
base. 

An  impromptu  meeting  was  at  once  organ- 
ized. Mayor  Miller  mounted  a  capstan  and 
congratulated  the  people  of  the  city.  "Aleck" 
Staples,  the  hero  of  the  occasion,  was  then 
called  for,  and  fairly  lifted  and  pushed  upon 
a  capstan.  His  speech  was'  characteristic : 
"Gentlemen,  I  can  raise  a  stand  pipe  like 
this  a  great  deal  easier  than  I  can  make  a 
speech."  That  was  all,  but  it  was  cheered 
as  loudly  as  if  Edward  Everett  had  spoken. 

Alexander  Staples  was  a  Union  soldier,  and 
his  modesty  after  his  great  engineering  feat 
was  like  that  of  the  true  soldier  on  the  field 
of  battle  who  has  won  the  day  for  his  country. 


The  Star  Spangled  Banner  did  not  seem  too 
noble  a  model  for  the  humble  verse  that 
sought  to  glorify  his  deed;  and  this  was  the 
tribute  that  was  then  paid  to  him.  Whatever 
of  history  or  description  may  be  found  in  the 
stanzas  will  perhaps  excuse  its  insertion  in 
this  place: 

"The  Star-seeking  Stand  Pipe. 
Dedicated  to  Alexander  Staples. 

[All  day  Saturday  the  stand  pipe  rose 
slowly  from  the  earth,  until  at  dark  it  hung 
over  the  city  like  the  leaning  tower  of  Pisa. 
During  the  night  the  wind  blew  pretty  hard, 
and  doubtless  many  an  anxious  eye  looked  out 
on  Sunday  morning,  to  see  that  our  pipe 
"was  still  there."  Certainly  one  pair  of 
eyes  did  so  peep  out;  hence  this  travesty.] 

I. 

O  say,  can  you  see  by  the  dawn's  early  light 

What  we  anxiously  viewed  at  the  twilight's  last 
gleaming? 

"Whose  huge  bulk  on  gin  poles,  through  the  peri- 
lous  night, 

O'er  the  house-tops  beneath  was  so  Pisa-like  seem- 
ing; 

And  the  lamp-light's  bright  glare,  the  dark  tube 
in  the  air. 

Gave  proof  through  the  night  that  our  pipe  was 
still  there;  — 

Oh,  say,  does  that  star-seeking  stand  pipe  yet  rise 

O'er  the  city  we  love  to  its  home  in  the  skies? 

II. 

On  the  bank,  dimly  seen  through  the  mists  of  the 
morn. 

Where  the  'Bend's  busy  host  in  sweet  silence  re- 
poses. 

What  is  that  which  the  breeze,  o'er  the  tree-tops 
forlorn, 

As  it  fitfully  blows,  half  conceals,  half  discloses? 

Now  it  catches  the  light,  as  the  morning  grows 
bright; 

In  full  glory  enveloped,  now  shines  on  the  hight:  — 

'Tis  the  star-seeking  stand  pipe!  Oh,  long  may  it 
rise. 

O'er  the  city  we  love  to  its  home  in  the  skies. 

III. 

And  where  is  that  crowd  who  despondently  said. 
That   the   weight   of   the   pipe   and   the  ropes   in 

confusion 
Would  never  allow  it  to  rise  from  its  bed? 
Their  cheers  have  proclaimed  that  'twas  but  an 

illusion: 
No  stand  pipe  so  long  but  Aleck  the  strong. 
With   his   tackle  would   lift  with  a  cheer  and  a 

song; 
And  the  star-seeking  monster  in  triumph  should 

rise. 
Till  he  Staples  the  thing  to  its  home  in  the  skies. 


^Ai^^   ^LaLt^ 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


37.5 


IV. 

0  there  may  it  ever  its  blest  waters  send. 

To  save  our  loved  homes  from  the  flames  without 

pity; 
While  in   harmony   and   peace   our   united   South 

Bend 
Gives  praise  to  the  Power  that  has  guarded  our 

city. 
A  brotherly  band,  our  future  is  grand, — 
And  this  be  our  motto.  United  We  Stand; 
While  the  star-seeking  stand  pipe  in  glory  shall 

rise. 

O'er  the  city  we  love  to  its  home  in  the  skies. 

On  December  25,  1873,  Christmas  day,  there 
was  an  interesting  sequel  to  the  Holly-Stand- 
pipe  controversy.  A  wager  had  been  laid  be- 
tween Leighton  Pine,  representing  the  stand 
pipe  forces  and  John  M.  Studebaker,  who  had 
favored  the  Holly  system.  The  wager  was 
for  a  cow.  Mr.  Studebaker  agreed  to  stand 
in  the  belfry  over  the  Studebaker  works;  and 
]\Ir.  Pine  proposed  to  drive  him  from  the  bel- 
fry with  a  one  inch  stream  from  a  hydrant 
near  the  works,  while,  at  the  same  time,  five 
other  one  inch  streams  should  be  thrown  from 
as  many  other  hydrants  in  the  vicinity.  There 
were  three  judges,  Edwin  Nicar,  John  C. 
Knoblock  and  Caleb  Kimball,  named  to  stand 
with  Mr.  Studebaker  in  the  belfry,  where  they 
could  see  the  other  five  streams  and  be  able 
to  decide  on  all  questions  relating  to  the  test. 
Schuyler  Colfax  also  stood  in  the  belfry  with 
Mr.  Studebaker.  Before  those  who  stood  in 
the  belfry  knew  what  had  happened,  the  one 
inch  stream  from  the  street  below  had  driven 
them  from  their  station,  and  the  stream  flew 
clear  over  the  top  of  the  cupola.  Mr.  Stude- 
baker gracefully  turned  the  cow  over  to  Mr. 
Pine.  His  friends  had  her  gaily  decorated 
with  ribbons,  and  so  marched  with  a  band  and 
in  carriages  to  his  residence.  Two  days  after- 
wards Mr.  Pine  donated  his  prize  to  the 
Ladies'  Benevolent  Aid  Society,  by  whom  she 
was  sold,  and  several  times  re-sold,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  poor  of  South  Bend.  So  ended 
the  famous  controversy,  in  a  triumphant  vic- 
tory for  Leighton  Pine  and  those  who  had 
faith  in  his  genius  and  leadership.  The  origi- 
nal cost  of  the  water  works  was  about  one 
hundred  and  fiftv  thousand  dollars. 


Following  the  test  made  at  the  Studebaker 
works  and  the  jollifications  that  succeeded, 
Mr.  Colfax  made  one  of  his  happy  little 
speeches,  briming  over  with  interesting  his- 
torical allusions.  "This  magnificent  Christ- 
mas day,"  said  he,  "has  opened  a  new  era 
in  the  history  of  our  busy  and  prosperous  city. 
Over  thirty  years  ago,  the  building  of  the 
three-story  Washington  Block,"  the  largest 
frame  building  at  that  time  in  northern  In- 
diana, was  commenced  with  a  special  celebra- 
tion and  opened  the  first  era  of  the  advance- 
ment of  our  town.  Next,  the  construction  of 
the  dam,  by  the  free  and  generous  subscrip- 
tions of  rich  and  poor  alike,  gave  us  our  great 
water  power,  and  was  another  and  most  im- 
portant forward  movement.  Then  the  great 
manufactures,  which  have  caused  our  city  to 
be  known  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land,  gave  us  another  impetus.  "While 
today,  with  the  water  works,  which,  from  the 
experiments  this  morning,  seem  sure  to  render 
efficient  fire  protection,  we  continue  our  ad- 
vancing progi-ess  among  the  cities  of  the  state, 
and  take  another  onward  stride  toward  the 
future  before  us." 

The  city  water  works  continued  under  the 
management  of  a  committee  of  the  common 
council,  known  as  the  water  board,  until,  by 
an  act  approved  March  25,  1879,*  the  legisla- 
ture provided  for  the  election  of  a  board  of 
three  water  works  trustees,  the  first  board  to 
be  selected  by  the  common  council ;  after 
which  the  trustees  should  be  elected  by  the 
people.  The  first  board  so  elected  should  be 
chosen  one  for  one  year,  one  for  two  years 
and  one  for  three  years.  At  every  subsequent 
annual  election  one  trustee  should  be  elected 
for  three  years. 

By  the  special  charter,*^  the  water  works 
were  placed  in  custody  of  the  board  of  public 
worte,  where  they  also  remain  under  the 
municipal  code.*^     Under  all  these  boards, — 

a.     On    the    north    side    of    Washington    street, 
from  Main  street  to  the  first  alley  east. 
h.     Acts,  1879,  p.  88. 

c.  Acts,  1901,  p.  198. 

d.  Acts,  1905,  p.  219. 


376 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  committee  of  the  common  council,  the 
trustees  of  the  water  works  and  the  board  of 
public  works — the  manner  of  conducting  the 
business  has  been  practically  the  same.  The 
immediate  control  of  the  works  has  been  in 
the  hands  of  a  superintendent  selected  by  the 
board  and  under  its  direction.  The  finances 
have  been  cared  for  by  a  water  works  clerk. 

The  names  of  all  members  of  the  board  of 
public  works  have  been  given  in  the  list  of  city 
officers.  The  names  of  the  members  of  the 
former  water  works  boards  are  as  follows : 

1873.  Joseph  Worden,  Peter  Weber,  Alex- 
ander Staples  and  S.  R.  King. 

1875.  M.  N.  Walworth,  Dwight  Deming 
and  Alexander  N.  Thomas. 

1876.  Dwight  Deming,  Edmund  P.  Taylor 
and  W.  W.  Giddings. 

1877.  W.  W.  Giddings.  Edmund  P.  Taylor 
and  George  F.  Nevius. 

1878.  George  F.  Nevius,  Solomon  W.  Pal- 
mer and  Nathaniel  Frame. 

1879.  O.  H.  Brusie,  John  M.  Studebaker 
and  Alexander  C.  Staley. 

1880.  John  M.  Studebaker,  Alexander  C. 
Staley  and  Jacob  Strayer. 

1881.  Alexander  C.  Staley,  Jacob  Strayer 
and  J.  M.  Asire. 

1882.  Jacob  Strayer,  J.  M.  Asire  and  Pat- 
rick O'Brien. 

1883.  J.  M.  Asire,  Patrick  0 'Brien  and 
William  Mack. 

1884.  Patrick  0  'Brien,  William  Mack  and 
N.  P.  Bowsher. 

1885.  William  Mack,  N.  P.  Bowsher  and 
John  C.  Birdsell. 

1886.  N.  P.  Bowsher,  John  C.  Birdsell 
and  Edwin  R.  St.  John. 

1887.  John  C.  Birdsell,  Edwin  R.  St.  John 
and  Alexander  Staples. 

1888.  Edwin  R.  St.  John,  Alexander 
Staples  and  Charles  H.  Pavey. 

1889.  Alexander  Staples,  Charles  H.  Pavey 
and  Robert  L.  Braunsdorf. 

1890.  Charles  H.  Pavey,  Robert  L.  Brauns- 
dorf and  Jonathan  Matthews. 


1891.  Robert  L.  Brannsdorf,  Jonathan 
^Matthews  and  Samuel  L.  Brubaker. 

1892.  Jonathan  Matthews,  Charles  M.  Col- 
lins and  Charles  W.  Clapp. 

1893.  Charles  A.  Brehmer,  Charles  M. 
Collins  and  Charles  W.  Clapp. 

1894.  Charles  M.  Collins,  Charles  W. 
Clapp  and  Otto  M.  Knoblock. 

1895.  Charles  W.  Clapp,  Otto  M.  Knob- 
lock  and  Samuel  C.  Loutz. 

1896.  Otto  M.  Knoblock,  S.  Wesley  Hill 
and  John  T.  Kelley. 

1897.  S.  Wesley  Hill,  John  T.  Kelley  and 
F.  V.  Krzeszewski. 

1898.  Jolin  T.  Kelley,  F.  V.  Krzeszewski 
and  John  F.  Irvin. 

1899.  F.  V.  Krzeszewski,  John  F.  Irvin 
and  William  Turnock. 

1900.  John  F.  Irvin,  William  Turnock 
and  Marshal  Hughes. 

At  first,  only  the  water  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river  was  pumped  into  the  stand  pipe. 
While  this  gave  the  people  fire  protection, 
what  they  had  looked  for,  and  also  the  use 
of  water  to  sprinkle  the  streets  and  lawns; 
yet  they  soon  began  to  look  for  water  for 
domestic  use  also.  The  first  superintendent 
of  the  water  works.  Everett  L.  Abbot,  made 
a  happy  discovery  just  in  time  to  meet  this 
want.  He  sank  a  driven  well,  about  a  hun- 
dred and  ten  feet  deep,  near  the  water  works 
pumping  station  and  not  far  from  the  river 
bank.  This  was  our  first  artesian  well.  The 
water  rose  to  the  surface,  and  proved  to  be 
pure  and  wholesome.  The  question  was 
whether  wells  enough  could  be  sunk  to  supply 
the  stand  pipe.  To  test  the  quantity  of  water 
that  underlay  the  great  bed  of  clay  through 
which  the  pipe  had  been  driven,  and  particu- 
larly to  see  how  far.  if  any,  the  flow  of  the  first 
well  would  be  diminished  by  the  sinking  of  an- 
other in  the  vicinity,  well  after  well  was  sunk 
near  the  water  works  station,  until  thirty-four 
six-inch  wells  or  over  have  been  sunk  in  that 
locality.  The  problem  was  solved;  reservoirs 
were  constructed  into  which  the  waters  from 
the    artesian   wells   flowed   freely;   the   river 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


377 


water  was  turned  off  and  the  stand  pipe  and 
water  mains  were  filled  with  the  purest  water 
in  the  state.  To  supply  more  wells  as  the 
population  of  the  city  has  increased,  a  new 
station,  at  the  foot  of  North  Michigan  street, 
was  erected  and  new  wells,  to  the  number  of 
thirty-seven  more  were  sunk.  Still  a  third 
station  has  recently  been  secured  further 
dowTi  on  the  river;  and  from  all  of  these  it 
is  believed  that  an  ample  supply  of  the 
purest  w^ater  for  fire  and  domestic  use  can  be 
obtained  sufficient  for  a  city  of  over  one  hun- 
dred thousand  population. 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  since  the  supply 
of  artesian  water  has  been  obtained  the  people 
have  asked  for  water  on  almost  every  street 
of  the  city.  Over  eighty  miles  of  water  mains 
have  been  laid  to  this  date,  and  the,  demand 
is  still  for  more.  No  tax  is  more  freely  paid 
by  the  people  than  the  water  rents ;  and,  while 
the  original  outlay  by  the  city  was  large,  yet 
the  investment  has  been  a  profitable  one. 
During  the  year  1907,  the  substantial  sum  of 
twenty  thousand  dollars  was  transferred  from 
the  water  works  rent  fund  to  the  general  fund 
of  the  city  treasury.  At  the  same  tmie  the 
people  have  had  an  abundant  supply  of  pure 
water  at  most  reasonable  rates,  with  no  grasp- 
ing water  works  company  to  cut  down  the 
supply  or  raise  the  charges.  The  municipal 
ownership  of  the  South  Bend  water  works  has 
been  satisfactory  from  the  beginning.  The 
present  valuation  of  the  works  is  nearly  one 
million  dollars;  the  annual  income  has  now 
reached  almost  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
The  expenses  foot  up  about  seventy  thousand 
dollars,  which  includes  interest  and  wear  and 
tear,  leaving  to  the  city  a  net  profit  of  thirty 
thousand  dollars  a  year. 

See.  4. — Fire  Department. — The  fire  de- 
partment of  South  Bend  has  grown  from  a 
bucket  brigade,  taking  water  from  wells  or 
from  the  river,  to  the  complete  system  of  to- 
day, with  its  water  received  directly  from  the 
constant  pressure  of  the  stand  pipe.  The  first 
fire  organizations  were  volunteer  companies, 
with  a  chief  and  assistants  responsible  to  the 


town  trustees.  The  distinction  awarded  by 
the  public  to  the  bravery  of  the  young  fire 
fighters  was  usually  sufficient  inducement  to 
keep  up  the  organizations.  To  this  were  added 
certain  favors,  as  the  remission  of  city  poll 
taxes  and  exemption  of  a  given  amount  of 
property  from  taxation,  as  was  done  by  the 
common  council  April  19,  1866. 

The  first  regular  organization  for  fire  pro- 
tection seems  to  have  been  in  1853,  when  a 
hand  engine  was  procured  and  a  company 
formed,  with  Edmund  Pitts  Taylor  as  fore- 
man and  John  Caldwell  as  assistant.  The 
company  was  named  St.  Joseph  Fire  Com- 
pany Number  One.  Fire  Company  Number 
Two  was  formed  soon  after,  with  Lot  Day, 
Jr..  as  foreman.  In  1857,  Union  Hose  Com- 
pany Number  Three  w^as  organized,  and  a 
second  engine  was  purchased. 

Another  step  taken  at  an  early  day  was  the 
securing  of  a  sufficient  supply  of  water  by 
constructing  covered  cisterns  at  convenient 
points.  As  shown  above,  in  treating  of  our 
water  works,  there  were  30  such  cisterns  be- 
fore the  erection  of  the  stand  pipe ;  and  the 
citizens  were  re-assured  when  they  learned 
that  "No  steam  fire  engine  can  make  any 
perceptible  diminution  in  the  depth."  Per- 
haps that  might  not  be  the  case  today,  after 
our  deep  sewers  have  dried  out  the  ground 
to  a  depth  of  ten  to  fifteen  feet. 

The  next  step  in  the  volunteer  service  was 
to  procure  pumping  apparatus,  ladders  and 
other  implements  and  machinery  necessary 
for  the  use  of  the  firemen.  One  of  the 
simplest  styles  of  pumps  was  a  hand  engine 
placed  upon  wheels  and  worked  by  from  two 
to  six  firemen  on  each  side  of  the  wagon.  A 
noted  improvement  on  this  rude  pump  was 
the  steam  fire  engine,  which  relieved  the  men 
of  this  hard  labor,  and  was  besides  much  more 
effective  in  throwing  strong  streams  upon  the 
burning  buildings.  The  most  famous  of  these 
old  fire  engines  was  "Young  Hoosier, "  which 
gave  its  name  to  Young  Hoosier  Fire  Com- 
pany No.  Four.  This  company,  after  re- 
peated deliberations  in  the  common  council, 


378 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


extending  over  a  period  of  several  months, 
was  organized  January  20,  1868.  To  show 
the  high  character  of  the  citizens  who  honored 
1  heraselves  by  serving  in  these  volunteer  fire 
companies,  the  original  membership  of  Young 
Iloosier  company  is  here  given :  George  Hert- 
zell,  John  C.  Knoblock,  Alexander  Staples,  A. 
Buck,  William  Buck,  John  M.  Pierce,  Alexis 
Coquillard,  Peter  Weber,  Elijah  Hartzell, 
Warren  A.  Luce,  Edward  Gillen,  Isaac  INIiller, 
Reuben  Garrett,  Seth  F.  Mvers  and  Harrison 
]\I.  Crockett.  The  company  was  authorized  to 
increase  its  membership  to  thirty  persons, 
taken  equally  from  hose  companies  numbered 
one  and  three.  Old  number  three  was  soon 
after  disbanded;  and  on  May  29,  1868,  the 
present  hose  company  number  three,  in  the 
fourth  ward,  was  organized. 

A  little  earlier,  on  June  17,  1867,  a  citizens' 
committee  was  appointed  to  report  to  the 
council  the  best  means  of  protection  from 
fire.  The  committee  consisted  of  the  following 
leading  citizens :  John  Brownfield,  chief  of 
the  fire  department;  Dr.  Louis  Humphreys, 
chairman  of  the  board  of  health;  Charles  W. 
Guthrie;  Clement  Studebaker;  Woolman  J. 
Holloway;  Joseph  G.  Bartlett;  Dr.  John  A. 
Henricks ;  Daniel  M.  Shively :  Lester  F. 
Baker;  Dwight  Deming;  Francis  R.  Tutt, 
Daniel  A.  Veasey  and  Norman  Eddy.  The 
conferences  of  this  committee  foreshadowed 
the  water  works  system  and  the  paid  fire  de- 
partment that  were  to  come  in  a  few  j- ears. 

In  1873,  the  common  council  re-organized 
the  volunteer  fire  department  and  appointed 
Edwin  Nicar  as  chief  engineer.  Captain 
Nicar  served  with  great  efficiency  for  three 
3^ears,  when  Joseph  Turnock  was  appointed 
to  the  place  and  served  for  a  year,  being 
succeeded  by  Orville  H.  Brusie,  who  served 
for  three  years.  A.  B.  Culver  was  then  ap- 
pointed engineer;  and  after  him  came  Mr. 
Brusie  again  and  then  Isaac  Hutchins. 

The  fire  companies  in  the  later  years,  and 
before  the  organization  of  the  paid  depart- 
ment, were  Delta  Hose  Company  No.  1 ;  Eagle 
No.  2;  Union  No.  3;  Young  Hoosier  No.  4; 


Mazeppa  No.  5 ;  Stand  Pipe  No.  6,  also  No.  7 ; 
besides  Relief  Hook  and  Ladder,  which  was 
located  with  Young  Hoosier,  at  Hose  House 
Xo.  4.  Hose  House  No.  4,  where  both  Young 
Hoosier  engine,  and  its  company  and  also  the 
hook  and  ladder  company  were  housed,  was 
the  central  fire  station  and  headquarters  of 
the  department.  This  house  was  on  the  north 
side  of  Jeffei*son  street,  between  ^Michigan 
street  and  the  first  alley  west.  Fire  tourna- 
ments, in  South  Bend  and  in  the  surrounding 
towns,  were  a  prominent  feature  of  the  old 
volunteer  department.  At  these  tournaments, 
or  exhibitions,  the  South  Bend  companies  al- 
most invariably  carried  off  the  prizes.  The 
tournaments  were  of  great  value  in  keeping 
up  interest  in  the  service,  as  well  as  putting 
in  practice  the  best  features  of  actual  fire  pro- 
tection. 

On  February  23,  1874,  a  grand  review  of 
the  fire  department  and  inspection  of  the  new 
stand  pipe  and  water  works  system  was  held, 
to  which  firemen  and  fire  committees  from 
neighboring  cities  were  invited.  The  last 
days  of  the  old  volunteer  fire  department 
were  among  the  brightest.  On  October  6, 
1873,  the  common  council,  although  preoccu- 
pied with  the  completion  of  the  new  water 
works  system,  yet  found  time  to  express  the 
formal  thanks  of  the  city  to  the  fine  city  fire 
department  and  its  efficient  chief,  then  Capt. 
Edwin  Nicar.  Yet  the  change  was  coming. 
On  October  19,  1874,  it  became  apparent  that 
the'  water  pressure,  present  in  full  force  at 
every  hydrant,  made  all  fire  companies,  ex- 
cept hook  and  ladder  and  hose  companies, 
quite  out  of  harmony  with  the  new  conditions ; 
and  they  were  accordingly  disbanded. 

On  August  7,  1882,  the  Gamewell  Fire 
Alarm  system,  for  communicating  alarms  of 
fires,  was  adopted.  On  July  26,  1886,  a  com- 
mittee sent  out  to  examine  paid  fire  depart- 
ments in  other  cities  reported  in  favor 
of  the  system  in  operation  in  Kalama- 
zoo. They  recommended  for  the  city 
of  South  Bend  the  following  plan :  That 
the    city    should    procure    one    2-horse    hose 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


379 


carriage ;  two  1-horse  carriages ;  one  hook  and 
ladder  truck,  with  sixty  foot  extension  lad- 
der, to  be  drawn  by  two  horses;  one  2- 
horse  chemical  engine;  and  that  these  should 
be  manned  by  ten  paid  firemen  and  a  fire 
chief,  to  be  aided  in  emergency  by  twenty 
called  men.  The  cost  of  making  the  change 
was  estimated  at  nine  thousand  dollars.  The 
recommendation  of  the  committee  was  adopted 
by  the  common  council.  The  paid  fire  depart- 
ment was  formally  organized,  November  26, 
1886.  On  January  10,  1887,  the  department 
was  reported  by  fire  chief  Isaac  Hutchins  as 
in  full  working  order;  and,  on  his  recom- 
mendation, all  the  volunteer  companies  were 
disbanded. 

Since  the  establishment  of  the  paid  depart- 
ment, in  1886,  the  work  of  improvement  has 
gone  forward,  year  by  year,  until  South  Bend, 
without  question,  has  one  of  the  best  fire  de- 
partments in  the  land, — water  works ;  hose 
houses ;  telegraphic  fire  alarm ;  efficient  of- 
ficers and  men ;  trained  horses ;  trucks  and 
hose  wagons ;  and  all  other  apparatus  neces- 
sary for  first-class  modern  fire  service.  In- 
cluding the  central  station,  there  are  eight 
fire  stations  and  hose  houses,  distributed  at 
the  most  advantageous  points  throughout  the 
city.  At  the  central  station  there  are  three 
companies, — one  truck  company;  one  chemi- 
cal engine  company;  and  one  hose  company. 
At  each  of  the  other  seven  stations  is  found 
a  hose  company,  provided  with  full  apparatus. 
The  cost  of  transforming  the  volunteer  de- 
partment into  a  paid  fire  department,  in  1886, 
was  estimated  at  nine  thousand  doUars.  Com- 
pared with  this  is  the  following  expense  ac- 
count for  the  year  1906 :  Paid  out  in  salaries, 
$46,384.29 ;  paid  for  running  expenses  during 
that  year,  $10,664.32.  Total  expenses  for  the 
South  Bend  fire  department,  for  the  year 
1906,  $57,048.61. 

On  the  Fourth  of  July,  1907,  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was 
celebrated  by  the  South  Bend  fire  department 
in  the  greatest  public  display  ever  inaugur- 
ated by  the  ''fire  laddies"  of  the  city.     The 


day  was  delightful ;  and  the  street  parade  one 
of  the  finest  ever  seen  in  Indiana.  The  dis- 
play then  made  was  an  exhibition  of  what 
may  perhaps  be  regarded  as  the  culmination 
of  efforts  to  make  the  department  a  perfected 
fire  force;  for  we  can  hardly  conceive  of  a 
more  complete  and  efficient  fire  department 
than  that  which  South  Bend  now  possesses. 

On  June  4,  1907,  in  anticipation  of  the 
Fourth  of  July  demonstration,  the  South 
Bend  Tribune  gave  an  interesting  summary 
of  events  connected  with  the  history  and 
present  condition  of  fire  organizations  in  the 
city;  and  this  summary  may  fitly  conclude 
our  historical  sketch: 

"South  Bend  has  a  fire  department  second 
to  none  in  the  country.  It  has  a  reputation 
that  is  not  confined  to  this  locality,  but  which 
is  spreading  to  all  parts  of  the  country.  The 
announcement  several  months  ago  that  the 
fire  department  intended  to  give  a  Fourth  of 
July  celebration  this  year  has  attracted  the 
attention  of  people  all  over  the  country,  but 
especially  fire  departments  and  parties  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  fire  fighting 
equipment.  As  a  result  many  people  have  in-, 
spected  the  local  service  and  pronounce  it 
the  best  in  the  world  for  a  city  this  size. 

"South  Bend's  paid  fire  department  was 
organized  and  pressed  into  service  Nov.  26, 
1886,  following  a  resolution  of  the  common 
council  passed  the  year  previous.  Since  that 
time  it  has  been  maintained  and  has  been 
under  the  control  of  the  city  government. 
The  present  fire  department  consists  of  58 
men,  28  horses  and  the  following  rolling  stock 
in  active  service:  Seagrave  hook  and  ladder 
truck,  chemical  engine,  two  chief's  wagons, 
supply  wagon,  electricians'  wagon,  eight  hose 
wagons.  Ten  fire  companies  and  eight  fine 
stations  are  represented  in  the  complete  ser- 
vice. In  reserve'  the  department  has  a  hook 
and  ladder  truck,  a  hose  wagon  and  a  spring 


wagon. 


"The  present  paid  department  is  the  out- 
growth of  the  old  volimteer  fire  department. 
Prior  to  the  year  1853  South  Bend  had  no 


380 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


fire  department  or  organized  system  of  pro- 
tection in  case  of  fire.  The  first  organized 
effort  in  that  direction  was  made  in  this  year, 
when  the  St.  Joseph  company,  No.  1,  was  or- 
ganized and  a  small  hand  engine  was  pur- 
chased for  its  use.  Another  company  was 
soon  after  organized  and  in  1857  Union  hose 
company  No.  3,  was  formed  and  another  en- 
gine added  to  the  department.  In  1865  a 
steam  fire  engine  Avas  purchased,  which  Avas 
called  the  Young  Hoosier.  After  that  date 
various  volunteer  organizations  were  formed 
until  the  present  efficient  fire  fighting  system 
was  given  its  inception  and  placed  in  success- 
ful operation. 

"Many  of  the  men  on  the  present  fire  de- 
partment were  leaders  in  the  volunteer  move- 
ment and  did  very  effective  work  for  the  city 
in  that  capacity.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the 
impetus  given  the  fire  fighting  sj'stem  by  them 
has  developed  into  the  great  department  of 
today.  Isaac  Hutchins,  an  old  time  volunteer, 
was  the  first  chief  of  the  paid  fire  department, 
which  Avhen  organized  had  but  11  men  and 
20  call-men.  He  had  two  assistant  chiefs, 
John  Donahue  and  Jacob  F.  Kerner.  Later 
one  of  the  assistants  was  dropped  from  the 
position  on  the  fire  department  and  the  call- 
men  plan  was  also  abolished. 

"The  first  companies  were  those  at  the 
central  station  and  consisted  of  the  hook  and 
ladder,  or  truck  company.  No.  1,  and  the 
chemical  company,  No.  1.  These  were  located 
in  a  small  brick  building  on  the  north  side 
of  Jefferson  street  between  Main  and  Michi- 
gan streets.  Later  hose  company  No.  1  was 
organized.  It  was  across  from  the  Sheridan 
hotel  on  the  north  side  of  La  Salle  avenue 
and  was  located  in  a  two  story  frame  building, 
which  was  not  in  the  best  of  condition  and 
many  a  cold  winter  wind  and  not  a  few  de- 
luges of  water  poured  into  the  leaky  roof. 

"The  present  central  fire  station  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  Wayne  and  St.  Joseph 
streets  was  completed  in  1902.  Into  it  the 
central  station  companies  from  the  old  build- 
ing as  well  as  hose  company  No.   1  moved. 


The  latU'r  company  made  the  transfer  July 
31.  1902.  and  the  former  the  day  before. 
This  centralized  the  different  kinds  of  fire 
fighting  apparatus  and  gave  the  central  a  full 
equipment,  greatly  strengthening  the  effi- 
ciency of  the  service.  Twenty-one  men,  nine 
horses,  a  truck,  a  chemical,  wagons  for  the 
chief  and  the  assistant  chief  and  a  reserve 
truck  and  a  reserve  hose  wagon  are  housed 
in  the  building,  which  is  one  of  the  best,  and 
the  most  complete  as  well  as  the  largest  station 
of  the  kind,  according  to  investigations,  in 
the  country. 

' '  Chief  Wilfird  Grant  and  his  worthy  assist- 
ant have  been  on  the  department  ever  since 
it  was  organized.  They  also  served  in  the  old 
volunteer  companies,  the  chief  two  years  with 
hose  company  No.  4  and  his  assistant,  William 
Smith,  with  hose  company  No.  3.  Mr.  Smith 
entered  the  volunteer  service  in  1877.  Grant 
was  elevated  to  the  captaincy  and  was  later 
promoted  to  chief,  a  position  he  has  filled  with 
the  very  greatest  credit  since  Sept.  1,  1902. 
Smith  was  appointed  second  assistant  in  1892 
and  was  made  first  assistant  in  1898,  a  posi- 
tion he  has  filled  with  acceptancy  and 
thorough  efficiency  all  these  years. 

"The  chiefs  of  the  paid  fire  department 
have  been  as  follows :  Isaac  Hutchins,  Wil- 
liam Baker,  Jacob  F.  Kerner,  Irving  Sibrel 
and  Wilfird  Grant." 

The  valuation  of  the  property  of  the  South 
Bend  fire  department,  as  estimated  by  the 
board  of  public  safety,  at  the  close  of  the 
year  1906,  was  $131,461.68,  distributed  as  fol- 
lows : 

STATEMENT   OF   ASSETS— FIRE   DEPART- 
MENT. 

Central     Fire     Station,     house 

and   lot    $40,000.00 

Less  amount  still  due 12,223.31 

Total    $27,776.69 

Contents  of  Central  Fire  Sta- 
tion, including  Truck  Co.  No. 
1,  Hook  and  Ladder.  Hose  Co. 
No.  1,  and  Chemical  Engine 
No.    1.      Total $28,883.20 

Chief's  Barn  and  contents  at 
Central  Fire  Station,  includ- 
ing wagons,  horses,  etc $  1,047.80 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


381 


No.  2  Hose  House  and  Lot.  . .  ."$  4,900.00 
Contents    3,857.45 

Total    $  8.757.45 

No.  3  Hose  House  and  Lot $  7,199.87 

Contents  3,640.10 

Total    $10,839.97 

No.  4  House  and  Lot $  5,628.00 

Contents   3,941.65 

Total    $  9,569.65 

No.  5  Hose  House  and  Lot $  5,135.00 

Contents 3,918.45 

Total    $  9,053.45 

No.  6  Hose  House  and  Lot $  4.965.00 

Contents    3,458.43 

Total    $  8.423.43 

No.  7  Hose  House  and  Lot $  7,929.49 

Contents   3,656.00 

Total    $11,585.49 

No.  8  Hose  House  and  Lot $  6.478.04 

Contents    3,920.36 

Total    $10,398.40 

Supply  Barn  and  Sheds  at  No.  3 

Hose  House  $  1,500.00 

Contents    3,574.65 

Total    $  5,074.65 

Blacksmith     Shop     at     Central 

Fire  Station.    Contents $        51.50 

The  ortranization  of  the  fire  department  and 

the  location  of  the  several  companies  for  the 

year  1907  is  as  follows : 

Chief    Headquarters,    Central    Fire    Station.    No. 
202-204-206  E.  Wayne  St. 

Wilfird  Grant   Chief 

William   Smith    Assistant  Chief 

Harry    E.    Coil Secretary 

Truck   Company  No.   1,  Central   Fire  Station. 

John   Haney    Captain 

Otto  Lockstidt    Lieutenant 

George   Vahlert    Driver 

Charles   Moritz    Ladderman 

John  F.  Howard   Ladderman 

Harry  Brazy    Ladderman 

Chemical  Engine  No.  1,  Central  Fire  Station. 

Irving  Sibrel    Captain 

Charles  Warrell  Lieutenant 

James  Auer Driver 

Percy  Alf ord  Pipeman 

John  Hull   Chief's  Driver 

Hose   Company   No.    1,    Central   Fire   Station. 

Adam  Self ert   Captain 

Edward   Luther    Lieutenant 

Roy  Knoblock Driver 

William  Bernhard Pipeman 

August  Bailey    Pipeman 

August  Kraszewski  Pipeman 

Hose    Company    No.    2,    West    Sample    Street. 

Henry   Entzion Captain 

William  Freeh   Lieutenant 


Joseph  Shirk Driver 

Frank  Kuliberda  Pipeman 

Thomas  Harrens   Pipeman 

Hose    Company    No.    3,    North    Hill    Street. 

John  Stoney   Captain 

Alfred  Virgil    Lieutenant 

Louis  Lederer Driver 

William  Furey   Pipeman 

Frank  Kubiak   Pipeman 

John  Schroth    Pipeman 

Hose    Company    No.    4,    West    Thomas   Street. 

Camile  De  Vleeschouwer    Captain 

Henry    Czajkowski    Lieutenant 

Karl   Yensen    Driver 

John    McKeel    Pipeman 

John    Borkowski    Pipeman 

Hose    Company    No.    5,    East    Sample    Street. 

August   Hoglund    Captain 

William    Heiman    Lieutenant 

George    Stilwell    Driver 

Edward   Tohulka    Pipeman 

Louis   Torok    Pipeman 

Hose    Company    No.    G,    Portage    Avenue    and 
Lindsey  Street. 

Frank   Strickler    Captain 

Alex.    Frederick    Lieutenant 

Paul   Egresces    Driver 

Harry  Hinkle    Pipeman 

Paul    Wegner    Pipeman 

Hose  Company  No.   7,  South  Bend  and  Notre 
Dame  Avenues. 

Oscar   Stallard    Captain 

Thomas    Hartford    Lieutenant 

Edward    McXulty    Driver 

James    Scott    Pipeman 

William  Baker   Pipeman 

Hose  Company  No.   8,  Washington  and   Olive 
Streets. 

John   Wentland    Captain 

Michael    Touhey    Lieutenant 

Anton  Sroda   Driver 

Andrew   Anderson    Pipeman 

Anton   Topel    Pipeman 

Chester  Vanarsdel    

Houseman   and   Weighmaster 

Edward    Koehler    

Lineman  for  Department 

Sec.  5.— The  City  Hall.— Until  a  little 
prior  to  the  year  1899,  the  city  of  South 
Bend  does  not  seem  to  have  made  any  move 
towards  securing  a  city  hall  for  the  transac- 
tion of  its  affairs.  Dnrins:  the  whole  period 
of  town  and  city  government,  np  to  that 
time,  the  business  of  the  municipality  was 
conducted  in  offices  leased  for  the  purpose. 
In  the  '70 's  and  early  '80 's,  these  rented 
offices  were  on  Washington  street,  between 
Main  and  Michigan ;  after  which,  a.  disas- 
trous fire  compelled  a  removal  to  Michigan 
street,  between  "Washington  and  Market,  now 


382 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Colfax  avenue.  In  the  later  '80 's  and  early 
'90 's,  the  offices  were  on  Jefferson  street,  be- 
tween Main  and  Lafayette;  and  afterwards 
on  Michigan  street,  in  what  was  long  known 
as  Price's  Theater. 

On  October  18,  1899,  the  mayor  and  com- 
mon council  entered  into  a  contract  with 
James  Oliver  for  the  erection  of  a  city  hall 
suited  to  the  needs  of  the  growing  metropolis 
of  the  St.  Joseph  valley.  Not  long  previous 
to  this  time  the  city  had  purchased  a  site  for 
a  building,  on  North  Main  street,  between 
Colfax  and  La  Salle  avenues,  with  the  in- 
tention of  erecting  a  permanent  home  for  the 
municipality  as  soon  as  funds  sufficient  for 
that  purpose  could  be  procured.  But  South 
Bend  was  nearly  up'  to  the  constitutional 
limit  of  its  indebtedness,  and  it  became  evi- 
dent that  if  a  city  hall  was  to  be  built  within 
a  reasonable  time,  it  must  be  built  by  private 
parties. 

In  this  emergency,  Mr.  Oliver,  who  had 
often  before  manifested  his  public  spirit  in 
favor  of  the  community  in  which  he  had  built 
up  his  great  fortune,  came  to  the  assistance 
of  the  promoters  of  this  civic  enterprise.  The 
contract  entered  into  provided  that  he  should 
have  permission  to  enter  on  the  premises 
owned  by  the  city  and  erect  thereon  a  city 
hall,  the  building  to  remain  his  propert}^  un- 
less and  until  the  city  should  exercise  an 
option  given  in  the  contract  to  purchase  the 
same.  The  hall  should  be  suited  to  the  needs 
of  the  city,  and  according  to  plans  and  speci- 
fications named,  and  the  work  let  to  the  best 
bidder,  the  cost  not  to  exceed  seventy-five 
thousand  dollars.  The  contract  further  pro- 
vided that  when  the  building  should  be  con- 
structed it  should  be  leased  to  the  city  for 
twelve  years,  at  an  annual  rental  of  seven 
thousand  two  hundred  dollars,  payable  from 
year  to  year,  as  the  same  should  accrue.  It 
was  also  provided  that  the  city  should  have 
an  option  to  purchase  the  building  at  any 
time  at  a  price  equal  to  the  original  contract 
cost,  with  four  per  cent  interest,  less  the 
several  amounts  of  rent  then  paid,  also  with 


four  per  cent  interest.  In  case  this  option 
should  not  be  exercised,  the  property  should 
remain  Mr.  Oliver's,  and  in  that  case  he 
should  have  the  right  to  purchase  the 
grounds. 

As  there  was  some  doubt  as  to  the  validity 
of  this  contract,  in  order  to  test  the  matter, 
suit  was  brought  by  a  property  holder  to  en- 
join the  city  from  performance.  The  cir- 
cuit court  held  that  the  contract  was  in  effect 
a  purchase,  under  the  guise  of  a  lease,  and 
was  therefore  invalid.  The  supreme  court, 
however,  decided  that,  by  reason  of  the 
option,  the  city  undertook  no  obligation  of 
purchase,  and  that  the  contract  was  valid.*^ 


CITY  HALL,  SOUTH  BEND. 

Mr.  Oliver,  accordingly,  went  ahead  and 
constructed  the  building;  and  the  city  has 
since  continued  to  pay  him  the  annual  rental, 
as  stipulated  in  the  contract.  Although  the 
city  has  assumed  no  obligation  to  purchase, 
yet  as  soon  as  it  finds  itself  with  sufficient 
funds,  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  will  exercise 
its  option  of  purchase,  and  thus  become  the 
owner  of  this  beautiful  and  convenient  city 
hall. 

The  building  is  in  keeping  with  its  noble 
purpose.      All   the   city   officers    and   boards, 

a.  See  City  of  South  Bend  v.  Reynolds,  155 
Ind.,  p.  70. 


We^Bfti     Bioqt^PtJ^ 


[r — z^  ^>^>-^ 


li2 


/^^ 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


383 


including  the  police  department,  are  housed 
within  its  ample  walls.  Indeed,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  any  city  in  Indiana  is  provided  with 
a  more  substantial,  elegant  and  convenient 
city  hall. 

See.  6. — Parks. — In  the  year  1878  the  first 
public  expression  was  made  in  favor  of  a  park 
for  the  city  of  South  Bend.    While  generous 
in  many  respects,  as  we  have  seen,  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  original  plat  of  the  town  seem 
never  to  have  thought  of  a  park.     It  may 
be  that  the  fine  oak  openings  which  formed 
the    site    of    the    town,    together    with    the 
Parkovash  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  and 
Portage    Prairie    on    the    nortliAvest,    to    say 
nothing  of  the  other  beautiful  prairies  and 
woodlands  in   the   vicinity,   made  the  whole 
country  a  natural  park,  so  that  perhaps  the 
doughty   founders    of   the    city   would   have 
smiled  at  the  idea  of  reserving  valuable  town 
property  for  so  useless  a  purpose  as  park  or 
pleasure  ground.     Yet  the  founders  of  other 
towns  as  pleasantly  situated  did  not  think  it 
unwise  to  set  apart  public  squares  and  plots 
of  ground  for  pleasure  resorts  for  the  peo- 
ple.    The  lack  of  liberality  in  this  respect  is 
painfully    apparent    in    our   confined    court 
house  grounds;  and  here  a  comparison  with 
the  neighboring  county  seats  makes  our  de- 
ficiency the  more  marked.     In  Goshen,  Ply- 
mouth, Valparaiso  and  Laporte  a  full  square 
is  devoted  to  the  court  house;  but  in  South 
Bend  but  one  quarter  of  a  square  was  set 
apart  in  the  beginning  for  that  purpose.    The 
county  commissioners   afterwards  bought   an 
additional  lot  for  the  county  jail,  and  still 
later    bought    two    more    lots,    one    for    the 
present  jail  and  one  upon  which  the  old  court 
house  has  been  placed.     The  foundersi  of  the 
city  of  Kalamazoo,  were  more  far  sighted  in 
this,  particular,    having  laid    aside    two    full 
squares   for   public   parks,    in    addition   to    a 
square  for  the  county  buildings. 

Even  in  1878,  when  the  subject  of  parks 
was  first  broached,  the  grounds  considered 
were  most  unpromising.  They  consisted  of 
an   ovei'flowed  iswamp   waste   along  the   east 


side  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  extending  from 
Jefferson  street  to  Division  street.  It  was  at 
first  but  a  dumping  ground ;  but,  in  the  course 
of  years,  the  unsavory  locality  has  become 
the  most  beautiful  spot  in  South  Bend,  and 
is  known  to  the  public  as  Howard  Park.  A 
more  detailed  history  of  this  park  will  be 
given  at  the  close  of  this  section. 

But  little  further  interest  seems  to  have 
been  taken  in  public  parks  for  many  years. 
In  1889,  however,  Alexis  Coquillard,  who  in- 
herited the  enterprise  and  public  spirit,  as 
he  did  the  name,  of  his  distinguished  uncle, 
the  founder  of  the  city,  showed  his  zeal  in 
this  direction  by  making  a  gift  of  four  lots 
to  Howard  Park,  and,  still  more,  by  offering 
to  the  city  for  park  purposes  a  fine  tract 
of  ground,  of  nearly  one  hundred  acres,  on. 
the  east  side  of  the  corporation.  He  went 
so  far  as  to  lay  out  this  park,  plant  trees  and 
grade  boulevards,  walks  and  drives.  In 
Coquillard  Park,  the  city  of  South  Bend 
seemed  about  to  have  one  of  the  finest  parks 
in  the  west.  Unhappily,  Mr.  Coquillard,  in 
the  midst  of  his  laudable  enterprise,  and  in 
what  should  seem  to  be  the  prime  of  his 
active  and  useful  life,  died  on  February  25, 
1890.  With  his  death  the  life  seemed  to  leave 
the  noble  project  which  he  so  fondly  cher- 
ished. It  was  not  until  1906  that  all  contro- 
versies as  to  this  gift  were  settled,  and  the 
city  accepted,  in  compromise  of  all  its  claims, 
a  tract  of  ten  acres,  taken  out  of  the  grounds 
in  dispute,  for  which  the  name  of  Coquillard 
Park  has  been  retained. 

With  the  coming  in  of  the  new  century, 
attention  was  drawn  to  the  large  tract  on  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  at  the  foot  of  Michigan 
street,  which  had  been  purchased  in  1895  by 
the  city  for  the  use  of  the  water  works  de- 
partment. The  building  of  a  pumping  sta- 
tion on  those  grounds,  and  the  sinking  and 
capping  over  of  numerous  artesian  wells,  left 
the  greater  part  of  the  tract  suitable  for  use 
as  an  additional  park,  without  interfering 
with  its  use  for  water  works  purposes.    The 


384 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


grounds    were    accordingly    graded,    planted 
and  improved  as  a  park. 

On  November  27,  1900,  David  R.  Leeper 
died.  He  had  been  born  very  near  to  the 
present  limits  of  the  city  of  South  Bend, 
on  Januarys  12,  1832  and  was  during  the 
whole  of  his  vigorous  manhood  one  of  our 
most  honored  citizems.  He  represented  the 
county  in  the  state  legislature,  in  both  house ' 
and  senate,  and  was  also  mayor  of  the  city. 
His  residence,  during  the  later  years  of  his 
life,  jusit  north  of  the  river  and  near  the 
new  park,  perhaps  also  suggested  his  name  as 
one  that  might  most  appropriately  be  be- 
stowed   upon    it.      The    beautiful    stretch    of 


in  1905,  by  the  placing  of  a  drinking  foun- 
tain in  this  park,  the  gift  of  Mrs.  Mary  P. 
Bugbee.  in  memory  of  her  husband.  Almond 
Bugbee. 

Another  park  along  the  river  is  La  Salle 
Park,  located  on  the  east  side  of  the  river, 
near  the  Sample  street  bridge.  This  will  be 
only  a  park  in  name  until  the  bayou  in  the 
river  at  that  point  has  been  filled  up.  When 
finally  improved  La  Salle  Park,  like  all  our 
other  river  parks  will  be  a  place  of  beauty. 

The  Studebaker  Park,  in  the  southeast 
part  of  the  city,  named  in  honor  of  Henry 
Studebaker,  and  the  Kaley  Park,  in  the 
southwest   part,   are   among  the   largest   and 


LEEPER  PARK,  SOUTH  BEND. 


ground  along  the  river,  including  the  island 
near  the  south  shore,  was  accordingly  named 
Leeper  Park.  Li  1904,  there  was  an  extension 
of  the  park  to  the  north  along  the  river,  from 
Michigan  street  to  Lafayette  street.  ]\Iean- 
while  a  boulevard  had  been  constructed  all 
along  the  river,  from  Marion  street  to  ^lichi- 
gan  street,  which  has  since  been  extended 
north,  the  intention  being  ultimately  to  have 
a  continuous  driveway  down  to  River  View 
cemetery  and  the  old  portage.  Leeper  Park 
is  destined  therefore  to  be  one  of  the  finest 
pleasure  grounds  anywhere  along  the  banks 
of  the  St.  Joseph.  The  name  of  another 
worthy  citizen  of  South  Bend  was  honored. 


most  valuable  of  our  recent  acquisitions. 
These  fine  breathing  places  are  gifts  to  the 
city  by  public  spirited  donors  whose  names 
they  bear.  Pottawatomie  Park,  the  old 
county  fair  grounds  between  South  Bend  and 
the  town  of  River  Park,  has  been  described  in 
connection  with  the  history  of  River  Park." 

A  comprehensive  summary  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  park  system  of  the  city,  at  the 
close  of  the  year  1906,  will  be  found  in  the 
following  extract  from  the  report  of  Herman 
H.  Beyer,  the  park  superintendent,  for  that 
year : 

"The  year  1906  was  marked  by  numerous 

a.     Chap.   9,  Subd.  3,  Sec.   4. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


385 


park  extensions  in  South  Bend.  The  city  ac- 
quired in  the  past  j^ear  approximately 
seventy-eight  acres  of  park  property,  dis- 
tributed as  follows:  Coquillard  park,  com- 
prising ten  acres,  secured  by  the  city  in  the 
settlement  of  the  old  Coquillard  park  litiga- 
tion. ThLs  ground  is  in  the  northeastern 
part  of  the  city  on  East  Campau  street.  It 
lies  directly  east  of  the  Perley  school  and  is 
a  very  desirable  site  for  a  public  park.  The 
most  important  park  property  which  was 
added  to  our  park  system  is  the  old  County 
Fair  grounds,  presented  to  the  city  of  South 
Bend  by  the  county  commissioners  for  park 
purposes.  This  ground  is  situated  on  the 
north  side  of  Mishawaka  road  just  beyond  the 
eastern  city  limits.  It  comprises  about  sixty 
acres  and  is  a  most  beautiful  piece  of  rolling 
and  wooded  land.  This  tract  will  be  known 
as  Pottawatomie  Park,  in  honor  of  the  tribe 
of  Indians  of  that  name  who  formerly  in- 
habited this  locality. 

"The  city  has  also  acquired  by  purchase 
an  addition  to  Kaley  Park  which  con- 
tains about  three  acres.  This  addition  is  a 
great  improvement  to  the  park  as  it  is  now 
entirely  surrounded  by  streets.  Formerly 
the  south  line  was  bounded  by  an  alley  which 
prevented  a  proper  development  of  this  beau- 
tiful piece  of  wooded  ground.  The  next 
property  acquired  by  purchase  was  about 
four  acres  from  Messrs.  Anderson  and  Du- 
Shane.  This  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  North 
Lafayette  street,  and  will  make  a  valuable 
addition  to  Leeper  Park.  It  also  forms  a 
connecting  link  with  the  river  shore  drive 
(Marion  boulevard)  and  Chapin  Park. 

"A  great  deal  of  work  has  already  been 
done  in  the  new  park  grounds.  At  Coquil- 
lard Park  a  great  many  trees  and  shrtibs 
were  planted;  the  entire  park  was  seeded, 
and  laid  out  with  drives  and  wallvs. 

"Kaley  Park  was  thoroughly  cleared  of 
leaves  and  underbrush,  twenty-four  park 
benches  were  stationed  in  this  park  which 
were  appreciated  by  the  many   people  that 

25 


sought  rest  and  shade  in  this  beautiful  piece 
of  woodland. 

"We  have  also  done  considerable  work  in 
Pottawatomie  Park.  This  work  was  limited 
to  the  removal  of  stumps  and  underbrush.  At 
this  park  were  also  placed  thirty  benches, 
which  were  much  appreciated. 

"There  has  also  been  considerable  work 
done  in  Leeper  and  Howard  Parks  the  past 
year.  The  west  end  of  Leeper  Park  between 
Main  and  Lafayette  streets,  was  graded, 
seeded  and  planted  with  trees  and  shrubs; 
this  will  soon  bring  this  part  of  the  park  into 
good  condition. 

At  Howard  Park  the  new  addition  was  de- 
veloped. In  this  location  was  erected  the 
beautiful  Studebaker  fountain  that  was  do- 
nated to  this  park  by  Mr.  John  M.  Stude- 
baker, who  is  greatly  interested  in  the  de- 
velopment of  this  park.  The  band  concerts 
at  Leeper  and  Howard  Parks  were  very  much 
appreciated  by  the  thousands  of  people  that 
gathered  in  the  parks  on  Sunday  afternoons 
during  the  season. 

"Our  Zoo  at  Leeper  Park  is  one  of  the 
chief  attractions  at  that  park  on  account  of 
the  numerous  donations  of  pets  that  were 
received  the  past  year.  We  were  compelled 
to  increase  our  cage  room  to  take  care  of  this 
fine  collection  of  pets.  This  department  is 
receiving  considerable  attention  and  is  mak- 
ing gratifying  progress." 

After  the  foregoing  report  was  made,  Mr. 
Calvert  H.  Defrees,  in  the  summer  of  1907, 
placed  in  Howard  Park  a  fine  bronze  drink- 
ing fountain;  which,  like  ^the  electric  foun- 
tain presented  by  Mr.  Studebaker,  and  the 
drinking  fountain  in  Leeper  Park,, presented 
by  Mrs.  Bugbee,  is  highly  appreciated  by  the 
throngs  of  summer  visitors. 

Closely  connected  with  the  pleasure  resorts 
of  the  city,  yet  not  of  them,  is  Springbrook 
Park,  owned  and  managed  by  the  Chicago, 
South  Bend  &  Northern  Indiana  railway 
company,  and  situated  near  the  river  on  the 
line  of  the  interurban,  between  South  Bend 
and   Mishawaka.     Upon   the   grounds   are   a 


386 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


baseball  enclosure,  a  casino  and  numerous 
other  places  of  amusement.  Throngs  of  peo- 
ple visit  Spring-brook  during  the  summer 
season. 

In  the  light  of  the  splendid  progress  that 
has  recently  been  made  in  extending  and 
ornamenting  our  parks,  it  may  be  interesting 
now  to  look  back  over  the  history  of  our  first 
park,  the  first  effort  at  park  making  in  our 
beautiful  city.  On  April  7,  1903,  the  follow- 
ing paper  was  read  before  the  Northerji  In- 
diana Historical  Society  by  the  writer  of  this 
history : 

THE  STORY  OF  A  PARK. 

"Prior  to  the  year  1878,  the  tract  along 
the  east  bank  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  in  the 
city  of  South  Bend,  stretching  from  Jefferson 
street  to  the  Grand  Trunk  (formerly  Lake 
Huron)  railroad,  was  an  impassable  morass, 
breeding  malaria  in  summer  and  good  in 
winter  for  skating  only.  Cottrell  avenue  ran 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  tract,  and  the 
ownership  of  the  part  between  the  avenue  and 
the  river  was  in  doubt.  This  morass  was 
claimed  by  Mr.  William  Heck,  who  platted 
the  same  into  lots,  which,  however,  remained 
vacant  and  unimproved,  except  that  a  part 
of  the  ground  was  scooped  out  deeper  to 
make  an  ice  pond  for  the  cutting  and  storing 
of  ice  in  the  cold  season. 

"The  place  had  become  a  nuisance  in  the 
summer  as  an  ague  breeder;  but^  as  the  city 
had  no  unquestioned  control  over  it,  the 
means  of  relief  were  not  apparent;  and  yet 
the  people  were  insistent  on  some  plan  for 
the  abatement  of  the  nuisance.  Few  persons 
in  those  days  thought  of  parks,  still  less  did 
any  dream  of  turning  this  swamp  into  a  pleas- 
ure ground.  Something  however,  had  to  be 
done  in  the  interest  of  the  public  health; 
and  here,  as  in  many  other  cases,  necessity 
became  the  mother  of  invention. 

"On  October  14,  1878,  the  writer  of  this 
paper,  then  a  member  of  the  city  council, 
offered  the  following  resolution,  which  was 
adopted : 


"  'Resolved,  by  the  common  council  of  the 
city  of  South  Bend,  Indiana,  That  the  city 
attorney  is  hereby  directed  to  examine  the 
title  of  the  city  to  that  tract  of  overflowed 
land  lying  along  the  east  bank  of  the  St. 
Joseph  river,  between  the  Jefferson  street 
bridge  and  the  Chicago  &  Lake  Huron  rail- 
road, and  bounded  as  follows:  On  the  north 
by  Jefferson  street,  on  the  east  by  Cottrell 
avenue,  on  the  south  by  Division  street,  and 
on  the  west  by  the  St.  Joseph  river;  and  if 
the  title  of  the  city  to  said  tract  is  found  to 
be  good,  then  that  the  attorney  report  an 
ordinance  to  the  council  setting  apart  said 
tract  as  a  city  dumping  ground  for  the  de- 
posit of  all  refuse  matter  from  the  streets 
and  alleys  of  the  city,  with  the  view  of  finally 
filling,  leveling  and  planting  said  ground, 
and  thus,  in  time,  converting  the  same  into 
a  public  park  or  pleasure  ground  for  the  use 
of  the  citizens  of  South  Bend.' 

"On  November  25,  following,  the  city  at- 
torney, now  the  Hon.  Lucius  Hubbard,  re- 
ported that,  in  his  opinion,  the  said  lands 
were  a  part  of  Cottrell  avenue,  but  that  as 
'Heck's  addition'  they  were  held  adverse  to 
the  city ;  and  he  requested  authority  to  bring 
suit  in  the  circuit  court  to  quiet  the  title  of 
the  city;  which  authority  was  granted. 

"On  January  6,  1879,  the  attorney  re- 
ported that  John  and  George  Beck,  who  ap- 
peared to  have  title  to  the  greater  part  of 
'Heck's  addition,'  were  willing  to  quit  claim 
to  the  city  their  supposed  interest  for  one 
hundred  dollars,  each  party  to  pay  one-half 
costs  of  suit  in  court. 

"On  February  3,  1879,  the  city  offered  to 
pay  sixty  dollars  for  the  lots  in  Heck's  ad- 
dition held  by  John  and  George  Beck.  This 
offer  was  accepted  and  the  purchase  made. 

"On  February  4,  1879,  the  Hon.  Lucius 
Tong,  then  mayor  of  the  city;  Jonathan  P. 
Creed  and  Charles  LaCoss  quit-claimed  for 
a  small  consideration  four  other  lots  in 
Heck's  addition.  And  on  February  17,  1879, 
the  city  engineer  was  directed  to  mark  the 
boundaries  of  the  park. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


387 


"On  March  17,  1879.  pursuant  to  a  motion 
therefor  introduced  by  the  writer,  ordinance 
No.  524,  establishing-  the  city  park  and  plac- 
ing the  same  under  the  control  of  the  city 
marshal,  was  adopted  by  the  common  council. 

"On  April  5,  1880,  also  on  motion  of  the 
writer,  the  board  of  public  improvements  was 
authorized  to  plant  50  trees,  elm  and  soft 
maple,  upon  the  narrow  ridge  of  ground  near 
the  river  bank ;  which  was  done.  The  maples 
all  died,  and  some  of  the  elms  also,  but  many 
of  the  elms  have  grown  and  flourished,  and 
now  afford  grateful  shade  in  the  summer 
weather. 

"Afterwards,  on  like  suggestion  of  the 
writer,  the  city  purchased  the  Semortier 
property,  between  Hill  street  and  Cott^ell 
avenue,  being  lot  170,  Oottrell's  first  addition 
to  Lowell;  and  on  June  4,  1883,  the  common 
council  vacated  that  part  of  the  avenue  be- 
tween the  Semortier  lot  and  the  river,  thus 
greatly  enlarging  the  original  ground. 

"No  further  action,  except  the  gradual 
filling  up  of  the  low  ground,  was  taken  until 
November  5,  1889,  when  Alexis  Coquillard, 
as  a  gift  for  the  park,  made  a  deed  to  the 
city  of  lots  195,  196,  197  and  200  in  Oottrell's 
first  addition.  Lot  200,  so  given  by  Mr. 
Coquillard,  proved  to  be  of  exceptional  value, 
inasmuch  as  it  fronted  upon  St.  Louis  street, 
and  thus  enabled  the  authorities  afterwards 
to  connect  the  walks  and  driveways  of  the 
park  directly  with  that  street. 

"During  the  fifteen  years,  from  187§  until 
1893,  the  'City  Park'  was  little  more  than 
a  by-word  among  the  people,  and  in  the  city 
press.  The  locality  was  indeed  an  unsavory 
one.  At  first  a  quagmire,  the  filling  of  street 
cleanings  made  it  only  slightly  less  offensive ; 
and  those  who  saw  a  future  'public  park  or 
pleasure  ground'  in  the  repulsive  tract  were 
compelled  to  suffer  much  obloquy  in  connec- 
tion with  the  embryotic  park.  But  the  refuse 
continued  to  he  covered  from  time  to  time 
with  fresh  earth;  and  when  the  years  1892, 
1893  and  1894  came  around,  the  people  began 
to  see   that,    in   the   end,   the   originators   of 


the  park  on  the  St.  Joseph  were  sure  to  be 
vindicated.  To  give  some  idea  of  the  work 
accomplished,  it  is  said  that  the  filling,  or 
'made  ground,'  is,  in  places  from  ten  to  fif- 
teen feet  deep. 

"On  June  8,  1891,  the  common  council 
elected  a  board  of  park  commissioners,  con- 
sisting at  first  of  Frank  Mayr,  Corwin  B. 
Vanpelt  and  Samuel  S.  Perley.  On  October 
5,  1891,  this  board  reported  that  steps  should 
be  taken  for  the  improvement  of  the  park. 
The  filling  was  at  this  time  nearly  complete, 
and  the  ground  almost  ready  for  covering 
with  fresh  soil,  preparatory  to  grading,  lay- 
ing out  walks  and  planting  to  grass,  flowers 
and  trees.  On  July  10,  1893,  the  park  com- 
missioners took  the  first  important  action 
looking  to  the  permanent  improvement  of  the 
grounds.  The  members  of  the  board  at  that 
time  were  Corwin  B.  Vanpelt,  Frank  Mayr 
and  Joseph  E.  Robert.  They  recommended 
the  appropriation  of  $5,000  for  the  erection  of 
a  sea  wall  along  the  river  front  and  for  other 
necessary  work.  The  matter  was  before  the 
council  for  several  months;  and  it  was  not 
until  June  25,  1894,  nearly  a  year  after- 
wards, that  ordinance  No.  949,  making  the 
appropriation  requested,   was  finally   passed. 

"On  February  26,  1894,  the  city  engineer, 
William  M.  Whitten,  reported  that  he  had 
nearly  ready  for  the  engraver  a  new  map  of 
the  city  and  desired  to  have  a  name  given  to 
the  park,  so  that  he  might  enter  the  same  on 
his  map.  The  engineer  in  his  report  was 
kind  enough  to  refer  to  the  action  taken  by 
the  writer  while  a  member  of  the  council  in 
securing  the  grounds  for  the  city  and  pro- 
viding for  their  enlargement  and  improve- 
ment; and  he  suggested  that  the  writer's 
name  be  therefore  given  to  the  park.  The 
council  accepted  Mr.  Whitten 's  suggestion; 
and  by  a  unanimous  vote  ordered  that  the 
tract  should  thereafter  be  known  as  'Howard 
Park. ' 

"On  June  25,  1894,  Corwin  B.  Vanpelt, 
Martin  J.  Roach  and  Oren  G.  Huff  were 
elected  park  commissioners. 


388 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


"On  February  25,  1895,  the  commissioners 
asked  that  the  park  cease  to  he  further  used 
as  a  dumping  ground.  The  city  then  pro- 
cured other  ground  for  the  purpose,  since 
known  as  La  Salle  Park,  adjoining  the  new 
Sample  street  bridge,  and  also  lying  along 
the  east  side  of  the  St.  Joseph  river. 

' '  The  commissioners  now  sought  for  a  com- 
petent landscape  artist  to  lay  out  the  park, 
and  were  exceedingly  fortunate  in  securing 
the  services  of  Mr.  John  G.  Barker,  at  whose 
magic  touch  the  former  swamp  began  at  last 
to  assume  the  fair  outlines  of  a  pleasure 
ground.  Under  his  skilled  hand  a  wonderful 
transformation  has  taken  place.  Those  who 
enjoy  the  park,  as  it  is  today,  owe  a  debt  of 
gratitude  to  Mr.  Barker.  He  has  shown  by 
apt  illustration  how  'a  thing  of  beauty  is  a 
joy  forever.' 

"During  the  summer  of  1895  the  fine  sea 
wall  and  cement  walk  along  the  river  was 
constructed.  The  report  filed  by  the  com- 
missioners, November  19,  1895,  shows  re- 
ceipts $5,673.96,  and  expenditures  $5,663.62. 
The  funds  in  the  hands  of  the  board  were 
most  judiciously  expended.  The  results  of 
that  summer's  labors  are  not  only  for  the 
pleasure  of  those  now  living,  but  for  the  en- 
joyment of  thousands  yet  unborn. 

"The  good  work  continued.  The  trees 
flourished  from  year  to  year.  The  green 
sod  grew  firmer.  The  gravel  walks  and 
drives  were  extended  until  they  wound  grace- 
fully over  the  whole  tract.  During  the  sum- 
mer months  picturesque  mounds  of  fiowers 
mingled  their  bright  colors  with  the  deep 
green  of  the  grass  and  trees  and  with  the 
silvery  sheen  from  the  waters  of  the  St. 
Joseph. 

"And,  lest  the  people  in  their  enjoyment 
should  forget  that  life  is  not  all  a  holiday  and 
that  there  had  been  times  that  tried  men's 
souls,  Captain  Vanpelt,  president  of  the 
board,  secured  three  fine  guns  that  had  done 
service  during  the  war,  and  had  them 
mounted  where  they  remain  today,  as  if  on 
guard  against  any  possible  enemy  that  might 


appear  upon  the  placid  bosom  of  the  fair  St. 
Joseph. 

"On  October  25.  1897,  the  board,  in  a  peti- 
tion filed  with  the  city  council,  began  to 
agitate  the  procurement  of  additional  land  to 
the  east  of  the  park  up  to  the  alley  first  west 
of  St.  Louis  street.  The  demand  for  that 
addition  did  not  then,  however,  seem  to  be 
sufficiently  urgent  to  induce  the  city  fathers 
to  yield  to  the  request  of  the  park  commis- 
sioners. That  extension  was  destined  to  come, 
but  only  after  many  years. 

"With  his  third,  and  final,  report,  filed 
January  24,  1898,  Captain  Vanpelt,  in  the 
following  words,  feeling  perhaps  that  he  had 
done  his  work  of  love,  and  done  it  well, 
handed  in  to  the  common  council  his  resigna- 
tion of  the  office  which  he  had  so  acceptably 
filled:  'Owing,'  he  said,  *to  the  pressure  of 
private  business,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  tender 
you  my  resignation,  to  take  effect  immedi- 
ately. I  desire  to  thank  you,  on  behalf  of  the 
board  of  park  commi.ssioners,  for  the  uniform 
courtesy  and  consideration  you  have  at  all 
times  extended  to  us  in  the  matter  of  the  im- 
provement of  Howard  Park,  transferring  a 
pestilential  tract  into  what  is,  even  now,  a 
clean  and  wholesome  spot,  which,  in  time,  will 
inure  to  the  benefit  of  the  general  public. 
"  'C.  B.  Vanpelt, 
"  'President  and  Treasurer.' 

"Would  that  every  public  servant  might 
lay  down  his  burden  with  as  much  honor  to 
himself  and  with  as  many  good  wishes  from 
the  public  who  have  been  so  greatly  benefited 
by  his  unselfish  labors. 

"Captain  Vanpelt  had  a  worthy  successor 
in  the  person  of  Irving  A.  Sibley,  who 
was  elected  in  his  place,  and  who  continued 
the  same  progressive  methods,  until  the  en- 
actment of  the  new  city  charter,  when  the 
department  of  parks  was  placed  in  charge  of 
the  board  of  public  w^orks. 

"On  Friday  evening,  August  18,  1899,  the 
park  was  formally  dedicated  as  a  public 
pleasure  ground,  in  one  of  the  most  splendid 
civic    demonstrations   ever   witnessed   in    the 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


389 


queen  city  of  the  St.  Joseph  valley.  The 
dedication  was  in  connection  with  a  patriotic 
festival  in  honor  of  Indiana's  distinguished 
soldier,  Henry  W.  Lawton,  then  winning  his 
laurels  in  the  Philippines.  Dedication  and 
festival  were  under  the  auspices  and  direc- 
tion of  Auten  Post  No.  8,  G.  A.  R.,  of  which 
the  writer  was  then  post  commander,  and 
Auten  Relief  Corps  No.  14,  W.  R.  C.  Full 
and  graphic  accounts  of  the  double  celebra- 
tion were  given  in  the  city  press  next  day. 

''The  following  paragraphs  are  abbreviated 
from  The  Times: 

"  'South  Bend's  park  commissioners  well 
earned  the  praise  bestowed  upon  their  park- 
making  efforts  by  the  great,  multitude  that 
thronged  Howard  Park  at  the  Gen.  Lawton 
memorial  festival  and  park  dedication.  The 
results  were  a  pleasing  surprise  to  the  many 
who  had  not  before  visited  the  park;  and 
many  friends  were  made  for  park  expendi- 
tures so  judiciously  directed. 

"  'It  was  an  imposing  parade  that  was 
formed  on  South  Michigan  street  in  front  of 
Auten  Post  headquarters,  last  evening,  led 
by  Col.  George  M.  Studebaker  and  Capt. 
David  A.  Ireland  on  horseback.  When  the 
line  of  march  reached  the  Jefferson  street 
bridge  there  was  a  crowd  found  on  that  struc- 
ture that  was  simply  alarming  from  its 
density,  and  all  breathed  easier  when  the  pro- 
cession had  passed  over.  At  the  park  there 
was  a  vast  multitude,  one  of  the  largest  ever 
gathered  in  South  Bend. ' 

' '  The  Tribune  said : 

"  'Silvery  rays  of  many  electric  lamps  and 
the  full  flood  of  moonlight  turned  pretty 
Howard  Park  into  a  fairyland  last  night ;  and 
the  thousands  of  visitors  who  strolled  over  its 
winding  paths,  its  graveled  roads  and  well- 
kept  lawns,  and  gazed  into  the  quaint  and 
picturesque  St.  Joseph,  will  long  remember 
the  dedication  of  what  is  to  be  the  most 
beautiful  little  park  in  Indiana. 

"  'As  the  thousands  assembled  on  the  city's 
pleasure  ground  to  take  part  in  the  formal 
dedication  of  the  place  and  to  do  honor  to 


that  Indianian.  who  is  distinguishing  himself 
in  the  Philippines,  they  found  a  revelation, 
for  Howard  Park  was  never  more  beautiful 
nor   the   river   more  sparkling  than   on   last 


evening. 


"  'The  speaking  was  from  the  open  pa- 
vilion in  the  center  of  the  park.  The 
speakers,  who  were  introduced  by  Post  Com- 
mander Howard,  of  Auten  Post,  as  master  of 
ceremonies,  were  Mayor  Colfax,  Congressman 
Abraham  Lincoln  Brick,  Attorneys  Stuart 
McKibbin  and  George  E.  Clarke  and  Captain 
Edwin  Nicar. ' 

"The  articles  in  the  city  papers  were 
elaborate  and  enthusiastic  in  the  extreme;  but 
the  foregoing  condensed  extracts  will  suffice 
to  give  some  idea  of  the  wonderful  interest 
awakened  among  the  people  by  the  final  open- 
ing of  the  park  upon  the  St.  Joseph. 

"In  1901,  on  the  re-organization  of  the 
city  government  under  our  special  charter, 
the  commissioners  who  had  done  their  work 
so  well,  turned  over  the  park  to  the  new 
board  of  public  works,  consisting  of  Arthur 
L.  Hubbard,  Samuel  Leeper  and  Charles  L. 
Goetz.  During  the  administration  of  this 
efficient  board  the  park  became  so  frequented 
a  resort  that  attention  was  drawn  more  and 
more  to  the  need  of  extending  the  area  of  the 
grounds  set  apart  by  the  city  for  recreation 
and  breathing  places  for  the  people.  Early 
in  their  administration  the  board  established 
La  Salle  Park,  an  admirably  situated  tract 
half  a  mile  further  up  the  river.  Soon  after- 
wards, over  a  mile  down  stream,  they  laid 
out  the  fine  Leeper  Park,  which  includes  the 
dainty  island  in  the  river  at  that  point. 

"The  urgent  desire  of  the  people  for  the 
enlargement  of  Howard  Park  wrought  upon 
the  public-spirited  and  enterprising  nature  of 
one  of  South  Bend's  most  eminent,  as  he  is 
one  of  her  most  wealthy,  citizens,  Mr.  John 
M.  Studebaker;  and  in  Aug-ust,  1902,  the 
board  of  public  works  received  from  Mr. 
Studebaker  a  deed  for  lots  187  and  188  in 
Cottrell's  first  addition,  together  with  two 
thousand  dollars  in  cash  for  the  further  im- 


390 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


provement  of  the  park.  This  timely  gift  was 
made  conditional  on  the  purchase  by  the  city 
of  lots  183,  184,  185  and  186,  also  to  be  added 
to  the  park.  The  purchase  of  those  lots  was 
accordingly  made  by  the  city  at  the  price  of 
twelve  thousand,  five  hundred  dollars;  and 
the  east  limits  of  the  park  were  thus  extended 
to  the  alley  next  to  St.  Louis  street,  carry- 
ing out  the  design  so  long  entertained  by  the 
park  commissioners,  as  well  as  by  the  board 
of  public  works. 

"As  we  have  already  seen,  Mayor  Tong, 
Mr.  Creed  and  Mr.  LaCoss  practically  donated 
four  of   the   original   Heck   lots   to   the   city 


eastern  part  of  the  park,  it  was  tlie  desire  of 
many  people  that  the  soldiers'  monument, 
about  to  be  erected  by  the  county  should  be 
located  on  those  high  grounds,  where  it  could 
be  seen  to  so  good  advantage  from  all  the 
city  and  surrounding  country.  The  location 
finally  chosen  was  different;  and  time  only 
must  tell  whether  a  mistake  has  been  made 
or  not. 

"With  the  ground  clear  from  the  river  to 
the  east  side  of  the  recent  acquisition,  the 
artist  hand  and  brain  of  Mr.  Barker  will  give 
us,  Avith  Howard  Park  and  Leeper  Park, 
pleasant    recreation    grounds,    surpassing    in 


HOWARD   PARK,    SOUTH   BEND. 


when  the  park  was  first  projected ;  and,  after- 
wards, Alexis  Coquillard  gave  four  Cottrell 
lots  for  the  same  public  use,  bringing  the 
grounds  out  to  St.  Louis  street  on  lot  200. 
Finally,  Mr.  Studebaker  added  two  lots  more, 
with  a  gift  of  money  for  the  same  worthy 
purpose.  So  it  has  been  that  the  generosity 
of  high-minded  citizens  has  combined  with 
the  ceaseless  activity,  wise  economy  and  ex- 
cellent taste  of  the  officials  in  charge  to  make 
this  park  what  it  has  now  become,  an  orna- 
ment to  our  city  and  a  place  of  delight  for 
all  our  people. 

"After  the  purchase  of  the  last  lots,  giving 
a    high    and    commanding    position    in    the 


beauty,  extent  and  attractiveness  those  of  any 
of   our   near-by   sister   cities. 

"Howard  Park  will  attain  to  its  destined 
outlines  and  usefulness  only  when  the  lots 
immediately  on  the  east  are  added  to  it. 
The  grounds  will  then  be  bounded  by  Jeffer- 
son street,  St.  Louis  street  and  the  St.  Joseph 
river.  It  will  be  a  pleasure  ground  most 
romantically  and  at  the  same  time  most  con- 
veniently situated,  consisting  of  nearly  twen- 
ty acres  of  ground,  lying  in  the  very  heart 
of  the  city,  and  stretching  along  the  banks 
of  the  'St.  Joseph — ^by  far  the  finast  river  in 
Indiana.  That  will,  without  douJDt,  give  our 
fair  city,  if  we  have  it  not  already,  the  most 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


391 


delightful  small  park  in  the  state,  perhaps  in 
the  country. 

To  conclude,  it  will  soon  be  twenty-five 
years  since  the  passage  by  the  common  coun- 
cil of  the  original  resolution  first  proposing 
to  convert  into  a  public  park  the  tract  of  low 
and  overflowed  land  lying  between  Cottrell 
avenue  and  the  St.  Joseph  river.  It  has  taken 
all  those  years  to  bring  about  the  transforma- 
tion proposed  by  the  terms  of  the  resolution. 
But  the  work  is  done,  and  the  citizens  of 
South  Bend  are  in  the  actual  use  and  enjoy- 
ment of  the  anticipated  pleasure  ground.  Let 
us  trust  that  this  is  l)ut  the  first  of  the  many 
public  i)arks  that  are  to  adorn  our  beautiful 
city." 

During  the  four  years  that  have  passed 
since  the  writing  of  the  foregoing  paper,  the 
materials  for  "the  continuation  of  the  story" 
of  Howard  Park  have  been  added  to,  by 
reason  of  the  presentation  of  an  ornamental 
electric  fountain  by  John  M.  Studebaker  and 
a  bronze  drinking  fountain  by  Calvert  H. 
Defrees. 

On  July  21.  1906.  there  was  a  double  dedi- 
cation in  the  park,  as  there  had  been  on 
August  18,  1899,  when  the  park  itself  was 
opened  to  the  public,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  people  united  with  the  dedication  a  patri- 
otic festival  in  honor  of  General  Lawton,  then 
doing  honor  to  his  country,  and  particularly 
to  his  state,  during  the  war  in  the  Philippines. 
On  July  21,  1906,  the  people  came  together 
to  dedicate  the  Studebaker  fountain  and  also 
to  witness  the  opening  of  the  beautiful  Melan 
bridge  over  the  river,  at  Jefferson  street,  then 
recently  completed.  On  the  Monday  evening 
following  the  dedication,  the  following  par- 
ticulars in  relation  to  the  exercises  appeared 
in  the  South  Bend  Times : 

"The  outpouring  of  people  Saturday  night 
to  witness  the  dedication  of  the  electric 
bronze  fountain  presented  the  city  for  How- 
ard park  by  John  M.  Studebaker,  must  have 
been  greatly  pleasing  to  that  gentleman  for 
the  appreciation  of  the  gift  it  evidenced. 
Estimates  of  the  crowd  assembled  in  the  park 


are  from  eight  to  ten  thousand.  It  was  a 
good  natured  assemblage,  standing  patiently 
through  the  concert  given  by  Miller's  band 
preceding  the  ceremonies,  and  listening  in- 
tently to  the  speakers. 

"Mayor  Fogarty  brought  the  assemblage  to 
order,  speaking  of  the  pleasure  it  gave  him 
to  be  permitted  to  preside  at  a  meeting  of 
this  nature,  when  two  such  magnificent  gifts 
as  the  fountain  and  the  Jefferson  street 
bridge  were  to  be  received  by  the  city.  He 
then   introduced  Mr.   Studebaker. 

"The  address  of  the  latter  was  of  an  extem- 
poraneous order  and  of  a  happy  nature.  He 
said  it  was  not  his  purpose  to  attempt  mak- 
ing a  speech,  but  he  wanted  to  speak  a  few 
words  to  the  young  men  who  stood  before 
him. 

' '  He  was  surprised  and  delighted  at  the  sea 
of  faces  before  him;  the  appreciation  of  the 
gift  thus  shown  was  ample  compensation. 

"The  incentive  for  giving  the  fountain  to 
Howard  park,  he  said,  came  from  his  travels 
over  the  country  and  visits  to  the  parks  of 
the  larger  cities.  He  had  found  that  the 
parks  most  frequented  were  those  made  most 
attractive  through  public  or  private  enter- 
prise. This  reflection  caused  him  to  reach  the 
decision  to  do  something  that  would  make 
Howard  park  more  attractive,  and  from  it 
came  the  suggestion  of  an  electric  fountain  as 
the  best  thing  he  could  do. 

"Mr.  Studebaker  then  became  most  inter- 
estingly reminiscent,  and  told  of  his  start  in 
life;  how  he  had  struggled  along,  believing 
in  the  principle  that  God  helps  those  who 
help  themselves,  eventually  leading  up  to 
what  made  it  possible  for  him  to  make  the 
city  this  gift.  It  was  at  this  point  that  he 
wished  the  close  attention  of  his  young  audi- 
tors. 

"  'Fifty-six  years  ago,'  said  Mr.  Stude- 
baker, 'I  landed  in  South  Bend  as  poor  a 
boy  as  stands  before  me  tonight.  The  only 
shoes  I  wore  were  those  God  had  given  me. 
I  lived  with  my  parents  in  a  log  cabin  and 
there  are  men   and  women  here  today  who 


392 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


can  remember  it.  I  got  up  at  4  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  walked  one  or  two  miles  in  the 
woods  where  I  cut  my  two  cords  of  wood  a 
day.  That  is  the  way  I  got  my  start.  The 
opportunity  for  young  men  then  was  not  very 
great  or  promising.  It  is  better  today.  Times 
have  changed  it  is  true,  but  the  opportunities 
are  here  just  the  same.  The  trouble  is  that 
many  do  not  avail  themselves  of  them,  and 
are  not  willing  to  work  as  it  is  necessary  to 
gain  a  start  in  life,  and  oftentimes  fail  to 
save  and  store  away  their  earnings.' 

' '  In  his  concluding  remarks  Mr.  Studebaker 
made  reference  to  the  new  bridge,  and  told 
of  the  struggle  to  get  commissioners  who 
would  go  on  with  these  improvements.  Where 
the  commissioners  were  unable  to  realize  the 
necessity  for  new  bridges  they  were  super- 
ceded by  men  who  did.  The  improvements 
of  the  city  had  made,  he  said.  South  Bend 
known  far  and  wide  as  a  progressive  and 
enterprising  city,  and  it  would  grow  still 
greater.  Best  of  all,  he  said,  was  that  in  all 
these  improvements  there  had  been  no  graft- 
ing by  officials. 

"Mr.  Studebaker  then  formally  presented 
the  fountain  to  William  A.  Mclnerny,  presi- 
dent of  the  board  of  public  works. 

"The  address  of  Mr.  Mclnerny  was  a  high- 
ly creditable  effort,  and  in  his  remarks  he  took 
occasion  to  make  it  known  that  this  was  not 
the  first  evidence  of  public  spiritedness  on  the 
part  of  this  honored  citizen.  He  said  that 
Mr.  Studebaker  was  an  extensive  traveler  and 
greatly  interested  in  municipal  government. 
When  he  found  something  that  was  a  de- 
parture from  old  established  lines  of  govern- 
ment and  that  was  an  improvement,  he 
brought  the  ideas  home  and  laid  them  before 
the  board. 

"In  the  years  he  had  served  upon  this 
board,  Mr.  Mclnerny  said,  he  had  always 
found  Mr.  Studebaker  ready  to  co-operate  in 
any  necessary  improvement  and  one  who  had 
never  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  requests  for  advice 
upon  matters  where  his  opinions  would  be  of 
value  to  the  board. 


"The  Hon.  John  B.  Stoll,  of  The  Times, 
referred  to  the  value  citizens  of  Mr.  Stude- 
baker's  type  were  to  a  city,  and  also  called 
attention  to  what  an  institution  of  the  Stude- 
baker factory's  magnitude  meant  to  South 
Bend.  He  said  it  should  be  the  object  and  en- 
deavor of  every  citizen  to  help  improve  South 
Bend  as  Mr.  Studebaker  had  done.  The  poor- 
est and  humblest  could  do  their  mite  and  yet 
accomplish  wonders  by  the  planting  of  a  tree, 
a  shrub  or  a  flower  and  keeping  their  lawns 
and  premises  in  a  neat,  tidy  condition. 

"Congressman  Abraham  L.  Brick  was  the 
last  speaker.  He  spoke  of  the  efforts  to  make 
the  city  more  attractive  and  more  beautiful 
and  how  its  fame  has  spread.  He  had  seen 
the  new  bridge  built  at  Boston  and  although 
it  was  some  spans  longer  he  could  honestly 
say  that  it  was  no  prettier  than  the  Jefferson 
street  bridge,  while  he  was  confident  that  the 
county  got  better  value  for  its  money  at  less 
cost,  than  did  the  Boston  builders. 

' '  Mr.  Brick  referred  to  the  charges  of  graft- 
ing that  were  being  made  over  the  country, 
taking  occasion  to  say  that  citizens  of  South 
Bend  could  rest  assured  that  there  were  no 
such  conditions  existing  here.  He  believed  in 
giving  full  credit  to  whom  credit  was  due, 
and  it  was  certainly  due  the  present  city  ad- 
ministration for  the  improvements  that  were 
going  on  and  the  clean  streets  with  the  limi- 
ted funds  at  hand. 

"At  ]\Ir.  Brick's  close  the  water  was  turned 
into  the  fountain  and  as  the  cascades  began 
falling  over  the  basins  the  electric  lamps 
burst  into  blaze,  revealing  the  full  magnifi- 
cence and  beauty  of  the  gift  of  this  most 
public  spirited  citizen  and  generous  donor." 

The  Times  took  occasion  in  the  same  issue 
to  speak  in  deserved  praise  of  the  public  spirit 
of  the  citizens  of  South  Bend  who  had  been 
liberal  in  bestowing  of  their  means  in  mak- 
ing their  city  beautiful.  Some  of  these  items 
are  of  special  historical  interest,  and  are  here 
inserted  for  that  reason : 

"The  thousands  of  people,"  said  the  Times, 
"who   turned   out   last    Saturdav   to   witness 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


393 


the  dedication  of  the  Studebaker  fountain  in 
Howard  Park  bore  eloquent  testimony  to  the 
high  appreciation  which  the  citizenship  of 
this  municipality  feels  in  the  beautifying  of 
the  queen  city  of  the  St.  Joseph  valley. 

"Calvert  H.  Defrees  is  deserving  of  honor- 
able mention  in  connection  with  the  installa- 
tion of  the  Studebaker  fountain  in  Howard 
Park;  With  commendable  generosity  and  by 
the  manifestation  of  an  appreciable  public 
spirit  he  constructed  free  of  charge  the  ap- 
proaches to  the  fountain — the  modern  walks 
leading  to  that  ornamentation  of  the  city's 
most  inviting  resting  place.  In  doing  this 
voluntarily  and  gracefully,  the  name  of  Mr. 
Defrees  is  given  an  honorable  place  in  the  list 
of  South  Bend's  benefactors.  Doubtless  the 
well-known  contractor  will  find  much  satis- 
faction in  contemplating  that  he  has  ren- 
dered a  good  service  to  those  who  seek  recrea- 
tion and  joy  in  Howard  Park. 

' '  There  are  still  opportunities  for  well-to-do 
citizens  of  South  Bend  to  do  something  for 
the  city  by  way  of  adornment  and  useful- 
ness. Good  examples  have  been  set;  emula- 
tion should  follow  according  to  circum- 
stances and  inclination.  The  Studebaker 
fountain  in  Howard  Park  serves  as  a  pointer. 
It  was,  on  a  smaller  but  none-the-less  appre- 
ciated scale,  preceded  by  the  widow  of  the 
late  Almond  Bugbee  in  rearing  a  fountain 
in  Deeper  Park.  Epworth  Hospital  and  St. 
Paul's  church  constitute  imposing  monuments 
to  the  memory  of  that  noble  citizen,  the  late 
Hon.  Clement  Studebaker.  The  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
will  soon  be  provided  with  a  splendid  home 
through  the  generosity  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
George  Wyman.  The  Studebaker  Manufac- 
turing Company  will  presently  give  us  a  su- 
perb building  for  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  supple- 
menting the  spacious  Auditorium.  The  Oli- 
vers have  supplied  the  city  with  a  magnificent 
hotel,  preceded  by  an  elegant  opera  house. 
Valuable  school  sites  have  been  generously 
donated  by  'Samuel  S.  Perley,  James  Oliver, 
the  Muessel  estate  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph 
Kaley;  and  Mrs.  Jennette  Reynolds  has  en- 


dowed the  Humane  Society  with  a  $5,000 
fund." 

The  following  also,  from  an  editorial  in 
the  same  issue  of  the  Times,  coming  as  it 
does  from  the  philosophic  and  eloquent  pen 
of  the  Hon.  John  B.  Stoll,  its  able  editor,  is 
in  the  truest  vein  of  appreciation  of  the  deeds 
of  those  eminent  citizens  who  have  made 
South  Bend  renowned  throughout  the  world 
and  beloved  by  her  own  people : 

South  Bend  on  Saturday  evening,  wrote 
^Ir.  Stoll,  accepted  and  dedicated  the  beau- 
tiful Studebaker  fountain  in  Howard  Park. 

The  formal  ceremonies  are,  however,  but 
introductory  to  the  real  acceptance  and  dedi- 
cation of  the  fountain.  These  will  continue 
day  after  day  and  year  after  year,  as  the 
citizens  singly  or  in  groups  seek  the  whole- 
some recreations  of  the  park,  listen  to  the 
falling  waters  of  the  fountain,  quaff  its  re- 
freshing bounty  or  feast  their  eyes  upon  its 
beauty.  Little  children  will  accept  it  as  they 
play  about  its  base  or  laughingly  dip  their 
childish  fingers  in  its  waters.  Youths  and 
maidens  will  accept  its  influences  unconscious- 
ly, perhaps,  in  their  absorbed  devotion  to  one 
another;  tired  manhood  and  womanhood  will 
accept  it  in  an  hour  snatched  for  rest  from 
weary  toil :  old  age  will  accept  it  as  an  aid 
to  contemplation — and  all  Avill  dedicate  and 
rededicate  it  to  purposes  of  culture  and  com- 
fort. Nor  will  this  acceptance  and  dedication 
be  confined  to  the  present  time  or  to  those 
now  living. 

When  this  generation  shall  have  passed 
away,  when  its  successor  shall  have  come  and 
gone  and  others  still  and  others  shall  have 
followed;  when  the  great  industries  which 
ha.ve  built  up  our  city  and  which  effectuate 
its  present  prosperity  may  have  passed  i;ito 
forgetfulness,  this  fountain,  giving  forth  its 
waters  like  some  of  the  old  Roman  structures 
that  have  blessed  their  localities  for  2,000 
years,  will  be  annually  accepted  and  conse- 
crated by  the  people  who  centuries  hence  shall 
come  after  iLS.  When  the  Studebaker  wagon 
or  automobile  even  shall  perchance  have  be- 
come as  obsolete  as  is  now  the  chariot  of  the 
ancients,  this  fountain  "gives  bond  in  ever- 
during  brass"  to  guard  the  name  of  its  donor 
and  immortalize  the  trust  committed  to  it. 

This  trust  is  to  exprass,  in  material  form, 
a  bond  of  sympathy  between  employer  and 
employe — ^between     capital     and     labor.     It 


394 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


manifests  a  recognition  by  one  whom  fortune 
has  favored  of  the  obligations  which  pros- 
perity has  laid  upon  him.  "Noblesse  oblige" 
— nobility  imposes  obligation — was  the  motto 
of  the  old  feudal  lords  of  France. 

In  this  land  of  equal  manhood  there  are 
no  lords  and  retainers,  no  barons  and  peas- 
ants— the  highest  rank  may  be  reached  by 
those  in  humblest  conditions.  But  there  are 
those  whose  organizing  genius,  financial  skill 
or  executive  ability,  combined  with  favorable 
circumstances,  enables  them  to  amass  for- 
tunes. They  are  the  captains  of  industry, 
leaders  of  the  hosts  of  enterprise.  Such  lead- 
ers are  a  blessing  to  any  community.  In  their 
enterprise  a  city  grows  and  its  citizens  pros- 
per. The  employment  they  furnish  becomes 
a  means  of  frugal  comfort  to  many  others, 
and  of  fortune  to  some.  Of  course,  the  con- 
centrated profit  means  greater  wealth  to  the 
few  whose  capital  is  risked  and  whose  busi- 
ness ability  is  chiefly  responsible  for  success 
or  failure.*  If  now,  out  of  these  accumula- 
tions the  holder  feels  himself,  under  the  ob- 
ligations of  good  fortune,  bound  to  use  a  part 
for  the  benefit  of  the  citizens  at  large,  his 
activities  become  a  double  blessing,  and  his 
individual   success    is   still    more   the    success 

of  all. 

South  Bend  is  fortunate  in  her  capitalists. 
They  have  not  built  up  their  fortunes  in 
doubtful  speculations  or  by  crushing  feebler 
competitors.  They  have  conducted  legitimate 
business  enterprises  in  such  a  way  as  to  bene- 
fit their  co-workers  as  well  as  to  enrich  them- 
selves. They  have  honestly  earned  the  re- 
wards that  have  come  to  them.  They  also  are 
generous  in  sharing  their  surplus.  Charities, 
churches,  hospitals  and  Christian  associations, 
in  plans  completed  or  projected,  are  continu- 
ously and  munificently  aided.  The  city,  too, 
has  been  beautified  by  the  generous  expendi- 
ture of  money  not  all  with  hope  of  return. 
This  Studebaker  fountain,  though  conspicu- 
ous, stands  not  alone  as  evidence  of  a  gen- 
erous, broad-minded  public  spirit  in  the  suc- 
cessful men  of  the  city.  It  may  well  be  ac- 
cepted as  a  type  of  what  has  been  and  is  yet 
to  be. 

V.      BUSIISTESS    ENTERPRISES. 

gee.  1. — The  Studebaker  Brothers  Manu- 
facturing Company. — The  writer  of  this  his- 
tory is  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  Col.  Charles 
Arthur   Carlisle  for  the  following  sketch  of 


the  evolution  of  the  modern  vehicle ;  including 
also  an  account  of  the  organization  of  the 
Studebaker  company  and  the  development  of 
its  mammoth  manufacturing  business.  The 
article  has  already  been  published  in  a  widely 
circulated  vehicle  journal,  and  has  received 
general  commendation  as  a  modest  but  com- 
prehensive treatment  of  a  most  interesting 
subject.  The  article  is  followed  by  a  sum- 
mary of  the  Studebaker  history  since  the  com- 
ing of  Henry  and  Clement  Studebaker  to 
South  Bend,  in  1852;  also  written  by  Mr. 
Carlisle : 

All  vehicles  prior  to  1750  A.  D.  were  abso- 
lutely springless  and  the  leather  thorough- 
brace,  which  preceded  the  steel  springs,  did 
not  come  into  use  until  the  end  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  (about  1692). 

Westward  Ho !  the  advance  of  civilization 
carries  us  through  all  Europe,  across  the  At- 
lantic, and  we  see  the  birth  of  a  new  nation 
— a  people  who  will  outrank  and  outshine  all 
others  in  progress.  In  1768  Boston  proudly 
boasted  of  having  twenty-two  carriages  of 
every  description.  In  1798  the  number  had 
increased  to  one  hundred  and  forty-five. 

In  1770  President  Quincy,  of  Harvard  col- 
lege, wrote  as  follows  of  a  stage  journey  be- 
tween Boston  and  New  York : 

' '  The  carriages  were  old  and  shackling,  and 
much  of  the  harness  made  of  ropes.  One  pair 
of  horses  carried  us  eighteen  miles.  We 
generally  reached  our  destination  for  the 
night,  if  no  accident  intervened,  at  ten  o'clock 
and,  after  a  frugal  supper,  went  to  bed,  with 
a  notice  that  we  should  be  called  at  three  next 
morning,  which  generally  proved  to  be  half- 
past  two,  and  then,  whether  it  snowed  or 
rained,  the  traveler  must  rise  and  make  ready 
by  the  help  of  a  horn  lantern  and  a  farthing 
candle,  and  proceed  on  his  way  over  bad 
roads,  sometimes  getting  out  to  help  the  coach- 
man lift  the  coach  out  of  a  quagmire  or  rut, 
and  arriving  at  New  York  after  a  week's 
travel,  wondering  at  the  ease  as  well  as  the 
expedition  with  which  our  journey  was  ef- 
fected." 

In  1775  Washington  went  to  take  command 
of  the  American  Army.  It  took  him  eighteen 
days  to  go  from  Philadelphia  to  Cambridge, 
Massachusetts. 

With  the  improvement  of  good  roads  and 
the  advancement  of  civilization  we  find  the 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


395 


industry  of  vehicle  construction  developing 
and  spreading-  in  America.  The  leading  styles 
then  in  use  throughout  Europe  naturally  be- 
came the  patterns  followed  by  the  American 
craft,  but  here  we  began  to  mingle  the  ideas 
of  the  English,  the  French  and  the  German, 
and  development  shows  we  made  rapid  pro- 
gress. 

In  1736,  among  the  passengers  who  arrived 
at  Philadelphia  on  September  1st,  on  the  ship 
Harle,  with  Ralph  Harle  as  master,  from 
Rotterdam,  as  per  the  original  manuscripts 
now  in  the  Pennsylvania  state  library,  were: 

Peter  Studebecker,  age  38  years. 

Clement  Studebecker,  age  36  years. 

Henry  Studebecker,  age  29  years. 

Anna  Margetha  Studebecker,  age  38  years. 

Anna  Catharine  Studebecker,  age  28  years. 

These  brave  pioneers,  like  others  who  were 
tlocking  to  the  shores  of  the  land  of  the  free 
and  the  home  of  the  brave,  entered  upon  the 
plain  life  before  them.  In  1830,  in  the  village 
of  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  yet  unknown  to 
fame,  nestling  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain, 
quiet  and  lovely,  forming  a  scene  of  rustic 
beauty  and  of  ideal  life,  lived  John  Stude- 
baker,  worthy  son  of  a  worthy  sire,  a  village 
blacksmith,  whose  motto  hung  upon  the  door: 

"Owe  no  man  anything, 
But  love  one  another." 

He  built  wagons,  shod  horses  and  did  all  kinds 
of  work  at  the  forge  and  anvil.  He  did  honest 
work  and  his  fame  spread,  and  people  came 
from  afar,  because  they  knew  of  it.  He  was 
poor,  but  he  was  young,  and  he  was  strong, 
and  he  was  of  good  heart.  While  he  ham- 
mered at  the  anvil  his  good  wife  was  running 
the  spinning  wheel  or  making  into  garments 
the  cloth  she  had  spun  and  woven.  Cheerful, 
happy,  industrious  and  economical,  she  was  a 
fit  helpmate  for  such  a  man. 

Into  this  home  of  frugal  but  domestic  bliss 
Henry  and  Clement  (the  latter  afterwards 
known  as  Clem  Studebaker,  of  national  fame, 
a  man  honored  among  men  and  beloved  by  all 
who  knew  of  him,)  were  born. 

In  1835,  after  long  and  anxious  thought 
and  prayer,  John  Studebaker,  with  his  wife 
and  two  sturdy  boys,  decided  to  move  farther 
west,  hoping  there  to  find  greater  prosperity. 
A  wagon  was  built  for  the  family  use,  the 
type  and  style  of  the  Conestoga,  or  prairie 
schooner ;  another  for  the  forge  and  anvil  and 
tools ;  a  third  for  the  household  articles,  and 
with  all  of  these  the  little  family  with  brave 


hearts  put  their  trust  in  God  and  set  their 
faces  toward  the  West. 

Ashland,  Ohio,  was  selected  as  the  place 
for  the  new  home,  aud  there  a  new  shop  was 
erected  and  the  hard-working  smith  once  more 
began  the  battle  of  life. 

At  Ashland  three  other  sons  were  born  to 
the  happy  smith  and  his  wife — John  Mohler, 
Peter  E.,  and  Jacob  F.  So  far  as  the  loving 
parents  were  able,  each  child  was  given  a 
common  school  education,  but  better  than  this 
was  the  inspiration  of  love  of  honest  toil  and 
living  inculcated  through  the  lessons  taught 
by  the  father  and  mother.  They  taught  them 
industry,  frugality  and  honest  dealings,  and 
as  each  of  these  boys  learned  his  trade  he  was 
taught  how  to  put  an  honest  and  conscien- 
tious endeavor  into  everything  he  undertook. 

It  is  a  far  cry  from  a  village  blacksmith 
shop,  with  its  solitary  forge  and  one  anvil,  to 
a  factory  covering  more  than  one  hundred 
acres  of  land,  employing  more  than  three 
thousand  workmen,  using  more  than  fifty  mil- 
lion feet  of  lumber  and  thousands  of  tons  of 
refined  bar  iron  and  steel;  maniifacturing 
and  selling  more  than  one  hundred  thousand 
vehicles  in  a  -single  year. 

In  1852,  Henry  and  Clem  Studebaker,  the 
oldest  of  the  five  brothers,  set  their  faces 
again  to  the  westward,  and  saying  "good-by" 
to  lov^ed  ones  at  home,  moved  overland  from 
Ashland,  Ohio,  to  South  Bend,  Indiana,  then 
a  bustling  little  community  located  as  an  im- 
portant trading  post  upon  the  banks  of  the 
beautiful  St.  Joseph. 

With  sixty-eight  dollars  in  cash  and  stock- 
in-trade,  these  two  boys  opened  a  blacksmith 
shop  in  South  Bend,  Indiana.  The  first  year 
they  built  two  wagons,  shod  horses  and  laid 
the  foundation  for  their  greater  success.  One 
of  these  wagons  was  found  in  daily  use  thir- 
ty-three years  afterwards. 

Within  a  few  years,  Henry,  desiring  to  re- 
tire from  the  firm  of  II.  &  C.  Studebaker, 
his  interest  was  bought  by  John  ]M.,  the  third 
son,  who,  like  his  brothers,  was  no  stranger 
to  the  anvil  and  the  forge.  Little  by  little, 
but  ever  pressing  forward,  like  the  great  oak 
from  the  acorn,  these  brothers  developed  and 
grew. 

A  few  years  later  the  fourth  son,  Peter  E., 
bred  to  buy  and  sell,  joined  his  brothers, 
Clem  and  John  M.,  and  together  they  con- 
tinued the  march  for  great  victory. 

St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  was  at  that  time  the 
great   western    point,   where   congregated  the 


396 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


pioneers  who  were  going  overland  to  pene- 
trate the  gold  fields  and  the  fertile  valleys  of 
the  western  plains.  There  located,  Peter  E. 
Studebaker  opened  the  first  repository  for  the 
sale  of  Studebaker  vehicles.  Growing  in  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  the  people,  the  de- 
mands for  the  Studebaker  product,  so  ably 
represented  by  its  western  manager  and  so 
splendidly  and  honestly  made  by  the  broth- 
ers, Clem  and  J.  M.,  at  the  factorj%  began  to 
roll  in  upon  them,  and  additional  facilities 
were  required.  The  youngest  brother,  Jacob 
F.,  was  taken  into  the  firm  and  the  work  of 
building,  vending  and  spreading  its  influence 
became  almost  a  herculean  task,  but  the 
emergencies  as  they  arose  found  willing  and 
capable  energies  equal  to  the  demands. 

In  1852  two  wagons  were  built:  in  1904 
more  than  one  hundred  thousand  vehicles  of 
every  description  were  made  and  sold. 

They  pushed  into  the  "West  with  the  ad- 
vance of  civilization,  they  spread  to  the 
South,  the  North  and  the  East. 


'iJ^ 


ORIGINAL   STUDEBAKER  PLANT. 

The  government  in  1864  gave  them  their 
first  great  order,  and  every  demand  upon 
them  was  promptly  and  quickly  met,  ever 
keeping  before  them  the  motto  of  their  sire : 
"Owe  no  man  anvthing,  but  love  one  an- 
other. ' ' 

Fire  swept  in  upon  them,  and  within  a  few 
hours  their  frame  factory  buildings  were  al- 
most entirely  destroyed.  Before  daylight  the 
next  morning  one  brother  could  be  seen  fly- 
ing to  the  eastern  markets  for  new  equip- 
ment :  another  to  Chicago  for  temporary  re- 
lief: another  superintending  the  removal  of 
the' debris  and  arranging  for  reconstruction. 
These  men  knew  how  to  meet  an  emergency, 
and  they  set  aside  all  grief  and  thouoht  of 
loss,    and   inspired    the    confidence    of    others 


with    their    brave,     determined    hearts    and 
willing  hands. 

Out  of  the  ashes  of  the  fire  rose  quickly 
brick  and  stone  structures,  equipped  with 
modern  appliances  and  machinery,  and  al- 
most before  their  gTeat  loss  was  know^n  broad- 
cast the  announcement  was  rushed,  over  wire 
and  by  mail,  from  mouth  to  mouth  their 
story  ran,  and  the  world  saw  and  knew  of 
their  greater  achievement — a  modern  factory 
of  brick  and  mortar,  splendidly  equipped, 
improved  facilities,  almost  doubling  the  for- 
mer output  in  capacity,  ready  for  business, 
not  a  loss  of  trade,  not  a  dissatisfied  custo- 
mer. Is  it  any  wonder  that  they  grew  in 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people? 
Why,  apparent  hardships  seemed  almost  a 
pleasure  to  such  men.  (3ften,  though,  have  I 
heard  Clem  Stu  lebaker  tell  the  true  story; 
that  is,  the  story  of  those  dark  hours  at  home, 
when  all  the  world  seemed  asleep:  there  the 
great  struggle  of  these  men  was  uncovered, 
there  the  true  strength  of  the  man's  honest 
heart  was  seen.  The  love  and  devotion  of  a 
true  wife,  the  blessings  and  comforts  of  a 
happy  home,  come  to  such  a  man  as  the  in- 
spiration of  prayer,  and  God  leads  him  out 
of  darkness  again  into  the  sunshine. 

Ever  keeping  apace  with  the  demands  upon 
them,  the  Studebaker  Brothers  increased 
their  variety  of  styles,  until  it  embraced 
every  type '  of  vehicle  for  pleasure  or  busi- 
Jiess  use,  from  a  tAvo-wheeled  cart  or  a  farm 
wagon  to  a  Presidential  landau,  and  inclu- 
sive of  electric  and  gasoline  automobiles. 

Lord  Roberts,  the  military  head  of  the 
armies  of  Great  Britain,  in  South  Africa,  in 
his  official  report,  said : 

"Wagons  were  imported  for  trial  from  the 
Tnited  States,  and  these  proved  to  be  su- 
perior to  any  other  make,  either  of  Cape  or 
English  manufacture.  The  wheels  were  of 
hickory  and  the  metal  work  of  steel.  They 
were  built  by  ^Messrs.  Studebaker  Bros.  Mfg. 
Co.,  who  have  a  great  vehicle  factory  at 
South  Bend,  Indiana. 

"The  superiority  of  these  vehicles  was 
doubtless  due  to  the  fact  that  such  are  largely 
used  in  America  for  the  carriage  of  goods. 

"It  may  be  added  that  the  wagons  in  ques- 
tion cost  considerably  less  than  the  Bristol 
pattern  wagon." 

This  splendid  testimonial  was  looked  upon 
as  a  triumph  for  the  American  manufacturer 
and  the  skill  of  th^  American  mechanic.  The 
Studebaker     ambulance,     service     and     field 


a 
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> 
o 


HE       '\ 


'^EV.'VORK     \\ 
SLIC   LiferURYl'l 
\^A««r,  Lonex  and  fl/de 
fountritknt, 
1909 


IwlUSUBFSTuoEjjj^pK 


Founders  and  Officers  of 
Studebaker  Brothers  Manufacturing  Company. 

South  Bend,  Indiana. 


ADDRESSES    OF   BRANCHES 

Stndeb&ker  Bros.  Co.  of  N.  Y.,  Broadway  and  7th  Ave.,  Cor.  48th  St.,  New  York.  N.  Y. 
Studebaker  Bros.  Mfg.  Co.,  3TS  to  3S8  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

Studebaker  Bros.  Co.  of  Californi2L,  Cor  Market  and  10th  Sts.,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Studebaker  Bros.  Mfg.  Co.,  Cor.  Hickory  and  13th  Sts.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Studebaker  Bros.  Co.  Northwest,  330  to  336  E.  Morrison  St.,  Portland,  Ore. 

Studebaker  Bros.  Co.  of  VtaK,  157  to  159  State  Street,  Salt  Lake  City.  Utah 
Studebaker  Bros.   Mf^.  Co.,  Cor.  ISth  and  Blake  Sts.,  Denver,  Col. 
Studebaker  Bros.  Mf^.  Co.,  317-319  Elm  Street,  Dallas.  Texas. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


399 


wagons,  have  been  the  standard  for  govern- 
ment nse  and  have  been  found  in  our  great 
contlicts. 

Today  magnificent  Studebaker  repositories 
are  seen  in  New  York,  Chicago,  Kansas  City, 
San  Francisco,  Portland,  Oregon,  Denver, 
Salt  Lake  City,  Dallas,  with  more  than  ten 
thousand  selling  agencies  penetrating  almost 
every  corner  of  the  civilized  world. 

The  New  York  Sun,  under  date  of  Sep- 
tember 4th,  1904,  says:  "How  rarely  now 
one  sees  a  foreign  name-plate  on  a  carriage  in 
New  York.  How  often  a  few  years  ago. 
There  is  no  question  but  that  Studebaker  did 
most  to  make  American  carriages  better  than 
those  of  Europe — better  in  character  and 
style  of  design,  better  in  workmanship.  In 
fact,  Studebaker  has  built  the  .spirit  of  sturdy 
and  progressive  Americanism  into  the  vehicle 
itself." 

Henry  and  Clement  Studebaker,  having  re- 
ceived a  common  school  education  and  having 
learned  their  father's  trade,  wagon-making, 
moved  from  Ashland,  Ohio,  in  1852,  and  set- 
tled in  South  Bend,  Indiana.  Here  they 
opened  a  blacksmith  shop  on  Michigan  street, 
where  they  shod  horses,  built  two  wagons  the 
first  year,  and  laid  the  foundation  for  their 
greater  successes.  Their  ca.sh  capital  and 
stock  in  trade  was  $68.  In  1858  Henry  re- 
tired from  the  firm  of  H.  &  C.  Studebaker, 
his  interest  being  purchased  by  John  ]Mohler, 
the  third  son,  for  $5,200.  A  few  years  later 
Peter  E.  joined  his  brothers  and  located  the 
first  repository  for  the  sale  of  their  output 
at  St.  Joseph,  Mo.  In  1868  they  w^ere  incor- 
porated as  a  stock  company,  capital  $75,000. 
As  the  business  grew,  Jacob  F.,  the  youngest 
brother,  was  taken  into  the  company. 

In  1872  their  frame  factory  north  of  the 
Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  Railway 
was  completely  destroyed  by  fire,  entailing  a 
loss  of  $80,000.  New  works  were  immediately 
erected  south  of  the  railroad,  on  the  present 
site.  In  1874  the  works  were  again  burned 
to  the  ground,  the  loss  amounting  to  $350,000, 
including  2,400  wagons;  but  out  of  the  ashes 
grew  a  modern  factory,  splendidly  equipped 
with  improved  facilities,  almost  doubling  the 
former   output    in    capacity   and   making   all 


types  of  vehicles.  These  works  now  consti- 
tute the  largest  wagon  and  carriage  manu- 
factory in  the  world,  covering  more  than  100 
acres;  employing  more  than  3,000  workmen; 
using  more  than  50,000,000  feet  of  lumber, 
and  thousands  of  tons  of  refined  bar  iron 
and  steel ;  manufacturing  and  selling  more 
than  100,000  vehicles  of  all  descriptions  in  a 
single  year. 

The  present  officers  of  the  company  are  as 
follows :  John  Mohler  Studebaker.  president ; 
Geo.  M.  'Studebaker,  vice-president;  Clement 
Studebaker,  Jr.,  treasurer;  John  M.  Stude- 
baker, Jr.,  secretary. 

In  1891  the  Studebakers  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  harness  in  all  its  branches, 
and  in  1906  the  business  was  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  Studebaker  Harness  Com- 
pany. Their  annual  product  approximates 
25,000  sets  of  complete  single  and  double 
work,  team  and  driving  harness,  besides  a 
large  output  of  collars,  strap  work  and  patent 
leather  saddlery. 

Keeping  pace  with  the  march  of  progress 
and  the  advent  of  self-propelled  vehicles,  the 
Studebakers  in  1902  embarked  in  the  manu- 
facture of  automobiles.  The  business  was 
incorporated  as  the  Studebaker  Automobile 
Company;  large  buildings  were  erected  and 
equipped;  and  the  Studebaker  automobile 
has  already  gained  an  enviable  reputation, 
not  alone  in  this  country  but  abroad.  The 
output  consists  of  gasoline  passenger  cars, 
electric  passenger  cars,  and  electric  wagons 
and  trucks  for  commercial  purposes. 

The  several  Studebaker  companies  have 
been  evolved  from  a  little  blacksmith  shoj) 
to  their  present  proportions  in  the  city  of 
South  Bend,  and  their  agencies  and  ware- 
rooms  are  spread  throughout  the  civilized 
world.  Their  policy  is  permanent  and  fixed, 
and  the  spirit  of  American  progressiveness 
and  integrity  characteristic  of  the  founders 
of  the  parent  company,  has  been  handed 
down  from  father  to  son,  and  in  like  manner 
will  be  transmitted  to  the  next  generation, 
each  being  particularly  trained   in  knowing 


too 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


how  to  do  his  work  best  as  a  part  of  an  or- 
ganization complete  in  all  its  details. 

Sec.  2. — The  Oli\^r  Plow  Works. — James 
Oliver  was  born  in  Liddisdale,  Scotland, 
August  28,  1823.  and  came  to  America  with 
his  parents  when  he  was  twelve  years  of  age. 
After  a  stay  of  one  year  in  Seneca  county, 
New  York,  the  family  removed  to  Mishawa- 
ka,  Indiana,  where  ^Ir.  Oliver  was  married 
and  where  he  continued  to  live  until  the  year 
1855,  when  he  came  to  South  Bend.  During 
the  last  ten  vears  of  his  residence  in  Mish- 


f ull  share  of  mishaps ;  the  water  power  being 
at  one  time  washed  away,  while  afterwards,  on 
December  2-1,  1859,  the  works  were  totally  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  But  these  hardships  only 
served  to  infuse  new  energy  into  the  sturdy 
manufacturer,  who  rebuilt  his  foundry  and 
constantly  increased  his  business.  It  was  in 
this  foundry  that  Mr.  Oliver  began  and  per- 
fected his  experiments  in  the  manufacture  of 
chilled  plows,  and  thus  laid  the  foundations 
of  his  great  fame  and  fortune. 

On  July  22,  1868,  ]Mr.  Oliver,  in  connection 


RESIDENCE    OF   JAMES    OLIVER,    THE    FAMOUS   PLOW   MANUFACTURER.    SOUTH   BEND. 


awaka,  he  was  in  the  employment  of  the  St. 
Joseph  Iron  Works,  where  he  became  an  ex- 
pert in  the  foundry  business  and  other  mat- 
ters relating  to  the  manufacture  of  machinery 
and  farm  implements. 

In  1855,  Mr.  Oliver  formed  a  partnership 
with  a  Mr.  Lamb  and  Mr.  Fox  in  the  foundry 
business.  The  foundry  was  named  the  South 
Bend  Iron  AVorks,  probably  by  reason  of  "Sir. 
Oliver's  long  association  with  the  St.  Joseph 
Iron  Works  in  Mishawaka.  The  foundry  in 
South  Bend  was  located  on  Mill  street,  on 
the    west    race.      The    establishment    had    its 


with  some  of  his  enterprising  friends,  incor- 
porated the  South  Bend  Iron  Works — after- 
wards developed  into  the  famous  Oliver 
Cliilled  Plow  Works.  The  incorporators 
were:  James  Oliver,  Thelus  M.  Bissell, 
George  Milburn,  John  Brownfield  and  Clem- 
ent Studebaker.  In  time  the  stock  of  the  cor- 
poration passed  entirely  into  Mr.  Oliver's 
hands,  and  those  of  his  wife  and  children, 
James  Oliver  and  his  son,  Joseph  D.  Oliver, 
becoming  the  sole  active  owners  and  mana- 
gers of  the  mammoth  establishment. 

When  the  little  foundrv  on  Mill  street  be- 


Ll^iLl  Jl'V  I'UJJilf.'Uli  ^fj: p. Kid.',  11  La  UU,  blH._,a!Jij 


a^i^uj 


■l^^l^ 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


401 


came  too  small  for  the  immense  business  that 
began  to  crowd  into  it,  Mr.  Oliver  purchased 
a  large  tract  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  city 
of  South  Bend,  or  rather  outside  what  were 
then  the  city  limits.  There  has  grown  up 
the  largest  plow  factory  in  the  world,  the 
Oliver  Chilled  Plow  Works,  out  of  which 
daily  carloads  of  the  famous  chilled  plow  go 
to  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  The-  value  of 
the  great  plant  hardly  admits  of  estimate, 
running  as  it  does  into  millions  of  dollars. 

Within  the  past  two  or  three  years  the 
Oliver  Company  ha„s  become  the  owner  of  the 
greater  part  of  the  stock  of  the  South  Bend 


On  October  12,  1901,  the  company  was 
reorganized  under  the  more  fitting  title  of 
the  Oliver  Chilled  Plow  Works,  with  a  capi- 
tal of  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  This 
sum,  vast  as  it  is,  is  but  a  .small  part  of  the 
great  property  which  it  represents,  as  the 
most  extensive  plow  works  in  the  world. 

Sec.  3. — The  Birdsell  ]\Ianufacturing 
Company. — The  Birdsell  Clover  Huller  was 
invented  and  perfected  by  John  Comly  Bird- 
sell,  while  he  was  engaged  in  farming  in  Mon- 
roe county,  New  York.  After  several  years 
of  thinking  and  experiment  the  famous  ma- 
chine was  patented  in  1855.     Ten  years  more 


RESIDENCE   OF  J.   D.   OLIVER,   SOUTH   BEND. 


Manufacturing  Company.  The  old  mills  and 
factories  have  been  removed,  and  the  new 
owners  of  the  water  power  have  constructed 
an  electric  light  plant,  using  the  water  power 
of  the  river  to  generate  the  electric  fluid,  as 
heretofore  noted  in  this  history.*  The  elec- 
tricity so  generated  is  used  not  only  to  give 
light,  heat  and  power  to  the  immense  factory, 
but  also  to  light  and  heat  the  Oliver  Opera 
House,  the  Oliver  Hotel,  and  the  residences 
of  Mr.  Oliver  and  those  of  his  son,  Joseph  D. 
Oliver,  and  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Josephine  Oli- 
ver Ford,  wife  of  Ex-Congressman  George 
Ford. 

a.     Chap.  7,  Subd.  1,  Sec.  4. 

26 


were  given  to  its  improvement.  In  1864  Mr. 
Birdsell's  factory,  which  had  been  erected  on 
his  farm  in  New  York,  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
He  then  determined  to  remove  to  the .  west, 
and  settled  at  South  Bend,  Indiana,  where, 
notwithstanding  vexatious  and  expensive  liti- 
gation growing  out  of  infringements  on  his 
patents,  the  business  grew  rapidly.  On 
jNIarch  8,  1870,  the  Birdsell  Manufacturing 
Company  was  incorporated  by  ]\Ir.  Birdsell 
and  his  sons,  Varnum  0.,  Joseph  B.,  and  By- 
ron A.— John  Comly  Birdsell  being  made 
president,  and  Joseph  Benjamin  Birdsell, 
treasurer.  Brief  biographies  of  father  and  son 
are  found  elsewhere  in  this  work.  In  the  same 


402 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


year,  a  five-story  brick  factory  building  was 
erected,  which  is  still  the  main  building  of 
the  Birdsell  plant.  At  the  time  this  was  the 
largest  factory  building  in  South  Bend. 

In  1887,  the  company  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  farm  wagons,  which  enterprise  has 
nearly  equalled  in  success  that  of  the  clover 
hulling  manufactor3^  The  company  has  long 
enjoyed  the  distinction  of  having  the  largest 
clover  huller  factory  in  the  world.  The  Bird- 
sell  clover  hullers  are  used  in  every  civilized 
nation  of  the  world.  Agencies  for  its  sale  are 
now  established  in  every  state  in  the  Union 
where  clover  grows,  and  likewise  in  Great 
Britain,  France,  Italy,  Germany,  Russia  and 
other  countries  in  the  old  world.  No  article 
manufactured  in  South  Bend  has  brought 
more  honor  and  fame  to  the  city  than  the 
Birdsell  Clover  Huller. 

Sec.  4.— The  Singer  Sewing  Machine 
Company. — The  Singer  Sewing  Machine 
Company  was  originally  incorporated  under 
the  laws  of  the  state  of  New  Jersey  with  a 
capital  of  ten  millions  of  dollars  j  and  this 
has  since  been  increased  to  thirty  millions. 
The  three  principal  plants  of  the  company  are 
near  Gla^sgow.  Scotland,  at  Elizabeth,  New 
Jersey,  and  at  South  Bend,  Indiana.  The 
plant  at  Glasgow  is  the  largest  sewing  ma- 
chine factory  in  the  world,  and  has  a  capacity 
of  twenty  thousand  completed  machines  a 
week.  Other  factories  are  at  Hamburg  and 
Berlin,  Germany.  The  eabinets  and  cases 
manufactured  at  South  Bend  are  finished 
here  complete  for  the  American  trade  and 
shipped  to  Elizabeth,  where  they  are  per- 
fected and  then  supplied  to  the  trade.  Cases 
and  cabinets  are  also  shipped  from  South 
Bend  direct  to  the  great  factory  at  Glasgow, 
and  likewise  to  Haiiibui'g  and  Berlin,  for  the 
European  trade. 

The  South  Bend  Singer  plant  was  estab- 
lished in  1868.  At  that  time  the  capacity  of 
these  works  Avas  one  thousand  cabinet  sets  a 
week.  Today  the  capacity  of  the  South  Bend 
works  approaches  ten  thousand  sets  per  day, 
while  over  two  thousand  persons  are  em- 
ployed in  the  various  departments. 


The  South  Bend  plant  was  originally  lo- 
cated on  East  Madison  and  North  Emrick 
streets,  adjoining  the  tracks  of  the  Michigan 
Central  railroad;  and  the  buildings  were 
increased  in  size  from  year  to  year  until  all 
the  available  territory  in  the  locality  was  oc- 
cupied. In  1899  and  1900  preparations  were 
made  for  the  moving  of  the  plant  to  another 
part  of  the  city,  in  order  to  accommodate  the 
constantly  increasing  business.  A  tract  of 
about  sixty  acres,  at  Division  and  Olive 
streets,  adjoining  the  Lake  Shore  railroad 
traclvs  was  accordingly  purchased;  and  the 
erection  of  massive  structures  of  brick  was 
at  once  begun,  which  with  the  vast  lumber 
sheds  had  by  the  close  of  the  year  1901,  near- 
ly covered  the  vast  area.  Even  persons  who 
had  fair  knowledge  of  the  vastness  of  the 
business  of  the  Singer  Company  could  hardly 
believe  that  so  much  business  space  could  be 
occupied.  But  the  new  works  are  filled  with 
men  and  machinery  and  the  enormous  daily 
product  already  mentioned  is  the  result. 

The  genius  of  the  Singer  Company  in 
South  Bend  was  Leighton  Pine,  already 
spoken  of  in  connection  with  the  building  of 
our  city  water  works."  Mr.  Pine  was  not 
only  the  untiring  genius  of  the  Singer  Sew- 
ing Machine  Company  in  South  Bend;  he 
was,  in  addition,  one  of  the  most  valued 
citizens  of  the  city,  always  foremost  in  what 
pertained  to  the  welfare  of  the  community 
of  which  he  was  so  highly  honored  a  member. 

Sec.  5. — The  O'Brien  Varnish  Works. — 
The  O'Brien  Varnish  Works  has  a  history 
similar  to  many  others  in  South  Bend.  It 
is  the  creation  of  a  man  of  energy  and  force 
of  character,  combined  with  good  business 
capacity.  The  company  was  organized  May 
31,  1878,  with  a  capital  of  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  and  is  now  owned  and  managed  en- 
tirely by  Mr.  Patrick  O'Brien  and  his  very 
capable  sons.  The  officers  are:  Patrick 
O'Brien,  president;  George  L.  O'Brien,  vice- 
president;  William  D.  O'Brien,  secretary; 
and  Frederick  O'Brien,  treasurer.  The  plant 
has  increased  to  very  large  proportions,  pro- 

a.     Ante,  this  chapter,  Subd.  4,  Sec.  3. 


THE 


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THE 

NEW  \ORK 
PUBLIC  USf'.ARYl 

Ast«r,  Unsx  and  TUdftB^ 
foHsastlons. 

^-       1S09 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


407 


(lui'iiiii'  not  only  varnish,  as  originally  con- 
templated, but  also  all  oils  and  materials  go- 
ing to  the  manufacture  of  paints.  The 
company  has  won  a  very  high  place  among 
the  manufacturers  of  the  city. 

Sec.  6. — The  Staley  Manufacturing 
Company. — Alexander  C.  Staley  was  one  of 
the  substantial  men  of  South  Bend,  and  be- 
came a  successful  manufacturer  of  woolen 
underwear.  The  A.  C.  Staley  goods  have  for 
many  years  been  w^ell  known  to  the  trade  of 
the  country.  On  July  24,  1888,  Mr.  Staley, 
with  his  son,  Marion  B.  Staley,  and  William 
H.  Longley  organized  the  A.  C.  Staley  Manu- 
facturing Company,  which  has  continued  to 
maintain  the  reputation  of  the  founder.  After 
the  death  of  Mr.  A.  C.  Staley,  Marion  B. 
Staley  and  other  stockholders  continued  the 
business  which  has  developed  into  very  large 
proportions.  The  present  stockholders  and 
managers  are  the  Stephenson  brothers,  who 
also  constitute  the  Stephenson  Manufacturing 
Company.  In  1907  the  name  of  the  A.  C. 
Staley  mills,  and  that  of  the  company,  was 
changed  to  Stephenson  Underwear  Mills. 

See.  7. — The  South  Bend  Toy  Works. — 
The  South  Bend  Toy  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany w^as  organized  December  22,  1882,  with 
a  capital  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  for  the 
purpose  of  making  croquet  sets  and  other 
articles  of  wood,  chiefly  intended  for  amuse- 
ment. The  incorporators  were  John  W.  Teel, 
Frederick  H.  Badet  and  William  T.  Cars- 
ka.ddon.  It  is  said  to  be  at  present  the  largest 
establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  world.  Be- 
fore incorporation  the  w^orks  were  known  as 
the  Teel  &  Badet  Company,  and  are  some- 
times so  called  even  now. 

Sec.  8.— The  Knoblock-Heidman  Com- 
pany.— This  company  has  been  very  success- 
ful in  the  manufacture  of  electrical  appara- 
tus. The  present  owners  and  managers  are 
Otto  M.  Knobloek,  William  H.  Miller,  and 
George  H.  Heidman.  The  company  was 
originally  organized  May  17,  1900,  with  a 
capital  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars,  as  the  Miller-Knoblock  Electric 


Priming    Manufacturing   Company,    the    in- 
corporators being  John  C.  Knobloek,  Otto  M. 
Knobloek,  William  H.  Miller,  Horace  G.  Mil- 
ler, Albert  W.  Morrell  and  C.  Warren  Sheets. 
Sec.  9. — The  South  Bend  Chilled  Plow 
Company. — The    Knobloek   Brothers'    Manu- 
facturing Company  was  organized  April  18, 
1871,    for   the   manufacture    of    farm   imple- 
ments, the  incorporators  being  John  C.  Knob- 
lock,  William  Knobloek,  Theodore  E.  Knob- 
lock  and  John  H.  Dolman.     Out  of  this  com- 
pany grew  the  St.   Joseph  Reaper  and  Ma- 
chine Company.  In  1876,  the  Company  began 
the  making  of  chilled  plows,  and  on  July  1, 
1878,    was    reorganized   as   the    South   Bend 
Chilled  Plow  Company,  with  Adam  S.  Baker, 
as    president;    John    C.    Knobloek    as    treas- 
urer;   and    George   W.    Baker   as   secretary. 
Ever  since  the  closing  of  the  Northern  In- 
diana College,  at  the  west  end  of  Washington 
street,  the  company  has  occupied  the  build- 
ings and  grounds  of  that  institution.     Other 
buildings,  however,  have  been  erected  and  the 
lands  of  the  company  much  extended.    The 
present  officers  are:     W.  L.  Cassaday,  presi- 
dent; A.  D.  Baker,  secx^etary  and  treasurer. 
The   company  has  become  one  of  the  great 
manufacturing  concerns  of  the  city,  and  its 
plows    are    everywhere    acknowledged   to   be 
among  the  best  made  at  any  place. 

Sec.  10.— The  Folding  Paper  Box  Com- 
pany.— This  company  was  incorporated  De- 
cember 2,  1893,  for  the  manufacture  of  paper 
boxes  of  every  kind.  The  incorporators  were 
William  H.  Barger,  Marvin  Campbell  and  My- 
ron Campbell.  The  capital  stock  was  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars.  The  present  owners 
and  managers  of  the  plant  are:  Marvin 
Campbell,  president;  John  B.  Campbell,  sec- 
retary; Myron  Campbell,  treasurer;  and 
John  Campbell,  manager.  The  company  has 
prospered  from  the  beginning,  and  the  busi- 
ness operations  have  become  very  large. 

Sec.  11. — The  South  Bend  Woolen  Com- 
pany.—^This  fine  plant  has  been  in  operation 
for  a  great  number  of  years,  and  has  always 
been  noted  for  the  excellent  quality  of  the 


408 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


cloth  manufactured.  The  efficient  managers 
in  the  beginning  were  Joseph  Worden,  George 
W.  Lewis,  Cormn  B.  Van  Pelt  and  Henry  G. 
Niles.  It  was,  as  these  names  will  indicate,  an 
institution  originating  in  Mishawaka.  The 
present  managers  are :  Henry  G.  Niles,  pres- 
ident; Corwin  B.  Van  Pelt,  vice-president; 
S.  A.  Niles,  secretary;  Henry  G.  Niles,  Jr., 
treasurer  and  manager;  and  William  Fisher, 
superintendent. 

See.  12. — The  Indiana  Foundry  Com- 
pany.— This  is  one  of  our  latest  acquisitions. 
The  company  was  organized  April  17,  1903, 
with  a  capital  of  ten  thousand  dollars.  Like 
most  of  our  successful  manufactories,  it  had 
a  modest  beginning ;  but  it  has  developed  rap- 
idly. The  incorporators  were :  William  N. 
Bergan,  Alonzo  A.  Forsyth,  Joseph  Bergan, 
Frederick  L.  Dennis,  Edward  Bergan,  Hiram 
W.  VanNest  and  Chauncey  N.  Fassett.  The 
present  officers  are :  Frederick  L.  Dennis, 
president;  William  N.  Bergan.  vice-presi- 
dent; F.  H.  Fassett,  secretary;  Chauncey  N. 
Fassett,  treasurer  and  general  manager;  M. 
Konzen,  cashier  and  purchasing  agent. 

Sec.  13. — The  La  Salle  Paper  Company. 
— This  company  is  now  under  the  sole  man- 
agement of  Frank  P.  Nicely.  The  building; 
in  which  the  business  of  manufacturing  paper 
is  carried  on,  situated  on  East  Madison 
street,  on  the  east  race,  is  deserving  of  par- 
ticular notice  from  the  circumstance  that 
here,  when  Beach  &  Keedy  were  the  proprie- 
tors, the  first  paper  made  in  South  Bend  was 
manufactured.  It  is  at  present  the  only  fac- 
tory in  South  Bend  for  the  manufacture  of 
paper. 

Sec.  14. — The  Winkler  Brothers'  Manu- 
facturing Company.— The  friendly  relations 
of  the  members  of  manufacturing  companies 
in  South  Bend  is  manifested  by  the  number 
of  companies  organized  by  families — the 
Studebakers,  the  Olivers,  the  Birdsells,  the 
O'Briens,  the  Knobloeks.  the  Stephensons,  the 
Campbells,  the  Hunts,  the  Colmers,  and  many 
others;  and  more  recently,  the  Winklers.  The 
Winkler  Brothers  are  also  distinguished   for 


their  success  before  the  organization  of  any 
corporation.  Like  the  Studebakers,  they  be- 
gan at  the  anvil  and  the  bench.  On  October 
29,  1902,  when  their  business  in  the  manu- 
facture of  wagons  and  other  vehicles  had 
increased  to  mammoth  proportions,  they 
found  the  necessity  of  becoming  incorpora- 
ted. The  capital  was  fixed  at  seventy-five 
thousand  dollars;  and  they  purchased  a  large 
vacant  tract  on  the  Lake  Shore  railroad,  in 
the  southwest  part  of  the  city,  where  they 
erected  a  most  complete  and  modern  factory 
building,  which  was  completed  and  occupied 
during  the  past  two  years.  The  present  offi- 
cers are  :  Frederick  C.  Winkler,  president ; 
Charles  H.  Winkler,  vice-president;  John  G. 
Grim,  secretary;  Remy  VuyLsteke,  superin- 
tendent. 

Sec.  15. — Other  Manufacturing  Com- 
panies.— South  Bend  is  essentially  so  much 
a  manufacturing  city  that  it  would  be  quite 
impossible  in  this  work  to  give  an  extended 
notice  of  each,  or  even  of  a  majority,  of  the 
companies  now  organized  and  engaged  in  al- 
most every  variety  of  manufacturing.  The 
following  is  but  a  partial  list  of  companies 
not  yet  mentioned,  most  of  which  would  be 
entitled  to  far  more  notice  than  that  which 
can  here  be  given : 

The  Matthews  Steam  Boiler  Works,  long 
conducted  by  that  good,  industrious  citizen, 
Jonathan  Matthews. 

The  Indiana  Lumber  and  Manufacturing 
Company,  one  of  the  present  live  companies 
of  the  city,  at  the  head  of  which  is  the  genial 
and  energetic  Christopher  Fassnacht. 

The  Colfax  Manufacturing  Company,  en- 
gaged in  the  building  of  light  wagons,  and 
which  preserves  in  our  industrial. history  the 
name  of  our  most  distinguished  citizen  of 
other  days,  Vice-President  Schuyler  Colfax, 
and  that  of  his  son,  also  Schuyler  Colfax,  for- 
mer mayor  of  South  Bend. 

The  Stephenson  Manufacturing  Companj^, 
makers  of  wood  turnings.  This  is  the  same 
corporation  mentioned  in  connection  with  the 
A.  C.  Staley  Manufacturing  Company. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.                                     409 

The  South  Bend  Iron  Bed  Company.  nfacturers;  The  Wells-Kreiglibaum  Extension 

The  Colmer  Brothers,  makers  of  tools  and  Table   Manufacturers;    The   N.    P.    Bowsher 

bicycle  specialties.  Feed  Mill  Manufacturing  Company;  The  In- 

The  Hunt  Brothers'.  Wagon  and  Carriage  diana  Anchor  Fence  Company;  The  Worden 

Works.  Bucktail  Fishing  Tackle  Company ;  The  An- 

The  Davies  Shirt  Company;    and  the  Wii-  derson  Brass  Foundry;  The  Meyer  Foundry 

sou  Brothers'  Shirt  Manufacturing  Company,  and    Manufacturing    Company;    The    Sibley 

Both  of  these  are  very  prosperous,  and  the  Machine    Tool    Company;    The    South    Bend 

Wilson  Company  has  a  number  of  very  large  Foundry  Company;  The  John  Gannen  Grill 

buildings.  Company;  The  William  Neidhart  Grill  Man- 

The  South  Bend  Watch  Company,  having  iifacturer;  The  John  A.  Neuperth  Grill  Man- 

a  factory  situated  near  the  eastern  city  lim-  ufacturer;  The  Owen  Harness  Snaps  Manu- 

its.  between  South  Bend  and  Mishawaka.  The  factory ;     The    John     D.     Ilaberle    Machine 

quality  of  the  watches  made  in  this  factory  Works;  The  Schock  Machine  Company;  The 

is  quite  equal  to  that  of  those  made  at  Elgin  Charles  M.   Starr  Machine  Worlds;   The  Per- 

or  Waltham.  fection   Mattress   Company;     The   Russell  & 

Still  other  manufacturing  industries  are:  ^^^^r  Mattress  Makers;  The  Turner  Oil  Fil- 
The  Boiler  Compound  Manufacturing  Com-  ^^r  Company;  The  South  Bend  Pulp  an.l 
pany;  The  Hull  Brothers'  Boiler  Company,;  blaster  Company;  The  Beall  Non-Pounding 
Thaddeus  Talcott's  Boiler  Works;  Maurer,  Frog  and  Crossing  Company;  The  John  Bey- 
Labadie  &  Company,  boiler  makers;  The  ^^^^^  Roofing  Company;  The  Lauber  &  Weiss 
Northern  Brass  &  Aluminum  Foundry;  The  Galvanized  Works;  The  Cassady  Rotary  En- 
Frank  Fisher  Brick  Kilns;  The  Frank  Per-  -i"®  Company;  David  Armstrong  Rubber 
kins  Brick  Kilns;  The  South  Bend  Brick  ^'^^^^^P  Factory;  The  H.  A.  Pershing  Office 
Company;  The  Jacobson-Peterson  Broom  Supply  Works;  The  Bailey  &  Ingram  Rub- 
Works;  The  Botts  &  Klaasen  Concrete  ^er  Stamp  Worlvs;  The  August  Soderberg 
Works;  The  Calvert  H.  Defrees  Concrete  Snuif  Factory;  The  South  Bend  Spark  Ar- 
Works:  The  R.  S.  Hollowell  Concrete  Works;  ^^^^^^r  Company;  The  Malleable  Steel  Range 
The  Henry  C.  Eckler  Building  Material  Man-  Manufacturing  Company;  The  C.  G.  Folsora 
ufaeturers;  The  Miller  &  Donahue  Lumber  &  ^o.  Stove  Company;  The  South  Bend  Tent 
Manufacturing  Company;  The  Smith  &  Jack-  &  Awning  Company;  The  Indiana  Tent  & 
son  Lumber  and  Manufacturing  Company;  Awning  Company;  The  James  W.  Camper 
The  Ziegler-Stickler  Lumber  and  Manufac-  ^ent  &  Awning  Works;  The  South  Bend 
turing  Company;  The  Ideal  Concrete  Ma-  Spring  Wagon  &  Carriage  Company;  The 
chine  Company;  The  Edmondson  Coi^'^rete  Jo^^  ^^^^^  Weather  Strip  Works;  the 
Machine  Company;  The  R.  Z.  Snell  Cement  Chauncey  Pippinger  Weather  Strip  Works; 
Block  Machine  Manufacturers;  The  South  The  South  Bend  Split  Pulley  Works. 
Bend  Machine  Manufacturing  Company;  The  ^^^-   16.-BANKS.-Closely  connected  with 

„r-iT         -m          i     n/r    1  •         /^                     mi  the    uianufacturcs    and    general    business    of 

Wilhams-Forrest     Machine     Company;     The  ,           -r.      -,          •      •,      i        m,         ... 

„     ,,    _      ^    ^,       ^  ,.       ^                   r^n      ,r  South  Bend  are  its  banks,     these  institutions 

South  Bend  Chandelier  Company;  The  Mc-  ,       ^            ^      -^-l.   ^i             ■  ■     ^■^     -i. 

are   almost  coeval  with  the  municipality  it- 

Erlam    &   Elbel    Cigar   Box   Manufacturers ;  ^^^^      ^j^^  g^^^^  B^^^^^  ^f  j^^^^-^^^^^  ^^^  ^1^^^,. 

Bernard    J.    Engeldrum,    Charles   L.    Goetz,  ^^^.^j  ^^^  January  28,  1834,  with  headquarters 

Omacht  &  Stedinan,  and  eighteen  to  twenty  at    Indianapolis,    and    with    authority   to   es-- 

other  cigar  manufacturers;   The  South  Bend  tablish  ten   district  branches  throughout  the 

Dowel    Works;    The    Sibley    Drill    Manufac-  state."      Dr.    John    A.    Henricks    and    Hon. 

turers:  The  George  Cutter  Electric  Specialty  Thomas   D.   Baird.    assisted  by   Hon.   George 

Company ;  The  Russell  &  Ober  Excelsior  Man-  a.    R.  S.,  1838,  pp.  92-115. 


410 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Crawford,  of  Elkhart  county,  secured  the  lo- 
cation of  one  of  the  branch  banks  at  South 
Bend.  On  February  22,  1838,  a  public  meet- 
ing was  held  at  the  court  house  to  express 
the  great  satisfaction  of  the  people  with  this 
action;  and  on  February  24,  1838,  a  dinner 
was  given  at  the  Exchange  hotel  in  honor  of 
the  same  event.  Subscription  bools  were 
opened  July  2,  1838,  Alexis  Coquillard,  Lath- 
rop  M.  Taylor  and  John  Grant  acting  as  com- 
missioners. The  books  were  closed  August 
4,  1838,  with  more  than  a  thousand  shares  sub- 
scribed over  the  amount  required.  The  bank 
was  opened  for  business  November  24,  1838. 
It  was  first  located  in  a  two-storv  brick  build- 


Among  the  presidents  of  our  first  bank, 
the  South  Bend  Branch  of  the  State  Bank 
of  Indiana,  were  Tyra  W.  Bray,  John  Eg- 
bert, Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  Anthony  Defrees, 
Jonathan  L.  Jernegan,  Samuel  C.  Sample  and 
Ricketson  Burroughs.  Marshall  P.  Chapin, 
as  teller,  settled  up  the  affairs  of  the  bank 
at  the  expiration  of  the  charter.  The  officers 
of  the  second  bank,  the  Bank  of  the  State  of 
Indiana,  during  its  existence,  from  1858  to 
1864,  were  :  President,  John  Brownfield  ;  cash- 
ier, Horatio  Chapin;  and  teller,  John  T. 
Lindsey. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  South  Bend 
was  organized  September  5,  1863,  by  Charles 


OLD   FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK. 


ing  at  the  northeast  corner  of  ]\Iichigau 
street  and  wha.t  is  now  Colfax  avenue.  In 
1841,  the  long  familiar  building  opposite, 
with  its  imposing  porticos,  on  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  same  streets,  was  occupied  by 
the  bank;  and  there  it  remained  until  the 
expiration   of  the  charter,   in   1858. 

On  jNIarch  3,  1855,  a  charter  had  been 
obtained  for  a  bank  to  be  known  as  the  Bank 
of  the  State  of  Indiana,  with  a  capital  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  to 
begin  business  on  the  expiration  of  the  char- 
ter of  the  old  bank.  This  bank  continued 
until  the  establishment  of  national  banks,  in 
1864. 


N.  Culver,  Thomas  S.  Stanfield,  John  A.  Hen- 
ricks,  Ethan  S.  Reynolds,  John  Reynolds  and 
Ransom  Hubbard.  The  capital  stock  was  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  bank  opened 
for  business  in  the  old  St.  Joseph  block,  at 
the  corner  of  Washington  and  Main  streets, 
November  30,  1863.  Thomas  S.  Stanfield  was 
the  first  president  and  John  T.  Lindsey  first 
cashier.  The  directors  were  Thomas  S.  Stan- 
field. John  Reynolds,  Ethan  S.  Reynolds, 
John  A.  Henricks  and  Ransom  Hubbard.  Wil- 
liam Miller,  afterwards  Mayor  Miller,  be- 
came president  in  1867,  and  in  the  same  year 
Charles  W.  Guthrie  became  cashier.  In  1869 
John  A.  Henricks  was  elected  president.    On 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


411 


January  13,  1871,  Caleb  A.  Kimball  was 
elected  cashier,  a  position  which  he  has  ever 
since  held.  John  R.  Foster  was  afterwards 
president,  and  was  succeeded  by  Lucius  Hub- 
bard, who  is  still  president.  The  vice-presi- 
dents have  been  Albert  G.  Cushing,  Ethan  S. 
Reynolds,  Edward  B.  Reynolds  and  Marion 
B.  Staley.  the  present  incumbent.  On  the 
burning  of  the  old  St.  Joseph  block,  in  1865, 
the  bank  was  removed  to  the  building  of 
the  old  State  Bank  of  Indiana,  where  it  re- 
mained for  thirty-five  years.  On  June  10, 
1900,  the  bank  was  again  located  on  the  site 
of  its  original  quarters,  in  the  Oliver  hotel 
block,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Washington 
and  Main  streets. 

The  South  Bend  National  Bank  was  organ- 
ized in  1870  by  John  Brownfield,  William 
Miller,  Lucius  Hubbard,  Schuyler  Colfax, 
William  Mack,  Powers  Green,  Darwin  H. 
Baker,  Benjamin  F.  Price  and  Caleb  A.  Kim- 
ball. John  Browntield  was  the  first  president. 
He  wa.s  succeeded,  in  1888,  by  William  Mil- 
ler, who  remained  president  until  his  death, 
February  21,  1901.  Marvin  Campbell  has 
been  president  since  the  death  of  Mr.  Miller. 
The  bank  was  for  many  years  located  in  the 
Price  Theatre  building  on  ^Michigan  street, 
adjoining  the  old  State  Bank  building.  It  is 
now  on  the  same  street,  near  the  corner  of 
Washington  street. 

The  origin  of  the  St.  Joseph  County  Sav- 
ings Bank  is  principally  due  to  Theodore  J. 
Seixas,  one  of  the  brightest  financiers  in  the 
history  of  the  county.  The  bank  was  incor- 
porated November  25,  1869.  The  incorpo- 
rators were  Louis  Humphreys,  John  C.  Knob- 
lock,  Thelus  M.  Bissell,  Joseph  Worden, 
Adam  S.  Baker.  T.  Wilkes  Defrees,  David 
Greenawalt,  Almond  Bugbee,  William  F.  Bul- 
la and  John  C.  Birdsell.  The  bank  was  opened 
for  business  in  January,  1870.  The  first  bank 
building  was  located  on  the  east  side  of 
Main  street,  a  little  north  of  Washington. 
The  location  was  afterwards  changed  to  a 
point  nearly  opposite,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
same  street.    Afterwards,  for  a  time,  it  was  at 


the  southwest  corner  of  Michigan  and  Jeffer- 
son streets.  In  1883,  the  present  site  was 
purchased,  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Main 
and  Center  streets,  where  a  commodious  bank 
building  was  erected.  In  1900  this  building 
was  greatly  enlarged  and  improved.  The 
bank  has  now  as  commodious  and  pleasant 
quarters  as  could  be  desired.  The  business 
has  continued  to  increase  in  an  ex- 
traordinary degree,   from  the  beginning.   In 


■■'VTj^ 


A 


ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY  SAVINGS   BANK, 
SOUTH    BEND. 

1870  the  deposits  were  seven  thousand, 
two  hundred  and  sixty-seven  dollars  and 
ninety-eight  cents.  They  are  now  over  three 
and  a  quarter  millions.  The  depositors  num- 
ber nearly  ten  thousand,  and  over  thirteen 
hundred  thousand  dollars  have  been  paid  to 
them  in  interest.  Mr.  Seixas  served  as  secre- 
tary and  cashier  until  1878,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  present  incumbent,  Lucius 
G.    Tong.       The    first    president    was   Louis 


412 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Humphreys.  On  the  death  of  Dr.  Hum- 
phreys, George  W.  Matthews  became  presi- 
dent. On  the  death  of  Mr.  Matthews,  in  1895, 
Jacob  Woolverton  became  president.  In  the 
year  1900.  the  St.  Joseph  Loan  and  Trust 
Company  Avas  organized  in  connection  with 
the  bank,  and  has  since  done  a  mdst  extensive 
business.  It  may  be  said  that  the  extraordin- 
ary success  of  the  St.  Joseph  County  Savings 
Bank  has  been  due  chiefly  to  the  business 
ability,  kindliness  and  strict  integrity  of 
Theodore  J.  Seixas,  Lucius  G.  Tong  and  the 
other  managers  of  its  concern.  The  present 
officers  of  the  bank  are :  President,  Jacob 
Woolverton;  vice-president,  Benjamin  F. 
Dunn ;  second  vice-president,  George  U.  Bing- 
ham ;  secretary  and  treasurer,  Lucius  G. 
Tong.  The  officers  of  the  trust  company  are : 
President,  John  M.  Studebaker,  Sr. ;  vice- 
president,  Jacob  Woolverton;  second  vice- 
president,  George  U.  Bingham;  secretary  and 
treasurer,  Lucius  G.  Tong. 

The  People's  Savings  Bank  was  organized 
in  1875  by  Joseph  B.  Arnold,  Jr.,  and  oth- 
ers. Mr.  Arnold  was  the  first  president.  The 
trustees  were :  Hiram  Jackson,  Newton  Jack- 
son, Aaron  Webster,  Henry  B.  Hine,  George 
W.  Swygart,  Andrew  J.  Jaquith,  Joseph  B. 
Arnold,  Sr.,  and  Joseph  B.  Arnold,  Jr.  The 
business  was  successfully  carried  on  for  ten 
years,  when  the  bank  voluntarily  closed,  paid 
its  depositors  in  full  and  retired. 

The  foregoing  may  be  considered  as  the  his- 
torical banking  concerns  of  the  city.  The 
remaining  banks  and  trust  companies,  all  of 
which  are  doing  an  excellent  business,  are: 
The  Citizens'  National  Bank,  the  Merchants' 
National  Bank,  the  American  Trust  Com- 
pany and  the  Citizens'  Loan,  Trust  and  Sav- 
ings Company. 

VI.       RELIGIOUS,    EDUCATIONAL    AND    SOCLVL. 

Sec.  1. — The  Methodist  Church. — From 
May  6th  to  IMay  13th,  1906,  the  First  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  of  South  Bend  held 
its  diamond  jubilee,  in  commemoration  of  the 
first      organization      of     the     local      society. 


Through  the  courtesy  of  the  Rev.  Madison 
H.  Appleby,  present  pastor  of  the  church, 
the  following  historical  sketch,  published  in 
connection  with  the  jubilee,  is  here  given,: 

"Organized  ]\Iethodism  north  of  the  Wa- 
bash river  had  its  beginning-s  in  1831,  when 
from  the  Illinois  conference  N.  B.  Griffith 
was  appointed  to  the  Ft.  Wayne  mission, 
]\Iadison  district,  Allen  AViley,  .presiding 
elder.'* 

"On  the   24th   of  Januarv,   1831.  Rev.   N. 


FIRST 


CHURCH,    SOUTH   BEND. 


B.  Griffith  and  Benjamin  Ross  and  family  ar- 
rived at  South  Bend.  Samuel  Martin  and 
wife  and  Benjamin  Potter  and  wife,  who  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
had  preceded  them.  X.  B.  Griffith  came  as 
a  missionary,  but  as  there  was  a  deep  snow 
on  the  ground  and  the  weather  was  very  cold, 
and  as  the  few  families  in  the  village  were 

a.  But  see  Chap.  8,  Subd.  5,  Sec.  13,  of  this 
history.  While  the  first  regular  organization  may 
have  been  under  the  Rev.  N.  B.  Griffith,  as  stated, 
yet  it  appears  that  the  Rev.  James  Armstrong 
organized  the  first  Methodist  church  in  the 
county,  at  Hamilton,  on  Terre  Coupee  Prairie, 
in  1830. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


413 


sheltered  in  e;ibiiis  and  half-faced  shanties, 
no  room  could  be  had  large  enough  to  ac- 
commodate the  people  for  preaching.  On  the 
evening  of  the  31st  of  January,  these  Meth- 
odist families  met  at  the  house  of  Benjamin 
Ross  and  held  a  pra^^er-meeting,  which  was 
the  first  ^Methodist  worship,  if  not  the  first 
Protestant  worship,  held  in  South  Bend. 

"Some  time  in  March  following,  the  Rev. 
Leonard  B.  Gurley,  on  a  missionary  tour,  ar- 
rived and  preached  in  the  house  of  Benjamin 
Ross;  but  as  the  field  had  been  provided  for 
by  the  appointment  of  Mr.  G'i-iiBth,  he  did  not 
remain. 

"Early  in  April  Mr.  Griffith  returned,  and 
on  the  evening  of  the  6th  collected  the  peo- 
ple in  the  bar-room  of  a  small  tavern  kept 
by  Benjamin  Coquillard,  a  Roman  Catholic, 
and  preached;  after  which  he  organized  the 
first  class,  consisting  of  Samuel  Martin  and 
w^ife,  Benjamin  Potter  and  wife,  Benjamin 
Ross  and  wife,  Rebecca  Stull  and  Simeon 
Mason.  ^lartin  and  Ross  were  appointed 
leaders.  In  June.  1831,  William  Stanfield 
and  wife  came  to  South  Bend  and  were 
added  to  the  class  by  certificate,  and  Mr.  Stan- 
field  was  soon  afterward  appointed  leader. 
About  the  same  time  Samuel  Newman  and 
wife  were  also  added  by  letter.  In  August  Ja- 
cob Hardman.  M.  D.,  and  in  the  fall  Samuel 
Good  and  wife  joined  by  certificate.  A  Sab- 
bath school  was  organized  and  oiHcered  as 
follows:  Superintendent,  William  Stanfield; 
secretary  and  treasurer,  Horatio  Chapin ; 
teachers,  H.  Chapin,  E.  R.  Tutt.  Elliott  Smith 
and  Dr.  Hardman.  This  was  a  union  school. 
Ill  1835  the  first  Methodist  Sunday  school 
was  organized.  It  met  for  a-  time  in  John 
Brownfield's  kitchen.  The  first  church  build- 
ing was  erected  on  North  Main  street  in 
1835-36.  A  brick  church  building  was  built, 
in  1851,  on  the  site  of  the  present  building, 
at  the  corner  of  ]\Iain  and  Jefferson  streets. 
It  was  dedicated  on  the  17th  of  August  of 
that  year.  The  present  building  was  com- 
pleted in  1871.  A  parsonage  on  the  site  now 
occupied  was  built  in  1866.  during  the  pas- 


torate of  Dr.  C.  A.  Brooke.  This  building 
was  torn  down  and  replaced  by  the  present 
modern  and  commodious  structure,  in  1905. 
The  following  men  have  served  the  church 
as  pastors  since  its  organization,  in  1831: 

"N.  B.  Griffith.  R.  S.  Robinson,  G.  M.  Bes- 
wick,  B.  Phelps,  S.  R.  Ball.  James  S.  Harri- 
son, David  Stiver,  William  :\I.  Farley,  G.  M. 
Boyd,  Zachariah  James,  F.  Crane,  John  H. 
Bruce,  John  B.  De  IMotte.  Milton  Mahin,  Jolni 
P.  Jones,  T.  C.  Hackney.  Henry  C.  Benson, 
E.  S.  Preston,  James  Johnson,  James  C.  Reed. 

A.  A.  Gee,  C.  S.  Burgner,  William  Wilson, 
Joseph  C.  Reed.  G.  Morgan,  S.  T.  Cooper, 
Clark  Skinner,  C.  A.  Brooke,  John  Thrush, 
J.  H.  Swope,  G.  M.  Boyd.  H.  A.  Gobin  (two 
tenm),  J.  C.  Stephens,  S.  B.  Town  (two 
terms).  W.  H.  Hickman,  H.  M.  Middleton. 
J.  H.  Hollingsworth,  E.  P.  Bennett  and  M. 
H.  Appleby." 

The  second  society  established  in  South 
Bend  by  the  Methodist  church  was  the  Michi- 
gan Street  Church,  or  Grace  Church,  as  it 
is  more  properly  called.  This  church  was 
organized  in  1869,  with  one  hundred  and  thir- 
ty-seven members.  The  first  pastor  was  the 
Rev.  William  R.  Mikels.  This  church  has  con- 
tinued prosperous  to  this  day. 

The  German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
was  organized  in  1872  by  the  Rev.  Philip 
Walker,  of  Michigan  City.  The  first  pastor 
was  the  Rev.  William  Keller.  The  society 
has  a  fine  brick  church  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  Lafayette  and  Wayne  streets.  The 
present  pastor  is  the  Rev.  Henry  Karnopp. 

The  other  Methodist  churches  of  the  city 
are:     The  Free  Methodist   Church,  the  Rev. 

B.  R.  Parks,  pastor;  the  Lowell  Heights 
^Methodist  Church :  and  the  Blount  Olive 
African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the 
Rev.  Cyrus  E.  Roberts,  pastor.  There  is  also 
the  River  Park  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

The  ]\Iilburn  Chapel,  in  memoi-y  of  her 
father,  George  Milburn,  was  built  on  West 
Thomas  street,  in  1883  by  :\Trs.  ChMuent  Stu- 
debaker  at  a  cost  of  ten  thousand  dollars. 
Before   his   lamented   death   Mr.    Studebaker 


414 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


began  the  erection  at  the  corner  of  Laporte 
and  Colfax  avenues  of  what  has  since  become 
the  finest  church  edifice  in  northern  Indiana, 
if  not  in  the  state.  It  has  been  dedicated  un- 
der the  name  of  St.  Paul's  Memorial  Church; 
and  is  a  fitting  monument  to  the  memory  of 
the  great  and  good  man  who  projected  it.  as 
well  as  to  that  of  Mr.  Milburn,  for  whose  com- 
memoration the  original  chapel  was  built. 
Clement  Studebaker,  known  and  beloved  by 
the  people  of  South  Bend,  could  have  no  fitter 
monument  than  this  ma.gnificent  church  of 
Saint    Paul's.       The    present    eloquent    and 


wives  and  their  children,  forming  and  organ- 
izing the  pioneer  church.  At  the  first  meet- 
ing held  in  the  house  of  Horatio  Chapin,  Rev. 
M.  M.  Post,  of  Logansport,  officiated  as  mod- 
erator, and  John  McConnell,  of  Crawfords- 
^  ille.  was  elected  the  first  elder.  Later  on, 
August  17,  1834,  another  meeting  was  held 
and  more  families  united  with  the  church, 
and  the  Lord's  supper  was  celebrated.  On 
the  next  day  following,  Horatio  Chapin  was 
elected  an  elder,  and  was  later  ordained  by 
Rev.  A.  B.  Brown  of  the  then  territory  of 
^Michigan.     For  over  a  year  they  were  with- 


FIRST    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH,  SOUTH    BEND. 


learned  pastor  is  the  Rev.  William  Forney 
Hovis. 

Sec.  2. — The  Presbyterian  Church. — The 
Presbyterian  church  in  South  Bend  had  its 
inception  in  1831.  when  Horatio  Chapin  and 
William  Stanfield  organized  the  first  union 
Sunday  school  in  a  log  school  house.  The  his- 
tory of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  this 
city  has  recently  been  published  under  the 
auspices  of  the  church ;  and,  by  permission  of 
the  reverend  pastor.  Dr.  Henry  Webb  John- 
son, it  is  inserted  in  this  history,  as  follows: 

"On  the  third  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1834,  in 
the  then  wilderness,  abounding  with  Indians, 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  South  Bend 
was    organized    by    families,    husbands    and 


out  a  pastor,  and  held  services  in  private 
houses,  and  in  a  log  school  house,  that  stood 
where  the  Jefferson  school  house  now  stands. 
Here  it  was  that  their  first  pastor,  Rev.  Alfred 
Bryant,  preached  to  them  in  October,  A.  D. 
1835.  ]\Ir.  Bryant  was  a  3'oung  man,  a  grad- 
uate of  Princeton  College,  and  was  sent  out 
the   Board   of   Home  Missions,    who   paid 


1)V 


two-thirds  of  his  salary.  He  was  a  scholarly 
and  saintlv  man,  and  thoroughly  devoted  to 
the  work  of  his  Lord  and  IMaster.  He  came 
here  with  his  young  wife  to  face  the  hardships 
of  the  wilderness,  and  ready  to  toil  with  all 
his  powers,  that  he  might  preach  the  gospel. 
With  his  own  hands  he  planed  and  sawed 
and  dressed  lumber,  and  prepared  seats  and 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


415 


a  pulpit  for  his  little  flock,  and  with  a  few 
hundred  dollars  left  him  from  his  father's 
estate,  he  in  later  years  bought  a  lot  on  Main 
street  which  he  used  for  the  benefit  of  the 
church.  His  earnest,  self-sacrificing  labors  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  church  of  to-day.  The 
church  society  was  then  without  a  building 
to  worship  in.  Horatio  Chapin  owned  a  large 
two-story  building  on  ^Michigan  street,  near 
the  Water  street  bridge.  In  the  first  story 
he  kept  a  dry  goods  store,  and  in  the  large 
upper  rooms  were  the  cradle  and  nursery  of 
the  infant  church.  How  often  must  their 
thoughts  have  turned  to  that  large  upper 
room  where  centuries  before  their  sorrowing 
Master  instituted  the  Lord's  supper  in  remem- 
brance of  Him.  In  this  upper  room  the  first 
Sabbath  school  was  organized  with  Horatio 
Chapin  for  superintendent.  It  began  with 
twelve  scholars.  The  Hon.  Samuel  Hanna, 
of  Fort  Wayne,  donated  a  lot  at  the  corner 
of  Lafayette  and  Water  streets  for  a  church 
building,  and  here,  in  1836.  a  small  frame 
church  was  erected,  which  in  later  years  was 
converted  into  a  dwelling,  and  still  remains 
as  such  to-day.  The  first  bell  of  this  church 
was  of  Spanish  make,  and  was  imported  by  a 
Catholic  church,  but  for  some  reason  was  not 
accepted,  and  was  purchased  and  sept  here 
by  a  sister  of  ^Ir.  Bryant.  This  bell  was  later 
disposed  of  in  some  manner,  and  later  still 
another  bell,  cast  in  New  York  in  1838,  was 
purchased  and  is  still  owned  by  the  church. 
For  over  half  a  century  its  soft  mellow  tones 
sent  its  ringing  invitation  to  enter  the  house 
of  God,  and  tolled  solemn  funeral  notes  for 
the  dead. 

"The  location  of  the  church  was  found  to 
be  not  central  enough,  and  the  pastor,  Mr. 
Bryant,  raised  all  he  could  by  subscription 
here,  obtained  $300  from  his  esteemed  friends 
and  relatives,  borrowed  $500  on  his  own  re- 
sponsibility, and  turned  all  over  to  the  trus- 
tees. With  this,  in  1839.  a  new  church  was 
built  on  Main  street,  on  the  next  lot  south 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building,  now  owned  by 
Mrs.  Jacob  Kerner.     The  church  was  a  fine 


structure  for  the  time,  and  had  a  basement 
for  the  Sabbath  school.  Here  in  this  build- 
ing, Revs.  George  Gordon,  Robert  R.  Wells, 
A.  Kerr,  J.  T.  Umstead,  A.  Y.  Moore,  Dr. 
^John  C.  Brown,  D.  D.,  and  Walter  Forsyth, 
ministered  to  the  church.  During  Dr.  Brown's 
ministry  he  enlisted  in  the  array  and  became 
chaplain  of  Colonel  Eddy's  Forty-eighth 
regiment,  and  died  in  the  service.  Rev.  Wal- 
ter Forsyth,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  had 
been  apprenticed  as  a  machinist  or  engine 
builder,  but  afterwards  studied  and  prepared 
himself  for  the  ministry,  succeedd  Dr.  Brown. 
He  was  a  young  man  full  of  enthusiasm,  and 
untiring  in  his  labors,  and  to  his  active  ef- 
forts, the  third  church  was  built  of  brick 
with  a  .spire  145  feet  tall,  in  the  year  1866, 
on  the  corner  of  Lafayette  and  Washington 
streets. 

"At  the  time  it  was  built,  it  was  the  finest 
church  building  in  the  city.  In  this  edifice 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Forsyth  was  succeeded  by  the 
Revs.  James  F.  Knowles,  Henry  M.  Morey 
and  George  T.  Keller.  Under  the  pastorate 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Keller,  in  1887,  the  brick 
church  was  leveled  to  the  ground,  and  the 
present  beautiful  stone  church  was  planned 
and  begun.  The  work  had  hardly  commenced 
when  the  pastor  passed  away  from  his  earthly 
labors  and  entered  into  heavenly  rest.  His 
loss  was  keenly  felt  and  universally  deplored. 
For  a  year  the  church  worshipped  in  the  Y. 
]\r.  C.  A.  building,  without  a  pastor,  awaiting 
the  completion  of  the  new  stone  edifice.  On 
its  completion  the  Rev.  Henry  Webb  Johnson, 
D.  D.,  the  present  loved  and  able  pastor,  was 
called  to  the  church,  and  under  his  pastorate 
the  church  has  been  signally  blessed.  It 
would  be  impossible  in  a  brief  sketch  to  review 
the  labors  of  the  several  pastors  of  the  church. 
Th'^  church,  however,  will  ever  hold  their  la- 
bors and  sacrifices  in  grateful  remembrance. 

"During  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Keller,  in  the  year  1884,  the  church  cele- 
brated its  semi-centennial,  the  exercises  last- 
ing three  days,  and  the  entire  history  of  the 
church  during  the  fifty  years  preceding  was 


416 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


fully  reviewed  and  all  ending  with  a  banquet 
to  celebrate  her  jubilee  year.  Many  of  the 
leading  events  of  the  church  will  have  to  be 
omitted  in  this  brief  article. 

' '  Nor  can  we  recount  here  the  self-denying, 
faithful  devotion  to  the  interests  of  the 
church,  of  those  who  were  long  identified  with 
her,  who  bore  her  burdens,  who  shared  her 
adversity  and  prosperity,  who  labored  heart- 
ily and  zealously  to  build  up  and  strengthen 
the  church,  and  to  secure  her  peace  and  pros- 
perity. It  is  all  bound  up  in  the  volume  of 
their  lives,  to  be  read  by  the  great  Head 
of  the  church,  who  in  that  great  day  will 
say,  'Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servants, 
enter  ye  into  the  joy  of  the  Lord.' 

''Nor  will  the  church  in  all  its  history  ever 
forget  her  warm  friends,  who  helped  in  her 
work,  and  aided  and  encouraged  her,  when 
in  need  of  help  and  encouragement,  and  for 
them  and  theirs  the  blessing  and  favor  of 
God  will  be  their,  reward. 

"The  church  has  had  men  and  women 
within  its  fold  of  marked  ability  and  great 
influence  which  they  exerted  to  make  the 
world  better.  Some  have  been  noted  as 
authors  (as  Miss  Finley,  author  of  the  popu- 
lar Elsie  stories),  others  as  jurists,  editors, 
educators,  legislators,  officers  of  the  county, 
city,  state  and  nation,  and  of  the  armj^  bank- 
ers, professional  men,  business  men,  minis- 
ters, pastors,  missionaries,  and  many  others 
too  numerous  to  mention,  who  have  used  their 
talents  and  influence  to  advance  Christ's 
Kingdom  in  the  church  and  world.  The 
church  to-day  has  entered  into  their  labors. 
Of  the  workers  in  the  Sabbath  school,  brief 
mention  will  be  made  of  a  few.  Of  the  su- 
perintendents, mention  has  been  made  of  a 
few,  and  of  the  secretaries,  were  Edwin  B. 
Crocker,  Schuyler  Colfax.  John  T.  Lindsey 
and  Colons]  A.  B.  Wade.  Judge  Crocker  aft- 
erwards became  chief  justice  of  the  state  of 
California.  Of  the  teachers  were  Judge 
Thomas  S.  Stanfield,  who  once  taught  a  Bible 
class,  and  Prof.  Benjamin  Wilcox,  Dr.  Louis 
Humphreys,  Julia  M.  Bacon,  who  later  be- 


came a  missionary  in  India,  and  a  host  of 
other  able  and  efficient  teachers,  now  in  heav- 
enly rest.  One  of  the  early  superintendents 
was  Joseph  L.  Jernegan,  then  president  of 
the  State  Bank,  a  lawyer  of  great  ability, 
who  later  became  prominent  in  his  profes- 
sion in  New  York  City,  and  afterwards  re- 
sided in  Florence,  Italy,  w^here  he  died.  But 
the  list  might  be  extended  and  multiplied  at 
length,  if  space  permitted.  We  have  only 
mentioned  some  now  deceased,  and  none  now 
living.  Such  in  brief  are  some  of  the  events 
in  the  history  of  the  church.  That  the  labors 
of  those  gone  before  us  may  not  have  been 
in  vain,  this  heritage  planted  and  watered  by 
them  and  blessed  of  God,  and  left  to  us,  must 
be  maintained  and  the  work  carried  on  in 
the  same  earnest,  zealous  spirit.  Our  prayers 
and  labors  and  our  sacrifices  m\ist  be  given 
tiJl  the  night  of  death  shall  come  to  each, 
when  our  mission  here  shall  end. 

"The  pastors  of  the  church  have  been: 
Alfred  Bryant.  1843;  George  Gordon,  1844; 
Robert  R.  Wells,  1844-46;  A.  A.  Kerr, 
1846-48;  Justice  V.  Olmstead,  1848-49;  A. 
Y.  Moore.  D.  D.,  1849-61;  James  C.  Brown. 
1861-62;  Walter  Forsyth,  1862-71;  James  F. 
Knowles,  1872-74;  Henry  M.  Morey,  1874-79; 
George  T.  Keller.  1880-88;  Henry  Webb 
Johnson.  D.   D.,   1889. 

"The  following  are  some  of  the  Sabbath 
schools  teachers :  John  McConnell,  Horatio 
Chapin,  Dr.  James  B.  Finley,  Francis  Miller, 
Joseph  L.  Jernegan,  Edward  Carpenter, 
George  W.  Matthews,  Sr.,  John  Grant,  Eli- 
])halet  Ferguson,  Jacob  N.  Massey,  Henry 
Fisher.  Charles  W.  Martin,  Joseph  G.  Bart- 
lett,  Robert  Johnson,  Joseph  B.  Arnold,  Sr., 
George  W.  Cook.  John  M.  Campbell,  Mar- 
shall P.  Chapin,  Benjamin  Wilcox,  Daniel 
Greene,  A.  H.  Wheeler,  Dr.  Louis  Hum- 
phreys, Henry  C.  Crawford,  Elmer  Crockett, 
Willis  A.  Bugbee,  Samuel  F.  Allen,  Ernest 
F.  Grether.  James  IMiller,  William  0.  Da- 
vies,  Frank  :M.  Hatch.  Will  U.  Martin  and 
Daniel  S.  ]\Iarsh. 

"The  following  members  of  this  church  are 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


417 


ministers  in  charge  of  congregations:  Rev. 
George  Thompson,  Hamilton,  Ohio ;  Rev. 
Charles  Evans,  Hoboken,  N.  J. ;  Rev.  John 
X.  :\Iills,  Evanston,  HI." 

The  Trinity  Presbyterian  Church  is  lo- 
cated at  the  corner  of  North  St.  Peter  street 
and  East  Colfax  avenue,  the  Rev.  Samuel  M. 
King,  pastor.  The  Westminster  Presbyterian 
Church  is  located  at  the  corner  of  North 
Scott  and  West  Lindsey  streets;  the  Rev. 
Henry  B.  Hostetter,  pa.stor.  Hope  Presby- 
terian Chapel  is  on  South  Leer  street;  the 
Rev.  Prentiss  H.   Case,  pastor. 

Sec.  3. — The  Reformed  Church. — The  Re- 
formed Church  of  South  Bend  was  organ- 
ized in  1849  by  the  Rev.  David  McNiesh. 
The  bi'ick  church  erected  in  that  year  at 
the  corner  of  Lafayette  street  and  Colfax 
avenue  continued  to  be  occupied  until  two 
years  ago,  when  the  present  beautiful  mod- 
ern building  was  erected  in  its  place.  The 
pari.sh  was  re-organized  March  31, 1870,  by  the 
Rev.  William  J.  Skilbuan.  The  most  noted 
pastor  in  the  history  of  this  church  was  the 
Rev.  N.  D.  Williamson,  who  became  pastor 
in  July,  1872,  and  who  was  known  and  hon- 
ored fi*^  Father  Williamson  by  hundreds  of 
persons  besides  those  who  were  members  of 
his  church.  The  pastor  since  the  completion 
of  the  new  church  is  the  Rev.  Israel  Rothen- 
berger.  In  1873  a  ^fission  Chapel  was  built 
on  the  corner  of  Lafayette  and  Sample 
streets;    but   this  has  been  discontinued. 

Sec.  4. — The  Catholic  Church. — In  the 
year  1901,  there  was  issued  a  brief  history  of 
St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church,  situated  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  La  Salle  avenue  and 
Hill  street,  in  the  city  of  South  Bend.  In- 
cidentally, this  sketch  contains  much  local 
history  relating  also  to  other  Catholic 
churches  in  the  city.  The  facts  here  stated 
are  abbreviated  from  the  sketch  so  published 
in  1901: 

"St.  Joseph's  Church  is  the  oldest  Catho- 
lic establishment  in  South  Bend.  A  short 
sketch  of  its  history  during  the  last  fifty 
years  is  hereby  submitted.     For  his  material 

27 


the  compiler  depended  on  public  and  private 
I'ecords  and  the  recollections  of  some  of  the 
oldest  members  of  the  parish. 

"On  the  18th  day  of  September,  1847,  be- 
fore Justice  Johnson  Howell,  the  Right  Rev. 
Celestine  de  la  Hailandiere,  bishop  of  the 
diocese,  in  trust  for  St.  Joseph's  congrega- 
tion, bought  of  Christopher  W.  Emerick 
and  his  wife,  lots  133,  134  and  135,  situated 
on  ]\Iain  street,  now  La  Salle  avenue,  in  the 
village  of  Lowell,  now  the   Fourth  ward  of 


ST.    JOSEPH'S   CHURCH,    SOUTH   BEND. 

the  city  of  South  Bend,  for  the  consideration 
of  fifteen  dollars;  and  Catherine,  the  wife  of 
Christopher  W.  Emerick,  in  consideration  of 
the  sum  of  one  dollar  to  her  in  hand  paid 
'  relinquished  said  Celestine  de  la  Hailandiere 
to  the  aforesaid  premises.' 

"At  that  time  South  Bend  belonged  to  the 
diocese  of  Vincennes,  and  regular  transfers 
of  the  trust  were  made  as  follows:  At  the 
end  of  1847,  to  the  Risht  Rev.  John  S.  Bazin ; 
in  1848,  to  the  Right  Rev.  Maurice  de  St. 
Palais;    then   in   1857,   when  the   diocese  of 


418 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Fort  Wayne  was  established,  to  the  Right 
Rev.  J.  H.  Luers;  in  1871,  to  the  Right  Rev. 
Joseph  Dwenger;  in  1893,  to  the  Right  Rev. 
Joseph  Rademacher,  and  in  1900,  to  the  Right 
Rev.  Herman  Joseph  Alerding,  the  present 
ineninbent,  M^ho  was  consecrated  bishop  of 
Fort  Wayne  on  the  30th  day  of  November, 
the  Feast  of  St.  Andrew,  1900. 

"Lots  133,  134  and  135  are  the  premises 
on  which  the  present  St.  Joseph's  church  and 
parochial  residence  stand,  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Hill  street  and  La  Salle  avenue. 

"In  the  early  forties  the  village  of  Lowell 
was  owned  by  the  elder  Alexis  Coquillard, 
the  uncle  of  our  late  Alexis  and  Benjamin 
Coquillard,  and  of  the  Mesdames  Sherland, 
Miller,  Decker,  Rupel,  Campeau,  Beaubien, 
Meeker  and  Wills.  But  in  1847  a  large  por- 
tion thereof  had  been  deeded  to  Christopher 
W.  Emerick.  Coquillard,  Emerick  and  Sorin 
were  considered  the  enterprising  spirits  of 
the  time ;  and,  no  doubt,  a  place  for  a  church 
was  donated  by  Emerick,  though  not  a  Cath- 
olic, in  a  spirit  of  enterprise. 

"The  Catholics  of  South  Bend,  however, 
were  not  as  yet  numerous  enough,  and  con- 
sequently not  as  yet  able  to  erect  a  church, 
and,  like  their  brethren  of  the  neighboring- 
woods,  towns,  cities  and  states,  they  continued 
to  depend  on  Notre  Dame  for  their  spiritual 
wants,  which  were  administered  by  the  Rev. 
Fathers  Edward  Sorin,  Alexis  Granger,  Fran- 
cis Cointet,  Richard  Shortis,  Thomas  Flynn, 
B.  S.  Force,  and  other  fathers  of  the  Con- 
gregation of  the  Holy  Cross. 

"Father  Sorin  with  his  small  band  of  six 
Brothers  arrived  here  and  founded  Notre 
Dame  on  the  26th  day  of  November,  1842. 
On  hrs  arrival  he  found  at  Notre  Dame  a 
small  log  chapel  which  had  been  erected  by 
Father  Stephen  Theodore  Badin,  the  first 
priest  ordained  in  the  United  States  of 
America. 

"Father  Badin,  it  is  said,  never  collected 
any  pew  rent,  nor  did  he  ever  pay  a  cent  for 
any  services  rendered  to  him.  To  boat  cap- 
tains and  to  ox-drivers  calling  for  fare  he 
would  reply  simply,  'I  am  Father  Badin!' 


"In  this  chapel  the  earliest  Catholic  set- 
tlers joined  in  divine  worship  with  the  In- 
dians who  had  been  civilized,  instructed  and 
christianized  by  such  early  mssionaries  as 
Father  Badin,  Father  de  Seille  and  Father 
Petit.  The  regularly  kept  records  of  these 
early  missionaries,  as  far  as  they  have  been 
secured  by  Prof.  James  F.  Edwards,  the 
manager  of  the  archives  of  the  Bishops'  Me- 
morial hall  at  Notre  Dame,  date  back  to  the 
year  1830. 

"The  site  of  the  chapel  is  religiously  pre- 
served at  Notre  Dame.  An  arbor  vitae  hedge 
n]arks  the  lines  of  the  original  foundations 
and  a  large  stone  cross  with  a  suitable  in- 
scription tells  the  visitor  that  this  is  a 
sacred  spot. 

"It  was  in  a  small  cell  behind  the  altar  of 
this  chapel  that  the  saintly  Father  de  Seille 
succumbed  to  his  labors  in  1837.  When  he 
felt  the  end  approaching  he  longed  for  the 
Last  Sacraments,  those  very  consolations  of 
religion  which  he  had  so  many  times  admin- 
istered unto  others.  His  nearest  brother 
priests  then  had  stations  in  Chicago,  in  Lo- 
gansport  and  in  New  Albany.  He  knew  that 
even  these  were  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  away  from  home  on  missionary  fields, 
and  to  make  sure  of  receiving  the  rites  of 
the  church  at  the  hands  of  one  of  them,  he 
sent  three  of  h'  "  'thful  Indians  for  a  priest, 
one  to  each  of  the  above  named  posts.  Fa- 
ter  Louis  Neyron,  of  New  Albany,  was  the 
only  one  that  could  be  found.  He  followed 
his  guide,  through  woodland  tracts,  without 
any  other  thought  before  his  mind  but  the 
sad  duty  of  ministering,  as  he  thought,  at  the 
bed  side  of  a  dying  brother  priest.  But  when 
he  arrived  he  found  the  chapel  surrrounded 
and  filled  with  Indians  M^ho,  in  silent  mourn- 
ing, were  praying  for  the  repose  of  the  soul 
of  the  departed  shepherd  of  their  own  souls. 

"Father  de  Seille  was  dead  three  days, 
and  the  Indians  never  thought  of  either 
touching  or  disposing  of  his  body.  In  his 
last  hour  he  had  asked  his  Indians  to  carry 
him  to  the  tabernacle  of  the  altar,  whence 
his  own  dying  hand  drew  forth  the  Blessed 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


419 


Sacrament  and  administered  to  himself  the 
Holy  Viaticum.  Father  Neyron  made  prep- 
arations for  the  burial,  and  one' of  his  warm- 
est recollections  in  favor  of  the  docility  of 
the  Indians  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  zeal 
of  Father  de  Seille  on  the  other  was  the  fact 
that,  at  the  funeral,  the  Indians  sang  the 
Requiem  Mass  from  beginning  to  end,  in  a 
manner  which  would  put  to  shame  many  a 
more  pretentious  church  choir. 

''This  same  Father  Neyron  had  charge  of 
St.  Joseph's  congregation  from  1864  to  1867. 
A  native  of  France  and  an  attache  of  Na- 
poleon's army  previous  to  his  ordination  to 
the  priesthood,  he  had  labored  in  the  Ameri- 
can missions  under  Bishops  Brute,  de  la  Hai- 
landi^re,  Bazin,  De  St.  Palais,  Flaget  and 
other  pioneer  prelates  for  thirty  years,  when 
in  1862  his  health  failed  and  he  retired  to 
Notre  Dame  for  rest.  But  to  attend  to  the 
little  parish  of  St.  Joseph's  at  the  very  door 
of  Notre  Dame  was  for  him  but  play. 

"On  the  14th  day  of  September,  the  feast 
of  the  Exaltation  of  the  Holy  Cross,  in  the 
year  1853,  the  Very  Rev.  Father  Edward 
Sorin,  then  provincial  superior  of  the  priests, 
brothers  and  sisters  of  the  Order  of  the  Holy 
Cross  in  America,  bought  of  Samuel  L.  Cot- 
trell  and  Catherine  his  wife,  lots  124,  125 
and  126  in  the  town  of  Lowell  for  the  consid- 
eration of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 
As  a  part  of  the  consideration  the  deed  pro- 
vides that  the  property  be  used  'For  the 
benefit  of  the  CatJwli'^  School  of  St.  Joseph's 
County,  Indiana.'  This  property,  at  present 
known  as  the  northeast  corner  of  Hill  street 
and  La  Salle  avenue,  is  now  exclusively  used 
for  school  purposes  and  is  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  the 
trust  having  been  transferred  to  them  for  the 
consideration  of  one  dollar. 

"The  same  year.  1853,  Father  Sorin  erected 
on  the  above-named  property  a  brick  struc- 
ture, twenty-two  by  forty  feet,  to  serve  as  a 
school  and  at  the  same  time  as  a  church  for 
the  Catholic  population  of  South  Bend.  The 
school  has  long  been  known  as  the  Assump- 


tion School;  and  the  church  first  as  St. 
Alexis,  but  now  for  many  years  as  St.  Jo- 
seph's. A  little  addition  was  made  to  the 
rear  of  the  building  to  serve  as  a  residence 
for  the  sisters  who  taught  the  school. 

"Both  church  and  school  were  then  under 
the  patronage  and  the  title  of  St.  Alexis, 
which  name,  however,  never  belonged  to  the 
congregation  that  worshipped  therein  and 
which,  even  as  far  as  the  school  ?s  concerned, 
is  no  longer  in  existence. 

"Mass  was  said  here  every  Sunday  for  the 
peopio^  of  South  Bend  and  the  Indians  of  the 
neighboring  woods,  and  once  a  week  for  the 
sisters  of  the  school  and  their  pupils. 

"Thus  hand  in  hand  together  started 
school  and  church,  and  the  wise  pioneers  ap- 
preciated the  fact  that  the  school  is  the  more 
important  of  the  two.  The  school  received 
from  the  beginning  a  full  corps  of  resident 
teachers,  whose  kitchen  was  regularly  sup- 
plied by  the  commissioner  of  Notre  Dame. 

"In  the  St.  Alexis  Church,  which  wias 
oi)ened  in  1853  and  was  used  for  Divine 
worship  until  the  year  1866,  the  following 
reverend  fathers  have  taken  charge  of  the 
spiritual  wants  of  the  congregation :  Edward 
Sorin,  Alexis  Granger,  J.  Bourget,  E.  Leveque, 
Peter  Paul  Cooney,  Thomas  Carroll  and  other 
priests  of  the  Holy  Cross.  But  these  can 
scarcely  be  called  pastors.  They  were  not 
resident  priests.  They  all  resided  at  Notre 
Dame,  taught  there  all  week  and  then  on 
Sundays  did  missionary  work  for  St.  Joseph's 
congregation  in  South  Bend,  for  the  Cath- 
olic congregations  oi  Laporte,  Logansport, 
Goshen,  Kalamazoo,  Niles,  Bertrand  and 
other  missions,  the  very  names  of  which 
would,  after  this  comparatively  short  time, 
be  lost  from  the  memory  of  a  more  prosperous 
succeeding  generation  if  it  were  not  for  the 
baptismal,  marriage  and  funeral  records 
which  they  so  faithfully  kept  and  which  are 
preserved  at  Notre  Dame.  Father  Sorin, 
during  this  time  and  for  many  years  to  come 
may  be  put  down  as  the  real  pastor,  who 
would  on   Sundays,   and  whenever  on  week 


420 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


days  a  priest  was  wanted,  send  the  one  who 
to  him  appeared  most  available. 

"In  the  year  1859  the  Catholic  population 
of  South  Bend  had  largely  increased,  and 
the  people  living-  in  the  western  part  of  the 
town  considered  themselves  numerous  enough 
to  have  a  church  of  their  own.  Father  Sorin 
at  once  encouraged  the  enterprise  and  sent  a 
priest  to  take  the  matter  in  hand. 

"This  priest  was  Father  Thomas  Carroll, 
then  newly  ordained  and  in  charge  of  St. 
Joseph's  congregation,  in  St.  Alexis'  chapel. 
He  found  a  ready  ear  w^hen  he  went  among 
the  people  who  were  then  arriving  or  passing 
here,  and  persuaded  them  to  settle  perma- 
nently in  South  Bend.  With  the  unanimous 
good  will  of  the  people,  the  young  priest  or- 
ganized St.  Patrick's  congregation  and  built 
the  old  St.  Patri'k's  Church  on  Division 
street,   one  block  west  of  Taylor. 

"While  engaged  in  this  work  Father  Car- 
roll taught  catechism  daily  for  all  the  chil- 
dren of  South  Bend  in  St.  Alexis'  school  and 
said  mass  there  every  morning.  All  sick-calls 
and  other  demands  on  the  pastor  were  sent 
to  the  sisters  of  the  school,  who,  as  a  rule, 
knew  wdiere  the  reverend  father  could  be 
reached.  Father  Thomas  Carroll  may,  there- 
fore, be  said  to  have  been  the  first  priest  to 
whom  was  entrusted  the  whole  charge  of 
South  Bend. 

"When  the  old  St.  Patrick's  Church  was 
built,  Father  Carroll  continued  to  attend  to 
the  whole  of  South  Bend  on  week  davs,  but 
gave  his  time  to  St.  Patrick's  Church  on 
Sundays.  For  Sunday  services  St.  Joseph's 
congregation  then  again  depended  on  Notre 
Dame;  and  the  records  show  that  Fathers  A. 
Granger,  William  Corby,  C.  Exel,  J.  Bourget, 
J.  C.  Carrier,  L.  Neyron,  P.  Hartlang,  A.  Le- 
monnier,  S.  Daugherty,  L.  J.  L'Etourneau 
and  Julius  Frere  of  Notre  Dame  conducted 
services  on  Sundays.  It  would  appear  from 
this  that  St.  Joseph's  Church  may  rightly 
be  called  the  mother  church  of  St.  Patrick's, 
St.  Hedwage's,  St.  Mary's,  St.  Casimir's, 
St.  Stanisla.us ',  St.  Stephen's  and  the  Sacred 
Heart  Churches,  of  South  Bend." 


Tlie  first  church  and  the  first  school  had 
been  put  up  at  the  expense  of  Notre  Dame. 
The  second  church,  however,  was  to  be 
erected  on  the  diocesan  property  and  at  the 
expense  of  the  congregation.  Accordingly 
Father  Louis  J.  L'Etourneau,  who  suc- 
ceeded Father  Louis  Neyron,  in  Septemberj 
1867.  started  a  subscription  for  the  new 
church. 

The  contract  for  building  the  church  was 
given  to  Mr.  Hodson,  for  $1,385.76.  It  was  a 
frame  building,  40x60  feet,  and  was  erected 
on  lot  133.  the  southeast  corner  of  Water  and 
Hill  streets,  on  the  site  of  the  present  St. 
Joseph's  Church.  The  church  was  completed 
in  September  of  1868,  by  wdiich  time  Father 
L'Etourneau  had  been  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Julius  Frere. 

In  the  year  1862.  a  frame  building, 
eighteen  by  twenty-six  feet,  was  erected  on 
Lowell  Heights,  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
South  Bend  and  Notre  Dame  avenues,  to 
serve  as  the  first  school  for  larger  boys.  Here 
Brothers  Raymond,  Daniel,  Romuald  and 
Philip,  surnamed  the  "Presbyterian"  (be- 
cause he  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  John 
Knox)  taught  the  school  for  several  years; 
and  the  large  boys  whom  they  made  good 
still  speak,  at  this  late  day,  with  the  fondest 
recollections,  of  the  sehool-masterly  abilities 
and  the  eccentric  methods  of  these  early 
masters. 

On  the  13th  day  of  September,  1869,  Fa- 
ther Frere.  then  pastor  of  the  new  church  on 
the  original  church  property,  had  this  school 
house  moved  from  the  hill  into  the  middle  of 
the  parish,  to  the  site  of  the  present  paro- 
chial residence,  and  Brother  Raymond  taught 
the  boys  here  until  March  3,  1871,  when  Fa- 
ther Demers,  a  succeeding  pastor,  sold  "la 
petite  ecole  a  Cottrell"  for  one  hundred  dol- 
lars, and  the  larger  boys  M^ere  returned  to 
the  sisters  in  St.  Alexis'  school,  which  had 
in  the  meanwhile  been  called  "The  Assump- 
tion Academy."  La  petite  ecole  is  now  a 
neat  little  residence.  It  stands  on  East  Madi- 
son street  and  may  be  recognized  by  the 
name  of  Martin  Hoban,  which  this  lad  en- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


421 


graved  on  a  door  post  while  attending  school 
on  the  hill. 

In  1866  the  original  St.  Alexis'  Church  was 
found  to  be  too  small  for  the  congreg-ation, 
in  spite  of  the  comparatively  recent  exodus 
of  the  people  who  now  formed  St.  Patrick's 
Church;  and  a  larger  church  was  built  on 
the  site  of  the  present  church. 

On  the  26th  of  December,  1872.  at  high 
noon,  this  church,  from  some  unknown  source, 
took  fire  and  burnt  to  the  ground.  The  con- 
gregation then  returned  to  the  old  St.  Alexis' 
Chapel  across  the  street,  with  the  Rev.  Peter 
Lauth  as  their  pastor;  and  Father  Sorin 
bought  the  block  on  which  St.  Joseph's  hos- 
pital now  stands  for  a  new  church.  Beyond 
the  fact  that  the  insurance  money  for  the 
old  church  was  used,  and  that  five  thousand 
was  paid  to  William  Neddo  for  the 
bk)ck  now  purchased,  no  one  ever  knew  what 
the  new  church  cost.  Father  Sorin  drew  the 
plan ;  Brother  Charles  superintended  the 
work;  and  Brother  Edward,  treasurer  of 
Notre  Dame,  paid  the  bills. 

Several  pastors  succeeded  one  another  in 
''the  church  on  the  hill,"  until  the  year  1880, 
when  the  Rev.  Michael  l*h.  Fallize  became 
pastor.  Under  his  pastorate  the  present 
beautiful  church  at  the  corner  of  La  Salle 
avenue  and  Hill  street  was  erected.  It  was 
on  September  22,  1886,  that  the  stained  glass 
windows  on  the  north  side  of  this  church 
were  destroyed  by  the  hail  storm,  as  already 
related."  Father  Fallize  also  built  for  a 
school  and  parish  hall  the  brick  building  on 
the  south  side  of  the  church  lots,  which  has 
however,  until  the  year  1907,  been  chiefly 
used  as  a  pastoral  residence. 

In  the  fall  of  1888,  Father  Fallize  took 
his  departure  for  East  Bengal,  India,  where 
he  has  since  remained  as  a  devoted  mission- 
ary. The  succeeding  pastors  have  been  the 
Rev.  James  Gleeson,  the  Rev.  Nicholas  J. 
Stoffel,  and  the  present  zealoiLS  pastor,  the 
Rev.  Peter  Lauth.  During  the  pastorate  of 
Father  Lauth  the  parish  has  greatly  flour- 

a.     Chap.  7,  Subd.  7,  Sec.  2. 


ished.     In  1907  the  fine  parochial  residence 
was  erected. 

The  most  noted  civic  and  religious  demon- 
stration in  which  St.  Joseph's  parish  ever 
took  part  was  the  commemoration  of  the 
discovery  of  America  on  the  afternoon  of 
Sunday.  October  16,  1892.  In  the  parade 
through  the  city  it  required  forty-five  min- 
utes to  pass  a  given  point ;  and  it  is  esti- 
mated that  five  thousand  persons  participated. 

The  pastors  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  after 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Carroll,  the  founder  of  the 
parish,  were  the  Rev.  Peter  Paul  Cooney, 
who  became  a  famous  chaplain  during  the 
Civil  war;  the  Rev.  Louis  Neyron,  a  veteran 
of  Napoleon's  wars,  who  was  on  the  retreat 
from  Moscow  and  at  the  battle  of  Waterloo; 
the  Rev.  Paul  Gillen,  the  Rev.  Joseph  C. 
Carrier  and  the  Rev.  William  Corby,  all  chap- 
lains in  the  Civil  war;  the  Rev.  Peter  Lauth, 
now  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's;  the  Rev.  Father 
O'Mahoney,  a  distinguished  pulpit  orator; 
the  Rev.  Daniel  J.  Spillard;  the  Rev.  Den- 
nis J.  Hagerty;  the  Rev.  Father  Clark;  and 
the  Rev.  John  F.  De  Groote,  the  present 
pastor. 

Tender  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Father 
Hagerty  the  new  church  on  Taylor  street, 
near  the  head  of  Wayne,  was  built.  Under 
the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Father  Clark,  the 
parish  hall  and  school  on  Scott  street  was 
erected.  These  two  buildings  the  church 
and  the  hall,  have  established  St.  Patrick's 
parish  on  a  substantial  basis ;  they  are  both 
modern  and  elegant,  as  well  as  convenient 
and  u.seful,  structures. 

As  St.  Patrick's  is  the  child  of  St.  Jo- 
seph's; so  St.  Mary's,  St.  Hedwige's,  St.  Ste- 
phen's and  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
bear  the  same  filial  relation  to  St.  Patrick's, 
having  gone  forth  from  the  latter;  while 
St.  Casimir's  and  St.  Stanislaus'  have  devel- 
oped from  St.  Hedwige's.  All  the  congrega- 
tions are  large,  and  the  parishes  prosperous. 
The  pastor  of  St.  Hedwige's  is  the  veteran 
Rev.  Valentine  Czyzewski ;  the  pastor  of 
St.    Mary's    is    the    Rev.    Joseph    Scherer; 


422 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  pastor  of  St.  Casimir's,  the  Rev.  Anthony 
Zubowicz;  the  pastor  of  St.  Stanislaus',  the 
Rev.  R.  A.  Marciniak ;  the  pastor  of  St.  Ste- 
phen's^ the  Rev.  Michael  J.  Biro:  and  the 
late  pastor  of  the  Sacred  Heart  Church,  the 
Rev.  Peter  Klein,  deceased,  his  successor  not 
yet  being  appointed. 

Each  of  the  Catholic  churches  has  a  llour- 
i.shino-  parochial  school  with  teachers  under 
the  direction  of  the  pastor.  There  are.  be- 
sides, two  academic  schools  of  a  high  order, — 
the  Assumption  school,  already  mentioned,  at- 
tached to  St.  Joseph's  Church;  and  St.  Jo- 
seph's   Academy,    attached    to    St.    Patrick's 


Rev.  Peter  Johannes,  the  good  priest  who 
founded  and  built  up  during  the  last  twenty 
years  of  his  life  the  church  and  school  of 
St.   Mary's  parish. 

Sec.  5. — The  Baptist  Church. — The  first 
Baptist  Church  in  South  Bend  was  organ- 
ized September  14,  1836,  with  the  Rev.  James 
M.  Johnson  a.s  pastor.'^  Mr.  Johnson  served 
as  pastor  for  about  six  months,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded for  a  time  hy  the  Rev.  M.  Price,  of 
Cassopolis,  Michigan.  There  was  a  revival  of 
the  organization  in  ]March,  1842,  when  the 
Rev.  Alexander  Hastings  was  chosen  pastor. 
The   following  reverend  pastors  have  served 


FIRST    BAPTIST   CHURCH,    SOUTH   BEND. 


church.  The  graduates  of  St.  Joseph's  Acad- 
emy rank  with  those  of  the  best  high  schools. 
The  foundation  of  the  Assumption  school, 
as  we  have  seen,  dates  from  the  year  1853. 
It  was  greatly  enlarged  and  improved  in 
1907,  under  the  administration  of  Sister  Boni- 
face. St.  Joseph's  Academy  dates  from  1866. 
It  was  built  up  under  the  direction  of  the 
efficient  Sister  Ambrose,  a  sister  of  the  Rev. 
William  Corby,  chaplain  in  the  Civil  war. 
and  for  several  years  before  his  death  the 
able  provincial  of  the  Order  of  the  Holy 
Cross  in  America.  The  history  of  the  Cath- 
olic chiireh  in  South  Bend  should  not  be 
closed  without  special  commemoration  of  the 


the  church  since  1842:  Mr.  William 
L.  H.  Stoeker:  E.  T.  Manning;  S.  L.  Col- 
lins ;  D.  Thomas :  A.  S.  Ames ;  Ira  Corwiu ; 
C.  Ager;  T.  P.  Campbell;  M.  Muleahy;  J. 
L.  M.  Young;  T.  E.  Egbert;  C.  D.  Chaffee; 
A.  B.  Chaffee;  Carl  D.  Case;  E.  S.  Stucker: 
G.  M.  Lehigh;  David  Cooper;  and  William 
Kirk  Bryce,  the  present  eloquent  and  ener- 
getic pastor. 

It  was  in  the  month  of  January,  1874,  dur- 
ing the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Young, 
that  the  frame  church  at  the  corner  of  Main 

a.  South  Bend  and  the  Men  who  have  Made  it, 
1901,  p.  37;  Higgins  Belden  St.  Joseph  Countv 
Atlas,  1875,  p.  24. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


423 


and  Jefferson  streets,  on  the  present  site  of 
the  post  office,  was  burned.  This  is  known 
in  local  annals  as  the  Baptist  church  fire, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  terrible  fire  con- 
tests that  the  old  volunteer  fire  department 
ever  experienced.  The  weather  was  intensely 
eold  and  many  of  the  firemen  never  recovered 
from  the  dreadful  exposure  then  experienced. 
This  building-  had  been  moved  from  the  next 
lot  south  in  1864;  and  was  at  that  tim.e 
greatly  enlarged  and  improved.  After  the 
fire  of  1874,  the  building  was  repaired  and 
used  by  the  congregation  until  their  removal 
to  the  fine  stone  edifice  at  the  corner  of  Main 
and  Wayne  streets,  in  January,  1887.     The 


Mount  Zion  Baptist  Church,  116  North  Bird- 
sell  street,  the  Rev.  H.  M.  Stoval,  pastor; 
the  Immanuel  Baptist  Church,  875  South 
Marietta  street,  the  Rev.  W.  F.  Bostick,  pas- 
tor: the  Quincy  Street  Baptist  Church,  the 
Rev.  Henry  B.  Finch,  pastor,  organized  in 
1906;  and  the  First  Swedish  Baptist 
Church,  corner  of  Laurel  and  Napier  streets. 
See.  6. — The  Episcopal  Church. — St. 
James'  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  as  a 
parish  July  28,  1868,  with  the  Rev.  George 
P.  Schetky.  as  rector.  Through  the  munifi- 
cence of  Judge  Powers  Green,  a  church  build- 
ing was  erected  in  1869  on  the  north  side  of 
Waj^ne  street,  a  little  east  of  Lafayette;  and 


ST.    JAMES   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH,  SOUTH    BEND. 


old  frame  building  was  removed  to  the 
grounds  of  the  Studebaker  wagon  factory, 
where  it  still  continues  to  do  service.  The 
present  field  stone  church,  one  of  the  most 
elegant  and  commodious  in  the  city,  was 
erected  in  1886.  but  not  occupied  until  1887. 

The  Rev.  Carl  Delos  Case  came  to  the 
church  in  April,  1895,  and  remained  for  four 
years.  He  won  the  admiration  of  the  com- 
munity as  well  as  of  the  membera  of  his 
own  church.  The  present  pastor,  the  Rev. 
"William  Kirk  Bryce,  has  taken  a  like  high 
place  in  public  esteem. 

Besides    the    First    Church,    there    is    the 


was  dedicated  with  appropriate  services  on 
September  the  fifth  of  that  year.  In  January, 
1871,  the  church  was  moved  to  a  point  a  lit- 
tle north  of  the  northwest  corner  of  Lafay- 
ette and  Jefferson  streets.  This  building  was 
again  moved  in  1898 ;  this  time  to  the  north- 
west part  of  the  city,  where  it  was  used  as 
the  Westminster  Presbyterian  Church.  The 
lot  on  whi:h  it  had  stood  was  sold  at  the  same 
time,  and  the  present  site,  on  the  west  sid'i 
of  Lafayette  street,  between  Washington  and 
Colfax,  was  purchased.  On  this  lot  the  pres- 
ent handsome  h^v-k  church  was  erected  in 
1894.     The  church  was  solemnly  dedicated  on 


424 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Christmas  eve  of  that  year,  at  a  midnight 
service,  by  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  of  Spring- 
field, George  Franklin  Seymour.  It  is  one 
of  the  finest  churches  in  the  city,  and  is 
valued  at  over  thirty  thoasand  dollars.  The 
present  rector  is  the  Rev.  Francis  Milton 
Banfil,  who  was  installed  January  1,  1899. 

Sec.  7. — The  Lutheran  Church. — St. 
Paul's  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  of 
South  Bend,  was  organized  in  1878  by  the 
Rev.  Henry  Siek.  The  original  church,  built 
on  the  southeast  corner  of  Jefferson  and  Wil- 
liam streets,  was  dedicated  August  21,  1878. 
The  Rev.  Paul  Heid  was  the  second  pa.stor. 
He  was  succeeded  by  the  present  pastor,  the 
Rev.  Trangott  J.  Thieme.  The  congregation 
has  a  large  and  substantial  church  building, 
and  is  in  a  flourishing  condition.  A  note- 
worthy feature  of  this  church  is  the  excellent 
and  largely  attended  parochial  school  which 
is  attached  to  it.  The  history  of  this  school 
is  coeval  with  that  of  the  church  itself. 
While  the  parish  was  in  its  infancy,  the  first 
pastor,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Siek,  taught  the  school 
himself.  Afterwards,  when  conditions  im- 
proved, a  teacher  was  employed.  And  now^^ 
for  several  years  past,  two  teachers  are  con- 
stantly engaged. 

The  Holy  Trinity  English  Lutheran 
Church  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Sherman 
avenue  and  Lindsey  street.  The  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Brenner  is  the  pastor. 

The  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran  Gloria 
Dei  Church  is  located  at  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  Chapin  and  Kerr  streets.  The  Rev. 
John  F.  Borg  is  the  nastor.  The  congrega- 
tion, which  is  very  numerous  and  zealous,  has 
erected  a  beautiful  concrete  stone  church. 

Sec.  8. — The  Evangelical  Church. — St. 
Peter's  Evangelical  Church  was  organized  in 
1863.  The  congregation  has  a  handsome 
brick  church  at  No.  429  West  La  Salle  ave- 
nue.    The  Eev.  Charles  Koenig  is  the  pastor. 

Zion  Church,  located  at  No.  231  South  St. 
Peter  street,  was  established  in  1888,  by  the 
Rev.  Martin  Goffeney,  who  has  been  pastor 
of  the  church  from  the  beginning.    In  1892  a 


school  was  established  in  connection  with  the 
chui'ch;  and  in  1895  a  neat  parsonage  was 
l)ui]t.  Both  church  and  school  are  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition. 

The  First  Church  Evangelical  Association 
is  located  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Lafay- 
ette and  Monroe  streets.  The  pastor  is  the 
Rev.  Fred  Rausch.  The  congregation  has  a 
beautiful  new  brick  church. 

Mizpah  Church  is  located  at  No.  126  West 
Monroe  street.  The  Rev.  James  H.  Rilling  is 
the  pastor. 

The  South  Bend  Evangelical  Hungarian 
Protestant  Church  is  located  at  No.  1422 
West  Washington  street.  The  pastor  is  the 
Rev.  Stephen  Csepke. 

'  The  Swedish  Evangelical  Mission  Church 
is  located  at  the  corner  of  Scott  and  Orchard 
streets. 

Sec.  9. — The  Christian  Church. — The 
Christian  Church  of  South  Bend  was  first 
organized  on  Portage  prairie,  at  a  point  about 
four  miles  north  of  the  city  limits.  The  Rev. 
W.  Mcllvaine,  a  zealous  minister,  was  the  first 
pastor.  In  the  spring  of  1851,  Elder  Mcll- 
vaine secured  the  old  seminary  on  West 
Washington,  where  services  were  held  for  a 
year.  The  lot  on  which  the  present  church 
stands,  on  the  east  side  of  Main  street,  be- 
tween Wayne  and  Division,  was  purchased 
^in  1852,  and  a  church  erected  that  year.  In 
!!878  a  larger  building  was  erected  on  the 
same  lot.  This  church  building  has  been  ma- 
terially enlarged  and  improved  since  that 
time. 

The  membership  of  this  church  has  em- 
braced many  of  the  best  citizens  of  the  city. 
Among  the  pastors  after  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mc- 
llvaine have  been, — John  Martindale,  Reuben 
Wilson,  Gideon  Drapier,  Frederick  J. 
Thomas,  W.  J.  Homer,  J.  Belton,  H.  N.  Lord, 
W.  B.  Hendrix,  William  P.  Ailsworth,  J. 
Hurd,  George  W.  Sweeney,  J.  H.  Stover.  The 
present  pastor  is  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Henry. 

The  Indiana  Avenue  Christian  Church  is 
located  at  the  corner  of  Indiana  avenue  and 
Witwer  street.     This  church  was  established 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


425 


principally  through  the  zeal  and  eloquence 
of  the  Rev.  P.  J.  Rice.  The  present  pastor  is 
the  Rev.  Arthur  C.  McHenry.  There  is  also 
the  Linden  Avenue  Christian  Church,  lo- 
cated on  Lincoln  street. 

Sec.  10. — Other  Churches. — Other  promi- 
nent churches  in  the  city  are  the  following: 
The  First  Brethren  Church,  located  at  No. 
1212  South  ^lichigan  street,  the  Rev.  David 
Eikenberry,  pastor;  the  First  United  Breth- 
ren in  Christ  Church,  No.  522  South  Michi- 
gan street,  the  Rev.  R.  J.  Parrett,  pastor; 
the  German  Baptist  Brethren,  corner  of  Cush- 
ing  and  Van  Buren  streets,  the  Rev.  S.  F. 
Sanger,  pastor;  the  First  Church  of  Christ, 
Scientist,  corner  of  IMadison  and  ]\Iain  streets; 
the  German  Baptist  Brethren  Church,  corner 
of  Indiana  avenue  and  Miami  street,  the  Rev. 
Hiram  W.  Kreighbaum,  pastor;  the  Beulah 
Chapel  Evangelical  Association,  corner  of 
Brick  and  Euclid  avenues,  the  Rev.  Noah  F. 
Platz,  pastor;  the  Sons  «*-f  Israel,  No.  420 
South  William  street,  the  Rev.  ]\Ia.x  E.  Alt- 
field,  pastor ;  the  Temple  Bethel,  corner  of 
La  Salle  avenue  and  Taylor  street,  the  Rev. 
Abraham  Cronbach,  pastor;  the  Mennonite 
Brethren  in  Christ  Church,  corner  of  Lind- 
sey  street  and  Harrison  avenue.  Miss ,  Kate 
Bredemus,  pastor. 

Sec  11. — The  Young  Men  's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation.— On  November  27,  1906,  the  corner- 
stone of  the  4-story  and  basement  brick  build- 
ing, with  stone  trimmings,  at  the  northeast 
corner  of  Main  and  Wayne  streets,  which  is 
to  be  the  house  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  South 
Bend,  was  laid,  with  impressive  ceremonies. 
In  the  copper  box  inserted  in  the  cornerstone 
were  placed  various  articles  and  documents 
which  may  be  of  rare  historic  interest  to  some 
future  generation,  when,  perhaps,  this  then 
venerable  structure  shall  give  place  to  another 
edifice.  Amongst  the  documents  placed  in  the 
box  were  a  history  of  the  Young  Men 's  Christ- 
ian Association,  prepared  by  Mr.  Miller  Guy, 
an  officer  of  the  local  association  ;  a  history,  by 
Mr.  Charles  Arthur  Carlisle,  of  the  Stude- 
baker    Brothers'    Manufacturing     Company, 


through  whose  munificence  the  building  is  to 
be  erected,  and  a  history  of  the  city  of  South 
Bend,  by  the  writer.  Through  the  courtesy  of 
Mr.  Guy  the  following  sketch  of  the  local 
association  is  taken  from  the  general  history 
deposited  by  him  in  the  copper  box  then  sealed 
up  in  the  cornerstone  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
building : 

The  local  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion of  the  city  of  South  Bend  dates  from  the 
ninth  day  of  March,  1882.  It  was  born  of  the 
great  series  of  union  revival  meetings  then 
being  held  under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  L.  W. 
Munhall,  of  Indianapolis,  and  who  was  at  that 
time  state  secretary  of  the  Young  Men  s  Chris- 
tion  Association  of  the  state  of  Indiana.  This 
first  meeting  was  preliminary,  and  record  of 
it  has  been  preserved  as  follows : 

"South  Bend,  Indiana,  Thursday,  March  9th, 

1882.  * 

"Nine-thirty  o'clock  P.  M. 

"In  compliance  with  a  call  made  by  Dr.  L. 
W.  Munhall,  state  secretary  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  of  Indiana,  a 
large  number  of  people  met  in  the  lecture 
room  of  the  First  M.  E.  Church,  at  the  close 
of  a  revival  service. 

"The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Dr. 
Munhall,  who  proceeded  to  state  the  object 
and  aim  of  association  work,  and  to  urge  the 
organization  of  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  South  Bend. 

"The  sense  of  the  meeting  was  then  taken 
and  on  motion  Marvin  Campbell  was  made 
secretary  pro  tem.,  after  which  it  was  moved 
and  seconded  that  we  proceed  with  the  or- 
ganization at  once. 

"On  motion  the  various  pastors  of  the  city 
churches  were  then  appointed  a  Committee  on 
Constitution,  and  directed  to  report  at  the 
next  meeting. 

"A  committee  on  permanent  organization 
was  called  for  and  appointed  as  follows : 

"E.  C.  Westervelt,  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian church. 

"H.  F.  Clipfell,  of  the  First  Christian 
church, 

"J.  H.  Wilson,  of  the  First  Methodist 
church. 

"Geo.  W.  Loughman,  of  the  Mich.  St. 
Methodist  church. 

"Samuel  Kinney,  of  the  Baptist  church. 

"C.  Liphart,  of  the  German  M.  E.  church. 

"H.  S.  Fassett,  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

"J.  G.  Kline,  of  the  Evangelical  church. 


426 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


''Jasper  E.  Lewis,  of  the  Reformed  church. 

"After  a  general  discussion  of  the  favor- 
able auspices  under  which  we  are  about  to  or- 
ganize and  the  bright  prospects  of  success,  an 
adjournment  was  had  until  Friday  night  at 
the  close  of  service. 

"Marvin  Campbell,  Secy,  pro  tern. 

"0.  H.  Palmer,  Secretary  elect." 

The  permanent  organization  of  the  local 
was  effected  on  the  following  evening,  being 
Friday,  March  10,  1882. 

The  meeting  was  called  in  the  basement  of 
the  First  JNIethodist  Church  at  the  corner  of 
Main  and  Jefferson  streets,  to  hear  the  reports 
of  the  committees  on  organization.  Sixty- 
three  names  were  subscribed  as  charter  mem- 
bers. The  membership  fee  was  fixed  at  one 
dollar  per  year.  The  official  minutes  of  this 
first  regular  meeting  of  the  association  are  as 
follows : 

"South  Bend,  Indiana,  March  10th,  1882. 
"Friday,  Nine-thirty  P.  M. 

"Pursuant  to  adjournment,  a  meeting  of 
those  interested  in  the  organization  of  a 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  was  called 
to  order  by  Dr.  L.  W.  i\Iunhall,  in  the  lecture 
room  of  the  First  M.  E.  church,  at  the  close 
of  a  revival  service. 

"The  committee  on  constitution  presented 
its  report  through  the  chairman.  Rev.  S.  B. 
Town. 

"The  constitution  submitted  was  substan- 
tially that  subscribed  to  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at 
Indianapolis,  and  was  unanimously  adopted. 

"Sixty-three  names  were  then  attached  to 
the  instrument,  after  which  the  committee  on 
permanent  organization  made  a  report,  which 
was  accepted  and  confirmed  by  the  unanimous 
election  of  the  following  officers  for  the  ensu- 
ing year. 

Hon.  Clement  Studebaker,  President. 

Hon.  Schuyler  Colfax,  1st  Vice  President. 

VICE   PRESIDENTS. 

Elmer  Crockett,  1st  Presbyterian. 

Marvin  Campbell,  1st  ]\Iethodist. 

Andrew  J.  Rucldick,      Mich.  St.  Methodist. 
Jacob  Ginrich,  German  Methodist. 

William  Mack,  Baptist. 

Francis  M.  Hatch,  Reformed. 

Herbert  S.  Fassett,        Episcopal. 
Chas.  Hartman,  Christian. 

Emil  Pabst,  Evangelical. 

John  P.  Rasen,  Swedish. 

George  A.  Baker,  Cor.  Secretary. 

Orlando  H.  Palmer,  Rec.  Secretary. 
Willis  A.  Bugbee,  Treasurer. 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

Samuel  F.  Allen  Jasper  E.  Lewis 

George  W.  Louglunan  Gilbert  L.  Elliott 
George  T.  Hodson         Henry  F.  Clipfell 
Daniel  Achenbach 

BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES 

John  M.  Studebaker      Eugene  B.  Adams 
David  Warner  William  Mack 

M.  N.  Walwoi-th  Darwin  H.  Baker 

Nathaniel  Frame  Josiah  G.  Keltner 

Schuyler  Colfax 

"Congratulations  and  commendations  hav- 
ing been  extended  the  meeting  adjourned. 
"0.  H.  Palmer,  Secretary." 

Doubtless  by  few  institutions  of  its  kind  can 
the  claim  be  made  and  substantiated  that 
their  first  officers  and  governing  bodies  were 
superior  to  or  equal  in  ability  to  those  who 
consented  to  act  and  work  for  the  good  of  the 
local  association.  The  records  of  the  proceed- 
ing's of  the  board  of  trustees,  executive  com- 
mittee and  directors,  disclose  the  fact  that 
the  Hon.  Clement  Studebaker  held  the  office 
of  president  for  two  years,  presided  person- 
ally over  its  meetings,  and  was  rarely  absent 
from  its  business  sessions,  and  that  the  Hon. 
Schuyler  Colfax,  its  first  distinguished  vice 
president,  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office 
given  him,  and  continued  in  touch  with  its  af- 
fairs until  his  death. 

Among  the  first  officers  chosen  was  Mr.  El- 
mer Crockett,  who  has  since  given  continuous 
service  as,  and  still  is,  a  member  of  the  board 
of  directors.  Myron  Campbell,  who  was  an 
active  charter  member,  and  elected  a  director 
during  the  first  few  months  after  the  organi- 
zation, has  since  continuously  served  in  that 
capacity  and  is  now  treasurer  of  the  associa- 
tion. Marvin  Campbell  and  Willis  A.  Bugbee 
are  still  members  of  the  board  of  trustees. 

On  account  of  the  interest  which  attaches 
to  it,  in  the  light  of  recent  developments  in 
our  local  work,  a  report  of  a  meeting  held  at 
the  home  of  President  Clement  Studebaker  is 
given  in  full,  and  is  as  follows : 

"South  Bend,  Indiana,  April  8th,  1882. 

"Upon  invitation  of  the  president,  a  meet- 
ing of  the  association  was  held  at  his  resi- 
dence, to  which  a  number  of  the  business  men 
of  the  city  were  invited,  that  they  might  hear 
the  objects  and  aims  of  association  work  dis- 
cussed by  several  Y.  M.  C.  A.  workers  from 
abroad.  Order  was  called  by  the  president, 
who  requested  Dr.  L.  W.  INIunhall,  state  sec- 
retary, to  open  the  meeting  and  state  the  ob- 
ject of  it. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


427 


"He  was  followed  by  Mr.  Haiighey,  chair- 
man of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Indian- 
apolis association ;  S.  A.  Kean,  a  prominent 
banker  of  Chicago  and  treasurer  of  the  asso- 
ciation in  that  city;  J.  V.  Farwell,  the  'Mer- 
chant Prince'  of  the  same  city;  J.  E.  Deffen- 
baugh,  former  general  secretary  of  the  asso- 
ciation at  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  Hon.  Schuy- 
ler Colfax,  of  South  Bend. 

"Each  of  the  speakers  presented  the  inter- 
est of  the  South  Bend  Association,  and  they 
spoke  of  the  work  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  gen- 
eral in  forcible,  plain  and  practical  terms, 
urging  those  present  to  make  large  contribu- 
tions of  time  and  money  to  the  organization 
in  South  Bend. 

"With  a  feeling  that  a  lively  interest  had 
been  created  in  our  cause  adjournment  was 
had  without  date. 

"0.  H.  Palmer, 
"Rec.  and  Genl  Secretary." 
The  executive  committee  at  a  meeting  held 
on  the  ninth  day  of  April,  1882,  elected  Mr. 
Orlando  H.  Palmer  general  secretary,  to  take 
charge  of  the  work  for  one  year  from  the  fif- 
teenth day  of  April,  following,  at  salary  of 
$1,000  per  year. 

Steps  were  taken  immediately  to  secure 
suitable  quarters  in  which  to  carry  forward 
the  work.  The  executive  committee  entered 
into  negotiations  with  the  South  Bend  Na- 
tional Bank  for  the  use  of  the  second  and 
third  stories  of  its  building  at  129  and  131 
North  INIichigan  street,  known  at  the  time  as 
the  ' '  Old  Price  Theater, ' '  and  leased  the  same 
for  three  years  at  $400  per  year.  The  first 
regular  meeting  of  the  society  was  held  in 
that  place  on  May  17th,  1882,  and  was  called 
to  order  and  presided  over  by  the  Hon.  Cle- 
ment Studeba.ker.  Reports  of  the  progress  of 
the  work  at  that  gathering  showed  a  total 
membership  of  177  young  men  at  the  time. 
Under  the  secretaryship  of  Mr.  Palmer  the 
work  was  ably  and  vigorously  pushed.  Reli- 
gious and  social  meetings  were  held  regularly ; 
the  membership  reached  250 ;  a  library  of  sev- 
eral hundred  volumes  was  secured,  and  his 
reeog-nized  ability  gave  the  movement  a  good 
standing  in  the  community.  He  received  a 
call  to  the  general  secretaryship  of  the  Indian- 
apolis association,  and  left  this  field  January 
30,  1884.  to  begin  work  at  that  place. 

Immediately  after  the  retirement  of  Mr. 
Palmer  from  the  local  work  Mr.  J.  C. 
Stephens  was  engaofed  to  fill  the  position  tem- 
porarily, and  held  it  until  the  following  fall. 


On  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  September,  1884, 
the  board  of  directors  extended  a  call  to 
George  S.  Fisher,  of  Anderson,  Indiana,  to 
take  the  position  of  general  secretary  in  this 
city.  The  offer  was  accepted  and  Mr.  Fisher 
took  up  the  work  soon  after.  He  held  the 
position  for  about  one  and  one-half  years. 

In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1885  Mr. 
Fisher  organized  and  conducted  the  canvass 
for  funds  ^\dth  which  to  purchase  a  home. 
Under  his  direction  subscriptions  to  the 
amount  of  $8,000  were  secured,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  purchasing  and  eqviipping  the  "Old 
Hotel  Bristol,"  at  122  and  124  South  Main 
street.  The  property  was  owned  by  Dr.  Rob- 
ert Harris  and  Warren  Irwin,  and  was  ottered 
for  $11,000.  The  owners  executed  an  agree- 
ment to  convey  the  same  for  that  amount  on 
the  second  day  of  May,  1885.  The  requisite 
amount  for  the  cash  payment  of  $5,000  and 
repairs  estimated  at  $3,000  being  secured  m 
the  meantime,  the  deeds  were  executed  for  the 
same  to  the  association  on  the  eleventh  day  of 
August,  1885,  and  the  work  of  repairing  and 
renovating  the  building  was  taken  up  forth- 
with by  the  secretary. 

The  building  had  been  used  for  a  number 
of  years  as  an  old  hotel,  without  rating, 
a.nd  as  a  cheap  boarding  house.  Previous  to 
its  occupation  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  there  are 
no  traditions  or  prior  history  connected  with 
it,  that  the  association  desires  to  perpetuate. 
The  boys  never  ceased  calling  it  the  "Old 
Joint,"  and  it  appears  that  the  name  had 
come  down  from  the  time  whereof  "the  mem- 
ory of  man  runneth  not  to  the  contrary. ' '  On 
the  sixteenth  day  of  December,  1885,  Secre- 
tary Fisher  reported  to  the  board  of  directors 
that  the  building  had  been  formally  opened 
to  the  public  for  association  purposes. 

Mr.  Fisher  thus  securely  placed  the  local 
work  upon  a  final  and  lasting  foundation.  He 
was  a  bright,  active,  energetic  young  man, 
with  executive  ability,  and  a  genuine  hustler. 
The  membership  reached  310  during  his  term. 
He  left  South  Bend  early  in  the  year  1886, 
and  became  state  secretary  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Associations  of  Kansas. 

The  year  following  the  retirement  of  Secre- 
tary Fisher  from  this  field  may  be  appropri- 
ately termed  the  "Dark  Ages"  of  our  local 
history.  The  movement  suffered  a  dangerous 
relapse  and  it  almost  proved  fatal.  The  sec- 
retaryship went  begging,  and  the  canvass  for 
a  building  fund  had  apparently  exhausted 
the  generosity  of  many  of  its  supporters.   The 


42S 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


board  called  as  general  secretary  Mr.  C.  A. 
Tiebout,  who  accepted,  but  resigned  a  few 
months  later  on  the  twelfth  day  of  October, 

1886.  Public  meetings  were  abandoned ;  debts 
for  current  expenses  accumulated  and  re- 
mained unpaid ;  interest  on  the  mortgage  notes 
was  not  paid;  the  membership  scattered  and 
the  members  failed  to  renew  upon  expira- 
tion, and  the  directors  talked  of  disbanding. 
F.  J.  Lewis  Meyer,  who  was  secretary  of  the 
board  of  directors,  as  a  volunteer  worker  gave 
much  time  and  attention  to  the  work  and  held 
it  together  until  the  next  secretary  was  se- 
cured, in  the  early  spring  of  1887. 

Leslie  C.  Whitcomb  will  always  be  remem- 
bered as  one  of  the  bright  particular  stars  in 
our  local  firmament,  and  was  one  of  the  best 
secretaries  the  state  of  Indiana  has  ever  had. 
As  a  young  man  he  came  to  South  Bend  to  sell 
life  insurance,  and  incidentally  became  inter- 
ested in  the  work  of  the  association.  The  di- 
rectors asked  him  to  take  the  position  as  gen- 
eral secretary  for  two  or  three  months  on  trial. 
He  took  up  the  work  under  discouraging  cir- 
cumstances. The  fully  paid  membersnip  had 
decreased  to  less  than  100  and  an  indebtedness 
for  current  expenses  to  the  amount  of  $2,000 
had  remained  unpaid.  The  work  had  become 
disorganized  and  the  workers  discouraged. 
The  old  building  soon  became  a  scene  of  gen- 
eral activity  under  his  guidance.  The  mem- 
bership  was  increased  to  255  on  May   lOtli, 

1887,  and  on  February  8th,  1888,  before  the 
end  of  his  first  year,  reached  a  total  of  334, 
163  of  whom  were  active,  and  171  associate 
members.  The  average  number  of  men  tak- 
ing gymnasium  work  was  about  one  hundred, 
and  in  the  educational  classes  about  fifty.  A 
staff  of  committee  men  and  helpers  }iumber- 
ing  about  seventy-five  was  organized.  Every 
department  of  the  work,  religious,  social,  edu- 
cational and  physical  was  set  in  motion.  An 
entertainment  course  was  provided ;  a  free 
employment  bureau  was  maintained,  and  ca- 
pable physical  directors  were  employed. 

It  was  during  the  secretaryship  of  Mr. 
Whitcomb  that  an  eventful  meeting  was  held, 
which  should  be  remembered  as  one  of  our 
historical  landmarks. 

Mrs.  J.  M.  Studebaker,  always  a  warm 
friend  and  faithful  worker  of  the  association, 
extended  a  special  invitation  to  all  the  com- 
mittees to  meet  at  her  residence  on  "Sunny- 
side.  ' '  About  seventy-five  were  present.  Re- 
ports of  all  the  different  lines  of  activity  were 
read    and   commented   upon,   and  Mr.   J.   M. 


Studebaker,  Sr.,  made  a  short  talk,  in  which 
he  said  that  he  was  surprised  and  delighted  to 
learn  that  such  effective  work  was  being  done 
in  our  community,  and  that  it  had  given  h'lm 
new  light  on  the  scope  and  importance  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  work. 

Pondering  these  words  anew  after  a  lap»se 
of  one  and  a  half  decades,  and  in  the  light  t  {i 
subsequent  developments,  this  event  may  'oe 
' '  remembered  with  the  things  that  were  amoi  ig 
the  high  tides  of  the  calendar."     Mr.  Whit- 
comb held  the  position  until  January  1,  18P;2. 
Mr.  Logan  succeeded  him  as  acting  secretary 
until  July  30,  following,  when  W.  F.   Car-ey 
was  called  to  the  field. 

Mr.  Carey  was  a  hard  Avorking  conscientious 
official  and  did  efficient  service,  maintain inr  a 
good  average  for  the  six  years  of  his  term. 
All  the  departments  were  kept  going.  The 
membership  averaged  about  275.  He  resigned 
May  5,  1898,  and  became  general  secretary  of 
the  association  at  Potts ville.  Pa.  He,  too,  will 
be  remembered  as  one  of  the  builders  of  our 
work. 

On  June  30,  1898,  Mr.  Paul  H.  Metcalf  be- 
came general  secretary  and  held  the  position 
until  July  31,  1899.  He  resigned  for  the  pur- 
pose of  accepting  the  assistant  pastorate  of 
an  institutional  church  in  Elyria,  Ohio.  Mr. 
Metcalf  revived  the  entertainment  course  idea 
which  had  been  abandoned  some  years  before, 
and  was  so  successful  that  the  first  series 
netted  profits  to  the  amount  of  $527.57  for  the 
association. 

From  August  1,  1899,  to  May  15,  1902,  the 
association  was  without  the  services  of  a  regu- 
lar general  secretary.  The  writer  of  this 
sketch  and  Prof.  Calvin  0.  Davis  of  the  city 
high  school,  as  members  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors, gave  considerable  time  to  the  work, 
but  were  unable  to  prevent  a  serious  falling 
off  in  membership  and  interest.  It  was  ex- 
ceedingly difficult  to  secure  a  leader  with  the 
meagre  equipment  on  hand.  Mr.  Guy  was 
acting  secretary  until  January  1,  190i,  and 
]\Ir.  Davis  followed  until  May*  15,  1902. 

On  May  21,  1902,  Eugene  S.  Willis,  of 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  was  called  at  a  salary  of 
$1,200  per  year,  and  on  September  1  of  the 
same  year  Francis  A.  Messier  was  engaged 
as  a&sistant  general  secretary.  When  Willis 
and  Messier  began  the  work  it  soon  reached 
its  normal  standing,  and  it  was  during  the 
period  of  their  associate  work  that  the  great 
event  of  our  association  life  transpired. 

A  banquet,  attended  by  the  leading  business 


HISTORY^    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


429 


men  of  tlie  eity.  was  given  in  honor  of  the 
three  Willis  brothers,  who  were  prominent  Y. 
M.  C.  A.  workers,  and  were  here  visiting 
their  brother.  The  banquet  was  held  in  the 
New  Oliver  hotel  on  Saturday  evening,  De- 
cember 20,  1902.  The  day  following  a  large 
Sunday  afternoon  meeting  was  held  in  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church,  in  charge  of  the 
four  AVillis  brothers.  About  four  hundred 
men  were  in  attendance,  and  its  influence  was 
far-reaching.  It  was  then  that  Mr.  J.  M. 
Studebaker,  Sr.,  president  of  the  Studebaker 
Bros.'  Manufacturing  Company,  decided  to 
make  a  Christmas  gift  to  the  local  association, 
and  addressed  a  communication  to  its  direct- 
ors to  that  effect.  But  the  gift  was  to  be  a 
greater  one  than  eveu  Air.  Studebaker  himself 
then  contemplated. 

On  December  31st,  1902,  the  Studebaker 
Bros.'  Manufacturing  Company  closed  the 
first  semi-centennial  period  of  its  history,  and 
to'  commemorate  the  founding  of  the  great  en- 
terprise, and  its  growth  from  a  small  shop,  to 
the  greatest  manufacturing  plant  of  its  kind 
in  the  world,  and  in  memory  oi  the  five  broth- 
ers who  had  founded  it,  and  built  it  up,  the 
company  resolved  upon  a  monumental  work 
in  behalf  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociation of  South  Bend,  and  pursuant  to  the 
resolution  addressed  a  communication  to  the 
board  of  directors,  as  follows : 

"South  Bend,  Indiana,  December  31,  1902. 

"Mr.  E.  S.  Willis,  Secretary  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
South  Bend,  Indiana. 
"Dear  Sir: 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  directors  of 
Studebaker  Brothers'  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany this  morning  action  was  taken  of  inter- 
est to  your  association  in  South  Bend,  which 
is  best  expressed  in  the  words  of  the  resolu- 
tion itself,  as  follows : 

"  'Resolved,  That  on  this  31st  day  of  De- 
cember, 1902,  making  the  closing  of  the  fif- 
tieth year  since  the  founding  of  the  business 
of  Studebaker  Brothers'  Manufacturing 
Company,  this  board,  desirous  of  carrying  out 
the  oft-expressed  wish  of  each  of  the  five 
Studebaker  brothers  that  some  day  this  com- 
pany would  in  the  city  of  South  Bend,  where 
their  business  was  founded  and  grown  to  its 
present  proportion,  erect  some  building  which 
should  be  devoted  to  philanthropic  puiposes, 
and  which  should  be  in  the  nature  of  a  me- 
morial and  thank  offering;  believing  that  a 
gift  to  the  Young  Men 's  Christian  Association 
of  a  permanent  home  will  best  serve  this  pur- 


pose, we  do  hereby  decide  that  this  company 
will  erect  and  present  to  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  of  South  Bend  a  build- 
ing for  its  use  as  a  permanent  home;  this  to 
be  done  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  as  speedily 
as  possible,  and  that  this  intention  be  com- 
municated to  the  association  and  their  dis- 
position thereon  be  obtained. ' 

"You  will  kindly  bring  the  foregoing  to  the 
attention  of  your  board  of  directors  as  early 
as  practicable  and  transmit  to  us  their  conclu- 
sions with  respect  to  the  offer.  Anticipating 
your  prompt  action  we  are,  with  a  Happy 
New  Year  for  yourself  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
of  South  Bend,  Truly  yours, 

"Studebaker  Bros.'  Mfg.  Co., 

"Bv  J.  M.  Studebaker, 

"President." 

On  New  Year's  Day,  1903,  a  committee  ap- 
pointed by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  directors  respond- 
ed to  the  proposition  as  follows  -. 

"South  Bend,  Indiana,  January  1,  1903. 
"Studebaker  Bros.'  Mfg.  Co., 

"J.  M.  Studebaker,  President, 
"South  Bend,  Indiana. 
' '  Gentlemen  : 

"At  a  special  meeting  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors of  the  South  Bend  Young  Men 's  Chris- 
tian Association,  held  on  New  Years  Eve, 
1902,  your  committee  consisting  of  Col.  George 
M.  Studebaker,  J.  M.  Studebaker,  Jr.,  and 
Clement  Studebaker,  Jr.,  brought  to  us  your 
letter  and  a  copy  of  the  resolution  passed  by 
your  board  of  directors,  proposing  to  erect 
and  prasent  to  this  association  a  permanent 
home  for  its  work. 

"Immediately  upon  receipt  of  your  gener- 
ous oft'er  our  board  with  one  voice  voted  to 
accept  the  same.  From  the  remarlis  of  each 
present  we  can  assure  you  that  their  gratitude 
was  profound  and  they  were  unable  to  ex- 
press the  joy  and  thankfulness  they  felt  in 
their  hearts.  At  their  request  the  undersigned 
committee  hereby  tenders  a  formal  acceptance 
of  your  proposition  on  behalf  of  the  di- 
rectors and  trustees  of  the  South  Bend  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  and  on  behalf 
of  the  young  men  of  this  community  who 
are  to  be  the  beneficiaries  of  this  sacred 
trust. 

"It  seems  eminently  fitting  to  us  that  such 
a  monument  as  you  propose  should  be  erected 
here  in  memory  of  the  five  brothers  who  came 
to  this  city  as  young  men,  grew  with  its 
growth,  contributed  so  largely  to  its  prosper- 
itv  and  here  met  with  such  abundant  success. 


430 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


We  rejoice  and  feel  thankful  that  the  future 
association  work  in  our  beautiful  city  will  al- 
ways be  linked  with  a  name  that  is  as  dear  at 
home  as  it  is  well  known  and  honored  abroad. 
"Trusting  that  this  gift  of  the  New  Year 
will  also  reward  the  donors  with  the  same 
full  measure  of  joy  that  we  have  experienced, 
we  beg  to  remain, 

' '  Yours  very  sincerely, 

"Marvin   Campbell, 
"W.  0.  Davies, 
"F.  A.  Park, 
"Miller  Guy, 
"Eugene  S.Willis." 
The  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  of 
the  world  have  been  the  recipients  of  many 
magnificent  gifts  and  subscriptions  from  the 
great  merchants,  bankers  and  captains  of  in- 
dustry, but  the  foregoing  undertaking  of  the 
Studebaker    Brothers'    Manufacturing    Com- 
pany eclipsed  all  former  records  in  behalf  of 
this  movement,  and  stands  today  as  the  great- 
est   instance    and    example    of    the    vitality, 
strength  and  prosperity  of  this  brotherhood 
of  young  men,  now  over  seven  hundred  thou- 
sand strong.      This  single  gift,  made  uncondi- 
tionally by  a  single  corporation,  involves  the 
exDenditure  of  over  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  in  the  purchase  of  real  estate  and  the 
erection  of  the  building. 

Mr.  Willis  resigned  at  the  end  of  his  first 
year,  and  on  June  1st,  1903,  Assistant  Secre- 
tary Francis  A.  Messier,  was  elected  to  suc- 
ceed him  at  a  salary  of  $1,200  per  year. 

On  August  14,  1903,  the  association  sold  its 
property  at  122-124  South  Main  street  for 
$17,000,  but  continued  to  occupy  the  building 
under  a  lease  until  July  1st,  1905,  when  it 
moved  to  No.  222  South  Main  street,  into  the 
building  now  owned  by  the  Studebaker  Bros. ' 
Mfg.  Co.,  which  they  generously  repaired  and 
fitted  up  for  a  temporary  home  of  the  asso- 
ciation until  the  new  building  will  be  ready. 

Mr.  Messier  had  charge  of  the  work  until 
July  1,  1906,  when  he  took  up  the  work  as 
general  secretary  of  the  association  at  Battle 
Creek,  Michigan.  He  has  been  assigned  a 
place  in  the  front  line  of  our  secretaries.  He 
was  capable  and  efficient  and  an  indefatigable 
worker.  The  association  w^as  prosperous 
under  his  management.  When  he  first  came 
into  the  field  as  assistant  secretary  there  were 
but  125  members  on  the  records :  he  saw  it 
reach  its  high  water  mark  at  the  end  of  the 
great  contest  in  the  spring  of  1906,  with  700 
young  men  enrolled  as  members.    At  the  close 


of  the  contest  a  splendid  banquet  was  given 
to  the  new  members  in  Place  Hall,  at  226-230 
South  Lafayette  street,  and  was  attended 
by  about  four  hundred  men  and  bo3^s.  He 
first  organized  a  canoe  club  and  tennis  club, 
in  addition  to  carrying  on  the  general  work- 
in  the  other  departments. 

Mr.  F.  M.  Armstrong  succeeded  as  acting 
secretary  from  July  1st  to  September  1st, 
1906. 

On  September  1st,  1906,  Mr.  F.  W.  Lillie, 
the  physical  director,  was  engaged  to  take  up 
the  secretarial  work  in  addition  to  the  con- 
ducting of  the  physical  department,  and  is 
now  acting  general  secretary  of  the  associa- 
tion. 

During  the  year  1907  the  beautiful  build- 
ing, the  gift  of  the  Studebaker  brothers  to  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  was  en- 
closed. When  completed,  as  it  will  be  early 
in  the  year  1908,  the  South  Bend  association 
will  have  one  of  the  most  complete  edifices 
of  the  kind  in  the  world.  All  the  pursuits 
sanctioned  by  the  history  and  customs  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  physical,  mental  and  moral,  will 
be  amply  and  elegantly  provided  for.  It  is  in 
the  doing  of  such  work  as  the  Studebaker 
brothers  have  here  done  that  men  of  wealth 
and  public  spirit  endear  themselves  to  the 
people. 

The  following  are  the  presidents  of  the 
South  Bend  Y.  M.  C.  A.  since  its  organiza- 
tion: 

Clement  Studebaker,  Mar.  10,  1882,  to  Mar. 
4,  1884. 

Samuel  F.  Allen,  Mar.  4,  1884,  to  Apr.  4, 
1885. 

Dr.  J.  A.  Kettring,  April  15,  1885,  to  Sept. 
19.  1885. 

J.  C.  Neville,  Sept.  19,  1885,  to  Sept.  21, 
1887. 

Wm.  Mack,  Sept.  20,  1887,  to  Sept.  21,  1892. 

W.  0.  Davies,  Sept.  21,  1892,  to  Oct.  12, 
1894. 

Elmer  Crockett,  Oct.  12.  1894,  to  Feb.  6, 
1900. 

W.  0.  Davies,  Feb.  6,  1900,  to  Nov.  23, 
1901. 

Miller  Guy,  Nov.  23,  1901,  to  Dec.  4,  1903. 

Elmer  Crockett,  Dec.  4,  1903,  to  Sept.  21, 
1904. 

W.  0.  Davies,  Sept.  21,  1904,  to  Sept.  25, 
1905. 

Christopher  Fassnacht,  Sept.  25,  1005,  to  — 

Sec.  12. — The  Young  Women's  Christian 
Association. — What    the    Studebaker    Bros.' 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


431 


Manufacturing-  Company  has  done  for  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  by  the 
erection  of  the  building  referred  to  in  the  pre- 
ceding section  that  Mr.  George  Wyman  and 
his  wife,  Mrs.  Clara  L.  Wyman,  have  done  for 
the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association,  by 
the  erection  of  the  beautiful  association  build- 
ing on  the  west  side  of  Lafayette  street,  be- 
tween Washington  street  and  Colfax  avenue, 
just  north  of  St.  James'  Episcopal  church. 
This  is  a  three-story  building  with  a  basement, 
and  is  constructed  of  pressed  brick  with  stone 
trimmings.  As  might  be  expected,  the  struc- 
ture is  modern  and  complete  throughout,  and 
altogether  suited  to  the  taste,  health  and  com- 
fort of  young  ladies.  The  accommodations 
are  the  most  liberal,  providing,  as  they  do, 
for  the  physical,  intellectual  and  moral  wel- 
fare of  the  young  women  of  the  city,  who  seek 
to  partake  of  its  advantages.  The  building 
was  constructed  during  the  year  1906,  and 
early  in  1907  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wyman  turned  it 
over  to  the  association,  furnished  and  com- 
plete. 

Sec.  13. — Hospitals. — In  1873,  after  the 
burning  of  St.  Joseph 's  old  church,  as  related 
in  section  four  of  this  subdivision,  the  Rev. 
Edward  Sorin  purchased  as  the  site  for  a  new 
church  large  lot,  or  square,  number  nine  in 
Cottrell's  First  Addition,  bounded  by  Cedar, 
Notre  Dame,  Madison  and  St.  Peter's  streets. 
It  was  believed  that  this  site  would  be  more 
central  than  the  former  location.  It  proved, 
however,  that  lot  number  nine  was  not  so  de- 
sirable a  place  for  a  church  as  had  been  an- 
ticipated. When,  therefore,  in  1880,  the  Rev. 
Michael  Ph.  Fallize  became  pastor  of  St. 
Joseph's  and  concluded  that  a  new  church 
building  was  needed,  he  determined  to  return 
to  the  grounds  at  the  corner  of  Hill  street  and 
La  Salle  avenue.  Some  other  use  must  there- 
fore be  made  of  large  lot  number  nine,  and 
the  little  brick  church  building.  It  was  then 
that  this  square  was  purchased  by  St.  Mary's 
Academy,  to  be  used  as  the  site  for  a  hospital. 
The  old  building  was  accordingly  prepared 
for  its  new  use,  and  the  hospital  was  opened 


in  the  year  1882.  The  people  were  not  at  that 
time  accustomed  to  hospital  service,  and  there 
was  for  a  few  years  even  a  repugnance  on  the 
part  of  many  sick  persons  to  enter  a  hospital. 
The  facilities  for  caring  for  the  sick  and  in- 
jured became  so  apparent,  however,  and  the 
good  words  spoken  by  the  patients  who  had 
been  nursed  by  the  sisters  were  so  generous 
and  hearty  that  patients  increased  in  number 
year  after  year ;  and  after  ten  years '  experi- 
ence it  was  determined  that  more  room  and 
a  better  building  were  needed.  The  new  St. 
Joseph's  Hospital  was  then  planned,  and  on 
April  26,  1903,  the  cornerstone  was  laid  with 
elaborate  ceremonies  and  in  the  presence  of  a 
large  concourse  of  people.  The  building,  as 
now  completed  and  furnished,  is  one  of  the 
most  complete  hospitals  in  the  country.  It  is 
admirably  adapted  to  its  purposes,  located  on 
high  grounds  overlooking  the  city,  with  large 
and  pleasant  rooms  and  with  complete  mod- 
ern appliances  and  all  conveniences  for  the 
careful  nursing  of  its  patients.  This  hospital 
is  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross. 
The  Epworth  Hospital,  whose  handsome 
building  is  located  at  the  northeast  corner  of 
Main  and  Navarre  streets,  originated  in  1892. . 
It  was  at  first  intended  as  a  home  for  un- 
fortunates, and  was  in  charge  of  the  Woman 's 
Home  Missionary  societies  of  the  Methodist 
church  and  the  Dorcas  society  of  Milburn 
Chapel.  Since  that  time  the  hospital  has 
steadily  grown  in  public  favor,  and  is  one  of 
the  best  constructed  hospital  buildings  in  the 
state.  Mrs.  Clara  A.  Carr  is  the  superintend- 
ent. The  board  of  lady  managers  is :  Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  George  M.  Studebaker;  vice-presi- 
dents; first,  Mrs.  C.  H.  Myers ;  second,  Mrs.  F. 
P.  Eastman,  third.  Mrs.  J.  B.  Stoll;  fourth, 
Mrs.  Martha  Hillier;  secretary,  Mrs.  K.  C. 
De  Rhodes;  treasurer,  Mrs.  Charles  Haecke; 
finance  committee,  Mrs.  Charles  Arthur  Car- 
lisle, Mrs.  Charles  Krieghbaum,  Mrs.  F.  J. 
Lewis  Meyer,  Mrs.  Charles  Russ  and  Mrs.  M. 
M.  Stull.  The  board  of  trustees  is:  Presi- 
dent, Marvin  Camphell;  vice-president,  Wil- 
liam R.   Boyd;  secretary,   John  Roth;  treas- 


432 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


urer,  John  C.  Paxon ;  Col.  George  M.  Stiide- 
baker,  Judge  Lucius  Hubbard,  John  Chess 
Ellsworth  and  Lloyd  F.  Weaver. 

There  is  a  unique  custom  established  in  the 
city,  designed  to  secure  contributions  for  the 
support  of  both  city  hospitals.  It  is  called 
Tag  Day,  and  was  instituted  chiefly  through 
the  efforts  of  Mr.  Charles  Arthur  Carlisle. 
The  day  is  observed  at  some  fixed  time  in  the 
pleasant  weather  in  May  or  June,  when  an 
active  and  eager  host  of  ladies  place  them- 
selves at  conspicuous  points  in  the  city  and 
distribute  hospital  tags  to  every  comer.  It 
is  not  considered  in  good  form  on  those  anni- 
versaries to  be  without  a  hospital  tag  pinned 
upon  the  breast.  Those  who  are  thus  tagged 
contribute  what  they  feel  disposed  to  the  good 
ladies,  who  thus  toil  from  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning  until  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  in 
their  sweet  work  of  charity.  The  contribu- 
tions are  divided  equally  between  the  two  hos- 
pitals. 

Sec.  14. — ^HoTELS. — David  Rohrer  Leeper 
was  born  near  the  intersection  of  McCartney's 
creek  with  the  Michigan  road,  now  Michigan 
avenue,  just  beyond  the  present  city  limits, 
January  12,  1832,  and  died  at  his  home,  on 
the  Hights  north  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  in 
this  city,  November  27,  1900.  He  was  identi- 
fied with  the  growth  of  this  city  from  his  in- 
fancy, and  had,  especially  during  his  later 
years,  given  a  great  deal  of  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  our  early  history.  Of  this  history, 
did  his  modesty  permit,  he  might  truthfully 
say  with  Virgil's  hero:  "All  of  which  I  saw, 
and  a  great  part  of  which  I  was. ' '  As  repre- 
sentative and  senator  in  the  general  assembly 
of  the  state,  and  still  more  as  mayor  of  his 
city, ,  he  won  the  admiration  of  his  fellow 
citizens;  yet  his  tastes  were  literary  rather 
than  political.  He  v/as  fond  of  gathering  up 
the  facts  of  the  early  history  of  the  city 
and  county  and  then  writing  them  out  in  an 
interesting  story,  in  the  simple  and  elegant 
style  of  which  he  was  so  consummate  a  mas- 
ter. In  March,  April  and  May,  1900,  a  few 
months  before  his  untimely  death,  Mr.  Leeper 


wrote  for  the  South  Bend  Times  a  series  of 
gossipy  papers  on  the  early  hotels  of  the  city. 
Incidentally,  these  sketches  contain  much  his- 
torical matter  and  personal  reminiscences. 
From  them  the  greater  part  of  this  history  of 
our  hotels  is  taken,  almost  word  for  word  -^ 

The  history  of  the  hotels  of  South  Bend  has 
in  several  instances  been  given  more  or  less 
attention  through  the  local  newspapers  and 
otherwise.  If  the  present  effort  in  the  same 
direction  should  show  in  some  particulars 
more  detail  and  closer  approach  to  accuracy, 
it  will  be  owing  solely  to  the  fact  that 
more  time  and  patience  have  here  been  given 
to  the  matter  than  would  be  practicable  in 
the  rush  of  ordinary  newspaper  work.  Yet 
the  writer  did  not  flatter  himself  that  his 
narrative  was  exhaustive  or  free  from  error. 

Within  its  first  decade  there  were,  alto- 
gether, eleven  taverns  operated  in  the  town. 
Just  when  the  first  two  of  these  were  opened 
may  not  at  present  be  easily  determined.  The 
earliest  documentary  evidence  on  the  subject 
known  to  the  writer  is  to  be  found  in  the  rec- 
ords of  the  county  commissioners'  court, 
where,  at  their  first  session,  September,  1831, 
Calvin  Lilly,  Benjamin  Coquillard  and  Peter 
Johnson  were  each  granted  a  license  for  this 
purpose.  On  November  23,  following,  the  ad- 
vertisements of  Lilly  and  Coquillard  appeared 
in  the  North- Western  Pioneer,  this  being  the 
second  number  of  that  newspaper;  the  first 
number  is  missing  from  the  preserved  file. 
Lilly's  place  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  and 
Coquillard 's  the  second,  both  dating  back  to 
1830.  These  claims  appear  to  be  based  solely 
upon  tradition  and  cannot  now  be  verified. 
Both  Lilly  and  Coquillard  boarded  some  of 
Brookfield's  men  when  he  was  surveying  the 
town  plat  in  the  spring  of  1831,  which  may 
signify,  as  far  as  it  goes,  that  they  wer<^, 
keeping  tavern  at  that  date. 

Mr.  Lilly's  announcement  runs  as  follows: 
"SOUTH  BEND  INN. 
"Calvin  Lilly. 

"Has  opened  a  House  of  public  Entertain- 
ment on  St.  Joseph  Street.  His  table  is  fur- 
nished with  the  best  the  country  will  afford — 
his  Bar  is  supplied  with  the  choicest  of  Li- 
quors— and  his  stable  with  provender. 

a.  Acknowledgments  are  due  to  Mr.  H.  S.  K. 
Bartholomew,  of  Goshen,  Indiana,  for  the  use  of 
these  papers.  Mr.  Bartholomew  is  himself  an 
enthusiastic  student  of  our  early  history.  He 
is  president  of  the  Elkhart  County  Historical 
Society. 


HISTOEY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


433 


"No  exertion  will  be  wanting  to  render  gen- 
eral satisfaction  to  those  who  may  favor  him 
with  a  call." 

This  building  stood  on  the  northeast  corner 
of  lot  37,  which  is  the  irregular  tract  lying 
southwest  of  Vistula  avenue  and  west  of  St. 
Joseph  street.  The  property  seems  to  have  be- 
longed to  Edmund  Pitts  Taylor,  who  adver- 
tises the  same  for  sale,  April  17,  1832,  posses- 
sion to  be  given  May  1,  and  described  it  as  "  a 
good  frame  house,  two  stories  high,  with  a 
brick  cellar — likewise  a  two-story  hewed  log 
house  and  kitchen,  well  calculated  for  a  pub- 
lic stand  and  situated  in  as  beautiful  and 
pleasant  part  of  town,  as  any  other.  The  lox 
is  200  feet  front  on  Pearl  street. ' ' 

May  22,  1832,  the  North-Western  Pioneer 
makes  the  following  announcement:  "The 
Printing  Office  has  been  removed  to  the  sec- 
ond story  of  the  house  formerly  occupied  as  a 
tavern  by  Mr.  Lill}',  on  the  corner  of  St. 
Joseph  and  Pearl  streets. ' '  St.  Joseph  street  is 
here  mentioned  first,  which  may  have  some  sig- 
nificance, indicating  that  this  was  then  the 
principal  street,  the  Michigan  road  not  having 
been  constructed,  and  the  ' '  dragoon  trace ' '  be- 
tween Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  at  that  time 
crossing  Bowman's  creek  near  the  present 
Henry  Studebaker's  barn,  intersecting  St. 
Joseph  street  at  about  Wayne,  and  then  fol- 
lowing the  former  down  to  Pearl.  The  place 
was  now  certainly  vacated  as  a  hotel.  It  has 
not  been  possible  to  find  out  anything  of  its 
subsequent  history.  If  part  of  the  building  was 
a  frame,  as  is  stated,  it  was  most  likely  the 
first  of  the  kind  in  the  state  north  of  Logans- 
port.  E.  P.  Taylor,  the  owner,  as  is  well 
known,  was  a  brother  of  Latrop  M.  Taylor, 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  town,  and  came  to 
this  locality  not  long  after  his  brother.  Most 
people  of  today  remember  "Pitts"  Taylor 
best  as  the  owner  and  operator  of  a  sawmill 
on  the  West  Race,  and  his  immense  log  piles 
on  and  about  the  present  site  of  the  stand- 
pipe  and  over  the  adjacent  bluff. 

The  Union  Hall,  a  "House  of  Public  En- 
tertainment," in  the  language  of  that  day,  was 
ow^ned  by  Benjamin  Coquillard,  brother  of 
the  elder  Alexis,  and  father  of  the  late  Alexis, 
the  well  known  capitalist  and  wagon  manu- 
facturer. The  building  stood  on  the  site  of 
the  L.  F.  Baker  rooms  attached  to  the  rear  of 
the  present  Citizens'  National  Bank.  Some 
say  the  location  was  on  the  point  across  the  al- 
ley; but  that  is  hardly  probable,  for  Mr.  Co- 
quillard did  not  own  any  ground  there  and  it 

28 


is  not  likely  that  he  would  have  built  on 
ground  belonging  to  somebody  else,  especially 
as  his  brother  was  half  owner  of  the  whole 
town  plat.  The  frame  that  preceded  the  pres- 
ent brick  and  that  was  long  known  as  the  Har- 
ris corner,  was  built  in  1838  by  Wm.  H.  Patte- 
son;  and  now,  modified  in  external  appear- 
ance, stands  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Jeffer- 
son and  St.  Joseph  streets.  Mr.  Patteson  was 
long  a  merchant  in  South  Bend,  was  recorder 
of  the  county,  and  always  a  staunch  pillar  of 
the  Baptist  church.  The  late  ' '  Deacon ' '  Hatch 
called  him  "Praying  Billy."  The  two  were 
partners.  They  did  business,  as  Hatch  was 
wont  to  say,  according  to  the  scripture;  they 
watched  and  prayed,  Billy  doing  the  pray- 
ing and  Hatch  the  watching.  Humble  as  the 
Union  Hall  was  in  itself,  it  was  nevertheless 
([uite  ambitious  in  its  pretentions.  The  pro- 
prietor, in  his  advertisement,  "hopes,  by  his 
long  experience  in  the  business,  to  give  gen- 
eral satisfaction  to  those  who  may  favor  him 
with  a  call.  His  table  is  furnished  with  the 
best  the  country  affords.  His  bar  is  supplied 
with  the  choicest  of  liquors."  His  advertise- 
ment appears  in  the  same  issue  of  the  paper 
as  Lilly's,  and  his  license  also  bears  the  same 
date  as  Lilly 's ;  though  it  has  been  claimed^ 
on  what  authority  is  not  known — that  the 
South  Bend  Inn  was  the  first  to  begin  busi- 
ness. It  is  not  probable  that  his  career  as  mine 
host  was  long  continued.  At  any  rate  his  last 
license  was  issued  in  September,  1832,  and  on 
November  10,  following,  the  title  passed  to  his 
brother  Alexis,  he  having  held  it  exactly  one 
year. 

Calvin  Lilly  in  1831  purchased  of  the  orig- 
inal proprietors  lots  28,  29  and  30,  which  com- 
prise the  block  lying  on  the  west  side  of 
Michigan  street  between  Jefferson  and  the 
first  alley  north,  being  198  by  165  feet,  or 
three-fourths  of  an  acre.  On  this  property 
he  erected  a  one-and-a-half -story  frame  house, 
which  was  known  as  Lillij's  Tavern.  The 
proprietor  took  out  a  tavern  license  for  this 
stand  at  the  September  term.  It  was  in  the 
bar  room  of  this  establishment  that  the  first 
circuit  court  of  the  county  was  held  on  Octo- 
ber 29,  1832,  with  Hon.  John  R.  Porter  as 
the  president  judge.  The  session  lasted  but  a 
single  day.  The  first  case  was  a  divorce  suit 
and  was  successful,  thus  establishing  a  reputa- 
tion for  the  state  in  this  line  which  it  has 
since  zealously  sustained.  The  second  case 
was  for  libel,  and  the  third  the  prosecution  of 
a  woman   for  selling  liquor  to  the   Indians. 


434 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


A  son  of  this  defendant  learned  his 
trade  as  a  tanner  with  Mr.  Bugbee,  and  is 
now.  if  living,  a  respected  citizen  of  one  of  the 
flourishing  county  seats  of  northern  Indiana, 
having  represented  the  county  in  the  legisla- 
ture for  one  or  more  sessions.  Mr.  Lilly  ap- 
peared at  the  commissioners'  court  for  a  tav- 
ern license  the  last  time  at  the  May  term.  1834. 
March  9,  1835,  he  sold  to  John  Fowler,  and 
went  his  way  to  swell  the  tide  setting  as  the 
star  of  Empire  takes  its  way.  From  a 
rather  cursory  examination  of  the  record,  Mr. 
Fowler  appears  to  have  held  but  one  license 
as  tavern-keeper,  this  having  been  issued  at 
the  September  term.  1835.  Wliat  happened 
here  for  several  yeare  succeeding  this  date, 
cannot  now  be  learned.  But  in  1837,  Mr. 
Almond  Bugbee.  to  whom  the  writer  was  in- 
debted for  much  of  the  information  used  in 
this  article,  boarded  at  the  place,  the  location 
being  indicated  by  a  large  swinging  sign, 
which  bore  in  sharp  relief  the.  at  that  day. 
anomalous  legend,  "Temperance  House.  "^ 
By  the  way,  in  passing,  it  may  be  remarked 
that  while  drinking  may  have  been  quite  as 
common  in  those  days  as  at  present,  the  cause 
of  temperance  was  then  perhaps  given  much 
more  serious  attention.  Early  in  this  very 
year  the  Rev.  Alfred  Bryant  was  at  the  head 
of  a  temperance  movement  which  received  156 
signatures,  among  which  were  those  of  the 
father,  mother,  two  uncles  and  an  aunt  of  the 
writer.  These,  indeed,  needed  no  such  for- 
mality for  self-protection ;  for  not  one  of 
them  touched,  tasted,  or  handled.  Some  reader 
may  think  that  this  laudable  trait  might  have 
been  better  sustained  among  some  of  the  very 
few  descendants  now  living.  Of  those  156 
whose  names  were  thus  enrolled,  but  one  re- 
mains to  tell  the  story.  He  had  been  in  the 
village  but  a  few  weeks.  The  letters  1. 1.  a.  fol- 
low his  signature,  meaning  teetotal  abstinence, 
a  designation  he  has  ever  since  maintained,  in 
letter  and  in  spirit.  It  goes  without  say- 
ing, remarks  ]\Ir.  Leeper,  that  I  refer  to  our 
well-preserved  and  highly  esteemed  octogen- 
arian. Almond  Bugbee.  I  do  not  know  how 
long  ]\Ir.  Fowler  kept  the  Temperance  House. 
The  last  occupant  of  the  place  in  the  Forties 
was  James  Doan,  who  was  a  blacksmith 
at  the  end  of  the  West  Race,  and  made 
the  first  steel  plow  known  in  Northern 
Indiana.  He  crossed  the  plains  in  1849, 
the  entire  distance  on  foot.  A  year  or  two 
later  his  body,  still  warm,  was  found  on  the 
trail  between  Carson  valley  and  Placerville, 
a.     See  Chap.  13. 


where  he  had  been  murdered  and  robbed.  In 
18 —  Mr.  Fowler  sold  all  his  real  estate  to 
David  Stover,  and  moved  to  California.  To 
the  latter  gentleman  I  am  also  indebted  for 
much  old-time  data.  Hale  and  hearty  at  four 
score  and  four,  he  now  resides  at  his  cosy  semi- 
country  home  near  Springbrook.  ]\Ir.  Fowler 
had  several  sons  and  one  or  more  daughters. 
One  of  the  daughters  was  the  mother  of  the 
Listenberger  brothers,  Albert  and  ]Miner. 
Alexander,  the  second  son,  was  a  ^Mexican  war 
veteran,  and  lost  a  thumb  at  the  storming  of 
the  Heights  of  Cerro  Gordo.  He  also  made 
an  honorable  record  as  a  colonel  of  infantry  in 
the  war  for  the  Union. 

The  building,  so  long  known  as  Lillj^'s  Tav- 
ern, according  to  Judge  Turner  in  his  Gazet- 
teer of  the  St.  Joseph  Valley,  was  moved  to 
Jett'erson  street,  and  used  as  a  warehouse  for 
the  Studebaker  Wagon  Works.  I  know  not 
what  became  of  it  afterward,  but  believe  it  to 
be  a  part  of  the  livery  stable  on  West  Jeffer- 
son street. 

The  Michigan  Hotel  was  situated  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  ^Michigan  and  Washington 
streets,  now  knoTSTi  as  the  Coonley  drug  store 
corner.  It  was  erected  by  Peter  Johnson, 
father  of  Ex-City  Councilman  Johnson, 
grandfather  of  Thad.  S.  Taylor,  and,  several 
3^ears  later,  an  associate  judge.  Mr.  Johnson 
moved  with  his  family  to  South  Bend  from 
Logan.sport  early  in  1831.  Ice  was  still  in  the 
Tippecanoe  and  in  Yellow  river,  but  was  too 
rotten  for  safe  crossing ;  so  that  Indian  canoes 
-had  to  be  obtained  with  which  to  ferry.  The 
trail  from  tlie  south  then  swung  to  the  west- 
ward through  what  is  now  Liberty  and  Greene 
townships,  this  county,  to  avoid  the  lakes, 
marshes  and  heavy  timber  on  the  direct  route, 
afterward  taken  by  the  ^Michigan  road.  ]\Ir. 
Johnson  was  a  practical  carpenter  and  build- 
er, and  began  at  once  the  erection  of  his  hotel 
and  stable,  the  latter  on  the  alley  at  the  west 
end  of  the  lot.  The  main  building  was  a  two- 
story  structure,  and  may  still  be  seen  at  215 
West  Navarre.  There  was  also  a  wing  attach- 
ed, which  fronted  on  Washington  street.  The 
license  was  granted  to  commence  August  1. 
that  year.  The  same  season  Mr.  Johnson 
built  the  Fairplay,  which  Avas  the  first  keel 
boat  to  gladden  the  waters  of  the  St.  Joseph. 
Washington  street  between  ^Michigan  and 
]\Iain  was  his  shipyard.  Here  he  erected  the 
necessary  scaffolding  upon  which  he  mounted 
the  largest  pirogue  available.  This  he  split 
in  two  with  a  whip-saw.     Then  oak  plank  of 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


435 


the  proper  leiioth  were  ripped  out  in  like  man- 
ner and  bent  to  match  the  contour  of  boat 
along-  the  line  of  its  clearage.  Now,  with 
the  knees,  beams,  calking,  pitching-,  running- 
board,  enclosing,  pike-poles,  and  rudder- 
sweep,  the  boat  was  launched  for  service.  Mr. 
Johnson  was  also  the  contractor  and  builder 
of  our  first  court  house. 

In  1834,  the  license  for  this  house  was  issued 
in  the  name  of  i\Ir.  Wm.  L.  Earl,  father  of 
Mrs.  A.  B.  Merritt,  of  this  city,  and  Wm.  L. 
and  Daniel  Earl,  of  California.  Mr.  Earl  was 
previously  a  partner  with  Alauson  M.  Hurd  in 
the  iron  works  and  town  plat  of  Mishawaka, 
and  was  keeping  tavern  there,  says  Mrs.  Mer- 
ritt. at  the  time  of  the  great  meteoric  shower, 
in  1833.  He  alleged  that  Hurd  swindled  him 
out  of  his  interests  in  that  locality.  In  1835, 
when  the  United  States  land  office  was  opened 
at  Laporte,  the  ^licliigan  Hotel  did  a  thriv- 
ing business.  At  the  September  term,  1836, 
Mr.  Earl  took  out  license  for  Earl's  Tavern, 
a  stand  which  he  erected  that  season  at  the 
present  site  of  Lakeville,  he  having  purchased 
for  this  purpose  a  40  acre  tract  of  Jacob  Rec- 
tor, grandfather  of  our  Attorney  J.  D.  Hen- 
derson. In  the  same  year  Mr.  Johnson  sold 
the  ^Michigan  Hotel  property  to  one  Charles 
Thrasher,  and  built  a  sawmill  on  the  edge  of 
the  bluff  at  the  rear  of  the  present  residence 
of  Hon.  J.  B.  Stoll.  This  was  the  first  attempt 
to  employ  steam  power  for  manufacturing 
purposes  in  St.  Joseph  county  and  the  experi- 
ment proved  a  dismal  failul-e.  It  cost  more 
for  fuel  than  the  mill  could  earn.  Daniel 
Gephart  appears  to  have  kept  the  hotel  for  a 
short  time,  having  taken  out  license  at  the 
September  term,  1836.  Levi  Wills  followed; 
then  John  Mowry  and  Isaac  M.  Baldwin,  Sep- 
tember, 1837 ;  several  months  after  Levi  Wills 
again,  in  January.  1838.  Mr.  Wills,  it  may 
here  be  stated,  afterward  kept  ''Our  House" 
at  Mt.  Pleasant,  this  countv.  In  1850,  he 
crossed  the  plains  to  California.  He  there 
engaged  in  supplying  some  of  the  Hangtown 
markets  with  beef  cattle,  and  soon  after  was 
killed  by  .a  wild  steer.  The  hotel  property  was 
sold  December  12.  1837,  by  Mr.  Thrasher  to 
Abram  R.  and  John  H.  Harper  and  John  N. 
Smith.  On  February  27,  1838,  a  permit  was 
granted  these  proprietors  to  occupy  for  120 
days  a  part  of  Michigan  street  opposite  this 
lot  and  the  one  adjoining  on  the  south  for 
making  improvements  on  this  property.  What 
these  improvements  were  does  not  appear; 
perhaps  the  erection  of  the  wing  to  the  west 


was  one  of  them.  It  was  the  Harpers,  proba- 
bly, that  changed  the  name  to  American  Hotel, 
a  name  borne  on  its  large  swinging  sign  to 
the  close  of  its  career.  In  1838,  Renatus  N. 
Koehler  came  to  South  Bend  from  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  clerked  in  Harper's  store  for 
awhile.  In  January,  1839,  he  and  Thomas 
Duey,  having  formed  a  partnership,  rented 
the  hotel  and  ran  it  till  November,  1840.  Now 
the  Harper  brothers  themselves  carried  on  the 
business,  and  later  Abram  alone  took  charge. 
In  January,  1845,  the  smallpox  broke  out  in 
the  village  and  spread  to  an  alarming  extent. 
From  first  to  last  there  were  about  75  victims 
and  the  percentage  of  fatalities  was  very 
great.  Some  of  the  patients  were  quartered 
in  this  hotel  and  Harper,  rather  than  have 
these  taken  to  the  pest  house,  had  the  doors 
closed. 

Louis  Comparet,  brother  of  Mrs.  Alexis 
Coquillard,  and  long  a  noted  Avit  of  the  town, 
had  a  very  severe  attack  of  varioloid  among 
the  earliest  of  the  attacked.  He  recovered  in 
season  to  be  of  much  service  in  attending 
other  patients,  among  these  our  ex-mayor, 
William  ^filler,  who  was  at  the  American. 
Jacob  N.  Massey,  happening  to  meet  Louis  on 
the  street,  inquired  as  to  Miller's  condition, 
and  was  told  the  case  was  very  serious.  Jacob 
was  very  pious;  and  his  thoughts  turning  be- 
yond things  of  earth,  earthy,  he  asked  Com- 
paret whether  he  thought  Miller  would  like 
to  see  a  preacher.  "Oh.  yes!  Oh.  yes!"  said 
Louis,  seizing  heartily  upon  the  opportunity 
to  perpetrate  a  joke.  Jacob  soon  found  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Pratt,  the  Baptist  minister  here,  and 
brother  of  United  States  Senator  Daniel  D. 
Pratt,  of  Logansport.  Both  the  preacher  and 
the  senator  were  men  of  giant  frames  and  sten- 
torian lungs.  Preacher  Pratt  consented  to 
serve  without  hesitation,  though  he  may  have 
wondered  why  Mr.  Massey  did  not  see  his 
owTi  preacher,  Alfred  Bryant,  long  the  Pres- 
byterian pastor  here.  Well,  Mr.  Pratt  pre- 
pared himself  for  the  ordeal  as  well  as  he 
could,  covering  his  face  with  a  bandanna 
handkerchief.  As  he  opened  the  door  of  the 
scourged '  chamber,  Louis,  now  happening  to 
be  in  and  expecting  a  scene,  slipped  out.  Pratt 
approached  the  bedside  and  asked  Miller  as 
to  whether  his  services  were  desired,  and  was 
told  that  no  such  request  had  been  made.  He 
then  inquired  whether  he  should  come  again, 
with  the  reply  that  there  was  no  necessity  for 
him  to  thus  expose  himself.  Nor  did  he.  This 
story    with  many   variations,   was   for  many 


436 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


years  retailed  as  the  stock  joke  of  the  town. 
I  have  given  Mr.  Miller's  version  of  the  inci- 
dent, as  he  related  it  to  me  a  few  days  ago. 
In  1847,  August  25,  Koehler  &  Duey  again 
became  the  landlords,  and  now  the  owners  as 
well.  j\Ir.  Koehler  was  the  actual  head,  as 
Mr.  Duey,  for  his  part,  took  charge  of  the 
farming  interests  of  the  firm 

Another  storj'  was  current  about  the  town 
for  many  years,  happening  during  this  man- 
agement. One  James  McGogg>%  a  carpenter, 
who  had  a  terrible  impediment  of  speech  from 
a  bad  case  of  hare-lip,  came  into  the  bar  room 
one  day,  in  a  state,  seemingly,  of  considerable 
excitement.  Elmer  Rose  w^as  with  him.  Ad- 
dressing ]\Ir.  Koehler,  McG-oggy  went  on  to 
detail  that  Rose  and  he  had  just  bet  the 
drinks  on  a  certain  dispute  between  them,  and 
asked  whether  they  could  get  the  grog  and 
pay  for  it  when  the  wager  was  decided.  Mr. 
Koehler,  with  his  usual  suavity,  but  by  no 
means  his  usual  sagacity,  set  out  the  jug.  Both 
quaffed  down  a  generous  potation.  McGoggj" 
now  proceeded  to  explain.  "Well,  Mr.  Koeh- 
ler," said  he.  "Elmer  and  I  were  looking  at 
your  sign  post  out  there  and  wondering  which 
way  it  would  fall  when  it  rotted  off  at  the 
bottom.  We  got  to  disputing  about  it  and 
finally  made  the  bet.  I  bet  it  would  fall 
south,  and  Elmer,  the  fool,  bet  it  would  fall 
north."  Of  such,  it  appears  were  the  wit 
and  humor  when  the  bar  room  was  the  social 
resort  of  the  town.  In  1850,  Koehler  &  Duey 
sold  the  property  to  Capt.  Samuel  L.  CotTrell 
and  the  furnishings  to  Col.  Adam  S.  Baker, 
our  now  venerable  townsman,  of  908  South 
Michigan  street.  ^Ir.  Baker  kept  the  hotel 
till  the  Michigan  Southern  and  Northern  In- 
diana railroad  was  completed,  which  I  think 
was  in  1851.  Daniel  Haight  and  George  Clark, 
his  brother-in-law,  next  became  the  propriet- 
ors. They  remained  as  such  only  about  six 
months.  Sylvanus  G.  Gaylord  then  operated 
it,  probably  till  he  and  Lot  Day,  Jr.,  succeeded 
to  the  proprietorship  of  the  St.  Joseph  hotel, 
which  was  on  December  28,  1858.  This  seems 
to  have  been  the  last  use  made  of  the  so-called 
American  corner  as  a  hotel.  Indeed,  the  lower 
floor  had  for  some  time  prior  been  used  for 
merchandising  by  Ezekiel  French  and  a  Mr. 
Adams,  and  perhaps  after  them  others.  It 
was  the  longest-lived  hotel  known  to  South 
Bend,  running  as  such  for  about  a  quarter  of 
a  century.  The  present  three-story  brick  was 
erected  in  1866  by  Ex-Sheriff  Solomon  W. 
Palmer,    Dr.    George   F.    Nevius   and   James 


Bonney,  the  latter  our  veteran  photographer. 
Next  in  order  seems  to  come  the  Eagle 
Hotel.  I  do  not  know  much  of  this  hostelry. 
It  is  one  of  the  three  hotels  manned  on  the  first 
map  of  South  Bend,  made,  as  would  seem 
from  some  of  its  data,  early  in  1837.  It  was 
a  story  and  a  half  frame  that  stood  on  the 
southeast  corner  of  Lafavette  and  Washing- 
ton  streets,  across  from  the  present  First  Pres- 
byterian church.  The  lot  was  purchased  of 
Samuel  Hanna  by  Levi  Barnes  and  Samuel  C. 
Russ,  jointly,  on  November  16,  1835.  Both 
were  carpenters  and  joiners,  and  doubtless 
put  up  the  building.  Samuel  C.  Russ  was 
licensed  to  keep  tavern  here  at  the  May  term, 

1836.  and  again  at  the  September  term,  1837. 
Russ  was  succeeded  by  John  A.  Prestana,  who 
became  owner  of  the  property  August  24, 
1841.  Prestana  sold  to  Amable  M.  Lapierre, 
April  26,  1843,  and  moved  from  here  to  Chi- 
cago. ]Mr.  Willis  A.  Bugbee  remembers  the 
family  well  and  visited  them  in  that  city,  they 
having  a  son  about  his  age.  Mr.  Lapierre  was 
a  Frenchman,  and  withal  an  ardent  Metho- 
dist, although  brought  up  a  Catholic.  He  was 
a  bricklayer  and  plasterer  by  trade,  and  was 
the  head  mason  on  the  first  college  building 
put  up  at  Notre  Dame.  The  smallpox  here 
in  1845  marked  him  as  one  of  its  victims,  and 
he  carried  a  badly  pitted  face  to  his  grave. 
He  was  also  involved  in  the  noted  Norris  fugi- 
tive slave  case,  and  I  think,  as  a  consequence, 
lost  his  property  through  process  of  the  United 
States  court  at  Indianapolis.  Later,  he  re- 
moved to  Niles,  where  he  was  gathered  to  his 
fathere  some  years  ago.  John  A.  M.  Lapierre, 
of  113  East  Navarre  street,  is  his  nephew. 
]\Ir.    Bugbee    boarded   with  Russ   a  while   in 

1837.  His  bedchamber  was  the  loft  with  noth- 
ing between  him  and  the  star-bespangled  fir- 
mament save  the  shingle  roof,  through  which 
the  snow  often  filtered  with  a  liberality  that 
did  not  always  evoke  joyous  apostrophes  to 
"the  beautiful."  There  were  flush  times  then. 
The  Kankakee  canal*  wa.s  in  course  of  con- 
struction, so  was  the  East  race.  Judge  Gar- 
rett V.  Denniston,  who,  with  "Prince"  John 
Van  Buren,  Gen.  Wm.  J.  Worth,  of  Mexican 
war  renown,  and  others,  was  pushing  the  last- 
named  enterprise,  was  one  of  the  boarders. 
There  were  about  twenty  in  all.  The  current 
rate  was  $3.00  for  board  and  lodging;  cheap 
enough,  in  all  conscience,  -one  would  think, 
since  most  supplies  were  at  that  time  as  high 
or   higher    than    at    the    present    day.      But, 

a.     See  Chap.  9,  Subd.  1,  Sec.  2. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


437 


nevertheless,  a  dollar  looked  much  larger  than 
it  does  to  our  vision.  Benj.  R.  Hall  was  run- 
ning the  Exchange  at  the  same  time.  He  had 
syndicate  ideas  in  his  head,  and  organized  a 
combination  among  the  craft  to  advance  the 
rate  to  $3.50.  At  once  there  arose  a  loud  pro- 
test. The  hotel  patrons  of  the  several  estab- 
lishments held  a  meeting  and  vigorous  resolu- 
tions were  adopted.  Mr.  Bugbee,  backed  by 
those  of  the  Eagle  Hotel,  presented  a  series 
of  these  fulminations  to  his  landlord.  John 
]\Iilligan,  of  The  Free  Press,  got  out  fiery 
"dodgers"  headed  "Insurrection,"  and  had 
them  scattered  about  the  streets.  The  big  two- 
story  Collmer  building  on  Vistula  avenue, 
built  by  Robert  Wickersham,  was  rented  and 
a  man  named  Laribee  engaged  to  take  charge 
of  it  as  a  community  boaixling  house  for  the 
irate  "insurrectionists,"  as  they  were  pleased 
to  call  themselves.  The  upshot  was  a  back- 
down on  the  part  of  the  hotel  keepers,  a  resto- 
ration of  the  old  rate  and  the  abandonment 
of  the  boarding  house  project.  The  Eagle 
Hotel  building  burned  down  a  few  years  ago 
and  the  site  is  now  graced  with  the  elegant 
Kizer  &  Woolverton  block  occupied  by  the 
Eliel  drug  store. 

The  Washington  Block  was  the  pride  of  the 
town  in  its  day.  The  site  was  on  lot  19,  which 
lies  on  the  north  side  of  Washington  street 
from  Main  to  the  first  alley  east.  The  lot  was 
purchased  February  5,  1833,  from  State  Sen- 
ator Samuel  Hauna,  of  Fort  Wayne,  by 
Samuel  Studebaker,  who  was  the  original 
owner  of  the  Martin  L.  Wenger  farm,  now 
embraced  within  the  city  limits.  March  1, 
1836,  Mr.  Studebaker  sold  the  same  to  Hiram 
Rush;  but  there  being  some  deferred  pay- 
ments the  deed  was  not  made  till  1840.  Mr. 
Studebaker,  dying  meantime,  the  conveyance 
was  executed  by  the  late  Judge  Thomas  S. 
Stanfield.  as  commissioner  in  chancery.  Mr. 
Rush,  immediately  after  the  purchase  in  1836, 
subdivided  the  lot  into  blocks  fronting  upon 
Washington  street,  about  if  not  exactly,  as 
marked  off  by  the  several  buildings  that  oc- 
cupy the  ground  today.  The  purchasers  were 
James  and  Wm.  Wickersham,  Charles  Egbert. 
F.  J.  and  E.  Townsend,  and  Wm.  M.  and 
John  Parker.  The  building  was  a  frame,  60 
feet  deep  by  145  feet  long,  the  whole  three 
stories  above  the  ground  with  a  basement. 
Thus  extending  from  Main  street  east  on 
Washington  to  within  20  feet  of  the  alley,  it 
was  for  that  day  and  for  so  small  a  village 
a  quite  imposing  structure,  as  its  front  eleva- 


tion appeared'  in  its  white  paint  varied  with 
window  shutters  in  green.  The  two  Wicker- 
shams  owned  three  of  the  blocks  and  were  the 
prime  movers  in  the  enterprise.  Both  were 
carpenters  and  joiners,  as  was  also  their 
brother  Robert,  and  these  three  did  the  bulk 
of  the  work.  William  superintending  and 
doing  the  laying  out.  Ralph  Staples  arrived  in 
the  village  just  as  the  rafters  were  being 
placed,  and  thereafter  was  a  conspicuous 
figure  on  the  job.  From  that  time  forward 
for  many  years  there  were  few  buildings  re- 
quiring carpenter  work,  hereabouts,  either  in 
town  or  county,  that  Ralph  did  not  have  a 
hand  in  their  construction.  Sixty-two  feet  of 
the  west  end  of  the  building  in  question  was 
planned  and  fitted  up  for  a  hotel  and  took  the 
name  WasJmigton  House,  which  it  bore  to  the 
end.  It  was  owned  by  the  two  Wickerehams, 
James  and  William.  The  first  license  for  the 
tavern,  as  such  called  in  the  official  records, 
was  taken  out  by  William  and  Robert  Gep- 
hart  at  the  September  term,  1837 ;  but  the 
establishment  was  opened  August  1,  the  pre- 
vious month. 

Andrew  Simmons  succeeded  the  Gepharts, 
taking  out  the  county  license  in  his  name  at 
the  ^larch  term,  1838,  while  the  town  incor- 
poration license  was  issued  to  Alva  Simmons, 
his  wife.  May  15,  following.  Simmons  was 
keeping  the  place  as  early  as  February  3,  that 
year,  at  which  date  David  Scott  took  break- 
fast there  and  had  his  horse  fed,  after  having 
foully  murdered  and  robbed  his  friend  Joshua 
Copeland  on  Rolling  Prairie.  Mr.  Bugbee  at 
the  same  time  did  some  repairing  on  Scott's 
bridle.  Scott  was  overhauled  at  Edwards- 
burg,  taken  back  to  Laporte,  tried,  convicted, 
and  hanged  in  the  presence  of  an  immense 
concoui^e  of  people.  Gephart  and  Richmond 
were  the  next  proprietors,  their  license  being 
dated  September,  1838.  The  next  license  was 
issued  to  Robert  Gephart  at  the  May  term, 
1839.  The  widow  of  Robert,  I  may  here  state, 
is  still  living  in  Niles,  at  the  age  of  73.  On 
December  12,  the  same  year,  Mary  Gephart, 
widow  of  Daniel  and  mother  of  Robert  and 
William,  figures  as  the  proprietress  through 
an  advertisement  of  the  hotel  furniture  and 
fixtures  for  sale.  From  the  spring  of  1840 
for  several  years  the  stand  seems  not  to  have 
been  occupied.  At  least,  definite  data  are  not 
at  present  known.  Chauncey  S.  Fassett  and 
John  Hooper  each  took  the  station  as  mine 
host  here  for  awhile,  but  exactly  when  or  how 
long  have  not  been  ascertained.    I  interviewed 


438 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


a  lad}'  in  this  city  ou  the  subject.  She  was 
married  in  1844,  and  at  once  took  rooms  in 
the  Washington  House,  occupying  them  for 
a  year  or  more.  Mr.  Fassett,  she  said,  kept 
the  hotel  during  that  time.  From  Mr.  Bug- 
bee  's  abstracts  of  titles,  which  he  kindly  allow- 
ed me  to  consult,  we  learn  that  Mr.  Hooper 
purchased  an  interest  in  the  property  Febru- 
ary 13,  1845,  and  that  he  sold  this  interest  to 
Stephen  Fields,  December  18,  1847.  If  this 
period  of  part  ownership  affords  any  clue  to 
Mr.  Hooper's  occupancy,  it  is  about  all  I  have 
been  able  to  find,  except  that  the  lady  to  whom 
I  have  just  referred  stated  that  he  was  living 
there  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  his  mother- 
in-law,  Mrs.  Jane  Smith.  Mr.  Defrees,  the 
accommodating  sexton  of  the  city  cemetery, 
at  my  request,  found  the  proper  inscription 
on  Mrs.  Smith's  tombstone  in  the  Hooper  lot, 
M^hich  gave  her  death  as  on  May  1,  1845. 

I  have  a  distinct  personal  recollection  of 
seeing  Mr.  Fassett  then.  We  lived  on  a  farm 
three  to  four  miles  distant  from  town.  He 
was  the  customer  for  the  butter  we  had  to 
spare,  paying  10  cents  per  pound  by  the  year 
whatever  the  current  price.  I  was  attending 
school  in  town,  living  at  home  and  walking 
back  and  fourth  for  the  sake  of  muscular  de- 
velopment. I  sometimes  had  to  carry  the 
dairy  product  to  boot.  But  I  do  not  recall 
the  date.  Nor  do  I  remember  even  having 
seen  Mr.  Hooper  about  that  place.  In  1848, 
"Black"  John  Rush  succeeded  to  the  proprie- 
torship, his  advent  as  such  being  duly  herald- 
ed in  The  Register,  in  which,  under  date  of 
February  18,  he  announces  that  he  has  rented 
the  hotel,  "refurnished  and  refitted  it  up  in 
the  most  convenient  style. ' '  This  was  the  first 
instance  after  1832  that  any  direct  reference 
to  any  "hotel"  in  South  Bend  had  been 
fomid,  and  afforded  much  relief,  as  the  musty 
pages  of  The  Register  and  of  the  few  stray 
copies  of  The  Free  Press  were  being  eagerly 
searched.  Mr.  Rush  kept  the  place  till  March 
3,  1849,  when  the  ownership  passed  to  John 
Grannis  and  John  Hammond.  Mr.  Rush,  wife 
and  two  daughters  crossed  the  plains  to  Cali- 
fornia in  1850,  the  two  former  dying  of 
cholera  in  Sacramento  shortly  after  their  ar- 
rival. The  oldest  daughter,  Julia,  married 
William  L.  Earle  and  now  lives  in  Jolon,  Cali- 
fornia. Mr.  Hammond  became  the  active 
manager  of  the  hotel  and  became  its  sole  own- 
er till  it  went  into  "innocuous  desuetude,"  as 
Grover  Cleveland  would  say.  This  was  prob- 
ably in  about  1856,  when  the  first  St.  Joseph 


Hotel  was  opened.  The  three  story  brick  on 
the  alley  east  of  the  hotel,  now  occupying  part 
of  the  site,  was  erected  by  Joseph  G.  Bartlett 
in  1865,  T.  Wilke  Defrees  and  Elias  V.  Clark, 
contractors. 

In  1837,  Benjamin  Wall  began  tavern  keep- 
ing on  the  southeast  corner  of  Michigan  and 
Jefferson  streets.  Upon  the  great  swinging 
sign,  in  conspicuous  letters,  was  the  alluring 
scroll,  "Traveler's  Rest."  The  license  was 
issued  at  the  November  term.  Mr.  Bugbee 
was  a  guest  at  the  opening  spread.  Mr.  Wall 
kept  the  place  a  number  of  years.  The  writer 
well  remembers  the  guide-board  on  the  tall 
sign  post  that,  with  its  index  finger,  so  long 
pointed  the  wayfarer  to  the  south,  advertising 
him  that  it  was  "65  miles  to  Logansport. " 

The  property  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Wall 
of  the  writer's  father,  and,  it  is  believed,  did 
not  prove  satisfactory  as  a  hotel  venture.  The 
building  was  removed  by  Alex.  Staples  to 
1221  Laurel  street,  where  it  may  still  be  seen. 

The  Franklin  House,  on  the  south  side  of 
Washington  street,  stood  on  lot  36,  on  the  first 
alley  corner  east  of  Odd  Fellows  Hall.  An 
oval  signboard  mounted  upon  a  high  post,  and 
inscribed  with  the  name  of  the  house,  invited 
such  as  were  hungered  and  athirst.  It  was  the 
property  of  Henry  and  Margaret  Diehl,  both 
immigrants  from  Germany.  The  former  was 
the  maternal  uncle  of  Charles  Vinson,  Sr.,  of 
this  city,  and  jMargaret  was  the  sister  of  John 
Bert  (or  Beard,  as  generally  called),  who 
for  many  years  kept  a  similar  house  in  Misha- 
waka.  He  was  the  father  of  Henry  Bert,  the 
well-known  meat  market  man,  of  this  city.  The 
first  record  we  have  of  Henry  Diehl  in  South 
Bend  is  that  of  a  license  to  retail  liquor,  taken 
out  at  the  September  term,  1837.  He  then 
occupied  a  log  house  on  the  east  side  of  Michi- 
gan street  somewhere  between  Washington 
and  Colfax  avenue.  The  same  kind  of  license 
was  issued  to  him  a  year  after  that  date,  and 
also  at  the  May  term,  1839.  At  the  September 
term,  1840,  he  received  his  first  license  for 
tavern  keeping.  January  15,  1838,  he  pur- 
chased the  corner  referred  to,  with  29^2  feet 
fronting  on  Washington  street  and  extending 
back  118  feet  along  the  alley.  The  building 
was  a  two-story  frame,  covering  the  Washing- 
ton street  frontage,  and  extending  back  70 
feet.  His  barn  was  on  the  rear  end  of  lot  33, 
on  which  Edward  Fredrickson  is  now  doing 
business.  He  could  not  pay  for  this  lot,  and 
it  reverted  to  the  grantor,  Samuel  Leeper. 
Mr.  Diehl  was  a  baker  by  trade  and  the  fame 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


439 


of  his  ginger-bread  soon  became  known  far 
and  wide.  The  writer  remembers  distinctly 
how  tempting-  it  looked,  dark-brown  from  the 
Orleans  molasses,  and  the  top  crust  deftly  cor- 
rugated. A  kind  of  root  beer  of  his  make  also 
drew  many  customers;.  But  his  greatest 
attraction,  perhaps  was  his  musical  clock.  Set 
in  motion,  a  number  of  automatic  musicians 
would  file  out  in  front  and  at  the  signal  of  the 
leader  the  instruments  were  properly  adjust- 
ed and  the  melody  began  to  pour  forth.  At 
the  end  to  the  right  was  a  clown  whose  antics 
kept  time  to  the  cadence.  Mr.  Bert  had  the 
same  kind  of  a  clock  at  Mishawaka.  The 
writer  acknowledges  his  profound  indebted- 
ness to  each  of  these  instruments  for  sundry 
free  entertainments.  The  Diehl  clock  was  sold 
by  Mr.  Charles  Vinson  in  the  settlement  of 
the  estate  to  Edward  Buysee,  the  jeweler,  for 
$20,  and  ]Mr.  Buysee,  in  turn,  sold  it  to  some 
Chicago  party ;  so  the  mock  orchestra  may 
still  be  amusing  the  unsophisticated  some- 
where. 

Mr.  Diehl  died  Novembei-  19,  1841,  at  the 
age  of  about  35  years,  and  the  funeral  serv- 
ices were  held  at  the  Presbyterian  church. 
He  is  said  to  have  been  quite  intelligent  and 
comely  of  person.  His  wife  survived  him 
many  years,  and,  for  some  time — I  do  not 
know  how  long — continued  the  business.  There 
were  three  children,  Mrs.  Catharine  Schreck, 
Malinda,  widow  J.  George  Vinson,  and  John 
H.,  all  of  whom  are  still  living  and  residents 
of  this  city. 

The  Lafayette  Hotel,  afterwards  named  the 
Xational,  then  the  St.  James,  and  now  the 
Windsor  Hotel,  is  situated  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Lafayette  and  South  streets.  On 
Julv  13,  1865,  "writes  Mr.  Leeper,  President 
Whitten,  father  of  William  M.  Whitten,  for 
many  years  city  civil  engineer  and  county 
surveyor,  purchased  of  the  late  George  Knob- 
lock  the  Lafaijette  Hotel,  a  one-story  frame  on 
the  southeast  corner  of  Lafayette  and  South 
streets.  He  enlarged  the  building  by  putting 
on  another  story  and  adding  other  improve- 
ments. In  the  following  December,  the  place 
was  opened  as  the  National  Hotel,  with  Mr. 
Whitten  and  Thomas  J.  Slick,  his  son-in-law, 
proprietors.  July  28.  1868,  Sarah  A.  Mat- 
thews, widow  of  Daniel  Matthews,  deceased, 
and  daughter  of  Mr.  Whitten,  purchased  part 
of  the  property,  at  $5,000,  and  Mr.  Slick  re- 
tired. The  business  was  continued  in  the  firm 
name  of  AVhitten  &  Matthews  till  1874,  when 
L.  H.  Packard  took  charge.    In  1877,  we  find 


R.  Wansbrough  thus  acting.  This  is  the  year 
the  building  was  partially  destroyed  by  fire ; 
but  was  soon  rehabilitated,  making  it  a  three- 
story,  as  you  see  it  today^  when  it  was  rechrist- 
ened  the  St.  James.  Mrs.  Matthews  had  now 
become  the  sole  owner. 

We  shall  now  have  to  run  over  the  succeed- 
ing proprietorships  hastily  as  details  would  be 
tedious.  L.  H.  Packard,  1879;  Matthews  & 
Crawford,  1880 ;  INIatthias  M.  Faulknor,  1881- 
2-3-4-5 ;  Clem  Crawford,  1885 ;  Byron  J.  Mc- 
Elrath  till  May  18,  1888,  when  the  irrepres- 
sible Louis  Pfeiffer  stepped  upon  the  scene, 
purchasing  the  property,  refurnishing  the 
hotel,  making  certain  improvements,  and  in 
general  iiLstilling  new  life  and  a  thrifty  air 
into  the  place.  Louis  seems  to  be  there  to  stay, 
whoever  else  in  that  business  may  come  and 
go  as  the  years  roll  on. 

The  Grand  Central  Hotel,  on  South  Michi- 
gan street,  114-116,  was  built  and  owned  by 
Daniel  M.  Shively.  Henry  C.  Knill  was  the 
first  proprietor,  opening  in  1875.  M.  L.. Den- 
nis succeeded  Mr.  Knill  in  1882.  Frank  Knill, 
Thomas  Ragan,  Henry  C.  Needham,  A.  K. 
Price,  George  W.  Reynolds,  S.  H.  Rice,  War- 
ner B.  Titus  and  Mrs.  S.  J.  Junkin  followed 
in  order  as  the  lessees.  Under  Mr.  Reynold's 
regime  the  name  was  changed  to  Reynold's 
House;  under  Mr.  Titus' to  TiY/^s  i7o((se;  and 
now  it  is  the  Columbia.  It  was  the  first  house 
in  South  Bend  to  introduce  the  passenger  ele- 
vator, having  put  in  one  of  these  in  ]May,  1879, 
and  was  the  only  hotel  in  the  city  with  such  a 
convenience  till  the  opening  of  the  new  Oliver. 

The  European  Hotel,^  afterwards  used  as 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hall,  122-124  South  Main 
street,  was  erected  by  Dr.  Robert  Harris  and 
Edward  M.  Irvin  in  1880,  and  was  opened 
by  L.  II.  Packard  the  following  year.  In 
1883,  Mrs.  Anna  R.  Smith  became  the  pro- 
prietress, and  changed  the  name  to  Hotel  Bris- 
tol, under  whose  management  the  establish- 
ment eked  out  a  precarious  existence  for  about 
two  years,  when  it  was  finally  closed  as  a 
hotel! 

The  Grand  View  Hotel,  on  the  northeast 
corner  of  St.  Jaseph  street  and  Vistula  ave- 
nue, was  built  by  Christopher  Muessel  in 
1892-3,  and  opened  Augiist  11,  1893,  by  John 
Ober.  Then  came,  in  order,  Byron  L.  McEl- 
rath,  September  28,  1896;  Godfrey  E.  Knight, 
March,  1897 ;  Mrs.  Ida  Powell,  Jnne,  1898 ;  T. 
M.  Morrison,  March,  1899,  who  changed  the 
name  to  The  Morrison.     It  is  now  called  the 

a.     See  Chap.  11,  Siibd.  6,  Sec.  11. 


440 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Avenue  Hotel.  The  building  is  a  substantial 
and  sightly  four  stoiy  brick  and  the  view 
from  the  location  is  one  of  the  most  pictur- 
esque in  the  city.  It  is  the  property  of  the 
heirs  of  the  original  projector,  as  above  stated. 

The  Exchange  Hotel,  now  known  as  the 
Sheridan  House,  was  erected  in  1840  by  Wil- 
liam L.  Earl,  who  was  its  first  landlord.  It 
is  located  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Michigan 
street  and  La  Salle  avenue,  formerly  Water 
street.  This  was  originally  the  heart  of  the 
little  town.  On  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
same  streets  was  the  Indian  trading  post 
of  the  American  Fur  Company,  in  charge 
of  Alexis  Coquillard,  which  he  called  the 
"Big  St.  Joseph's  Station."  At  this  point, 
too,  was  the  firet  ferry  across  the  St.  Joseph. 
Naturally  enough,  therefore,  was  the  place 
selected  for  the  Exchange  Hotel,  which,  under 
different  names,  has  prospered  to  this  day.  It 
was  for  a  time  managed  by  Mr.  Gibbs,  and 
known  as  the  Gihhs  House.  D wight  Deming 
also  had  charge  of  it  for  a  long  time,  when  it 
was  known  as  the  Dwight  House.  Samuel 
Ragan  owned  it  for  a  time  and  called  it  the 
Sheridan  House,  after  the  great  Union  gen- 
eral. On  being  enlarged  and  improved  a  few 
years  ago  it  received  its  present  name,  the 
New  Sheridan.  Other  proprietors  have  been. 
Captain  Mills,  Jeremiah  H.  Knight,  George 
Horn,  William  Mason,  John  F.  Kirby.  In 
1895,  it  came  into  the  hands  of  Bird  Bickford 
who  managed  it  until  his  death,  since  when  it 
has  been  in  charge  of  his  family.  It  is,  and 
has  always  been,  an  excellent  hotel. 

The  Hotel  Johnson,  now  the  Lafayette 
Hotel,  situated  adjacent  to  the  Grand  Trunk 
passenger  station  on  the  north  side,  was  built 
by  Johnson  &  May,  in  1895.  It  was  badly 
damaged  before  its  completion  by  the  burn- 
ing of  John  R.  Shank's  livery  barn,  and  was 
purchased  by  Charles  L.  Goetz  and  the  late 
Louis  Benz  and  leased  by  them,  June  1,  1896, 
to  Alexander  Curtis,  who  at  once  won  a  liberal 
patronage  and  has  since  maintained  the  stand 
as  a  favorite  r&sort  for  the  local  and  transient 
public.  Mr.  Curtis  was  by  no  means  a  novice 
in  the  hotel  business,  having,  previously,  long 
and  acceptably  filled  that  station  at  the  Mil- 
burn  House,  Mishawaka.  He  also,  by  the  way, 
belongs  to  one  of  Penn  township's  earliest 
pioneer  families,  being  himself  a  native  of 
that  section,  not  of  yesterday,  either.  He 
bears  vivid  recollections  of  the  luxuries  of  the 
round-log  cabin,  the  country  schoolmaster's 
hickory    sprout,     and    corn-hoeing    barefoot 


among  the  nettles,  as  well  as  do  some  of  the 
rest  of  us. 

Under  the  heading  of  "hotels"  the  follow- 
ing houses  are  mentioned  in  the  city  director- 
ies, but  were  perhaps  more  in  the  nature  of 
boarding  houses  than  hotels:  Emmet  House, 
corner  of  Franklin  and  South  streets,  F.  Sul- 
livan. 1869-70-71-72.  1871-72,  Kunstman 
House,  125  South  Michigan  street,  Andrew 
Kunstman,  and,  later,  Conrad  Oltsch;  and 
LTnion  House,  corner  of  Michigan  and  Center 
streets,  Franz  Bauer,  Jr.,  later  Arnold  & 
Vahlert,  and  now  John  C.  Wagner.  1873-74, 
Lafayette  House,  77  Michigan  street  (old 
numbering) ,  George  Knoblock  &  Son.  1876, 
South  Bend  House,  76  Michigan  street,  Frank 
Ambos.  1889,  Hotel  Royal, ^117  West  Wash- 
ington street,  Mrs.  M.  Vanderhoof.  1892, 
Hotel  Washington,  538  South  Scott  street,  M. 
Pfaffenbach. 

The  Second  St.  Joseph  Hotel  is  the  quaint 
looking  three-story  brick,  with  four  dormer 
windows  now  known  as  115-117  Colfax  ave- 
nue, and  partly  occupied  by  Schuler  &  Klin- 
gel,  the  wholesale  fruit,  feed,  and  produce 
dealers.  It  was  built  and  owned  by  the  late 
David  Greenwalt,  being  planned  expressly  for 
a  hotel.  Mr.  Greenwalt  was  from  Lebanon, 
Pa.,  and  had  the  peculiar  Pennsylvania  ideas 
of  architecture.  The  brick  building  on  Water 
street  directly  north  of  this  hotel  presents 
another  example  of  Mr.  Greenwalt 's  architec- 
tural taste,  as  did  the  J.  F.  Studebaker  resi- 
dence, before  remodeled,  just  east  of  Sunny- 
side. 

The  hotel  was  opened  September  10,  1868, 
by  Chauncey  Nichols,  formerly  of  the  Bond 
House,  of  Niles,  as  proprietor,  and  L.  H.  Pack- 
ard as  clerk.'  The  next  year  Barber  and  Slo- 
cum  took  the  place,  and  this  management  was 
succeeded  by  E.  L.  Abbott,  in  1871 ;  by  Jerry 
H.  Knight  -and  Henry  Galloway,  in  1872 ;  by 
Henry  Galloway,  in  1873-4-5 ;  and  by  John  G. 
Greenawalt,  in  1876,  at  the  close  of  whose  lease 
the  St.  Joseph  Hotel,  with  its  large  imposing 
sign,  ceased  to  exist.  The  name  St.  Joseph 
was  twice  applied  to  a  hotel  in  this  city;  at 
first  to  a  hotel  on  the  site  of  the  present  Oliver 
and  afterwards  to  this  hotel  on  the  north  side 
of  Market  street,  or  La  Salle  avenue,  as  the 
street  is  now  called. 

After  the  second  St.  Joseph  Hotel  ceased  to 
exist,  as  above  stated,  the  building  stood  un- 
tenanted till  about  1880,  when  Marvin  Camp- 
bell became  the  lessee,  with  an  extensive  stock 
of  hardware.     With   Marvin's  characteristic 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


441 


hustle  the  k)cality  became  a  brisk  and  stirring' 
center.  Mr.  Campbell  sold  his  business  in  1886 
to  Munroe  &  Creviston.  To  them  succeeded 
Munroe  &  Keltner;  and  after  them  came 
Schiller  &  Klingel. 

The  first  hotel  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Oliver  was  The  Old  St.  Joseph.  The  name  did 
not  continue  without  interruption,  and  in  one 
of  the  intervals  the  name  of  St.  Joseph  was 
taken  by  the  second  St.  Joseph,  on  Market 
street,  or  La  Salle  avenue.  In  1852,  the  late 
President  Whitten.  father  of  civil  engineer 
William  M.  Whitten,  purchased  of  the  late 
Evan  C.  Chalfant,  of  Clay  township,  54  feet 
of  the  west  end  of  lots  240  and  239,  this  being 
part  of  the  site  of  The  Oliver  block.  He  also 
purchased  the  next  lot  north  and  the  one  now 
occupied  by  Louis  Nickel,  Jr.,  &  Co.  There 
was  a  one-story  frame  on  Washington  next  to 
the  alley.  ^Ir.  Whitten  put  another  story  on 
this  for  his  family  residence  and  alongside  of 
it  he  erected  a  two-story  wagon  shop.  Just 
east  of  this  building  he  had  a  blacksmith  shop. 
William  Conrad,  later,  became  interested  with 
Mr.  Whitten  in  both  ownership  of  the  proper- 
ty and  the  business,  the  firm  name  being  Whit- 
ten &  Conrad.  The  former  was  a  Dlacksmith 
and  the  latter  a  wagonsmith. 

Mr.  Conrad,  later,  became  a  resident  of 
Warsaw,  where  he  still  resides.  He  is  a 
staunch  Democrat ;  is  always  seen  at  Demo- 
cratic district  gatherings  and  has  served  as  a 
member  of  the  state  central  committee. 

In  about  1857,  Mr.  Whitten  removed  his 
shop  to  the  rear  end  of  the  lot  just  across  the 
alley  east  of  the  present  postoffice,  and  con- 
verted his  two  buildings  on  Washington  street 
into  one,  and  added  at  the  rear  a  one-story 
part,  30x40  feet,  thus  forming  what  became 
the  first  St.  Joseph  Hotel.  About  the  first  of 
December,  1859,  John  A.  Derbin  leased  this 
property  and  went  to  keeping  tavern,  calling 
the  place  The  Derbin  Hotel.  County  Assessor 
Thomas  J.  Slick  clerked  there  about  three 
months,  commencing  in  December,  that  year. 
Mr.  Derbin  was  an  uncle  of  Yoppie  Hogue, 
of  the  Hogue  studio,  Jefferson  street. 

About  June  1,  1861,  Mr.  Derbin  was  suc- 
ceeded by  M.  M.  Shultz,  who  changed  the  ■ 
name  to  National  Hotel.  Mr.  Shultz  (father- 
in-law  of  J.  Edward  Skilhnan,  of  the  Singer 
works),  continued  here  until  1862,  when  Mr. 
Whitten  and  his  son-in-law,  Harvey  C.  Bor- 
den, took  possession  and  rented  the  west  half 
of  the  St.  Joseph  Hotel  of  Elisha  Egbert  and 
Marv  J.   Higinbotham,   connecting  this   with 


the  frame  by  an  arched  way.  The  west  room 
of  the  St.  Joseph  Hotel  was  used  for  the  office. 
The  name  National  Hotel  was  continued 
under  the  new  arrangement.  In  February, 
1865,  about  two  months  before  the  great  fire. 
Lot  Day,  Jr.,  purchased  Mr.  Borden's  inter- 
est. There  were  some  deferred  payments. 
The  loss  was  total,  with  no  insurance.  There 
was  not  the  scratch  of  a  pen  to  witness  the 
indebtedness,  yet  it  was  paid  to  the  last  cent, 
without  a  whimper  or  quibble.  The  Days,  it 
may  be  added,  were  long  a  prominent  family 
in  and  about  South  Bend.-  Captain  Lot 
Day,  the  elder,  settled  here  in  1832,  carried  on 
the  tanning  business  in  several  places,  one  of 
his  tanyards  being  on  Michigan  street,  just 
north  of  Navarre.  Was  also  a  brick  manu- 
facturer, and  was  the  contractor  in  the  erec- 
tion of  the  first  brick  jail.  He  served  as 
county  commissioner,  twice  as  sheriff,  and 
once  as  state  senator. 

At  a  celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  July, 
1844,  young  Lot  Day,  then  about  21,  was  act- 
ing as  cannoneer.  The  cast-iron  piece  was 
placed  on  the  bluff,  about  where  the  stand- 
pipe  now  lifts  its  lofty  column.  A  charge 
prematurely  exploded,  driving  the  ramrod, 
with  its  rough  swab  end,  through  Lot's  hands, 
tearing  off'  the  right  hand  entirely  and  the 
thumb  oft'  the  other  hand,  besides  terribly 
lacerating  the  remaining  four  fingers,  but 
these  were  saved.  Lot  walked  from  the  scene 
of  the  accident  to  the  old  Eagle  Hotel  (south- 
east corner  Washington  and  Latayette),  then 
occupied  by  his  sister  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Wil- 
liam Norton.  Here,  a  Dr.  Brown  and  Dr. 
Merritt  amputated  the  arm  and  dressed  the 
other  wounds,  the  former  operating  and  doing 
a  bungling  job.  This,  I  believe  was  prior  to 
the  use  or  knowledge  of  angesthetics  in  the 
practice  of  surgery.  David  Stover,  ex-Mayor 
Miller  and  Thomas  E.  Beyerly  witnessed  the 
operation.  Much  sympathy  was  aroused  for 
the  unfortunate  young  man,  and  liberal  con- 
tributions were  made  by  the  citizens  for  his 
schooling,  under  the  tutorship  of  Prof.  C.  M. 
Wright,  who  was  long  the  leading  educator  in 
this  section. 

In  1846,  the  two  Lots,  father  and  son,  were 
candidates  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  the  one 
for  the  state  senate  and  the  other  for  sheriff. 
The  county  was  decidedly  Whig,  and  each 
had  a  strong  competitor,  but  both  were 
elected.  Lot,  Jr.,  succeeded  himself  as 
sheriff  by  a  largely  increased  majority,  and 
at  the  close  of  his  .second  term  as  such  was 


442 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


elected  county  recorder.  Later,  he  wavS  a  mem- 
'ber  of  the  first  board  of  directors  of  the  state 
prison  North.  Of  splendid  figure,  pleasing 
address,  and  a  genial,  generous  nature,  Lot 
Day,  Jr.,  was  beloved  by  everj-body  that  knew 
him,  even  by  the  schoolboy  and  the  frowsy 
urchin  playing  "knuckles"  on  the  sidewalk. 
The  elder  Lot  was  among  the  early  overland 
emigrants  to  California,  where  he  died.  The 
younger  Lot  went  there,  too,  later;  kept  the 
National  Hotel,  at  Sacramento,  for  awhile, 
and  died  in  that  state,  some  ten  or  more  years 


ago. 


After  the  destruction  of  the  first  St.  Joseph 
Hotel  by  the  fire  of  1865,  a  continuous  block, 
consisting  of  three-stoiy  business  buildings 
and  Good's  Opera  House,  was  erected  by  the 
several  owners  of  the  ground  on  the  site  of  the 
hotel.  On  December  24,  1878,  the  block  so 
erected  was  again  destroyed  in  what  is  known 
as  the  St.  Joseph  hotel  fire,  one  of  the  most 
disastrous  that  the  city  has  ever  known.  The 
firemen  worked  vainly  to  extinguish  the 
flames,  while  the  temperature  was  five  degrees 
below  zero.  Six  buildings  were  destroyed 
with  their  contents,  involving  a  loss  of  sixty 
thousand  dollars,  while  several  firemen  had 
their  hands  and  feet  frozen. 

One  of  the  indirect  results  of  this  terrible 
fire  was  the  building  and  naming  of  the  First 
Oliver  House.  In  the  spring  of  1879,  the 
owners  of  the  St.  Joseph  block  decided  to  re- 
build the  entire  frontage  in  a  uniform  style 
of  architecture,  the  lower  floors  to  be  occupied 
as  stores,  while  the  upper  stories  should  be 
converted  into  a  hotel  and  the  restored  Good 's 
Opera  House. 

Out  of  compliment  to  Mr.  James  Oliver,  the 
new  hostelry  was  christened  the  Oliver  House, 
which  was  formally  opened  on  the  evening  of 
July  14.  1879,  with  Jerry  H.  and  Godfrey  E. 
Knight,  proprietors.  The  Knight  Bros,  ran 
the  place  for  nearly  ten  years,  and  were  fol- 
lowed, successively,  by  Jones  &  Cox,  J.  S.  Mc- 
Farland.  father-in-law  of  Melville  E.  Stone, 
founder  of  the  Chicago  Daily  News,  W.  B. 
Titus,  Phelps  &  Parsons,  Parsons,  Parsons  & 
Faulknor,  Faulknor  &  McElrath.  Rice  & 
Faulknor,  and  S.  H.  Rice.  Under  the  latter 's 
management  the  house  was  finally  closed  with 
a  supper  on  the  evening  of  April  30,  1898, 
after  a  period  of  nearly  nineteen  years.  Few 
tears  followed  its  going,  for  it  betokened  the 
begmning  of  the  gorgeous  up-to-date  and 
splendidly  equipped  new  hotel,  The  Oliver. 

The  new  Oliver  Hotel,  which  was  erected 


and  furnished  by  the  public  spirit  and  muni- 
ficence of  ]\Ir.  James  Oliver,  was  dedicated  by 
a  public  reception  at  which  there  was  a  great 
outpouring  of  the  people  from  the  city  and 
from  the  surrounding  cities,  towns  and  coun- 
try, on  the  evening  of  December  20,  1898.  On 
the  following  day  the  hotel  was  fonnally 
opened  for  business. 

]Mr.  Deeper  closes  his  painstaking,  graphic 
and  complete  hotel  reminiscences  with  this 
generous  eulogy  of  the  Oliver  and  its  builder : 

"The  Oliver  of  today  needs  no  writing  up. 
It  speaks  for  itself,  as  the  pride  of  South 
Bend,  as  unexcelled  in  the  state  or  in  the 
West,  as  the  latest  and  highest  ideal  of  hotel 
appointments,  as  an  enduring  monument  to 
its  public  spirited  and  free-handed  founder, 
James  Oliver." 

The  Oliver  hotel  is  one  of  the  most  magnif- 
icent structures  occupied  for  hotel  purposes  in 
the  west.®  It  has  a  frontage  on  Washington 
street  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet,  and 
on  ]\Iain  street  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
feet.  It  is  six  stories  in  height,  and  of  the 
most  tasteful, and  imposing  design  of  archi- 
tecture jn  the  renaissance  style.  The  lower 
story  is  of  light  colored  stone,  and  the  upper 
stories  of  cream  colored  brick,  with  enriched 
ten'a  cotta  architraves,  and  with  an  elaborate 
and  artistic  frieze  and  cornice  of  terra  cotta. 
The  Washington  street  entrance  is  marked  by 
a  handsome  Doric  portico,  with  massive  stone 
pedestals :  and  the  Main  street  entrance  is 
protected  by  an  elaborately  designed  porte 
cochere  of  wrought  iron. 

The  interior  decorations  and  furnishings 
of  the  Oliver  are  superbly  artistic  and  most 
beautiful  in  every  detail,  from  the  expansive 
and  imposing  rotunda,  with  its  grand  fresco 
ornamentations,  to  the  sleeping  apartments 
upon  the  upper  floors.  The  parlors,  dining 
rooms,  guest  chambers,  halls  and  corridors  are 
all  finished  in  most  beautiful  designs  and  with 
the  highest  regard  for  artistic  harmony  and 
richness. 

The  paintings  in  the  rotunda  are  works  of 
art,  and  represent,  in  life  size  figures,  the 
seasons,  fine  arts,  poetry,  architecture,  sculp- 
ture, painting,  the  elements,  water,  fire,  earth, 
and  air.  and  music,  song,  the  drama  and  the 
dance.  The  parlors,  the  Louis  XVI  and  the 
Oriental  rooms  are  marvels  of  beauty  and 
finish,  and  are  most  luxuriously  furnished* 
and  the  main   dining  room,  with  its  flower- 

a.  This  description  is  chiefly  from  "South  Bend 
and  the  Men  who  have  Made  it,"  pp.  52,  53. 


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HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


445 


decked  eeiling  and  tapestry  panels  upon  the 
walls,  is  a  dream  of  beauty.  The  spacious 
banquet  room  is  most  elaborately  decorated, 
the  panels  in  the  walls  are  finished  in  crimson 
silk,  with  a  background  of  deep  cream,  col- 
ored with  gold,  while  the  ceiling  represents  a 
large  tinted  panel,  embellished  with  forty-five 
life-size  allegorical  cherubs,  emblematic  of  the 
arts  and  seasons. 

In  every  respect  the  new  Oliver  Hotel  is 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  and  imposing  edi- 
fices, and,  in  every  detail  and  finish  and  fur- 
niture, is  artistically  beautiful  and  enduringly 
attractive. 

In  the  rotunda  is  a  massive  gold  loving  cup, 
presented  to  Mr.  Oliver  by  his  friends,  com- 
memorative of  the  erection  of  the  hotel.  It 
is  of  superb  design,  with  has  relief  medallions 
of  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Oliver,  and  miniature  repro- 
ductions of  the  pioneer  factory  and  the  mod- 
ern works  of  the  Olivei-  Chilled  Plow  Com- 
pany. Aside  from  its  intrinsic  and  artistic 
value,  this  loving  cup  is  prized  by  its  honored 
recipient  rather  as  an  evidence  of  the  high 
esteem  in  w^hich  he  is  held  by  his  friends  and 
associates  in  this  city  which  has  been  the  scene 
of  his  labors  and  triumphs,  from  the  day  he 
came  to  Mishawaka,  a  poor  boy,  in  the  four- 
teenth year  of  his  age,  until  he  has  entered 
upon  his  eighty-fifth  year,  blest  with  untold 
wealth  and  full  of  honors  by  reason  of  the 
great  public  benefits  to  which  he  has  applied 
so  generous  a  share  of  this  wealth. 

See.  15. — Schools. — By  Article  Nine  of  the 
Constitution  of  1816,  it  was  made  the  duty  of 
the  legislature  "to  provide  by  law  for  a  gen- 
eral system  of  education,  ascending  in  a  regu- 
lar gradation  from  township  schools  to  a 
state  university,  wherein  tuition  shall  be  grat- 
is, and  equally  open  to  all."  In  the  same 
article  particular  provision  was  made  for  the 
creation  of  funds  for  the  support  of  county 
seminaries,  as  intermediate  between  the  towh- 
ship  schools  and  the  state  university.  The 
system  was  excellent  in  theory,  but  proved  to 
be  impracticable,  as  the  funds  to  support  such 
an  elaborate  system  of  education  could  not  be 
provided. 

Accordingly,  in  the  constitution  of  1851  the 
legislature  was  required  only  "to  provide  by 
law  for  a  general  and  uniform  system  of  com- 
mon schools,  wherein  tuition  shall  be  without 


charge,  and  equally  open  to  all."«  Not  only 
is  there  no  provision  for  a  state  university  or 
a  county  seminary,  or  other  high  school,  but 
there  is  express  provision  for  the  sale  of 
county  seminaries  and  requiring  that  the  pro- 
ceeds of  such  sale,  and  also  '  *  the  moneys  and 
property  heretofore  held  for  such  seminar- 
ies," should  become  a  part  of  the  common 
school  fund.  The  theory  of  the  framers  of 
the  constitution  of  1851  was  very  plainly,  that 
ample  provision  should  be  made  for  a  free 
common  school  education;  but  that  any  one 
who  wished  to  give  his  child  a  high  school,  or 
a  university  education,  should  do  it  at  his 
own  expense. 

Under  the  old  constitution,  as  we  have 
seen,'^  a  county  seminary  for  St.  Joseph  coun- 
ty was  established,  and  was  located  in  South 
Bend,  on  the  north  side  of  West  Washington 
street,  at  the  intersection  of  William,  on  the 
site  of  the  present  high  school.  After  the 
constitution  of  1851  went  into  effect,  the 
county  seminary  and  grounds  were  purchased 
by  the  South  Bend  school  trustees  and  have 
ever  since  been  used  for  a  high  school. 
Whether  high  schools  are  at  all  authorized 
under  our  present  constitution,  has  been 
questioned.  But,  while  no  express  provision 
for  such  schools  is  found  in  the  constitution, 
and  while  the  requirement  that  the  old  county 
seminaries  should  be  sold  and  the  proceeds 
turned  into  the  common  school  fund,  seems 
like  an  implied  provision  .against  the  support 
of  such  schools  by  the  state,  yet  there  are  some 
general  provisions  found  in  Article  Eight, 
Section  One,  which  make  it  the  duty  of  the 
legislature,  not  only  to  provide  for  ' '  a  general 
and  uniform  system  of  common  schools,"  but 
also  "to  encourage,  by  all  suitable  means, 
moral,  intellectual,  scientific,  and  agricultural 
improvement."  However  this  may  be,  high 
schools  have  been  established  and  placed 
under,  control  of  city  school  trustees  through- 
out the  state. 

In  South  Bend  the  high  school  proceeded 

a.     Constitution  of  1851,  Art.  8. 
h.     Cliap.  6,  Siibd.  6,  Sec.  11. 


446 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


directly  from  the  county  seminary.  Indeed, 
it  was  but  a  continuation  of  the  old  seminary 
under  a  new  name  and  under  direction  of  new 
officials.  It  was  on  July  16,  1853,  as  we  have 
seen,"  that  the  transfer  of  the  seminary  prop- 
erty was  made  from  the  county  officials  to  the 
board  of  town  trustees.  The  purchase  was 
on  time,  and  the  payments  w^ere  not  all  made 
until  after  South  Bend  had  become  a  city  and 
the  school  functions  of  the  board  of  town 
trustees  had  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
board  of  school  trustees  of  the  city  of  South 
Bend.  On  August  31,  1866,  the  deed  of 
transfer  was  formally  made,  and  soon  after- 
wards there  was  a  reorganization  of  the  old 
school.  The  name  of  seminary  passed  away 
and  that  of  high  school  took  its  place. 

An  accomplished  teacher  in  the  high  school 
has  written  an  interesting  historical  sketch 
of  the  South  Bend  schools,  particularly  the 
high  school,  from  about  the  date  of  the  deed 
of  transfer  of  the  seminary,  which  sketch  is 
here  inserted  with  her  permission  ■? 

"The  first  step  toward  the  organization  of 
the  South  Bend  High  School  was  the  appoint- 
ment of  Mr.  Daniel  Eyer  as  superintendent 
of  the  public  schools  in  1867.  The  board  of 
education  at  that  time  consisted  of  Messrs. 
John  Klingel,  J.  A.  Henricks  and  E.  S.  Rey- 
nolds, and  it  was  due  mainly  to  Mr.  Klingel 's 
efforts  that  our  schools  were  graded  and  a 
high  school  was  established.  The  schools  of 
the  city  occupied  five  buildings :  the  old  Madi- 
son school,  a  brick  structure  of  four  rooms ;  a 
frame  building  of  two  rooms  on  the  site  of 
the  present  Jeff'erson  building;  the  Lowell 
school  in  the  east  part  of  the  city,  and  the 
seminary  on  Washington  street.  Seventeen 
teachers  were  employed,  and  as  the  schools 
were  entirely  ungraded,  classes  ranging  from 
primary  readers  to  English  literature,  from 
notation  to  geometry,  were  found  in  the  same 
room,  conducted  by  one  teacher. 

"Mr.  Eyer  proved  himself  an  able  organiz- 
er,   harmonizing    conflicting     conditions   and 

a.     Chap.  6,  Subd.  6,  Sec.  11. 

ft.     Mrs.  Esse  Bissell  Dakin,  in  The  Interlude. 


bringing  order  out  of  chaos ;  and  soon  the  va- 
rious schools  were  pursuing  a  uniform  course 
of  study  leading  up  to  the  High  school.  The 
classification  of  the  pupils  who  composed  the 
High  school  was  not  an  easy  task,  and  so  num- 
erous were  the  inequalities  in  the  preparation 
of  pupils,  that  it  was  not  until  1870  that  a 
continuous  four  years'  course  of  study  was 
followed. 

"On  account  of  the  central  location  of  the 
old  seminary,  it  was  selected  as  the  home  of 
the  incipient  school,  and  Mr.  Eyer  was  in- 
stalled as  principal  with  one  assistant.  The 
seminary  was  a  prominent  building  at  that 
time,  and  as  evidence  of  the  importance  of 
its  erection  we  quote  from  the  St.  Joseph  Val- 
ley Register  of  September  26,  1845:  'This 
building,  on  the  north  side  of  Washington 
street,  west  of  town,  is  rapidly  approaching 
completion.  It  is  of  brick,  two  stories  high, 
and  is  to  be  surmounted  by  a  cupola. 

"  'The  seminary  stands  near  the  center  of 
an  acre  and  a  half  lot,  which  belongs  to  it 
and  which  is  to  be  inclosed  and  improved. 
There  will  be  two  rooms  in  the  building,  one 
below  and  the  other  above.  The  one  in  the 
second  story  is  to  be  the  full  size  of  the  build- 
ing, undivided  at  present  by  any  partition, 
and  the  two  rooms  will  comfortably  contain 
all  the  pupils  of  the  institution  for  many 
years  to  come.' 

"The  prediction  in  regard  to  the  capacity 
of  the  two  rooms,  as  well  as  the  location,  '  west 
of  town,'  is  especially  interesting  now,  in  view 
of  our  10  overcrowded  rooms  and  our  loca- 
tion in  the  heart  of  the  city. 

"Unfortunately  the  records  of  the  meetings 
of  the  board  of  education  for  the  period  from 
1868  to  1873  have  been  lost,  but  we  are  able 
to  give  the  important  changes  through  the 
kindness  of  Mr.  John  Klingel,  whose  efficient 
services  were  given  to  our  schools  for  many 
years.  At  the  close  of  the  first  year  of  the 
existence  of  our  High  school,  Mr.  A.  C.  Ross 
was  appointed  principal,  and  Mr.  Eyer,  who 
was  reappointed  superintendent,  conducted 
several  classes,  in  addition  to  his  work  of  su- 


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HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUxXTY. 


449 


pervision.  Professor  Ross  was  succeeded  in 
1870,  by  Prof.  Benjamin  Wilcox,  who  enjoyed 
a  wide  reputation  as  an  instructor.  He  com- 
pleted the  grading  of  the  pupils  and  under 
his  guidance  the  course  of  study  was  defi- 
nitely prescribed,  the  school  increased  in 
numbers  and  interest,  literary  societies  were 
established  and  a  new  High  school  building 
was  felt  to  be  a  necessity.  The  time  had  come 
when  the  old  seminary  no  longer  comfortably 
contained  all  the  pupils  of  the  institution. 

"Prof.  Wilcox,  Mr.  John  Klingel  and  Dr. 
J.  A.  Henricks  were  the  moving  spirits  in 
the  project  of  a  new  building,  which  assumed 
definite  shape  upon  paper  in  the  plans  of 
Architect  'Rose,  of  Chicag-o.  In  April,  1872, 
the  seminary  was  torn  down,  the  High  school 
occupying  temporary  quarters  in  the  old  Mad- 
ison building.  In  September,  1873,  the  school 
met  in  the  new  building,  a  part  of  which  was 
occupied  by  the  Washington  school. 

"In  April,  1874,  the  first  diplomas  were 
issued  to  a  graduating  class  in  assembly  hall. 
The  following  year  the  school  met  with  a 
severe  loss  in  the  death  of  Prof.  Wilcox,  whose 
sterling  worth  and  upright  character  have 
left  their  impress  upon  all  with  whom  he  came 
in  contact.  His  successors  have  been  James 
DuShane,  Charles  H.  Bartlett,  Eugene  F. 
Lohr,  Stuart  MacKibbin,  Mary  L.  Hinsdale, 
John  ]\I.  Culver  and  Dumont  Lotz.  Under 
these  instructors  the  school  has  grown  in  num- 
bers, strength  and  equipment  until  it  stands 
second  to  none  in  our  state  for  thorough  in- 
struction and  practical  work. 

"In  1875-76  an  additional  month  was  given 
to  instruction.  The  one  course  of  study  was 
expanded  to  three  courses,  Latin,  German  and 
English.  The  average  attendance  has  in- 
creased from  50  to  280;  the  number  of  teach- 
ers from  two  to  11. 

"The  library,  which  consisted  mainly  of 
books  of  reference,  numbered  148  volumes 
in  1887 ;  at  present  we  have  2,000  volumes 
and  21  periodicals.  For  a  number  of  years 
the  proceeds  of  commencement  lectures  and 
junior  exhibitions  were  devoted  to  the  pur- 

29 


chase  of  books,  but  the  library  has  received 
no  additions  from  this  source  for  several 
years. 

"The  library  occupies  a  room  upon  the 
second  floor  and  is  in  charge  of  the  assistant 
librarian.  Miss  Maude  Ott,  from  8  to  12  a.  m. 
and  2  to  4  p.  m.  Pupils  have  the  privilege 
of  withdrawing  books  for  use  at  their  homes. 
A  complete  card  catalogue  has  been  made 
under  the  supervision  of  the  librarian.  Miss 
Thekla  Sack. 

"In  1886  a  wing  of  four  rooms  was  added 
to  the  building,  a  physical  science  room  fitted 
up  and  the  chemical  laboratory  enlarged  and 
equipped  with  modern  apparatus.  In  1898 
additional  recitation  rooms  were  formed  by 
dividing  two  large  rooms  into  four  smaller 
rooms. 

"Through  the  influence  of  Superintendent 
Moon  the  yard  has  become  a  beautiful  park, 
with  broad  stone  walks,  a  well  kept  lawn  and 
high  overarching  trees,  adding  greatly  to  the 
attractiveness  of  the  building. 

' '  There  are  two  societies  connected  with  the 
school,  the  Euglossian  and  Cleosophic  literary 
societies,  founded  by  Prof.  Wilcox  in  1870. 
These  societies  have  been  valuable  aids  in  the 
cultivation  of  literary  taste  and  forensic 
ability,  and  for  a  number  of  years  engaged  in 
an  annual  contest  during  commencement 
week. 

' '  The  school  year  is  divided  into  two  semes- 
ters and  the  annual  events  are  the  junior  exhi- 
bition, the  reception  tendered  the  juniors  by 
the  seniors,  the  faculty  reception  for  the 
seniors,  the  baccalaureate  sermon,  class  day 
and  commencement. ' ' 

Following  the  principalship  of  Mr.  Dumont 
Lotz  came  that  of  Charles  H.  Bartlett,  who 
held  the  position  of  principal  of  the  High 
school  for  three  and  one-half  years.  After 
Mr.  Bartlett  came  C.  0.  Davis,  who  is  now  a 
member  of  the  faculty  of  the  University  of 
Michigan.  The  present  principal,  Mr.  Isaac 
E.  Neft',  succeeded  Mr.  Davis  in  September, 
1905.  The  number  of  teachers  now  in  the 
high  school  is  twenty-two,  and  the  number  of 


450 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


pupils,  five  hundred  and  seventy-three.  A 
feature  of  this  school  that  should  be  noted  is 
the  attention  given  to  manual  training.  The 
graduates  of  the  South  Bend  High  school  are 
admitted  without  examination  as  students  of 
the  colleges  and  universities  of  the  country. 

In  1867,  as  appears  from  the  foregoing 
sketch,  the  city  schools  were  ungraded  and 
were  all  conducted  in  a  few  old  buildings. 
Since  that  time,  as  the  years  have  gone  on,  a 
complete  gradation  of  studies  and  classifica- 
tion of  pupils,  from  the  kindergarten  to  the 
high  school,  have  taken  place.  During  the 
same  period,  all  the  old  buildings  have  been 
taken  down,  and  fine  brick  and  stone  struc- 
tures been  erected  in  their  place,  with  the  best 
present  day  appliances  in  every  department. 
New  buildings,  of  the  same  superior  character, 
have  been  located  at  difi:'erent  points  in  the 
city,  as  increased  population  made  it  neces- 
sary. 

Besides  the  high  school,  erected  on  the  site 
of  the  old  county  seminary,  the  grounds  in 
the  rear  of  that  building,  and  fronting  on 
Colfax  avenue,  have  been  purchased  and  a 
beautiful  building  there  erected  for  a  gram- 
mar school,  to  be  intermediate  between  the 
ward  schools  and  the  high  school.  This  build- 
ing is  at  present  used  also  for  the  high  school 
classes,  the  intention  being,  as  soon  as  funds 
are  available,  to  rebuild  and  improve  the 
high  school  building  on  Washington  street. 

In  addition  to  the  high  school  and  the 
grammar  school,  the  city  has  the  following 
ward,  or  primary  schools,  in  which  the  first 
seven  grades  are  taught :  The  Jefferson 
school;  the  Madison  school:  the  Lafayette 
school;  the  Laurel  school;  the  Coquillard 
school ;  the  Elder  school ;  the  Franklin  school ; 
the  Colfax  school ;  the  Linden  school ;  the 
Oliver  school ;  the  Perley  school ;  the  Bowman 
school ;  the  Weidler  school ;  the  j\Iuessel 
school;  and  the  Henry  Studebaker  school. 
The  schools  have  been  named  either  from  the 
streets  on  or  near  which  they  are  situated 
or  from  citizens  distinguished  in  the  history 
of  the  city. 


Under  authority  of  an  act  of  the  general 
assembl.y,  approved  March  7,  1881,*  the  board 
of  school  trustees  have  established  an  excellent 
free  Public  Library,  and  have  housed  the 
same  in  one  of  the  finest  architectural  public 
buildings  of  the  city  which  is  located  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  Main  and  Wayne  streets. 
Steps  had  been  taken  as  early  as  1872  for  the 
establishment  of  a  public  library.  In  that 
year,  principally  through  the  efforts  of  Dr. 
Louis  Humphreys,  William  G.  George  and 
John  Klingel,  a  library  was  established  in 
a  rear  room  of  a  store  on   the  east  side  of 


PUBLIC   LIBRARY,  SOUTH   BEND. 

Michigan  street,  a  little  north  of  Washington 
street.  In  a  short  time,  to  secure  more  room, 
the  library  was  removed  to  the  second  story 
of  number  one  hundred  and  twenty-three 
West  Washington  street,  where  it  flourished 
greatly  until  the  building  was  burned.  After 
the  passage  of  the  law  authorizing  the  school 
board  to  establish  a  free  library  in  connection 
with  the  public  schools,  and  before  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  tax  levies  for  the  purpose  were 
collected.  Mr.  James  Oliver  advanced  the 
amount  necessary  to  open  the  library  and 
purchase  the  first  books.  Donations  were 
made  by  Clement  Studebaker,  Leighton  Pine 

a.    Acts,  1881,  p.  47.    And  see  amendment,  Acts, 
1883,  p.  103. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


451 


ami  others,  and  in  1888,  the  library  was 
opened  on  the  third  floor  of  the  Oliver  opera 
house  block.  In  1895  the  school  board  pur- 
chased the  lot  at  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Wayne  streets ;  and  the  fine  library  building 
was  completed  that  year  and  early  the  next, 
and  on  May  1,  1896,  was  formally  opened  to 
the  scholars  of  the  schools  and  to  the  public. 
The  cost  was  about  forty  thousand  dollars. 
Miss  Virginia  Tutt  is  the  present  accomplished 
librarian;  and  under  her  excellent  manage- 
ment and  that  of  her  predecessor,  Miss  Evelyn 
C.  Humphreys,  the  library  has  become  an 
excellent  school  of  instruction,  not  only  for 
the  children  of  the  schools,  but  for  the  people 
at  large. 

By  an  act  approved  March  6,  1865,  the 
legislature  revised  and  codified  the  laws  in 
relation  to  the  common  schools,  and  provided, 
amongst  other  things,  for  the  election  in  each 
county  of  a  scliool  examiner,  who  should  have 
general  supervision  over  the  schools  of  the 
county.* 

By  an  act  in  force  March  8,  1873,  the  office 
of  county  superintendent  was  created,  to  take 
the  place  of  that  of  school  examiner.^  The 
county  superintendent  was  given  larger 
powers  than  those  which  had  been  given  to 
the  school  examiner,  and  the  office  was  in 
many  respects  made  more  efficient. 

The  school  examiners  for  St.  Joseph  county 
were :  William  T.  Van  Doren,  appointed 
June  7,  1861 ;  Alvin  S.  Dunbar,  appointed 
November  2,  1861;  Charles  A.  Evans,  ap- 
pointed June  10,  1861;  Jacob  Merrifield,  ap- 
pointed January  30,  1866 ;  and  Elisha  Sump- 
tion, appointed  June  2,  1868. 

In  1873,  during  Mr.  Sumption's  last  term 
as  examiner,  the  law  was  passed  which 
abolished  the  office  of  examiner  and  created 
that  of  county  superintendent,  and  he  served 
a  short  time  as  superintendent,  being  the  first 
to  fill  that  office.  The  succeeding  county 
superintendents  have  been :  Andrew  J.  Foster, 
appointed  July  1,  1873 ;  David  A.  Ewing,  ap- 

a.  Acts,  1865,  p.  1;  see  Sec.  33. 

b.  Acts,  1873,  p.  75;   see  also  Acts,  1899,  p.  240. 


pointed   June   9,    1875 ;    Frank   A.   Norton, 

appointed  August  12,  1876 ;  Calvin  Moon,  ap- 
pointed   June    4,     1877 ;     John     H.     Baer, 

appointed  in  July,  1891 ;    and  William  Clem, 

the   present   incumbent,    appointed   in   June, 

1897. 

The  officers  of  the  city  schools  have  been 

as  follows: 

BOARDS   OF   EDUCATION. 

1865-'66,    Almond    Bugbee,    Pres.;     Rev.    C.    A. 
Evans,  Sec;  Dwight  Deming,  Treas. 

1866-'67,    Almond    Bugbee,    Pres.;     Rev.    C.    A. 
Evans,  Sec;  Dwight  Deming,  Treas. 

1867-'68,   R.   L.    Koehler,   Pres.;    Philip  Wagner, 
Sec;   Dr.  J.  A.  Henricks,  Treas. 

1868-'69,    R.    L.    Koehler,    Pres.;    John    Klingel, 
Sec;   Dr.  J.  A.  Henricks,  Treas. 

1869-'70,  Ephraim  S.  Reynolds,  Pres.;  John  Klin- 
gel, Sec;   Dr.  J.  A.  Henricks,  Treas. 

1870-'71,  Ephraim  S.  Reynolds,  Pres.;  John  Klin- 
gel, Sec;  Dr.  J.  A.  Henricks,  Treas. 

1871-72,  John  M.  Studebaker,  Pres.;  John  Klin- 
gel, Sec;   Dr.  J.  A.  Henricks,  Treas 

1872-73,  John  M.  Studebaker,  Pres.;   John  Klin- 
gel, Sec;  Dr.  J.  A.  Henricks,  Treas. 

1873-74,    David    Stover,    Pres.;     Daniel    Greene, 
Sec;   Dr.  J.  A.  Henricks,  Treas. 

1874-75,    David    Stover,    Pres.;    Daniel    Greene, 
Sec. ;   Marvin  Campbell,  Treas. 

1875-76,  Elliott  Tutt,  Pres.;   John  Klingel,  Sec; 
Marvin  Campbell,  Treas. 

1876-77,  Elliott  Tutt,  Pres.;   John  Klingel,  Sec; 
Elias  W.  Hoover,  Treas. 

1877-78,  Elliott  Tutt,  Pres.;  John  Klingel,  Sec; 
Elias  W.  Hoover,  Treas. 

1878-79,  Elliott  Tutt,  Pres.;  John  Klingel,  Sec; 
Elias  W.  Hoover,  Treas. 

1879-'80,    Dr.    George    F.    Nevius,    Pres.;    Elliott 
Tutt,  Sec;  John  Klingel,  Treas. 

1880-'81,    Dr.    George   F.    Nevius,    Pres.;    Elliott 
Tutt,  Sec;  John  Klingel,  Treas. 

1881-'82,    Dr.    George    F.    Nevius,    Pres.;     John 
Hay,  Sec;  John  Klingel,  Treas. 

i882-'83,   John  Klingel,  Pres.;    John  Hay,   Sec; 
Dr.  George  F.  Nevius,  Treas. 

1883-'84.  John  Hay,  Pres.;   Dr.  C.  A.  Daugherty, 
Sec;   Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 

1884-'85,   Dr.    C.   A.   Daugherty,   Pres.;    John  N. 
Lederer,  Sec;   Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 

1885-'86,    Dr.   C.   A.   Daugherty,   Pres.;    John  N. 
Lederer,  Sec;  Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 

1886-'87,   Dr.   C.    A.    Daugherty,   Pres.;    John   N. 
Lederer,  Sec;   Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 

1887-'88,  Dr.  C.  A.  Daugherty,  Pres.;   Dr.  D.  M. 
Calvert,  Sec;  Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 

1888-'89,  Dr.  C.  A.  Daugherty,  Pres.;   Dr.  D.  M. 
Calvert,  Sec;   Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 

1889-'90,  Dr.  C.  A.  Daugherty,  Pres.;   Dr.  D.  M. 
Calvert,  Sec;  Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 

1890-'91,  Dr.  C.  A.  Daugherty,  Pres.;   Joseph  E. 
Williams,  Sec;   Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 

1891-'92,  Dr.  C.  A.  Daugherty,  Pres.;   Joseph  E. 
Williams,  Sec;   Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 

1892-'93,  Dr.  C.  A.  Daugherty,  Pres.;   Joseph  B. 
Williams,   Sec;   Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 


452 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


1893-'94,  Dr.  C.  A.  Daugherty,   Pres.;    Henry  F. 
Elbel,  Sec;   Benjamin  F.  Dunn,  Treas. 

lS94-'95,    Dr.    C.    A.    Daugherty,    Pres.;     Albert 
Listenberger,   Sec;    Henry  F.  Elbel,  Treas. 

1895-'96,    Albert   Listenberger,    Pres.;    Henry   F. 
Elbe!,  Sec;  Myron  Campbell,  Treas. 

1896-'97,   Albert   Listenberger,    Pres.;    Catharine 
C.  Esmay.  Sec;  Myron  Campbell,  Treas. 

1897-'9'8,   Myron   Campbell,    Pres.;    Catharine    C. 
Esmay,  Sec;  John  A.  Hibberd,  Treas. 

lS9S-'99,    Catharine   C.    Esmay,    Pres.;    Dr.    John 
Cassidv.  Sec:  John  A.  Hibberd,  Treas. 

1899-'00,  John  B.  Stoll.  Pres.;  Dr.  John  Cassidy, 
Sec;  John  A.  Hibberd,  Treas. 

1900-'01,    John    B.    Stoll,    Pres.;    Dr.    John    Cas- 
sidy,  Sec;    Wm.   O.   Davies,  Treas., 

1901-'02,  John  B.  Stoll,  Pres.;   George  A.  Baker. 
Sec;   Wm.  0.  Davies,  Treas. 

1902-'03,  John  B.  Stoll.  Pres.;   George  A.  Baker, 
Sec;  Wm.  O.  Davies,  Treas. 

1903-'04,    Francis    M.    Jackson,    Pres.;    John    B. 
Stoll,  Sec;  George  A.  Baker,  Treas. 

1904-'05,  John  B.  Stoll,  Pres.;   Dr.  Frederick  P. 
Eastman,  Sec;   Francis  M.  Jackson,  Treas. 

1905-'06,  John  B.  Stoll,  Pres.;   Dr.  Frederick  P. 
Eastman,  Sec;   Francis  M.  Jackson,  Treas. 

1906-'07,   John   B.    Stoll,  Pres.;    Henry  F.  Elbel, 
Sec;    Dr.  Frederick  P.   Eastman,  Treas. 

1907-'08,   John    B.    Stoll,   Pres.;    John   C.   Paxon, 
Sec;  Henry  F.  Elbel,  Treas. 

SUPERINTENDENTS. 

Daniel    Eyre 2  years 1867-1869 

L.  E.  Denslow 1  year 1869-1870 

W.  K.  Kidd 1  year 1870-1871 

David  A.  Ewing 5    years 1871-1876 

Alfred  Kummer 3  years 1876-1879 

James  DuShane 12    years 1879-1891 

Calvin  Moon 16    years 1891-1907 

HIGH    SCHOOL    PRINCIPALS. 

Daniel    Eyre 2    years 1867-1869 

L.  E.  Denslow 1    year 1869-1870 

W.  K.  Kidd 1    year 1869-1870 

Benjamin    Wilcox 4    years 1871-1875 

James  DuShane 3    years 1875-1878 

Alfred  Kummer 1    year 1878-1879 

Charles  H.  Bartlett 11    years 1879-1890 

Eugene  F.   Lohr 3    years 1890-1893 

Stuart  MacKibbin 2    years 1893-1895 

Mary  L.  Hinsdale 2    years 1895-1897 

John  M.  Culver 1    year 1897-1898 

Dumont  Lotz    3  years 1898-1901 

Charles   H.  Bartlett 2   years    ......1901-1903 

Calvin  C.  Davis 1    year 1903-1904 

Isaac  E.  Neff 3    years 1904-1907 

Many  of  our  Private  Schools,  including 
parochial  schools,  the  Assiunption  school  and 
St.  Joseph's  academy,  are  noticed  in  the  pre- 
ceding sections  of  this  subdivision.  A  private 
school  of  the  utmost  value  to  the  commercial 
and  manufacturing  interests  of  the  city  is 
the  South  Bend  Business  College,  in  which 
young  men  and  women  are  fitted  for  useful 
employment  as  bookkeepers,  stenographers 
and  typewriters.   This  is  a  firet-class  school  of 


its  kind,  and  occupies  airy  and  extensive 
apartments  on  the  third  floor  of  Xos.  228  to 
236  and  also  Xo.  304  South  Michigan  street. 

One  of  the  most  noted  educational  institu- 
tions   conducted    under   private    auspices    in 
northern  Indiana  was  the  Northern  Indiana 
College,  founded  in  1861  and  located  at  the 
west  end  of  Washington  street,  in  South  Bend. 
It  was  an  incorporated  college,  for  the  educa- 
tion  of  young  ladies   and   gentlemen.      The 
first  board  of  trustees  consisted  of  Schuyler 
Colfax.    William    Miller,    John    H.    Harper, 
John  Brownfield.   Asbury   Clark,   George  F. 
Layton,  Francis  E.  Tutt,  John  W.  Chess  and 
Elisha  Egbert.    The  college  buildings,  beauti- 
fully located  at  the  head  of  Washington  street, 
a  mile  west  of  and  in  full  view  of  the  court 
house,  was  of  brick,  fifty  by  ninety  feet  and 
four  stories  high,  including  basement.     The 
front  was  ornamented  by  a  central  tower,  ris- 
ing one  hundred  feet  high,  from  which  there 
was  an  entrance  to  every  floor  of  the  college. 
It  was  a  substaaitial  and  elegant  building  and 
well  adapted   to  the  purposes  for  which   it 
was  intended.     The  college  was  dedicated  on 
January  10,   1867,  and  duly  opened  for  the 
reception  of  students.     Tliis  institution  which 
opened  with  so  much  promise  was  continued 
for  but  a  few  vears.     It  suffered  and  ulti- 
mately  perished  from  the  same  blight  that  has 
affected   many    another   institution    launched 
with  high  hopes  under  private   auspices. — a 
lack  of  funds.     The  erection  of  the  building 
and  the  furnishing  "of  the  college  exhausted 
the  means  of  its  projectoi-s,  and  as  soon  as 
it  became  evident  that  the  institution  was  not 
self-sustaining    the    enterprise    was    discon- 
tinued.    The  old   college  building  is  now   a 
part  of  the  South  Bend  Chilled  Plow  Works. 

Sec.  16. — Societies  and  Clubs.^As  ap- 
pears from  reminiscences  heretofore  set  out 
in  this  work,«  the  people  of  St.  Joseph  county 
have  always  manifested  an  interest  in  their 
local  history.  As  early  as  1867,  if  not  earlier, 
steps  were  taken  to  form  a  Historical  Society, 
for  the  promotion  of  the  early  history  of  the 

a.     See,  in  particular  Chap.  4,  Subds.  5,  6  and  7. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


453 


county.  On  October  26,  1867,  the  following 
prominent  citizens  met  for  that  purpose : 
Horatio  Chapin,  Woolman  J.  Holloway, 
George  F.  Laytou,  Thomas  S.  Stanfield,  Lath- 
rop  M.  Taylor,  Phillip  B.  Boone,  Charles 
]\Iorgan,  John  Bro^\^lfield,  Louis  Humphreys, 
Almond  Bugbee,  Joseph  G.  Bartlett,  William 
L.  Barrett,  John  T.  Lindsey,  John  Reynolds, 
:\rark  Whinery,  Elisha  Egbert,  Charles  M. 
Tutt,  Benjamin  Wall.  Ethan  S.  Reynolds, 
Jacob  Hardman,  Benjamin  F.  Price,  Jacob  N. 
INIassey,  Ricketson  Burroughs,  Elliott  Tutt, 
]\Iatthias  Stover,  John  A.  Henricks,  Daniel 
Greene,  Daniel  Dayton,  Daniel  A.  Veasey, 
Charles  W.  Martin,  Schuyler  Colfax,  Francis 
R.  Tutt  and  William  ]\Iiller.  This  list  repre- 
sents the  very  highest  type  of  citizenship  of 
the  city  in  the  year  1867.  On  November  2, 
1867,  the  organization  was  completed,  and 
very  interesting  meetings  continued  to  be 
held  from  time  to  time,  at  which  valuable 
papers,  reminiscent  in  their  character,  were 
read  by  pioneer  members.  Judge  Thomas  S. 
Stanfield,  Dr.  Louis  Humphreys  and  others. 
But  one  member  of  this  pioneer  historical 
society  of  1867  is  now  living,  Mr.  Daniel 
Greene,  whose  valuable  reminiscences  were 
given  in  a  former  chapter.  So  complete  a 
change  have  forty  years  brought  about. 

On  January  22.  1895.  a  meeting  was  called 
to  revive  interest  in  historical  work.  The 
purpose  of  the  new  organization  was  not  only 
the  preparation  and  reading  of  historical  es- 
says and  reminiscences,  but  also  the  collec- 
tion and  safe  keeping  of  such  data,  relics, 
papers  and  other  matters  as  would  be  of 
interest  in  the  history  of  this  section  of  the 
state.  To  broaden  the  scope  of  the  work,  it 
was  determined  to  name  the  society  the 
Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society,  and  to 
extend  its  work  to  all  matters  relating  to  the 
history  of  the  valleys  of  the  St.  Joseph  and 
Kankakee,  in  so  far  at  least  as  such  matters 
might  throw  light  upon  the  history  of  St. 
Joseph  county  and  vicinity.  On  February 
4,  1896,  the  society  was  formally  incorpo- 
rated,     with      the      following     membership : 


Lucius  Hubbard,  Richard  H.  Lyon,  Otto  M. 
Knoblock,  George  A.  Baker,  Willis  A.  Bugbee, 
Chauncey  N.  Fassett,  Charles  H.  Bartlett, 
Ann  Thrush  Fassett,  William  B.  Starr,  i\Iary 
Ewing  Studebaker,  Stuart  MacKibbin,  Mar- 
tha 0.  Hubbard,  Bessie  A.  Baker,  George  B. 
Beitner,  Thaddeus  S.  Taylor,  Sarah  C.  Tay- 
lor, James  Du  Shane,  Howard  S.  Stanfield, 
Flora  L.  Stanfield,  George  Ford,  William  B. 
Stover.  Many  valuable  papers  have  been 
read  before  this  society  since  i^s  organization, 
and  many  old  books,  papers,  portraits  and 
relies  have  been  collected.  The  relics  are 
carefully  marked  and  are  preserved  in  neat, 
strong,   glass  covered   cases. 

For  several  years  after  the  organization 
of  the  Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society 
there  was  a  growing  desire  on  the  part  of  the 
people  of  the  city  and  county  to  have  a  pub- 
lic exhibition  of  the  fine  old  treasures  in  the 
possession  of  the  society  and  of  its  members 
and  their  friends.  This  exhibition  was 
finallv  held  on  the  week  besinning  Februarv 
5.  1900,  in  what  was  then  known  as  "the 
old  curry-comb  building."  on  the  west  side 
of  Lafayette  street,  between  Washington  and 
Jefferson,  the  site  at  present  occupied  as  an 
automobile  garage.  The  moving  spirits  in 
preparing  this  most  interesting  exhibit  were 
George  A.  Baker,  secretary,  Otto  'SI.  Knob- 
lock,  treasurer,  and  George  B.  Beitner.  all 
enthusiastic  and  active  members  of  the  North- 
ern Indiana  Historical  Society.  After  the 
first  evening's  opening  the  following  graphic 
and  appreciative  description  of  the  exhibit 
Avas  written  by  the  lamented  Charles  Albert 
]\IcDonald,  then  associate  editor  of  the  South 
Bend  Times,  and  himself  an  earnest  member 
of  the  society : 

"The  most  optimistic  expectations  of  the 
most  sanguine  admirer  of  the  curious,  the 
beautiful,  the  antique  and  the  wonderful 
were  far  exceeded  in  the  grand  collection 
secured  by  the  leading  spirits  in  the  Northern 
Indiana  Historical  Society,  to  grace  the  first 
historical  display  ever  given  under  the  so- 
ciety's auspices. 

"The   ■  exhibit,      carefully     watched      and 


454 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


guarded,  occupies  nearly  two  entire  floors 
of  the  spacious  building  formerly  occupied 
by  the  South  Bend  Curry  Comb  factory,  and 
was  firet  opened  to  the  public  at  5  P.  M.  ]\Ion- 
day,  the  display  to  be  continued  on  through 
this  week. 

'"There  on  the  walls  and  benches,  in  cases 
and  frames,  on  shelves  and  counters 
stretched,  spread  and  appealed  to  the  lover 
of  curios  a  show  that  would  do  credit  to  a 
city  many  times  the  size  of  South  Bend. 

•'The  mound  builder,  the  cliff  dweller,  the 
Inca  and  the  American  Indian,  vied  with  the 
Moor,  the  Japanese,  the  Chinese,  the  South 
Sea  Islanders,  the  Hawaiians  and  the  Hin- 
doos in  contribution  to  the  vast  array. 

"Antique  specimens  of  the  bookmaker's 
art ;  clotlLS  and  vestments  of  the  middle  ages ; 
bureaus,  boxes,  chests,  trunks,  cradles,  jew- 
elry, candlesticks,  lanterns,  lamps,  rich 
china,  pewter  dishes,  andirons,  choicest  crock- 
eries, spinning  wheels,  flax  hatches,  old 
clocks,  hand  forged  tools  and  chains,  da- 
guerreotypes, miniatures,  portraits,  Navajo 
blankets,  ancient  parchments,  autograph  let- 
ters, old  invitations,  army  relics  of  all  kinds 
and  of  many  wars,  steel  engravings,  old 
paintings,  rich  old  embroideries,  idols,  temple 
gongs,  old  coins,  fractional  paper  currency 
(shinplasters),  postage  stamp  collections,  an- 
tique firearms,  hand  spun  fabrics,  very  old 
maps,  valuable  models,  old  deeds  and  a  vast 
variety  of  other  objects  give  one  not  only 
hours  but  days  of  enjoyable  and  instructive 
diversion  in  viewing  and  admiring. 

"The  magnificent  Indian  relic  collections 
possessed  bv  George  A.  Baker,  Charles  H. 
Bartlett,  Baz  Rupel,  Charles  M.  Schuell,  Wil- 
liam B.  Stover,  Dr.  H.  T.  Montgomery,  J.  D. 
Henderson,  George  0.  Ware,  Miss  Sadie  L. 
Kirby.  David  R.  Leeper  and  others,  are  richly 
in  evidence  and  while  not  shown  in  entirety, 
are  given  in  full  variety.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  South  Bend  could  get  up  one  of  the  best 
Indian  relic  displays  to  be  seen  outside  of 
two  or  three  collections  nationally  known. 

"The  Historical  Society's  splendid  display 
.  from  the  ruins  of  old  Fort  St.  Joseph's,  a  few 
miles  north  of  the  city,  were  here  shown  com- 
pletely mounted,  the  work  of  George  A. 
Baker,  and  a  very  artistic  job  he  made  of 
it.  The  society  also  shows  pictures  of  the 
first  court  house,  the  old  seminary  and 
numerous  old  portraits. 

"One  of  the  many  things  that  attract 
much    attention    is    South    Bend's    first    post 


office,  a  case  with  something  like  eighteen 
pigeon  holes  and  a  large  space  at  the  bottom. 
It  was  used  by  Colonel  L.  M.  Taylor  when 
South  Bend  was  called  Southold,  being  so 
named  June  6,  1829,  and  its  name  being 
changed  to  South  Bend  October  18,  1830. 
Mr.  Taylor  was  postmaster  here  from  1829  to 
1838. 

"Then  there  were  Colonel  Taylor's  old 
boolcs  as  first  Indian  trader  here  and  dating 
back  to  1827.  The  accounts  with  the  Indians 
present  many  peculiar  names  and  when  com- 
pared with  the  white  men  in  another  book, 
the  noble  red  man  is  found  to  be  a  far  better 
debt  payer.  These  books  were  carefully  kept 
and  are  indeed  a  valuable  and  interesting 
feature. 

"Another  thing  in  the  locally  antique  that 
comes  in  for  attention  is  the  old  bell  used  on 
the  now  deserted  Catholic  church  at  Ber- 
trand.  Mich.,  when  it  called  the  red  men  to 
worship.  This  bell  was  loaned  by  Notre 
Dame. 

"The  various  Studebaker  families  vie  with 
one  another  in  costly,  varied  and  interesting 
exhibits  which  fill  case  after  case  and  shelf 
over  shelf,  their  part  of  the  great  collection 
being  exceedingly  conspicuous  and  abound- 
ing with  art  and  historical  treasures  of  great 
value!  They  were  exceedingly  generous  in 
making  up  the  collection  and  the  immediate 
families'  efforts  are  ablv  seconded  by  Hon. 
and  :\Irs.  F.  S.  Fish  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  A. 
Carlisle.  The  latter  have  a  particularly  fine 
and  varied  lot  of  steel  engravings  illustrating 
the  life  of  Washington,  while  in  the  Fish  col- 
lection a  must  elaborate  pewter  dish  display 
is  supplemented  by  a  vast  array  of  curios 
from  the  far  East. 

"The  Olivers  have  some  very  interesting 
features  in  the  display.  Mr.  William  Oliver 
shows  a  stove  made  many  years  ago  at  Misha- 
waka,  from  bog  iron. 

"^Vip  O'Briens,  among  the  many  interest- 
ing articles  contributed  for  the  occasion,  .show 
some  exquisite  specimens  of  old  china,  they 
being  related  to  the  celebrated  Wedgewood.s_. 
whose  name  is  dear  to  every  china  collector's 
heart. 

"Something  particularly  fine  wa.s  a  mas- 
sive brass  fender,  two  huge  pairs  of  andirons 
and  a  pair  of  tongs  from  the  great  Valcour 
Aime  mansion  near  New  Orleans,  these 
splendid  and  massive  specimens  of  fireplace 
furnishings  dating  back  in  the  early  part  of 
the   eighteenth  century   as   a  feature  in  the 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


455 


princely  mansion  of  probably  the  wealthiest 
planter  in  the  South.  This  exhibit  is  owned 
by  ^1.  B.  Staley,  A.  H.  Stephenson  and  C.  N. 
Fassett,  and  is  conspicuously  in  evidence. 

"The  Candlastick  Club  show  an  arra^  of 
candlesticks  and  snuffers  that  is  dazzling  in 
appearance  and  of  great  variety  in  design. 
AV  ith  this  display  is  much  from  the  fine  col- 
lection of  Mr.  and  j\Irs.  Otto  ]\I.  Knoblock 
along  with  over  sixty  tea  pots  that  form  Mrs. 
George  B.  Beitner's  elaborate  and  interesting- 
showing  at  the  exhibit. 

"Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  B.  Ferstl  showed  a  line 
of  jewels,  portraits,  ancient  articles  of  attire, 
etc.,  that  attracted  every  eye.  They  show  the 
Ferstl  coat  of  arms,  the  document  conferring 
knighthood  upon  the  family  several  hundred 
years  ago,  and  also  a  bureau  over  300  years 
old  that  came  from  a  monastery  and  required 
the  work  of  two  monks  nine  years  to  complete. 
It  is  a  rare  specimen  of  the  wood  worker's 
art.  A  helmet  worn  by  Mr.  Ferstl  and  hav- 
ing a  bullet  hole  through  it  .shows  that  he 
had  been  under  tire,  that  being  the  relic  of 
a  battle  in  the  Fatherland. 

"J.  Q.  C.  Van  den  Bosch  has  a  very  interest- 
ing exhibit  in  the  antiques;  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
J.  C  Elliott  show  a  great  and  elegant  variety 
of  valuable  china  and  other  table  ware,  some 
being  valuable  souvenir  products;  Mrs.  Car- 
rie E.  Meyer  displays  among  other  things 
some  very  fine  embroideries  of  the  long  ago; 
Miss  Vin  Fai-mer  shows  a  wide  assortment 
of  curios  in  which  some  hand  carved  boxes 
are  very  noticeable.  Charles  M.  Schuell  not 
only  displayed  Indian  relics  in  great  variety, 
but  also  a  vast  array  of  coins,  some  ancient 
clocks,  as  well  as  other  curiosities. 

"A  feature  that  attracted  much  attention 
was  the  relics  of  the  '306'  campaign  for  Grant 
in  1880  as  displayed  by  Hon.  Clem  Stude- 
baker.  one  of  that  306.  "  He  also  showed  Pan 
American  congress  souvenirs,  autograph  let- 
ters, etc.  Another  feature  in  the  Studeba.ker 
display  was  two  WTOUght  iron  chains,  shaped 
in  all" their  sturdy  strength  by  the  father  of 
the  Stuclebakers  sixty  years  ago.  The  bread 
box  used  by  the  Studebaker  family  wa.s  also 
shown  with  their  royal  loan  to  the  exhibition. 

"George  B.  Beitner  injected  some  humor 
and  no  small  degree  of  interest  by  his  display 
of  discarded  footwear  from  all  sizes  and  con- 
ditions of  men.  The  toe  holes  appealed  elo- 
quently for  attention,  and  various  holes,  rents 
and  araps  yawned  knowingly. 

"Among  the  many  others  who  contributed 


articles  to  the  display  were  Hon.  Schuyler 
Colfax,  in  connection  with  his  father's  active 
participation  in  govermental  affairs;  Auten 
Post,  G.  A.  E.;  Willis  A.  Bugbee,  Mrs.  J. 
E.  Williams,  R.  G.  Edwards,  Mrs.  J.  D.  Hen- 
derson, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howard  S.  Stanfield, 
Horace  Reynolds,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  P. 
Chapin,  Mr.  Almond  Bugbee,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
George  A.  Baker,  R.  H.  Lyon,  Dr.  G.  P. 
Morey,  C.  N.  Fassett,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward 
McDonald,  C.  B.  Stephenson,  Dr.  J.  M.  Par- 
tridge, Mrs.  Bartlett,  Dr.  W.  D.  Chaffee^ 
the  Bullas,  Will  E.  Geltz,  Thad  Taylor  and 
a  ^lo^t  of  other  public-spirited  people  who 
seconded  the  almost  herculean  efforts  of 
Mes.srs.  George  B.  Beitner,  George  A.  Baker, 
and  Otto  M.  Knoblock  in  getting  together 
so  wonderful  an  aggregation  of  the  unique 
and  interesting.  The  various  articles  are  sys- 
tematically tagged  and  fully  described  and 
will  repay  anyone  to  take  several  evenings 
to  completely  examine  and  adequately  ad- 
mire." 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  school  board, 
the  collections  of  the  society  were  for  several 
years  placed  in  the  upper  rooms  of  the  pub- 
lic library,  and  the  stated  meetings  were 
held  there  also.  In  1906  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  appropriated  the  first  floor  of 
the  old  court  house  for  the  housing  of  the 
society  and  its  valuable  collections.  To  pre- 
pare the  rooms  for  this  purpose  and  to  pro- 
vide heat  and  light  for  the  building,  the 
county  council,  acting  under  the  provisions 
of  a  statute  enacted  for  the  support  and  car-^ 
of  historical  societies,  approved  March  11, 
1901,  provided  the  means  necessary. «  The 
society,  as  a  consequence  of  this  generous 
treatment,  has  most  convenient  and  well- 
lighted  historical  quarters.  The  present  of- 
ficers are:  President.  Timothy  E.  Howard; 
vice-president,  Mary  Stull  Studebaker:  secre- 
tary, George  A.  Baker:  ti-easurer.  Otto  ^I. 
Knoblock. 

The  Medical  Society  of  Xorflicru  Indiana 
wqs  organized  in  May.  1839.  At  the  first 
meeting,  held  in  the  American  hotel,  the 
officers  elected  were:  President,  Dr.  Asa 
Egbert:  vice-president.  Dr.  George  Rex;  re- 
cording secretary,  Dr.  Daniel  Dayton:     cor- 

a.     Acts  1901,  p.  542. 


456 


HISTORY    OF ,  ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


responding  secretary.  Dr.  F.  W.  Hunt ; 
treasurer,  Dr.  A.  B.  ]\Ierritt ;  censors,  Dr. 
L.  B.  Rush,  Dr.  Griffin  Smith,  Dr.  Lymau 
Griffin,  Dr.  G.  Chapman  and  Dr.  R.  L.  Gro- 
ton. 

The  St.  Joseph  County  Medical  Society 
was  organized  July  2.  1855.  with  the  follow- 
ing officers:  President.  Dr.  Louis  Hum- 
phreys; vice-president,  Dr.  Reuben  Pierce; 
secretary.  Dr.  J.  H.  Rerick ;  treasurer,  Dr. 
Jacob  Hardman ;  committee  on  admission  of 
members.  Dr.  J.  B.  Buehtel,  Dr.  D.  B.  Van 
Tuyl  and  Dr.  J.  R.  Brown;  committee  on 
ethics,  Dr.  Daniel  Dayton,  Dr.  D.  B.  Van 
Tuyl  and  Dr.  J.  R.  Brown.  Other  members 
were :  Dr.  Andrew  Foster.  Dr.  W.  W.  But- 
terworth.  Dr.  Ross  W.  Pierce.  Dr.  F.  T. 
Bryson,  Dr.  G.  F.  Myers.  Dr.  J.  M.  Stover, 
Dr.  S.  Eisenbise,  Dr.  S.  Higenbotham  and  Dr. 
S.  Laning.  From  1859  to  1865,  the  society 
seems  to  have  been  practically  disbanded;  but 
in  the  latter  year,  on  May  12,  there  was  a 
re-organization.  The  revival,  however,  was 
but  temporary.  On  April  6,  1875,  an  or- 
ganization was  again  effected,  with  a  state- 
ment that  the  society  was  a  continuation  of 
the  organization  of  1855.  The  officers  of  this 
last  organization  were:  President,  Dr.  Levi 
J.  Ham;  first  vice-president,  S.  Laning; 
second  vice-president.  Dr.  John  C.  Sack;  sec- 
retary. Dr.  G.  V.  Voorhees ;  treasurer,  Dr. 
Byron  R.  O'Connor.  The  remaining  in- 
corporators were :  Dr.  Louis  Humphreys, 
Dr.  John  Cassidy,  Dr.  C.  A.  Fletcher,  Dr.  E. 
W.  McAlister,  Dr.  James  B.  Green,  Dr.  S. 
W.  Alexander,  Dr.  William  W.  Butterworth, 
Dr.  Joshua  A.  Kettring,  Dr.  J.  R.  Brown, 
Dr.  John  Moore,  Dr.  Robert  Moore  and  Dr. 
0.  P;  Barbour. 

On  July  10,  1874,  the  St.  Joseph  Valley 
Medical  Society  was  organized.  It  was  at 
first  composed  of  physicians  residing  in  St. 
Joseph,  Elkhart  and  Laporte  counties,  In- 
diana, and  in  Cass  and  Berrien  counties, 
Michigan.  Since  that  time  the  locality  of 
membership  has  been  somewhat  extended.  Dr. 
Louis  Humphreys  was  the  first  president  and 


Dr.  E.  W.  McAlister  the  first  secretary.  This 
has   been   a  strong  organization. 

The  St.  Joseph  County  Bar  Association  has 
been  a  society  of  great  influence  in  the  affairs 
of  the  county,  and  of  much  benefit  and 
pleasure  to  its  members.  Among  the  dis- 
tinguished earlj'  members  of  the  bar  were : 
Elisha  Egbert,  Jonathan  A.  Liston,  Thomas 
D.  Baird.  John  Dougherty  Defrees.  Joseph 
L.  Jernegan,  Edwin  B.  Crocker,  Reuben  L. 
Farnsworth  and  Norman  Eddy.  Among  the 
noted  names  of  a  later  date  were :  Thomas 
S.  Stanfield,  James  Davis,  Alvin  S.  Dunbar, 
George  W.  ^Matthews,  Francis  R.  Tutt,  Timo- 
thy G.  Turner.  William  G.  George,  Joseph 
Henderson,  John  F.  Kirby,  Orlando  S. 
Witherill,  Harris  E.  Hurlbut,  George  Pfleger, 
John  R.  Foster,  George  H.  Alwa.rd.  John 
Hagerty,  John  Dixon,  Edwin  G.  McCollum, 
James  H.  Ellsworth,  William  A.  Dailey  and 
Lucius  F.  Copeland. 

On  October  8,  1873,  at  a  meeting  held  in 
the  court  room,  the  first  St.  Joseph  Bar 
association  was  formed.  It  was  a  joint  stock 
company,  the  shares  being  twenty-five  dollars 
each,  with  annual  dues,  afterwards  fixed  at 
t(^n  dollars.  The  purpose  was  to  purchase 
a  law  library  and  to  hold  business  and  social 
meetings.  The  first  officers  were :  President, 
Andrew  Anderson ;  secretary  and  treasurer, 
Lucius  Hubbard.  At  the  third  annual  meet- 
ing Thomas  S.  Stanfield  was  elected  presi- 
dent. On  February  22,  1875,  the  association 
had  its  first  annual  banquet,  which  was  a 
notable  one.  It  was  at  the  Dwight  House, 
now  the  Sheridan.  Major  William  H.  Cal- 
kins, the  eloquent  Laporte  congressman, 
spoke  to  the  toast  of  Washington.  The  witty 
and  intellectual  Charles  H.  Reeves,,  of  Ply- 
mouth, answered  to  The  Legal  Profession. 
The  Hon.  Lucius  G.  Long,  afterwards  mayor 
of  the  city,  read  a  most  humorous  poem,  in 
which  all  the  lawyers  at  the  bar  were  happily 
taken  off.  Alvin  S.  Dunbar,  Timothy  G. 
Turner  and  Lucius  Hubbard  followed  with 
appropriate  addresses.  Two  years  after — on 
February  22,  1877,  the  bar  banqueted  again 


HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.  457 

—this    time    at    the    Grand    Central    hotel,  take   action   on   matters   affecting  the   public 

Among  those  then  present  were :  Judge  Stan-  interest.     The  main  feature  of  the  association 

field,  Andrew  Anderson,  Lucius  Hubbard,  Geo.  is  the  annual  banquet,  which  takes  place  on 

W.   iMatthews,   George  Pfleger,   George  Ford,  or  near  :\lar.shall  Day,  February  the  fourth, 

George   H.   Alward,   Lucius   G.   Tong,   John  in    commemoration    of    the    appointment    of 

Hagerty,    John    Brownfield.    Jr.,    John    E.  John  Marshall  to  the  supreme  court  of  the 

Fisher.   Willis   A.   Bugbee,    John   R.    Foster,  United  States. 

Orlando    S.   Witherill.   James   H.   Ellsworth,  ^HE   ST.  JOSEPH   COUNTY  BAR 

Harris    E.    Hurlbut,    John    Dixon,    Charles  •      AS^OrT  ATTOX" 

Evans,  Edwin  Nicar  and  John  W.  Harbou. 

rn  .       .    ^  J  -.  x^  OFFICERS  FOR  1907. 

iwo  years  again  intervened,  and  on  Novem- 

,         01     lOTo     +1,      1  -1+1  George  E.  Clark President 

ber  21,   lh<9,   the   bar  varied  the  programme  Harry  R.  Wair Vice-President 

bv  presenting  the  drama  of  Bardell  vs.  Pick-  J-  Walter  Osborn Secretary 

'■  ,         T^-  ,  I,-         i£  ij    1,  -1  Arthur  L.  Hubbard Treasurer 

wiek.     Dickens  himseli   would  have  enioyed 

„  .    1    1        .1         .   •  1  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

this  roaring  larce,   acted  by  the  staid  mem-  p.  j.  l.  Meyer,  W.  G.  Crabill 

bers  of  the  St.  Joseph  county  bar.     Even  the  Thos.  w.  Slick. 

disnitv  of  Judse  Thomas  S.  Stanfield  did  not  GRIEVANCE  committee. 

■ ,     ,  •         n  ,    1  •  , ,  4.      £    ^  r  W.  A.  MclNERNY.  Wii.  p.  O'Neill. 

prevent    him    from    taking    the    part    of    :\Ir.  Andrew  Hildebrand. 

Pickwick.    Judge  Turner  represented  old  Mr.  membership  committee. 

Weller.  ]\Iayor  Tong  presided  as  Judge  Stare-  T.  E.  Howard.  George  Ford. 

leigh.      The    veteran    Andrew    Anderson    aD- 

1  o  4.    0      J?  J    TTT-n-  r,  membership. 

peared  as  Sergeant  Buzf  uz,   and  ^  illiam   G.  Anderson,  Andrew  Jackson,  F.  M. 

George   as  Sergeant    Snubbin.    Mr.   Skimpin  Bates,  D.  D.  Jernegan,  R.  H. 

j-ji,Tj       TTii,j  jT\r  Bingham,  E.  V.  Judie,  J.  A. 

was  represented  by  Judge  Hubbard,  and  Mr.  Brick   A   L  Jones   h  w 

Phunkev  bv  Jonathan  P.  Creed.    George  "W.  Case,  G.  H.  Jones,  v.  G. 

Matthevvs  took  the  part  of  Mr.   Perker.  and  gaWlX^'c.  KUcfS^'w''  ^^""'^'^ 

James  Du  Shane  that  of  ^Ir.  Dodson.     James  Clarke,  George  E.  Lambert,  F.  E. 

H.  Ellsworth  appeared  as  Mr.  Fogg,  and  .John  grMn.*S?ntoT"-  U^Zl'.  ?.T 

E.  Fi.sher  as  Nathaniel  Winkle.     George  Ford  Ci-amer,  B.  J.  Miller,  R.  T. 

took  the  part  of  Tracv  Tupman,  and  Willis  ^"^^^^{"^^^p^-  M^^r'^^^'i!'  ^"^1 

^  .  i  ?  DnComb,  C.  P.  McMichael,  J.  Alex. 

A.     Bugbee    that     of     Augustus     Snodgrass.  Davey,  Charles  A.  Mclnerny,  w.  A. 

George  H.  Alward  was  sheriff,  and  John  W.  Doughty,  George  W.         Mclnerny   J.  W. 

^  Drummond,  Charles  P.     Miller,  William  E. 

Harbou,  clerk.     John  Hagerty  took  the  part  Elliott,  Gilbert  A.  Neff,  J.  E. 

of    Thomas   Groffin.    while   John   Brownfield.  Fisher   John  E.  Osborn,  J  W. 

Ford,  George  0  Neill,  William  P. 

Jr.,   and  Orlando   S.   Witherill  were  bailiffs  Feldman,  George  G.        Pattee,  c.  E. 

The  ladv  friends  of  the  lawvers  helped  out  ^ish,  George  1^''^%^-  ^■ 

^  Guy,  Miller  Pyle,  Dan 

the  play,  which  was   an   imqualified  succe.ss.  Graham,  A.  G.  Parker,  Samuel 

Interest   in  the   a.ssociation  began   to  flag-   as  Garst,  Jasper  Rich.  Daniel 

•^  ^      ,  Gray,  Charles  P.  Rich,  Sanford 

the  j^ears  went  on.     The  fees  were  regarded  Gabriel.  F.  C.  Romig,  i.  S. 

as  burdensome  bv  manv.     The  affairs  of  the  Hibberd  John  A.  Riley,  N.  S. 

Hubbard,  Lucius  Steis.  Henry  A. 

organization  were  finally  wound  up  and  the  Hubbard,  A.  L.  Shively,  Dudley  M. 

librarv     distributed     among     the     remaining  ^^^'^^^^^ "^^  ^-  o^^^i^^^^;  ^;„^' 

'^  Harris,  A.  D.  Slick,  T.  W. 

members.  Houlihan,  P.  J.  Slick,  W.  A. 

In  December,  1900,  a  new  association  was  Hoban  ^T  M  Seebiert,  E.  F. 

formed  which  has  been   altogether  social  in  Hiidebrand,  A.  N.  Schurtz,  Daniel 

its   character:   although,   in   a  few  eases,   the  H^welrMaihall  L.         T^lTof  J^E.^' 

organization   has  not   hesitated   to   meet   and  Holler,  Charles  F.  Talcoti,  Thad  M.,  Jr. 


458 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


MEMBERSHIP    (Continued). 
Vaughn,  D.  R.,  Jr.  Whitcomb,  L.  C. 

Ward,  Wilbert  Wurzer,  H.  F. 

Woodward,  Fred  Warner,  H.  D. 

Wair,  Harry  R. 

HONORARY  MEMBERS. 
Walter  A.  FtrNK.. Judge  St.  Joseph  Circuit  Court 

Veenon  M.  VanFleet 

Judge  St.  Joseph  Superior  Court 

Frank  P.  Christoph 

Clerk  St.  Joseph  Circuit  Court 

Will  N.  Bergan 

Deputy  Clerk  St.  Joseph  Circuit  Court 

The  Commercial-Athletic  Cluh  was  or- 
ganized in  1895,  when  the  South  Bend 
Athletic  association  was  formed  for  the  en- 
couragement of  athletic  games.  The  institu- 
tion afterwards  took  up  the  commercial 
interests   of   the   city,    although   the   athletic 


IIP 


COMMERCIAL-ATHLETIC   CLUB, 
SOUTH   BEND. 

feature  was  still  encouraged,  and  in  June, 
1896,  the  name  wa.s  changed  to  the  Com- 
mercial-Athletic Club.  The  fine  club  house 
on  Colfax  avenue,  between  Main  and  La- 
fayette streets,  M^as  dedicated  October  1, 
1896.  Since  that  date  the  commodious  and 
well  furnished  club  rooms  have  been  the 
gathering  place  of  the  business  interests  of 
the  city  of  South  Bend.  The  leading  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city  there  discuss  the  ques- 
tions that,  from  time  to  time,  atfect  the  public 
welfare,  and  there  have  been  inaugurated  and 
advanced  to  successful  issue  many  of  the  most 
important  enterprises  that  distinguish  the 
Queen  City  of  the  St.  Joseph  valley. 

An  association  that  has  done  very  much  to 
develop  a  spirit  of  refinement  and  kindliness 


of  feeling  in  the  people,  old  and  young,  edu- 
cated and  uneducated,  is  the  South  Bend 
Humane  Society.  This  benevolent  organiza- 
tion was  formed  August  20,  1896,  with  the 
following  representative  membership:  Theo- 
dore Blake,  .Mrs.  S.  C.  Humphreys,  Myron 
Campbell,  Caleb  A.  Kimball,  D.  B.  J. 
Schafer,  H.  P.  Blair,  L.  C.  Whitcomb,  Jacob 
D.  Henderson,  Alfred  Klingel,  Carl  J.  An- 
derson, Patel  Kinfer,  S.  T.  Gibson,  John 
Finch,  James  C.  Eberhart,  J.  P.  Hill,  M.  M. 
Meyer,  John  B.  Stoll,  W.  F.  Carey,  John  A. 
Chockelt,  Dr.  S.  L.  Kilmer,  C.  B.  Greene, 
William  A.  Rutherford,  Charles  B.  Hibberd, 
Frederick  D.  Ellsworth,  George  Wyman, 
Corwin  B.  Van  Pelt,  Christopher  Fassnacht, 
Henry  C.  Wheeler,  Kemper  and  Schafer, 
Miller  &  Loutz,  John  C.  Knoblock,  Joseph  E. 
Williams,  L.  P.  Hardy,  Alexander  M.  Honer, 
Frank  M.  Baker,  Louis  Nickel,  Jr.,  Francis  E. 
Lambert,  Jonathan,  P.  Creed,  Benjamin  F. 
Dunn,  Henry  Heller,  Demas  D.  Bates,  Frank 
Mayr,  John  Yant,  Stephenson  Manufacturing 
company,  John  G.  Slick,  Irving  A.  Sibley, 
Clement  Studebaker,  George  W.  Loughman, 
Frederick  W.  Mueller,  C.  B.  Reichelt, 
Kanouse  &  Phillips,  Samuel  Spiro,  J.  Sos- 
nowski,  S.  D.  Rider,  Elmer  Crockett. 

There  has  been,  perhaps,  no  humanitarian 
movement  in  South  Bend  that  has  been  more 
productive  of  good  influence  than  this.  The 
visit  of  the  humane  officer  is  always  attended 
with  the  best  results.  The  faithful  beasts  of 
burden  are  no  longer  cruelly  beaten,  and  no 
longer  stand  in  the  cold  without  blankets. 
Cruelty  to  women  and  children  has  been 
checked.  Birds  and  squirrels  are  less  and  less 
disturbed  in  the  shade  trees  and  on  the  parks. 
Dumb  animals  are  no  longer  turned  out  into 
the  commons  and  roadways  to  suffer  and 
die.  Public  watering  troughs  are  erected 
throughout  the  city.  All  this  results  in  a 
kindlier  spirit  of  people  towards  one  another 
as  well  as  towards  the  inferior  creatures  that 
God  has  entrusted  to  human  care.  There  is  no 
organization  more  creditable  to  the  people  of 
South  Bend  than  their  Humane  Society.     In 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


459 


the  Slimmer  of  1907,  the  benevolent  spirit  of 
Mrs.  Jennette  Reynolds  was  so  attracted  to 
the  good  work  of  the  society  that  she  en- 
dowed it  with  a  gift  of  five  thousand  dollars, 
the  income  of  which  is  to  be  used  forever  for 
its  humane  work  During  the  same  year  the 
city  took  upon  itself  the  care  of  the  watering 
troughs  erected  upon  the  principal  streets  en- 
tering from  the  surrounding  country.  The 
gift  of  Mrs.  Reynolds  and  the  liberal  action 
of  the  city  government  have  lifted  a  great 
burden  from  the  society,  and  it  is  now  better 
prepared  than  ever  to  continue  its  benevolent 
work.  The  present  officers  are :  President, 
Thomas  C.  Barnes;  vice-prasident,  Charles  G. 
Folsom;  treasurer,  Myron  Campbell;  secre- 
tary, Henry  A.  Pershing;  humane  officer, 
Abraham  Moore. 

Of  kindred  character  to  the  Humane 
society  is  the  Associated  Charities.  The 
object  of  this  organization  is  to  systematize 
and  regulate  the  giving  of  aid  to  the  weak 
ones  of  society.  It  is  not  so  much  an  alms- 
giving association  as  it  is  one  to  oversee,  guide 
and  advise  those  who  are  engaged  in  works 
of  benevolence  and  in  the  care  of  the  helpless 
and  the  delinquent.  Prisons,  poor  houses, 
hospitals,  orphan  a.sylums  and  all  agencies, 
whether  public  or  private,  that  are  engaged 
in  the  care  of  delinquents  are  equally  the 
objects  of  the  associated  charities,  who  work 
under  the  general  direction  of  the  State 
Board  of  Charities. 

The  present  officers  of  the  society  are : 
President,  Hon.  Frederick  S.  Fish;  vice- 
president.  Rev.  W.  F.  Hovis;  secretary.  Otto 
]\I.  Knoblock;  treasurer,  Mrs.  F.  H.  Dun- 
nahoo.  The  general  secretary  is  Miss  Carrie 
Rein,  and  her  assistant,  Miss  Ella  E.  Hall. 

From  what  has  been  said  in  section  fifteen 
of  this  subdivision  concerning  the  history  of 
public  libraries  in  South  Bend,  it  is  apparent 
that  a  literary  taste  has  always  characterized 
the  people  of  the  city.  This  conclusion  is 
abundantly  borne  out  by  many  other  circum- 
stances of  our  history.  Education  has  been 
fostered  from  the  beginning;  public   lecture 


courses  have  been  maintained;  the  drama  has 
l)een  well  patronized ;  as  shown  by  the  prasent 
theatre  facilities,  including  the  Oliver  opera 
house  and  the  Auditorium,  two  of  the  finest 
playhouses  in  the  country ;  but,  more  than  all, 
the  people  have  taken  kindly  to  literary  and 
scientific  societies, — those  pleasant  weekly  or 
monthly  conferences  where  congenial  spirits 
discuss  questions  affecting  the  promotion  of 
culture,  refinement  and  general  knowledge. 
Some  of  the  principal  of  these  societies  will 
be  noticed. 

On  October  4,  1871,  the  South  Bend 
Library  and  Reading  Room  Association  was 
formed,  with  the  following  membership  :  Wil- 
liam G.  George,  Lucius  Hubbard,  W.  J.  Skill- 
man,  Alvin  S.  Dunbar,  L.  0.  Turner,  Timo- 
thy G.  Turner,  Andrew  Anderson,  Thomas  S. 
Stanfield,  Louis  Humphreys,  Jasper  E. 
Lewis,  William  Mack,  Mrs.  Mahala  E.  Dun- 
bar, B.  M.  Hance,  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Bartlett, 
William  H.  Beach,  E.  D.  Hartman,  Joel  M. 
Partridge,  Virgil  G.  Huey,  M.  Mulcahy  and 
Sarah  A.   Matthews. 

While  it  may  be  true  that  many  such 
societies  flourished  but  for  a  time,  and  then 
ceased  to  exist  or  gave  place  to  others;  yet 
it  is  clear  that  the  meetings  of  such  a  com- 
pany as  the  foregoing,  even  if  continuing  for 
but  a  few  years,  were  productive  of  the  ut- 
niost  good  to  the  members  themselves  and  to 
their  immediate  friends.  One  such  meeting 
would  produce  an  elevating  and  lasting  in- 
fluence for  the  higher  and  better  life,  even 
if  but  a  single  paper  were  prepared  and  read 
and  then  discussed  by  the  members. 

Another  such  association  was  the  Woman 's 
Literary  Club,  organized  in  April,  1889,  by 
Anna  Thrush  -Fassett,  Louise  Taylor.  Ellen 
Wade  Colfax,  Flora  Louise  Stanfield,  Eloise 
Taylor,  Marie  L.  Chapin,  Lauretta  L.  ]\Iack, 
Mary  C.  Chapman,  Mary  L.  Greenawalt, 
Henrietta  Steel,  Nettie  Walworth,  Marion  B. 
Van  Pelt,  Martha  0.  Hubbard,  Ilattie  J. 
Dunning,  Mary  E.  Humphreys,  Hannah  M. 
Peck,  Hattie  Elder,  Mary  E.  Spain,  Abbie 
J.    F.    Campbell,    Martha   E.    Hillier,    Nellie 


460 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Ellsworth,  Emma  F.  Chapin,  Lucretia  M. 
Creed,  Hattie  E.  Lantz,  Ada  M.  Studebaker, 
Catherine  E.  Esmay,  Emma  D.  Lantz,  Anna 
H.  Listenberger,  Harriet  C.  Studebaker,  L. 
H.  Pfleger.  This  club  was  exceedingly 
popular  and  useful,  and  for  many  years  pro- 
moted in  a  high  degree  the  literary  and 
artistic  culture  of  its  members  and  of  the 
community  at  large. 

The  principal  woman's  literary  association 
existing  at  present  and  for  many  years  past 
is  the  Progress  Club,  organized  in  May,  1895. 
The  first  officers  were :  President,  Catherine 
C.  Esmay;  first  vice-president,  Maiy  Stull 
Studebaker;  second  vice-president,  Laura 
Putnam  Chaffee;  third  vice-president,  Mary 
L.  Hine;  recording  secretary,  Sarah  Louise 
Kirby ;  corresponding  secretary,  Mary  Kauf- 
mann  Wiggins;  treasurer,  Mary  Porter  Le 
Van.  The  remaining  directors  were :  Olive 
Tarbell  Birdsell,  Elizabeth  Kizer.  Cora  B. 
Nicar,  Sarah  Harris.  Alberta  Buckner  Jones, 
Carrie  Johnson,  Elizabeth  Greene  Kettring 
and  Nellie  N.  Livingston.  The  subjects  en- 
gaging the  attention  of  the  club  include 
history,  literature,  current  events,  art,  philan- 
thropy and  civics,  domestic  science  and  music. 
It  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  influential 
organizations  of  its  class  in  the  state ;  and  is 
affiliated  with  the  State  Federation  of 
Women's  Clubs,  of  which  Alice  M.  Mummert, 
of  Groshen,  is  president.  The  present  officers 
are :  President,  Esse  Bissell  Dakin ;  first 
vice-president,  Stella  H.  Drummond;  second 
vice-president,  Sophie  M.  Halske;  third  vice- 
president,  Mary  D.  Dunnahoo ;  recording  sec- 
retary, Florence  M.  Chandler;  assistant  re- 
cording secretary,  Ella  Leam;  corresponding 
secretary,  Sabra  Ann  Fralick;  treasurer, 
Adeline  G.  Smith;  directors,  Stella  H.  Drum- 
mond, Elizabeth  Greene  Kettring,  Katherine 
Campbell,  Laura  B.  Shidler,  Esse  Bissell 
Dakin,  Nadine  Folsom,  Thekla  Sack,  Annie 
S.  Miller,  Gertrude  P.  Emerson. 

Numerous  other  clubs  have  been  organized 
by  the  women  of  South  Bend,  from  time  to 
time,    as    social,    literary,    philanthropic    and 


other  like  needs  developed  in  the  life  of  the 
community.  Amongst  those  of  recent  origin 
are:  The  Impromptu  Club;  Carrie  Moore, 
president;  Maude  Freeman,  vice-president; 
Edith  Pershing,  secretary;  Eva  Strayer, 
treasurer.  The  Mothers'  Club;  Kate  E. 
Bulla,  president;  Mabel  Reamer,  secretary. 
The  Thursday  Club:  Martha  E.  Ward, 
jjresident ;  Bessie  Burns,  vice-president ; 
Emma  Fink,  secrtary;  Mrs.  Dillon,  treasurer. 
The  Wednesday  Club :  Clara  Dunham,  presi- 
dent; Mary  Chapin,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
The  membership  of  The  Round  .Table  is 
limited  to  sixty  gentlemen,  residents  of  the 
city;  while  the  management  of  the  affairs  of 
the  club  is  entrusted  to  a  board  of  five 
governors.  The  meetings  are  held  on  the  first 
Wednesday  evening  of  each  month,  from  Oc- 
tober to  June.  At  each  meeting  a  simple 
table  d'hote  dinner  is  served.  After  this 
Attic  repast,  a  member  reads  a  paper  on  some 
literary,  historical,  scientific,  social  or  other 
subject  of  general  interest.  A  free  discus- 
sion of  the  paper  is  then  in  order. 

The  club  was  organized  during  the  winter 
of  1906-7,  chiefly  through  the  efforts  of 
Wilbert  AVard.  The  first  meeting  was  held 
in  ]\Iarch,  1907.  The  Round  Table  is  a  de- 
light to  its  members  and  a  seat  at  its  festive 
board  is  esteemed  a  most  valued  privilege. 
There  is  neither  constitution  nor  by-law,  but 
the  following  rules  are  observed: 

"While  every  member  is  invited  to  take 
l)art  in  the  general  discussion,  no  member 
will  be  called  upon  to  speak. 

"Speeches  will  be  strictly  limited  to  five 
minutes. 

"No  member  will  be  permitted  to  speak 
more  than  once  except  by  permission  of  the 
Chairman. 

"The  Speaker  will  be  allowed  the  last 
fifteen  minutes  for  reply  or  explanation. 

"There  must  be  no  personalities. 

"Long  stories  are  not  desirable. 

"Applications  for  membership  may  be 
m.ade  through  a  member  to  the  Secretary,  ac- 
companied by  the  membership  fee,  and  will 


/  THE 

yAstor,  Lenex  and  lUtu , 
1S09 


Schuyler  Colfax 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


461 


be  passed  upon  by  the  Board  of  Governors. 

"No  member  may  bring-  an  invited  guest 
except  a  non-resident,  and  then  only  on  con- 
ferring with  one  of  the  Board,  and  securing 
a  card  from  the   Secretary. 

"Any  member  who  shall  be  absent  from 
any  three  consecutive  meeting:s  shall  cease  to 
be  a  member  of  this  organization." 

Since  the  organization  the  board  of  gover- 
nors have  been':  Wilbert  Ward  (Chairman), 
Timothy  E.  Howard,  Fred  Woodward,  John 
A.  Hibberd,  W.  K.  Lamport,  William'  Happ 
(Secretary  and  Treasurer). 

The  Douglas  Debating  Club  meets  every 
Friday  afternoon  in  the  court  house.  The 
president  is  Donald  A.  Kahn  and  the  secretary 
J.  Elmer  Peak.  The  character  of  the  ex- 
ercises of  the  club  have  won  the  praise  of 
the  public. 

The  Worth  Literary  Club  meets  at  the 
Madison  school  building  every  jNIonday  even- 
ing, from  September  to  June.  The  club  has 
attained  the  highest  order  of  excellence,  and 
merits  the  name  which  it  bears.  William  G. 
Elliot  is  president;  Iden  S.  Romig,  first  vice- 
president;  Ulysses  G.  Manning,  second  vice- 
president;  Daniel  Pyle,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer. 

The  fraternal  orders  of  South  Bend  are 
exceedingly  numerous.  The  following  Odd 
Fellows  organizations  meet  in  Odd  Fellows 
hall,  corner  of  Main  and  Washington  streets, 
the  oldest  fraternal  building  in  the  city: 
South  Bena  Lodge  No.  29,  I.  0.  0.  F. ;  the 
South  Bend  Encampment  No.  9,  I.  0.  0. 
F.;  Canton  South  Bend  No.  9,  I.  0.  0.  F. ; 
Schuyler  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  29,  I.  0.  0.  F. 
The  Rebekah  Lodge,  for  women,  owes  its  origin 
to  Schuyler  Colfax,  who  was  almost  as  dis- 
tinguished as  an  Odd  Fellow  as  he  was  as  a 
statesman;  in  both  of  which  relations  his 
memory  is  held  very  dear  in  his  beloved  city 
of  South  Bend.  Other  lodges  of  Odd  Fellows 
are :  Robert  Blum  Lodge  No.  278,  I.  0.  0. 
F.:  Helena  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  72,  I.  0.  0. 
F. ;  and  Grand  United  Order  of  the  I.  0. 
O.  F. 


The  Masonic  Lodges  are :  Germania  Lodge 
No.  301,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  South  Bend  Chapter  No. 
29,  R.  A.  M. ;  South  Bend  Commandery  No. 
13,  K.  T.;  South  Bend  Lodge  No.  294,  F. 
&  A.  M. ;  St.  Joseph  Lodge  No.  45,  F.  &  A. 
^I. ;  Order  of  Eastern  Star,  Chapter  No.  2. 
All  of  the  foregoing  meet  in  the  beautiful 
]Masonic  Temple,  recently  erected  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  Michigan  street  and  La 
Salle  avenue,  one  of  the  most  elegant  and  im- 
posing examples  of  the  architecture  of  South 
Bend.  The  remaining  Masonic  Lodges  are : 
Anderson  Conunandery  No.  4,  U.  R.  of  M. ; 
Odessa  Chapter  No.  28,  0.  E.  S. ;  St.  Peter's 
Lodge  No.  31.  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

The  Knights  of  Pythias  are  represented  by 
Crusade  Lodge  No.  14;  0.  B.  Lancaster,  cap- 
tain; Roscoe  Cullar,  record  keeper.  Uniform 
Rank  K.  of  P.,  South  Bend  Co.  No.  12 ;  Cad- 
mus Crabill,  chancellor  commander;  A.  W.' 
Hildebrand,  keeper  of  records  and  seals.  Moon- 
light Temple,  Rathbone  Sisters,  No.  255 ;  Bes- 
sie Snoke,  most  excellent  high  chief;  Louise 
Davies,  most  excellent  past  chief;  Lizzie  Tag- 
gart,  financial  secretary. 

The  Order  of  Elks  is  represented  by  South 
Bend  Lodge  No.  235,  B.  P.  0.  E.  They  have 
built  a  fine  Elks'  Temple  on  West  Colfax 
avenue,  opposite  the  Commercial-Athletic 
building.  The  temple  is  one  of  the  archi- 
tectural ornaments  of  the  city.  The  lodge 
meets  every  Monday  evening.  James  B.  Me- 
Cance  is  exalted  ruler;  David  A.  Westburg, 
secretary ;_  Edward  J.  Fogarty,  treasurer; 
Edw^ard  T.  Staley,  Edward  F.  Gaffney  and 
John  C.  Barrett,  trustees. 

The  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur  is  represented  by 
South  Bend  Court  No.  41,  which  meets  the 
first  and  third  Wednesday  evening-s  of  each 
month;  and  by  Beech  Tree  Court  No.  211, 
which  meets  on  the  evenings  of  the  second 
and  fourth  Tuesdays  of  the  month.  The  of- 
ficers of  the  South  Bend  Court  are  EdAvard 
E.  Carr,  chief,  and  Lillian  Stockwell,  scribe ; 
and  of  Beech  Tree  Court,  Arthur  Miller, 
chief,  and  Orpha  Elliott,  scribe. 

The  Order  of  Eagles  meets  every  Wednes- 


462 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


da}"  evening;  Michael  F.  Calnon.  past  worthy 
president;  Charles  Keller,  present  worthy 
president :  Charles  ]\Iiller,  worthy  vice-presi- 
dent; Fred  H.  Lutzen,  secretary;  J.  Lott 
Losey,  worthy  treasurer;  W.  A.  Wahl,  L.  F. 
Connell,  Joseph  Home,  trustees;  Dr.  Charles 
H.   Taylor,  aerial  physician. 

The  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  St.  Ed- 
vvard  Court  No.  1424,  meets  on  the  first  and 
third  Tuesday  evenings  of  each  month.  The 
Rev.  John  F.  De  Groote,  S.  Director;  Charles 
H.  Taverneer,  D.  H.  C.  R. ;  H.  M.  Fritzen,  chief 
ranger;  John  J.  Gehring,  V.  C.  R. ;  Amos  C. 
Oberley,  recording  secretary;  Charles  A. 
Schubert,  F.  S. ;  Frank  J.  Zeiger.  treasurer ; 
Louis  H.  Coquillard,  Sr..  conductor;  William 
Kelly,  Jr.,  conductor ;  Dr.  Daniel  W.  Mc- 
Namara,  medical  examiner;  Frank  Gooley, 
Peter  Scheibelhut,  Jacob  A.  Fisher,  trustees; 
John  C.  Buczkowski,  inside  sentinel:  Peter 
Schuler,   outside  sentinel. 

The  Independent  Order  of  Foresters,  Court 
St.  Joseph  No.  1576,  meets  on  the  first  and 
third  ]\Iondays  of  each  month.  The  officers 
are :  Chief  ranger,  James  McGregor ;  record- 
ing secretary.  Dr.  A.  P.  F.  Gammack ; 
deputy,  Sidney  Thornton. 

The  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  Division 
No.  1,  of  St.  Joseph  county,  founded  in 
January,  1885,  meets  on  the  first  and  third 
Sunday  afternoons  of  each  month.  The  of- 
ficers are :  John  J.  Hayes,  county  president ; 
James  Nelson,  division  president;  James 
Casey,  recording  secretary;  Edward  Johnson, 
financial  secretary;  Dr.  Robert  F.  Lucas, 
treasurer. 

The  St.  Joseph  County  Federation  of 
Catholic  Societies  meets  on  the  last  Sunday 
of  each  month:  John  J.  Schindler.  Misha- 
waka,  president;  John  C.  Hiss.  South  Bend, 
secretary. 

The  Catholic  Knights  of  America  are  rep- 
resented by  St.  Paul's  Branch  No.  408,  C.  K. 
of  A.,  founded  in  September,  1885.  by  the 
Rev.  Michael  Ph.  Fallize,  which  meets  on 
the  first  Sunday  and  the  third  Friday  even- 
ing of  each  month ;  John  C.  Hiss,  commander ; 


Kathryn  Hiss,  recording  secretarj' ;  Maude 
Crepeau,  financial  secretary ;  Charles  Brech- 
enser.  treasurer.  St.  Boniface  Branch  No. 
701.  C.  K.  of  A.,  meets  on  the  third  Sunday 
of  each  month ;  Michael  Mathis,  president ; 
Jacob  Jahn,  secretary.  St.  Mary's  Com- 
mandery,  U.  R.  of  C.  K.  of  A.,  meets  on  the 
first  ]\Ionday  of  each  month ;  Eugene  Hausler, 
president;  Michael  Haas,  secretary. 

The  Knights  of  Columbus,  South  Bend 
Council  No.  553,  meet  on  the  first  and  third 
Wednesday  evening's  of  each  month.  The 
present  officers  are :  Grand  Knight,  John  B. 
Weber;  treasurer,  Arthur  Wolfe;  recording 
secretary,  Robert  F.  Lucas ;  financial  secre- 
tary, Frank  J.  Schumacher. 

Knights  and  Ladies  of  Columbia,  supreme 
officers :  Supreme  counsellor,  Ormond  Ken- 
nedy; supreme  scribe,  John  Roth;  supreme 
cashier.  Elmer  Crockett;  supreme  medical  di- 
rector. Cornelius  H.  Myers;  supreme  at- 
torney, Daniel  Rich.  Executive  board :  John 
Roth,  Ormond  Kennedy,  Elmer  Crockett, 
CorneliiLs  H.  Myers,  Daniel  Rich.  Supreme 
deputies :  Anna  M.  Wright.  John  D.  Roberts. 
Loyal  AVorkers,  K.  and  L.  of  C,  meet  on  the 
first  and  third  Mondays  of  each  month;  Wil- 
liam J.  Wright,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Columbia,  Interurban 
Association,  meets  once  a  month.  South 
Bend  Council  No.  1,  K.  and  L.  of  C,  meets 
second  and  fourth  Wednesdays  of  each 
month:  Jacob  E.  Henry,  counselor;  William 
B.  Wright,  scribe.  Winona  Council  No.  39, 
K.  and  L.  of  C,  meets  on  the  first  and  third 
Thursdays  of  each  month;  Stephens  Smith, 
counselor;  William  J.  Wright,  scribe. 

The  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  is  repre- 
sented by  the  following  societies:  Pixley  Di- 
vision No.  2,  U.  R.  K.  0.  T.  M.,  meets  on 
the  second  and  fourth  jMondays  of  each 
month.  The  officers  are:  Benjamin  F. 
Berger,  colonel  of  the  second  regiment ;  Harry 
F.  Alitchell.  brigadier  general ;  D.  W.  Keefer, 
adjutant;  Calvin  Black,  sergeant  major;  C. 
B.  Matthews,  captain ;  Edward  L.  Stickler, 
fii-st    lieutenant;    Jesse    B.    Hawkins,    second 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUxNTY. 


463 


lieutenant ;  Frank  W.  Bailey,  record  keeper ; 
Levi  Nave,  treasurer. 

South  Bend  Tent  No.  1,  K.  0.  T.  M.,  meets 
on  the  first  and  third  Monday  of  each  month. 
The  officers  are:  Levi  Nave,  commander; 
Samuel  R.  Thomas,  secretary;  Edward  L. 
Strickler,  treasurer.  South  Bend  Hive  No. 
■4.  L.  0.  T.  M.,  meets  every  fourth  Friday 
of  each  month.  The  officers  are :  Anna 
Secor.  lady  commander:  Alice  ^Mountain,  lady 
record  keeper.  Schiller  Tent  No.  20,  K.  0. 
T.  M.,  meets  every  second  and  fourth  Friday 
of  ea/ch  month.  The  officers  are:  Ernest 
C.  Heinrichs,  commander;  George  K.  Rohr, 
record  keeper.  Schiller  Hive  No.  84,  L.  0.  T. 
M.,  meets  every  first  and  third  Friday  of  each 
month.     ]\riss  Seifert  is  the  record  keeper. 

The  Knights  of  the  ]\Iodern  Maccabees  are 
represented  by  two  societies:  St.  Joe  Valley 
Tent  No.  1108,  which  meets  on  the  second  and 
fourth  Friday  of  each  month ;  F.  M.  Cald- 
well, commander:  C.  S.  Handley,  record 
keeper;  Daniel  Pyle,  finance  keeper;  and  St. 
Joe  Valley  Hive  No.  9O0,  which  meets  every 
first  and  third  Tuesday  of  each  month;  Lib- 
bie  Bloom,  Commander ;  Lulu  Penwell,  record 
keeper;  Dora  S.  Raybuck,  finance  keeper. 

The  Order  of  Owls  was  recently  established 
at  South  Bend  and  is  chiefly  the  work  of  John 
W.  Talbot.  The  officers  of  the  Supreme  Nest 
are:  John  W.  Talbot,  supreme  president; 
Burrell  Cramer,  supreme  past  president ; 
George  D.  Beroth,  supreme  secretary ;  J.  Lott 
Losey,  vsupreme  treasurer:  John  J.  Johnson, 
supreme  invocator;  John  D.  Burke,  supreme 
warden;  Joseph  E.  Talbot,  supreme  counsel. 
The  Supreme  Trustees  are :  Dudley  M.  Shive- 
ly,  South  Bend;  Frederick  Cook,  Niles,  Mich- 
igan; Lemuel  Darrow,  Laporte,  Indiana;  T. 
J.  Hewson,  Chicago,  Illinois;  William  Vis- 
scher,  Chicago.  Illinois.  The  Supreme  Or- 
ganizers are  Bert  Overlj-  and  J.  M.  Culler. 
The  Home  Nest  meets  every  Tuesday  evening, 
the  officers  being :  John  W.  Talbot,  president ; 
George  D.  Beroth,  secretary;  J.  Lott  Losey, 
treasurer.  Ladies'  Nest  No.  1  meets  every 
Friday  evening ;  the  officers  are :     Carrie  F. 


Clark,  president;  Carrie  B.  Long,  secretary; 
Sarah  Colby,  treasurer.  This  order  has  dur- 
ing the  short  time  of  its  organization  experi- 
enced a  phenomenal  growth,  having  flourish- 
ing nests  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  It 
evidently  supplies  a  need  in  fraternal  club 
life. 

Among  other  fraternal  orders  now  flour- 
ishing in  the  city  are:  The  Order  of  Patri- 
cians; the  Protected  Home  Circle;  the  Red 
Men.  Leota  Council  No.  44,  Degree  of  Poca- 
hontas, and  Montauk  Tribe  No.  426 ;  the  Roy- 
al Arcanum,  South  Bend  Council  No.  347 ; 
Sons  of  Herman ;  the  Turn  Verein ;  the  Po- 
lish Turners;  the  Sokel  Polski,  M.  R. ;  Royal 
Neighbors  of  America;  Modern  Woodmen  of 
the  World;  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  Fi- 
delity Camp  No.  28,  Linden  Camp  No.  42, 
Harmony  Camp  No.  78 :  Woodmen  Circle, 
Live  Oak  Grove  No.  1,  Olive  Grove  No.  12, 
Linden  Grove  No.  29;  and  the  National 
Union. 

The  neighborhood,  .social,  musical  and 
church  clubs  and  societies  are  almost  without 
number.  Some  of  the  principal  of  these  are: 
The  Choral  Club,  and  numerous  other  musi- 
cal associations,  orchestras,  bands  and  drum 
corps;  the  Country  Club  of  the  St.  Joseph 
Valley ;  the  Concord  Club ;  the  Indiana  Club ; 
the  La  Salle  Club ;  the  Per  Se  Club ;  the  Sun- 
nyside  Golf  Club;  the  Bismarck  Club;  the 
Press  Club;  six  Building  and  Loan  Associa- 
tions; seven  Military  Organizations,  includ- 
ing Grand  Army  Posts,  Women's  Relief 
Corps,  Company  F,  Sons  of  Veterans  and 
Spanish  War  Veterans. 

^  VII.      THE  PRESS. 

The  history  of  our  newspapers  is  coeval 
with  that  of  South  Bend  itself.  The  editors, 
in  the  main,  have  been  intelligent  and  broad 
minded,  and  have  acted  on  the  assumption 
that  their  readers  were  also  people  of  refine- 
ment and  intelligence.  Appeals  to  passion 
and  prejudice  have  been  the  exception.  The 
appeal   has    rather   been   to   reason,   morals, 


464 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


patriotism,  good  citizenship  and  the  general 
welfare  of  the  community. 

It  is  a  compliment  to  the  intellectual  and 
moral  character  of  the  first  inhabitants  of  the 
St.  Joseph  valley  that  our  fii-st  newspaper  was 
not  only  first  in  South  Bend  and  St.  Joseph 
coimty,  but  firet  in  northern  Indiana  and  in 
the  whole  region  of  the  extreme  northwest. 
In  1831  there  was  no  newspaper  published 
north  of  Indianapolis  or  west  of  Detroit  but 
that  published  at  South  Bend.  Even  Chicago 
was  without  a  newspaper.  It  was  here,  in 
St.  Joseph  county,  that  the  intelligent  editor 
sought  out  the  intelligent  reader. 

Sec.  1. — -The  Pioneer. — It  was  on  Wednes- 
day, November  16,  1831,  that  John  Dougherty 
Defrees  and  his  brother  Joseph  H.  Defrees 
published  the  fii*st  number  of  the  Northwest- 
ern Pioneer  and  St.  Joseph's  Intelligencer. 
The  prospectus  of  the  paper  was  as  follows : 

"Prospectus  of  the  North -Western "  Pioneer ; 
and  St.  Joseph's  Intelligencer. 

"We  have  commenced  the  publication  of  a 
weekly  newspaper,  bearing  the  above  title. 
in  the  town  of  South  Bend,  Ind. 

"Among  the  many  causes  which  have  con- 
tributed to  the  happiness  of  the  human  family, 
the  influence  of  the  press  must  be  acknowl- 
edged. It  is  the  grand  means  of  disseminat- 
ing useful  information  of  all  kinds,  literary, 
religious,  political  and  scientific.  It  is  the 
chief  engine  of  knowledge,  one  of  the  strong 
pillars  of  our  liberty,  one  of  the  safeguards 
of  the  republic.  Destroy  the  Press,  and  to 
what  are  we  reduced?  Take  away  its  liberty, 
and  you  sap  the  foundation  of  one  of  the 
happiest  features  of  our  government.  To  the 
influence  of  the  Press,  is  attributed  the  prog- 
ress of  the  liberal  principles,  which  now 
pervade  all  ranks  among  many  nations  of 
Europe.  It  gave  impulse  to  the  glorious 
achievements  of  our  forefathers,  and  to  the 
revolution  of  July.  1830,  in  France.  The 
'Spirit  of  Liberty'  is  abroad — its  banner  nas 
been  unfurled,  and  spread  its  blessings  to  the 
world.  Its  course  may  for  a  time  be  impeded, 
it  may  for  a  moment  be  trampled  upon  by 


unhallowed  despots;  but  the  command  is 
given.  Onward! — and  it  will,  if  the  source  of 
intelligence  is  left  open,  eventually  triumph. 

"Information  is  conveyed  through  the 
medium  of  newspapers,  much  cheaper  than 
by  any  other  means.  This  being  the  case,  and 
recollecting  that  'knowledge  is  power,'  we 
cannot  see  how  any  family,  where  there  is 
one  that  can  read,  can  do  without  a  news- 
paper. 

"The  principles  which  shall  govern  us  in 
conducting  this  paper,  shall  be  purely  NA- 
TIONAL. We  unfurl  the  Standard  of 
'LIBERTY  and  UNION'  —  'INTERNA- 
TIONAL IMPROVEMENT,  and  the  PRO- 
TECTION of  DOMESTIC  INDUSTRY';  and 
everything  having  a  tendencj^  to  infuse  a  love 
and  ■  adoration  for  our  inestimable  federal 
compact,  and  the  'American  System,'  into 
the  minds  of  the  people,  shall  be  published. 

"All  important  state  papers,  and  the  pro- 
ceedings of  our  National  and  State  Legisla- 
tures, during  their  respective  sessions,  will  be 
laid,  with  all  possible  dispatch,  before  our 
readers. 

"As  a  Literary  paper,  it  shall  be  our  aim  to 
combine  in  its  columns  'instruction  and 
amusement. ' 

"TALES  of  'feeling  and  fancv'  shall  occa- 
sionally  find  a  place  in  our  paper.  Nor  will 
the  spirit  of  chastened  humor  be  'frowned 
austerely'  from  our  pages. 

"POETRY  in  all  its  variety— 

' '  Interesting  Anecodotes,  Scraps,  Extracts, 
d'C,  &c.,  &c. 

"The  people  who  have  emigrated  to  the  St. 
Joseph  country,  are  enterprising  and  intelli- 
gent :  and  we  confidently  look  to  them  for  a 
liberal  patronage. 

"CONDITIONS:  The  'PIONEER'  is 
printed  on  a  large  super-royal  sheet,  with 
entire  new  materials,  and  contains  as  much 
{if  not  more)  matter  as  any  paper  in  the 
state,  at  $2,  paid  within  three  months  after 
receiving  the  first  number,  $2.50  within  the 
year,  or  $3.00  at  the  expiration. 

"J.  D.  &  J.  H.  Defrees. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


465 


"'Agents  for  the  Pioneer.  The  t'ollowiug 
gentlemen  are  requested  to  act  as  agents  for 
us,  in  procuring  subscribers,  &c. :  E.  Pen- 
well,  Esq.,  Pleasant  Plain;  Mr.  Brisel, 
Goshen;  Charles  Egbert,  Terre  Coupee; 
Aaron  Staunton,  Door  Prairie;  M.  C.  Whit- 
man, Xa  Grange;  Mr.  Stilson,  Niles;  Robert 
Clark,  Esq.,  ^Vhite  Pigeon;  Major  Edwards, 
Beardsley's  Prairie;  Samuel  Hanna,  Esq., 
Fort  Wayne;  T.  J.  Larsh,  Esq.,  Richmond; 
James  Defrees,  Piqiia,  Ohio;  Mr.  Brittain, 
Newhernjporf,^  M.  T.;  Mr.  Harris,  Christiana 
Mills;  George  Kesling,  P.  M.,  Leha)ion,  0.; 
William  Stevens,  Eaton,  Ohio." 

Not  considering  its  politics,  which  were 
Whig,  it  is  doubtful  whether  any  newspaper 
starting  in  a  new  country  today  could  put 
out  a  more  comprehensive,  manly  and  patrio- 
tic prospectus  than  that  issued  for  the  North- 
western Pioneer  by  its  enterprising  editors 
and  publishers. 

The  Pioneer  was  at  tirst  published  "on 
Water  street.  South  Bend,  opposite  A.  Coquil- 
lard's  store;"  that  is,  on  the  southeast  corner 
or  what  is  now  La  Salle  avenue  and  Michigan 
street.  This  was  one  of  the  centers  of  the 
original  town.  Alexis  Coquillard's  trading 
post  was  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the  same 
streets;  while  the  original  ferry  and  steam- 
boat landing  were  at  what  was  then  the  foot 
of  Water  street,  where  the  beautiful  concrete 
bridge  now  spans  the  river. 

After  seven  months  the  place  of  publication 

and  the  name  of  the  paper  w^ere  both  changed. 

In  the  issue  of  May  23,  1832,  the  change  of 

place  was  announced  as  follows:    "Removal! 

The  printing  office  has  been  removed  to  the 

second  story  of  the  house  formerly  occupied 

as  a  tavern  by  Mr.  Lilley,  on  the  corner  of 

St.  Joseph  and  Pearl  streets."     The  locality 

is   now   known    as   the   southwest   corner   of 

Vistula  avenue  and  St.  Joseph  street.     This 

was   at   what   might   be   called    the   original 

center  of  the  town,  near  the  site  of  the  first 

trading  post  of  Alexis  Coquillard,  and  near 

the   point   where   Lathrop   M.   Taylor   estab- 

a.     At  present  St.  Joseph,  Michigan. 
30 


lished  his  second  trading  post.*  The  change 
in  the  name  of  the  paper  is  best  shown  in  the 
new  prospectus  published  also  in  the  issue  of 
May  23,  1832,  as  follows: 

"Prospectus  of  the  St.  Joseph  Beacon: 
And  Indiana  and  Michigan  Intelligencer. 

' '  Six  Months  ago  we  commenced  the  publi- 
cation of  a  weekly  news'paper  in  the  St.  Jo- 
seph country,  entitled  the  '  North- Western 
Pioneer.'  Various  considerations  have  in- 
duced us  to  change  its  title  to  that  of  the  St. 
Joseph  Beacon.  One  of  the  principal  rea- 
sons of  this  change  is  a  wish  to  associate  the' 
name  of  the  country  in  which  the  paper  is 
published  with  its  title. 

"In  establishing  a  newspaper  in  so  new  a 
country  as  this,  we  knew  that  we  had  many 
difficulties  to  encounter — many  deprivations 
which  are  not  known  in  the  old  and  densely 
populated  parts  of  the  'West'  with  which  to 
contend.  One  main  difficulty  when  we  com- 
menced, was  the  want  of  mails.  People  were 
not  willing  to  subscribe  without  being  certain 
of  receiving  their  papers  regularly.  This  diffi- 
culty has  been  greatly  remedied  since  the  first 
number  was  issued.  There  is  now  a  mail 
twice  a  week  to  Ft.  Wayne,  twice  a  week  to 
Detroit,  via  Niles,  and  once  a  week  to  Chicago, 
besides  several  others  will  yet  be  established; 
— thus  giving  the  people  thi-oughout  the  whole 
St.  Joseph  country  an  opportunity  of  regu- 
larly receiving  the  paper.  This,  then,  can  be 
no  longer  urged  against  subscribing  for  so 
valuable  an  acquisition  to  every  family  as  a 
weekly  new.spaper.  That  more  valuable  and 
essential  information  is  disseminated  through 
this  medium  than  any  other  way,  cannot  be 
denied.  Who  that  is  desirous  of  acquiring 
a  just  knowledge  of  the  times  in  which  he 
lives — of  the  prosperity  or  the  adversity  of 
the  nation  of  which  he  is  a  member — or  is 
anxious  to  place  within  the  reach  of  a  rising 
family  the  means  of  rendering  them  useful 
and  intelligent  members  of  society,  would  re- 
fuse to  take  a  newspaper?     It  has  been  our 

a.  See  Ohap.  4,  Subd.  4,  Sees.  1  and  2;  and  see 
this  chapter,  Subd.  6,  Sec.  14. 


466 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


aim — and  shall  continue  to  be  our  highest 
ambition — to  render  this  paper  useful  and 
interesting  to  all,  of  whatsoever  political 
faith  they  may  be: — but  never  to  become  a 
vehicle  for  retailing-  the  party  slang  of  the 
day. 

"The  inhabitants  of  the  St.  Joseph  country 
should  support  a  paper  somewhere  within  its 
limits.  The  interests  of  the  whole  country 
are  so  closely  connected  that  it  can  make  no 
difference  whether  it  is  published  in  Indiana 
or  Michigan." 

The  sentiments  expressed  in  the  prospectus 
of  the  Beacon,  as  also  in  that  of  the  Pioneer, 
do  credit  to  the  head  and  heart  of  the  writer, 
or  writers ;  and  the  people  of  the  ' '  St.  Joseph 
country"  will  always  have  good  cause  to 
honor  the  memory  of  the  editors  and  publish- 
ers of  their  first  newspaper. 

It  is  easy  to  detect  in  the  prospectus  of  the 
Beacon  a  note  of  disappointment.  The  coun- 
try,— even  the  whole  St.  Joseph  country,  in- 
cluding also  all  northern  Indiana  and  south- 
western Michigan, — was  evidently  not  yet 
ready  to  support  a  newspaper  of  the  high 
standard  adopted  by  the  Defrees  brothers. 
Joseph  H.  Defrees  sold  his  interest  to  his 
brother  in  1833,  and  removed  to  Goshen.  In 
1834,  John  D.  Defrees  removed  the  paper  to 
White  Pigeon,  Michigan,  where  he  disposed  of 
it  to  a  ]\Ir.  Gilbert.  This  town  was  also  in 
the  "St.  Joseph  country,"  and  according  to 
the  prospectus  of  the  Beacon  it  was  imma- 
terial whether  the  paper  was  published  in  the 
state  of  Indiana  or  in  Michigan  territory,  pro- 
vided only  it  was  published  in  the  St.  Joseph 
country. 

It  is  pleasant  to  add,  that  although  the 
Defrees  brothers  failed  in  permanently  estab- 
lishing a  newspaper  in  the  St.  Joseph  country, 
yet  each  of  them  attained  to  success  in  after 
life.  Joseph  H.  Defrees,  through  the  kindly 
help  of  Col.  Lathrop  M.  Taylor,  became  a  dis- 
tinguished merchant  in  Goshen.  He  also 
represented  his  constituencj"  in  both  branches 
of  the  state  legislature  and  in  congress.  John 
D.  Defrees  returned  to  South  Bend,  studied 


law.  obtained  a  lucrative  practice,  was  elected 
to  the  state  senate,  became  editor  of  the  Indi- 
anapolis Journal  and  w^as  appointed  public 
printer  by  president  Lincoln. 

Sec.  2. — The  Register. — South  Bend  did 
not  remain  long  without  a  newspaper.  The 
Free  Press  was  established  by  William  Milli- 
kan  in  1836.  The  paper  was  fairly  successful 
for  a  time ;  but  after  nine  years  was  discon- 
tinued. In  September,  1845,  the  plant  and 
fixtures  were  purchased  by  Albert  W.  West 
and  Schuyler  Colfax.  On  September  12, 
1845,  the  first  copy  of  the  St.  Joseph  Valley 
Register  was  issued  by  Albert  W^.  West  and 
Schuyler  Colfax  as  publishers.  Schuyler  Col- 
fax was  the  editor.  Thus  came  into  existence 
the  famous  Register,  for  so  many  years  a  wel- 
come visitor  to  hundreds  of  families  in  St. 
Joseph  county.  It  was  at  first  a  weekly,  six- 
column  folio,  22x32  in  size.  In  politics,  the 
paper  was  whig.  On  the  subject  of  slavery, 
the  editor  took  "the  middle  ground  between 
the  two  dangerous  extremes."  "We  shall  be 
opposed,"  said  he,  "both  to  Calhounism 
and  Birneyism,  viewing  them  as  ultra- 
isms."  "To  the  first  we  shall  be  hostile 
because  it  holds  that  outrageous  doctrine  that 
slavery  is  a  national  blessing."  "To  the 
other  we  shall  be  opposed  because  its  course, 
we  think,  tends  to  rivet  the  chains  of  the  slave 
more  firmly,  to  prevent  a  calm  and  argument- 
ative discussion  of  the  whole  question  through 
the  south."  "Without  regard,  therefore,  to 
these  two  extremes,  we  shall  be  fixedly  op- 
posed to  enlarging  the  borders  of  slavery  even 
one  inch,  either  so  far  as  soil  or  power  and 
weight  in  the  national  councils  are  concerned, 
and  shall  hail  with  happiness  the  day  when 
the  southern  states,  after  calm  examination, 
shall  in  a  constitutional  and  legal  manner 
adopt  a  feasible  plan  of  emancipation,  either 
gradual  or  immediate."  Such  was  the  states- 
manlike position  fallen  by  Schuyler  Colfax  on 
his  first  stepping  before  the  footlights  on  that 
stage  where  he  was  destined  to  play  so  impor- 
tant a  part  in  the  history  of  his  country.  Well 
would  it  have  been  for  that  countrv,  north 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


467 


and  south,  if  these  moderate  views  of  the 
future  vice-president  of  the  United  States  had 
been  adopted,  rather  than  appeal  to  the  dread- 
ful arbitrament  of  war.  After  seven  months, 
Mr.  Colfax  became  sole  proprietor  of  the 
Register. 

The  paper  prospered  under  the  business 
management  and  editorial  supervision  of 
Schuyler  Colfax,  and  with  the  beginning  of 
the  third  year  it  was  enlarged  to  a  seven- 
column  folio.  Early  in  the  year  1848,  as  we 
have  seen,  the  first  telegraph  line  was  built 
from  New  York  to  Chicago.'^  The  enterpris- 
ing editor  of  the  Register  of  course  made  in- 
stant use  of  this  new  means  of  receiving  in- 
formation from  the  outside  world.  The  fol- 
lowing, from  the  issue  of  December  27,  1849. 
while  in  a  half  humorous  vein,  is  now  of  his- 
torical interest,  both  as  to  what  had  then  been 
done,  and,  even  more,  as  to  w^hat  was  to  be 
done  through  the  marvelous  discoveries  of 
Samuel  Finley  Breese  Morse: 

Dispatches  appeared  in  the  Register  of  that 
date  which  were  sent  from  New  York  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and,  by  reason  of 
the  difference  in  local  time  between  New  York 
and  South  Bend,  were  received  at  South  Bend 
at  three  o'clock  and  thirty-five  minutes, — 
apparently  twenty-five  minutes  before  they 
were  sent.  The  editor  had  this  to  say  of  the 
strange  feat:  "If  Morse  ever  gets  a  line 
across  the  ocean,  by  way  of  Iceland,  we  shall 
expect  him  to  furnish  European  news  up  to 
Thursday  night  every  week  for  our  Thursday 
morning's  paper."  Morse  did  not  get  a  line 
across  the  ocean;  but  Cyrus  West  Field  did, 
— to  Ireland,  however,  and  not  by  way  of  Ice- 
land. Mr.  Colfax's  humorous  prediction,  like 
that  of  Puck,  that  he  would  "put  a  girdle 
round  about  the  earth  in  forty  minutes,"  has 
been  more  than  fulfilled,  and  Thursday  even- 
ing's European  news  is  now  published  every 
Thursday  morning;  and  this  Mr.  Colfax  and 
the  Register  both  lived  to  see. 

Another  historical  telegraphic  item  ap- 
peared  in   the   same    issue   of    the   Register. 

o.     See  Chap.  7,  Subd.  5,  Sec.  1. 


' '  Last  Saturday, ' '  says  the  editor,  ' '  the  atmos- 
phere being  dry,  cool  andl  pure,  and  every- 
thing else  propitious,  the  proper  communica- 
tions were  made,  and  the  operator  at  Buffalo 
wrote  through  beautifully  to  Milwaukee,  eight 
hundred  miles,  without  re-writing  at  Detroit. 
We  received  our  report  of  that  afternoon 
direct  from  Buffalo.  This  is  the  first  time 
that  this  has  been  done,  and  we  believe  eight 
hundred  miles  is  as  far  as  writing  has  ever 
been  sent  by  any  of  the  operators  on  any  of 
the  lines  of  the  world."  It  would  seem  that 
the  world  was  still  dazed  with  the  marvels 
of  the  electric  telegraph;  and  yet,  like  the 
vivid  anticipations  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  the 
half  of  its  glories  were  not  then  made  known. 

In  1851,  Mr.  Colfax  received  his  first  nomi- 
nation for  congress,  but  was  defeated.  Dur- 
ing the  campaign  James  Davis,  a  talented 
lawyer  and  writer  of  the  day,  occupied  the 
editorial  chair.  In  July,  1853,  a  Northrup 
power  press,  capable  of  printing  a  thousand 
copies  of  the  paper  per  hour,  was  placed  in 
the  Register  office.  This  was  a  great  advance. 
In  1854,  Mr.  Colfax  was  again  nominated  for 
congress,  and  was  this  time  elected.  Alfred 
Wheeler  then  became  editor;  and  in  April, 
1857,  the  partnership  of  Colfax  and  Wheeler 
was  formed,  under  which  firm  the  paper  was 
continued  until  Mr.  Wheeler  became  sole 
owner.  Mr.  Hall  afterwards  became  a  part- 
ner of  Mr.  Wheeler. 

In  November,  1865,  Archibald  Beal,  who 
for  eight  years  had  been  the  proprietor  of  the 
Mishawaka  Enterprise,  purchased  the  Regis- 
ter, in  partnership  with  C.  E.  Fuller.  Two 
years  afterwards  Alfred  B.  Miller  and  Elmer 
Crockett,  who  had  heen  engaged  on  the  paper, 
purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Fuller,  and  the 
firm  became  Beal,  Miller  and  Company.  In 
January,  1872,  Mr.  Beal  purchased  the  inter- 
ests of  Mr.  Miller  and  Mr.  Crockett ;  and  1873 
Daniel  S.  Marsh  became  associate  editor.  In 
February,  1874,  D.  J.  Benner  purchased  a 
half  interest  in  the  Register,  and  became  one 
of  the  editors,  Mr.  Marsh  remaining  but  a 
short    time     longer    in    that    capacity.       In 


468 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Angust,  1875.  the  Register  Company  was 
f oi-med.  witli  !Mr.  Beal  as  president ;  Edward 
W.  Henricks-  secretary ;  Noah  F.  Van  Winkle, 
treasurer;  Orlando  H.  Palmer,  George  H. 
Alward  and  Alexander  N.  Thomas,  the  re- 
maining incorporators.  On  October  13,  1878, 
a  new  corporation  was  formed,  the  Register 
Printing  Company,  with  Daniel  S.  Marsh, 
president:  Channeey  N.  Fassett.  secretary; 
Herbert  S.  Fassett.  treasiu*er;  Eugene  M. 
Herr  and  Frank  A.  ]\Iarsh,  the  remaining  in- 
corporators. On  September  18.  1875,  a  daily 
edition  of  the  Register  was  established.  A 
Sundav  edition  was  also  issued  for  a  time.  In 
1887.  after  a  notable  career  of  over  forty 
years,  the  famous  journal  was  discontinued, 
the  plant  and  fixtures  being  sold  to  the  Trib- 
une Printing  Company.  The  Register  was 
weakened  by  the  withdrawal  of  ]\Ir.  ]\Iiller, 
Mr.  Crockett  and  othere.  in  1872,  and  the  sub- 
sequent establishment  by  these  young  men  of 
the  South  Bend  Tribune. 

Sec.  3.— The  Tbibuxe.— On  March  9.  1872, 
the  first  copy  of  the  South  Bend  Weekly  Tri- 
bune was  issued  by  the  Tribune'Printing  Com- 
pany. The  incoi'porators  of  the  company  were 
Alfred  Bryant  ]\Iiller.  Ehner  Crockett.  James 
H.  Banning  and  Elias  W.  Hoover.  These 
gentlemen  had  all  been  connected  with  the 
Register,  and  had  withdrawn  by  reason  of 
some  dissatisfaction  with  the  management  of 
that  paper.  They  were  young  men.  experi- 
enced already  in  newspaper  business  and  fully 
determined  to  issue  a  progressive,  up-to-date 
journal,  such  as  they  believed  the  people  of 
South  Bend  and  St.  Joseph  county  demanded. 
On  May  28.  1873.  the  first  issue  of  the  Daily 
Tribune  appeared;  and  since  that  date  the 
Tribune,  daily  and  weekly,  has  been  one  of 
the  strong  and  iafluential  papers  of  the  state. 
Alfred  B.  ]\Iiller,  the  first  editor,  was  a 
man  of  marked  personality  and  great  force 
of  character;  and  he  made  the  Tribune  a 
power  not  only  ia  politics,  but  in  the  molding 
of  public  opinion  on  all  social  and  other  sub- 
jects in  which  the  people  were  interested.  His 
style  as  a  writer  was  incisive,  persuasive  and 


popular,  with  humorous  and  poetical  veins 
that  made  the  Tribune  one  of  the  most  read- 
able papers.  Accordingly,  although  the  Tri- 
bune was  Republican,  almost  partisan,  in  poli- 
tics, yet  its  news  and  editorial  columns  were 
sought  by  people  of  all  shades  of  political 
opinion.  At  the  same  time  ]\Ir.  Crockett,  who 
has  been  the  business  manager  from  the  be- 
ginning, has  so  conducted  the  fiscal  affairs 
that  the  plant  has  yearly  increased  in  wealth 
and  has  besides  made  its  owners  wealthy. 
One  of  the  fine  characters  connected  with  the 
Tribune  in  an  editorial  capacity  for  many 
years,  Richard  H.  Lyon,  has  already  been 
many  times  mentioned  in  these  pages.  He  was 
a  writer  of  the  most  elegant  taste,  and  did 
very  much  to  give  to  the  paper  its  high 
literary  character.  ]\Ir.  ]Miller  died  in  the  fall 
of  1892.  and  ^Ix.  Lyon  early  in  the  year  1907. 
The  editorial  charge  of  the  paper  since  their 
death  has  faUen  into  worthy  hands,  and  the 
original  high  .stand  of  the  Tribune  has  been 
maintained.  ]SIr.  Frederick  A.  ]Miller.  only 
son  of  Alfred  B.  ]\Iiller.  is  now  the  editor-in- 
chief,  and  William  K.  Lamport  is  associate 
editor.  The  veteran  Elmer  Crockett,  the  only 
one  left  of  the  original  founders,  is  still  the 
business  manager.  Charles  E.  Crockett,  son 
of  Elmer,  is  secretary  of  the  company. 

The  original  site  of  the  Tribune  plant  was 
No.  127  West  Washington  street.  Afterwards 
the  company  purchased  the  lot  at  No.  128 
North  Main  street,  with  grounds  in  the  rear 
for  its  extensive  presses  and  machinery,  for 
a  complete  printing  and  bindery  establish- 
ment. There  the  company  has  bmlt  up  one 
of  the  best  equipped  newspaper  and  job  print- 
ing establishments  in  the  state.  Typesetting 
machines  have  been  introduced,  and  the  most 
modern  presses  have  been  installed,  including 
a  perfecting  stereotype  press,  electrotyping 
machines  and  everything  else  demanded  by 
the  most  modern  printing  office  in  the  country. 

Sec.  4— The  Times.— In  the  year  1853. 
Ariel  Euclid  Drapier  and  his  son  WiUiam  H. 
Drapier  began  the  publication  in  South  Bend 
of  the  St.  Joseph  County  Forum.     This  was 


//        N'E'V  V  OFff^ 

PUEL  .,^py| 

Asior,  Lensx  and  TUdtn  . 

t909 


Jokn  B.  Stoll 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


469 


the  first  attempt  to  establish  a  Democratic 
newspaper  in  St.  Joseph  county.  The  ma- 
jority of  the  people  in  the  early  history  of 
the  county  were  Whigs;  and  after  the  found- 
ing of  the  Republican  party  that  party  took 
the  place  of  the  Whigs,  and  under  the  bril- 
liant leadership  of  Mr.  Colfax  maintained  its 
supremacy  in  county  politics.  The  task  of  the 
Drapiers,  father  and  son,  in  building  up  a 
Democratic  paper  was  therefore  one  of  diffi- 
culty. Ariel  Euclid  Drapier  was  a  man  of 
great  force  of  character,  and  he  and  his 
talented  son  did  succeed  in  making  the  Forum 
a  powerful  newspaper.  They  were  both  ex- 
pert shorthand  writers,  and  their  talent  in 
this  respect  was  for  many  years  made  use  of 
in  the  legislature,  where  they  prepared  and 
published  the  celebrated  Brevier  Reports, 
now  so  valuable  from  a  historical  point  of 
view,  as  preserving  the  debates. and  proceed- 
ings of  the  sessions  of  the  general  assembly. 
This  work  was  carried  on  by  William  H. 
Drapier  for  many  years  after  the  death  of  his 
father.  During  the  absence  of  the  father  and 
son  in  attendance  upon  the  legislature, 
Charles  E.  Drapier,  a  younger  son,  was  in 
charge  of  the  Forum.  A  semi-weekly  edition 
of  the  Forum  was  published  for  a  few  months 
in  1858,  but  did  not  prove  a  success.  For 
some  vigorous  language  used  by  the  paper  in 
relation  to  the  conduct  of  the  war,  it  was  for 
a  short  time  suspended  during  the  year  1863, 
by  order  of  General  Milo  B.  Hascall.  The 
Forum  was  afterwards  sold  to  Edward  Mal- 
loy,  who,  having  been  a  gallant  soldier  in  the 
Union  army,  determined  to  change  the  name 
of  the  paper  to  the  National  Union.  This 
name  was  subsequently  changed  to  the  South 
Bend  Weekly  Union.  In  December,  1874, 
Charles  L.  Murray,  a  veteran  newspaper  man, 
and  formerly  a  member  of  the  state  senate 
from  the  Goshen  district,  purchased  the 
Union  and  placed  it  in  charge  of  his  son,  the 
brilliant  Charles  T.  Murray.  Charles  T. 
Murray  changed  the  name  to  the  Herald,  and 
formed  the  Herald  Printing  and  Publishing 
Company,  which  assumed  control  of  the  paper 


and  started  a  lively  morning  daily.  On  May 
22,  1876,  Charles  L.  Murray  re-purchased  the 
plant,  came  to  South  Bend  and  assumed 
charge  of  the  Herald  which  he  conducted  in 
a  very  able  manner,  making  it  one  of  the 
most  influential  Democratic  papers  in  the 
state.  From  1881  to  1883,  Henry  A.  Peed 
was  owner  and  editor  of  the  paper.  He  gave 
to  it  the  name  of  the  South  Bend  Times, 
which  it  has  since  retained.  On  September 
26,  1881,  Mr.  Peed  formed  the  South  Bend 
Times  Company,  the  stockholders  being  Henry 
A.  Peed,  Robert  L.  Peed  and  Jacob  D.  Hen- 
derson. On  March  2,  1882,  the  paper  need- 
ing additional  capital,  the  property  was  taken 
over  by  a  new  company,  the  Times  Printing 
Company.  The  stockholders  were  Joseph 
Henderson,  Sorden  Lister,  Henry  A.  Peed, 
Alfred  Klingel,  Robert  L.  Peed,  Jacob  D. 
Henderson,  Timothy  E.  Howard  and  Harri- 
son G.  Beemer.  In  the  spring  of  1883,  the 
controlling  stock  in  this  corporation  was 
transferred  to  the  Hon.  John  B.  Stoll,  the 
brilliant  editor  of  the  Ligonier  Banner,  which 
Mr.  Stoll  had  made  "the  ablest  Democratic 
paper  in  Indiana, ' '  as  William  S.  Holman  de- 
clared to  the  writer,  years  afterwards.  Of 
the  succeeding  history  of  the  Times,  it  is  per- 
haps sufficient  to  say  that  the  Democrats  of 
the  city  and  county  soon  became  satisfied  that 
they  had  in  that  paper  one  of  the  very  best 
in  the  country  and  in  its  editor-in-chief,  one 
of  the  ablest  and  wisest  editorial  writers  in 
the  United  States.  Closely  associated  with 
Mr.  Stoll,  from  1883  until  his  lamented  death, 
December  15,  1906,  was  Charles  Albert  Mc- 
Donald. But  better  than  mere  party  service, 
however  desirable  that  may  be,  the  Times 
and  its  accomplished  editors  had  and  still 
have  a  constituency  far  beyond  all  partisan 
lines.  The  paper  has  been  in  the  best  sense 
independent  in  politics  and  in  all  other  mat- 
ters affecting  the  public  welfare.  The  inde- 
pendence of  the  pre&s  is  one  of  the  chief  safe- 
guards of  the  liberties  of  the  people ;  and  this 
truth  the  people  themselves  are  quick  to  recog- 
nize.   It  does  not  follow  that  the  independent 


470 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


paper  does  not  sometimes  make  mistakes, 
grievous  mistakes  occasionally,  does  not  at 
times  do  violence  to  the  feelings  and  convic- 
tions of  its  readers  and  particularly  its  party 
supporters ;  this,  however,  is  far  better  in  the 
end  than  to  take  a  cowardly  part  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  public  questions.  Party  principles, 
as  in  the  case  of  all  other  principles,  must 
of  course  control  in  large  degree  the  senti- 
ments of  a  party  newspaper ;  any  other  course 
would  be  dishonest  with  its  readers.  But 
within  the  lines  there  is  ample  room  for  a 
free  and  manly  course,  as  was  exemplified 
in  the  career  of  Peter  Stirling.  In  this  best 
sense  the  Times  has  been  an  independent 
party  paper;  and  the  people,  without  respect 
to  party,  have  appreciated  the  strong,  manly 
course  pursued  by  the  Times  and  have  ac- 
corded to  it  a  most  generous  support.  There 
is  indeed  no  town  in  the  state,  perhaps  in  the 
whole  country,  that  has  two  better  newspa- 
pers than  the  South  Bend  Times  and  the 
South  Bend  Tribune.  Of  course  they  quarrel 
with  one  another  occasionally,  but  the  people 
make  allowances  for  this  and  appreciate  the 
fact  that  they  are  favored  with  two  first  class, 
manly,  independent  newspapers,  devoted,  first 
of  all,  to  the  welfare  of  the  Queen  City  of 
the  St.  Joseph  valley. 

Sec.  5. — The  Sunday  News. — Besides  the 
Sunday  Register,  already  noted,  a  Sunday 
paper  was  issued  for  a  time  by  Timothy  G. 
Turner,  in  connection  with  his  Annuals,  which 
he  began  in  1869.  His  first  publication  was 
the  Gazetteer  of  the  St.  Joseph  Valley,  in 
1867.  He  likewise  began  in  1871  the  publica- 
tion of  a  city  directory.  The  annual  and  the 
directory  were  continued  until  1881,  after 
which  William  L.  Farr,  who  had  been  a  can- 
vasser for  Mr.  Turner's  publications,  con- 
tinued the  directory,  but  the  Turner's  An- 
nuals and  Sunday  paper  were  discontinued. 

On  April  24,  1887.  Chauncey  N.  Fassett, 
who  had  been  editor  of  the  Register,  issued 
the  first  copy  of  his  Sunday  News,  and  has 
continued  since  that  time  to  issue  the  paper 
every    Sunday   morning.      It   has    admirably 


filled  its  well  recognized  place  among  the 
established  journals  of  the  city,  being,  as  its 
name  indicates,  and  in  harmony  with  the 
versatile  talent  of  its  genial  editor,  a  newsy, 
local  Sunday  morning  paper,  one  that  would 
be  sorely  missed  by  every  citizen  who  looks 
there  for  the  news  that  is  reported  after  the 
issue  of  the  Saturday  Tribune  and  Times. 
The  New^s  has  occasionally  some  difficulty  in 
steering  its  course  between  the  breakers  of 
the  Times  and  the  Tribune,  avoiding  a  re- 
publication of  the  news  given  by  either  of  the 
two  dailies,  and  taking  its  own  independent 
course  in  the  discussion  of  topics  pertaining 
to  the  city's  interests  and  in  giving  the  news 
in  its  own  line.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  the 
course  pursued  by  the  Sunday  News  has  been 
a  successful  one. 

Sec.  6. — Other  Nev^spapers. — The  Goniec 
Polski,  or  Polish  Messenger,  is  published  in 
the  interests  and  for  the  entertainment  and 
information  of  the  very  large  and  intelligent 
Polish  population  of  South  Bend  and  vicin- 
ity. It  is  a  semi-weekly,  six-column  folio,  and 
is  independent  in  politics.  The  editor  and 
proprietor  is  Mr.  George  W.  J.  Kalczynski, 
born  and  educated  in  the  United  States  and  a 
master  of  the  English  language  and  literature 
as  well  as  of  the  Polish.  He  is  one  of  the  most 
accomplished  and  enterprising  of  the  younger 
leaders  of  the  city  of  South  Bend. 

The  Indiana  Courier  was  established  in 
1873,  and  published  in  the  German  language 
in  the  interests  of  the  German  people  of  South 
Bend  and  vicinity.  Soon  after  its  establish- 
ment the  Courier  was  purchased  by  Gustav 
Fickentscher,  who  changed  the  name  to  the 
South  Bend  Courier.  Later  Mr.  Fickentscher 
associated  with  himself  in  the  management  of 
the  Courier  Mr.  Andrew  Troeger.  The  Cour- 
ier was  always  a  liberal,  democratic  journal. 

The  Industrial  Era  was  established  in  the 
fall  of  1879  by  Ralph  E.  Hoyt.  It  was  an 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  national 
Greenback  party.  It  was  published  for  only 
a  few  months  and  was  succeeded  by  the  South 
Bend  Era.     The  first  copy  of  the  latter  paper 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


471 


was  issued  on  March  27,  1880,  by  Benjamin 
Franklin  Shively,  who  was  sole  editor,  and 
proprietor.  Those  who  had  the  pleasure  of 
reading  this  bright,  crispy,  carefully  edited 
paper,  remember  its  pages  with  a  great  deal 
of  satisfaction  as  the  first  public  work  of  the 
brilliant  gentleman  whose  fine  oratory  was 
afterwards  for  years  heard  in  the  halls  of 
congress  and  before  the  people  not  only  of 
Indiana,  but  throughout  the  whole  country. 
Mr.  Shively,  a  native  of  St.  Joseph  county,  is 
without  question  one  of  the  first  orators,  as  he 
is  one  of  the  wisest  statesmen  of  Indiana. 
The  Martin  Van  Buren  Free  Soil  movement 


POST  OFFICE.  SOl'TH   BEXU. 

of  1848  was  championed  for  a  few  months  in 
the  Free  Democrat,  established  by  Dr.  E.  W. 
H.  Ellis. 

On  January  26,  1892,  the  Post  Print- 
ing Company  was  incorporated  by  John 
W.  O'Bannon,  William  H.  Burke  and  Gay 
L.  Tafts,  for  the  purpose  of  engaging  in  the 
publication  of  a  newspaper.  The  office  of  the 
Post  was  located  at  No.  232  North  Main  street, 
and  the  paper  was  an  exceedingly  neat  and 
well  edited  one.  But  there  did  not  seem  to 
be  any  place  for  it,  and  it  survived  but  a 
few  months.  The' editor  deserves  to  be  re- 
membered. He  was  Mr.  Herbert  Hunt,  and 
was  unusually  talented  and  ambitious.  He 
was   afterwards  one   of  the  most  valued  re- 


porters on  the  Indianapolis  Sun,  and  even- 
tually removed  to  the  state  of  Washington, 
where  he  became  editor  of  a  newspaper  on 
the  coast. 

Aside  from  the  journals  mentioned,  a 
few  newspapers  representing  special  inter- 
ests have  been  published  from  time  to  time, 
but  need  not  be  further  referred  to.  The 
city  seems  now  to  be,  and  for  several  years 
past  to  have  been,  fully  provided  for  in  this 
line  by  the  Daily  and  Weekly  Times,  the 
Daily  and  Weekly  Tribune  and  the  Sunday 
News.  No  city  has  better  newspapers,  and 
they  seem  to  fully  satisfy  all  the  needs  of 
our  people  in  this  line. 

Sec.  7. — South  Bend  Summary. — The  fol- 
lowing statement  is  taken  from  a  leaflet  issued 
from  the  Tribune  press,  in  the  general  inter- 
ests of  the  business  men  of  the  city  of  South 
Bend.  In  summing  up  the  advantages  of  our 
city  as  a  place  of  residence  and  business,  this 
statement  seems  at  the  same  time  to  present  a 
comprehensive  abstract  of  what  South  Bend 
has  attained  to,  from  the  year  1820,  when 
Pierre  Navarre,  the  first  white  man  to  settle 
here,  built  his  cabin  on  the  banks  of  the  St. 
Joseph,  even  down  to  this  year  of  our  Lord, 
1907 : 

South  Bend,  population'  approaching  60,- 
000.  the  largest  city  in  the  northern  part  of 
Indiana  and  the  county  seat  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  is  situated  on  the  St.  Joseph  river,  one 
of  the  most  picturesque  inland  streams  in  the 
world,  six  miles  south  of  the  Indiana-Michigan 
line.  It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  cleanest, 
best-paved  and  healthiest  cities  in  America. 

It  has  eight  steam  railroads,  fine  street  rail- 
ways, electric  interurban  systems  to  adjacent 
territory  and  is  one  of  the  best  points  for 
manufacturing,  general  business  and  resi- 
dence in  the  United  States.  South  Bend  is 
86  miles  east  of  Chicago  and  within  a  day's 
ride  of  New  York  city.  Manufacturers  seek- 
ing a  location  should  carefully  investigate 
South  Bend  and  its  manifold  advantages  be- 
fore arriving  at  a  decision.  With  scores  of 
prosperous  manufacturing  establishments,  the 
product  of  many  of  which  goes  to  all  parts  of 
the  civilized  world.  South  Bend  is  one  of  the 
best  advertised  cities  in  the  universe.  It  is 
a  stamp  of  merit  for  goods  to  bear  the  name 


472 


HISTORY    OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


of  South  Bend.  Here  are  a  few  of  the  many 
notable  features  of  our  city: 

Six  banks. 

A  humane  society. 

Rural  mail  service. 

Free  kindergartens. 

Garbage  crematory. 

A  $75,000  city  hall. 

Beautiful  residences. 

A  government  building. 

Good  daily  newspapers. 

A  $250,00*0  court  house. 

Police  ambulance  system. 

Two  local  telephone  systems. 

Two  well  equipped  hospitals. 

The  world's  largest  toy  works. 

Two  loan  and  trust  companies. 

Eight  square  miles  of  territory. 

Over  140  miles  of  public  streets. 

Long   distance   telephone   service. 

The  world's  largest  plow  factory. 

Freedom  from  labor  disturbances. 

Assessed  valuation  of  $25,000,000. 

Six  building  and  loan  associations. 

A  handsome  $35,000  public  library. 

Abundant  water  and  electric  power. 

Annual  payrolls  of  over  $6,000,000. 

Twenty-four  miles  of  street  car  lines. 

Historical  society  and  public  museum. 

Annual  wholesale  trade  of  $25,000,000. 

Savings  bank   with   $3,000,000   deposits. 

The  world's  largest  clover  huller  plant. 

Theatrical  and  show  printing  company. 

Fifty  passenger  trains,  nearly  all  daily. 

One  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  parks. 

One  of  the  world's  largest  shirt  factories. 

Gamewell   fire   and  police   alarm  systems. 

Unsurpassed  features  as  a  business  center. 

A  splendid  surrounding  agricultural  region. 

Fifty  miles  of  paved  public  thoroughfares. 

Extensive  gas  and  electric  lighting  plants. 

One  military  company.  Indiana  national 
guard. 

The  world's  largest  sewing  machine  case 
plant. 

The  largest  wood  turning  plant  in  the 
world. 

Unrivaled  facilities  as  a  manufacturing- 
center. 

Over  100  fraternal  and  benevolent  so- 
cieties. 

One  of  the  largest  watch  factories  in 
America. 

Unequaled  qualifications  as  a  place  of 
residence. 


One  of  the  largest  underwear  mills  in  the 
world. 

Largest  concrete  block  machine  factory  in 
America. 

A  business  amounting  to  about  $50,000,000 
annually. 

The  largest  exclusively  men's  underwear 
mills  in  America. 

American  District  Telegraph  Company  mes- 


senger service. 


Two  telegraph  companies — Western  Union 
and  Postal. 

Young  Men 's  Christian  Association  and  fine 
new  building. 

The  largest  paper  box  factory  in  Indiana 
and  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world. 

Two  G.  A.  R.  posts,  one  Spanish  war  vet- 
eran camp,  two  W.  R.  C,  one  Sons  of  Vet- 
erans. 

Eighty-three  miles  of  water  mains  supplied 
all  year  with  pure  artesian  water. 

Young  Women's  Christian  Association  and 
beautiful  and  modern  new  building. 

The  largest  kitchen  range  plant  in  Indiana 
and  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world. 

Boarding  home  for  young  women  under 
auspices  of  Young  Women's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation. 

Splendid  opportunities  for  profitable  em- 
ployment for  bright  and  energetic  men  and 
women. 

Three  of  the  handsomest  theaters  in  the 
west,  of  1,000,  1,200  and  1,600  seating  ca- 
pacity. 

Fifty-two  church  organizations,  many  with 
church  edifices  of  striking  architectural  ap- 
pearance. 

Population  of  about  200,000  reached  by 
electric  railway  service  of  which  South  Bend 
is  the  center. 

Constant  bona  fide  and  profitable  oppor- 
tunities for  the  investment  of  capital  in  good 
manufacturing  and  other  substantial  enter- 
prises. 

A  paid  fire  department  of  12  companies 
forming  one  of  the  best  fire  departments  in 
the  world,  besides  several  private  factory  fire 
departments,  and  850  fire  hydrants. 

Eleven  hotels  of  various  grades  and  prices, 
the  Oliver,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $600,000,  being 
one  of  the  finest  and  most  complete  in  the 
world. 

Many  clubs  devoted  to  social,  athletic,  lit- 
erary and  dramatic  objects,  several  in  their 
own  buildings,  besides  a  large  number  of 
lesser  social  organizations. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.  JOSEPH    COUNTY.                                     473 

Fourteen  public  and  a  number  of  parochial  confectionery,  carriages,  cement  bricks,  carts, 
schools,  all  of  a  high  order,  the  celebrated  cut  building  stone,  doors,  dowels,  electric  dry 
University  of  Notre  Dame,  for  men,  the  world-  batteries,  electrotypes,  electric  house  fixtures, 
famed  St.  Mary's  Academy  for  women  and  electric  sparking  devices,  electric  coils,  elec- 
a  commercial  college.  trie  switches,  electric  specialties,  engines,  fur- 
Eight  railroads — the  Lake  Shore  &  Mich-  niture,  feed  mills,  flour,  fishing  tackle,  flue 
igan  Southern,  Grand  Trunk  Western,  Mich-  brushes,  furnaces,  folding  paper  boxes,  gas 
igan  Central.  Chicago,  Indiana  &  Southern,  and  gasoline  engines,  gas  fixtures,  grills, 
Indiana  Northern.  New  Jersey,  Indiana  &  games,  grain  drills,  harness  and  harness  ap- 
Illinois,  Vandalia  and  Chicago  &  South  Bend,  purtenances,  hand  carts,  harrows,  horse  cov- 
One  hundred  and  twenty-two  artesian  wells  ers,  hose  carts,  hardware  specialties,  ice,  ice 
supplying  pure  water  for  domestic,  factory  cream,  jewelry,  knit  underwear,  linseed  oil, 
and  fire  protection  purposes  all  the  year,  the  lumber,  labels,  loose  leaf  ledgers,  machinery, 
water  being  forced  throughout  the  city  by  mattresses,  malleable  steel  kitchen  ranges, 
standpipe  pressure  supplied  by  three  pump-  mineral  water,  milling  machinery,  mail  boxes, 
^ing  stations  with  a  daily  capacity  of  24,000,-  mill  cogs,  motors,  office  furniture,  oil  filters, 
000  gallons.  plows,  printing  press  rollers,  paper  boxes,  pro- 
Connections  by  one  of  the  best  electric  rail-  prietary  medicines,  pulleys,  paper  roll  pro- 
ways  in  America,  with  IMislia.waka,  population  tectors,  pony  vehicles,  porch  swings,  paste, 
9,000,  four  miles  distant;  Elkhart,  19,000,  photo  mounts,  pulp  plaster,  power  drills, 
15  miles;  Goshen,  10,000,  26  miles;  Warsaw,  printed  matter,  rubber  stamps,  razors,  roof- 
7,000,  50  miles ;  Niles,  Mich..  7,000,  10  miles;  ing,  rugs,  railroad  supplies,  respirators,  re- 
St.  Joseph  and  Benton  Harbor,  Mich.,  popula-  seating  machinery,  roof  paint,  rattan  special- 
tion  15,000,  35  miles.  ties,  shirts,  steel  skeins,  shipping  tags,  sewing 
Many  manufacturing  establishments  of  machine  parts,  soda  water,  steam  boilers,  sash, 
various  sizes,  some  the  largest  in  the  w^orld,  street  sprinklers,  soldering  fluxes,  street 
making  automobiles,  automatic  computing  sweepers,  shovels,  street  car  signs,  screens, 
scales,  adjustable  shade  hangers,  artificial  sleighs,  snuft',  standpipes,  seeders,  steam 
fuel,  awnings,  alfalfa  hullers,  automatic  field  specialties,  sheet  iron  products,  siereotypes, 
glasses,  bicycles,  building  stone,  books,  brooms,  spark  arresters,  stone  making  machinery,  toys, 
bricks,  beer,  blinds,  box  making  machinery,  tool  specialties,  tombstones,  tooth  paste,  tele- 
baking  powder,  boats,  blueing,  bob-sleds,  boil-  phones  and  telephone  supplies,  tents,  theatri- 
er  compound,  brick-making  machinery,  brass  cal  posters,  tables,  varnish,  wagons,  woolens, 
articles,  box  springs,  bar  fixtures,  barrels,  bolt  wood  boxes,  watches,  willow  specialties,  water 
threading  machinery,  clover  hullers,  cigars,  works  machinery,  wire  bound  boxes,  wire 
carpets,  cultivators,  cutlery,  cigar  boxes,  cast-  fence,  wood  turnings,  well  boring  machinery, 
ings,  carriage  covers,  concrete  mixing  ma-  wagon  covers,  wind  stacker  hoods.  Most 
chinery,  chandeliers,   cement  blocks,  cornice,  South  Bend  plants  run  the  entire  year. 


Distinguished  Careers  Selected  from  the 
Industrial.,   Business  and   Profes- 
sional Life  of  the  County 
AND     the      Oldest 

CiTIZteNS. 

The  preceding  pages  of  history  are  rich  in 
personal  reference,  for  it  would  be  impossible 
to  describe  the  civilization  that  has  grown  up 
within  the  limits  of  the  county,  in  the  coun- 
try, the  towns  and  the  cities,  without  having 
continually  in  mind  and  speaking  of  the  men 
and  women  who  bore  the  part  of  pioneers,  or 
who  did  the  work  of  the  second  generation, 
or  who  during  the  last  quarter  century  have 
reaped  the  rewards  of  their  predecessors  and 
have  themselves  assumed  responsiblities  for 
succeeding  generations.  "Institutions  are 
but  the  lengthened  shadows  of  men"  is  a  tine 
statement  of  the  part  individuals  play  in  his- 
tory, and  there  are  a  great  many  individuals 
in  St.  Joseph  county  who  have  built  enduring 
monuments  in  character  or  industrial  enter- 
prise, so  that  either  their  names  or  the  insti- 
tutions with  which  they  completely  identified 
themselves  are  kno'WTi  by  all  and  have  unfor- 
gettable places  in  the  county's  history.  Most 
of  the  names  which  follow  have  already  been 
mentioned  in  the  preceding  pages,  but  here 
will  be  found  a  more  complete  account  in 
biographical  foinn  of  many  of  the  men  whose 
accomplishments  have  done  so  much  for  the 
development  of  city  and  county. 

The  preparation  of  the  general  history  of 
St.  Joseph  county  has  been  the  result  of 
more  than  a  year's  diligent  and /painstaking 
labor  on  the  part  of  Judge  Howard,  of  South 
Bend.  Written  at  the  close  of  a  long  resi- 
dence and  active  participation  in  the  affairs 
of  the  county,  this  history  is  the  expression 


of  a  ripened  judgment  and  intelligent  ob- 
servation of  the  varied  events  and  the  com- 
plex development  that  have  attended  the 
splendid  progress  of  the  county  and  its  cen- 
tral cities.  As  a  result,  this  work  becomes 
a  valuable  contribution  to  the  historical  lit- 
erature pertaining  to  the  St.  Joseph  valley, 
and  is  probably  destined  to  remain  for  many 
years  the  principal  authoritative  work  of 
local  history. 

In  addition  to  speaking  these  words  of 
appreciation  concerning  the  labors  of  Judge 
HoM'ard,  the  publishers  deem  it  fitting  to 
state  the  principal  facts  in  the  career  of  the 
author  and  insert  a  brief  sketch  of  his  life 
among  those  of  other  well  known  citizens  of 
the  county. 

Timothy  Edward  Howard  was  born  near 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan",  January  27,  1837. 
His  parents  were  both  of  English-Irish  an- 
cestry. His  father,  Martin  Howard,  was 
born  near  Fermoy,  county  Cork.  Ireland,  and 
his  mother.  Julia  (Beahan)  Howard,  at  or 
near  Mount  Rath.  Queen's  county,  Ireland, 
whence  both  parents  came  to  America  and 
became    pioneers    of   Michigan    territory. 

The  father  died  when  Timothy  was  four- 
teen years  old,  and  being  the  eldest  of  the 
seven  children,  he  took  charge  of  the  farm 
and  became  the  principal  reliance  of  his  w^id- 
owed  mother  and  the  younger  children.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  has  long  been  known 
for  his  ripe  scholarship  and  classical  learn- 
ing. The  foundation  of  this  knowledge  was 
acquired  in  his  youth,  despite  the  primitive 
schools  then  existing  in  Michigan  and  the 
necessary  confinement  of  his  farm  duties. 
As  a  boy  he  had  attended  country  schools 
during  the  winters,  and  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen had  two  terms  in  the  Ypsilanti  union 
school,  where  he  enjoyed  the  instruction  of 
Professor  Joseph  Estabrook  and  other  excel- 
lent teachers.  Entering  the  University  at 
Ann  Arbor  in  his  eighteenth  year,  he  was  able 
to  continue  his  studies  only  until  the  middle 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


475 


of  his  sophomore  year,  when  the  home  farm 
ag^ain  needed  his  presence.  At  the  age  of 
twenty  and  again  the  following  year  he 
taught  country  schools.  When  twenty-one  he 
was  elected  inspector  of  the  schools  of  North- 
field,  his  native  township. 

Judge  Howard  first  became  identified  with 
St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  as  a  student  in 
Notre  Dame,  when  he.  was  twenty-two  years 
old.  Three  years  later  he  was  graduated, 
having  taught  primary  classes  during  his  col- 
legiate career.  From  the  quiet  study  halls 
of  Notre  Dame  he  took  his  place  as  a  private 
soldier  in  the  struggle  of  the  nation  for 
existence.  Enlisting,  February  5,  1862,  in 
the  Twelfth  Michig-an  Infantry,  he  hurried 
to  the  front,  and  just  two  months  later,  April 
6,  was  severely  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Shiloh.  After  lying  for  a  time  in  the  jNIarine 
Hospital  at  Evansville,  he  was  discharged 
June  14,  1862,  by  reason  of  his  wound.  His 
return  to  Notre  Dame  was  marked  by  his 
employment  as  professor  of  English  litera- 
ture and  other  classes  in  the  university.  For 
a  number  of  years  his  career  was  identified 
with  this  university,  and  as  an  educator  he 
is  remembered  and  esteemed  by  hundreds 
who  are  now  in  active  life.    , 

For  nearly  thirty  years  he  has  been  al- 
most continuously  in  public  life.  Beginning 
in  1878,  he  served  vsix  years  as  a  member  of 
the  South  Bend  common  council.  One  of 
the  acts  which  stands  to  his  credit  as  coun- 
cilman is  the  fact  that  through  his  efforts  the 
first  public  park  was  secured  for  the  city,  and 
later  was  named  Howard  Park.  During  this 
time,  beginning  in  1879,  he  was  clerk  of  the 
St.  Joseph  circuit  court  four  years.  Jn  1886 
came  his  election  to  the  state  senate,  where 
he  served  three  sessions  until  his  resisrna- 
tion  in  1892.  His  chief  services  in  the  upper 
house  were  as  follows :  He  was  author  of 
the  bill  to  remove  the  limestone  ledge  in 
the  Kankakee  river  at  Momence;  assisted  in 
framing  the  Australian  ballot  law  in  1889 ; 
brought  in  the  bill  for  the  establishment  of 
the  appellate  court  in  1891 ;  and  framed  the 
bill  for  the  Indiana  tax  law  of  1891.  On 
his  resignation  from  the  senate  he  was  elected 
a  judge  of  the  supreme  court,  serving  six 
years.  In  addition  to  these  elective  offices. 
Judge  Howard  has  served  as  city  attorney 
of  South  Bend  and  county  attorney  for  St. 
Joseph  county,  and  has  also  been  selected 
for  service  on  special  commissions  dealing 
with  subjects  of  vital  interest  or  reform  in 


state  government.  He  was  president  of  the 
Fee  and  Salary  commission,  1900-01,  by  ap- 
pointment of  Governor  James  A.  Mount; 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Durbin  a  dele- 
gate to  the  tax  conference  held  at  the  Pan- 
American  Exposition  in  Buffalo,  May  23-24, 
1901,  where  he  read  a  paper  on  the  Indiana 
tax  law;  and  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Durbin  a  member  of  the  commission  of 
1903-05  for  codifying  the  laws  of  the  state. 

Our  author  has  long  been  interested  in 
the  history  of  his  county  and  state  and  is 
now  president  of  the  Northern  Indiana  His- 
torical Society.  Besides  this  history  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  he  has  written  miscellaneous 
papers  and  books,  some  of  them  prepared  as 
text  books  during  his  work  as  an  educator 
and  others  for  special  purposes  and  occa- 
sions. By  his  marriage,  on  July  14,  1864, 
at  Detroit,  to  Miss  Julia  A.  Redmond,  Judge 
Howard  has  had  ten  children,  seven  of  whom 
are  still  living. 

H(3N.  Schuyler  Colfax.  When  Schuyler 
Colfax,  vice-president  of  the  United  States, 
congressman  from  Indiana  for  many  years 
and  one  of  the  speakers  of  the  house  of  rep- 
resentatives during  the  period  of  the  Civil 
war,  passed  away  at  Mankato,  Minnesota,  on 
the  13th  of  January,  1885,  South  Bend  lost 
its  most  distinguished  citizen,  and  the  country 
not  only  a  leading  statesman  and  patriot,  but 
a  good  and  noble  man  as  well.  He  was  among 
the  most  eminent  men  of  the  west,  whose  life 
record  forms  an  integral  part  of  the  history-, 
not  alone  of  South  Bend  but  of  the  state  and 
nation,  and  who  is  therefore  most  worthy  of 
special  mention  in  a  work  of  this  character. 
In  his  death  the  nation  lost  one  of  its  most 
progressive  citizens,  one  whose  influence  was 
felt  in  marked  degree  along  intellectual  and 
moral  advancement. 

As  the  day  with  its  morning  "of  hope  and 
promise,  its  noonday  of  activity,  its  evening 
of  completed  and  successful  efforts,  ending 
in  the  grateful  rest  and  quiet  of  the  night — 
so  was  the  life  of  this  honored  man.  His 
career  was  a  long,  busy  and  useful  one, 
marked  by  the  utmost  fidelity  to  the  duties 
of  public  and  private  life,  and  crowned  with 
honors  conferred  upon  him  by  his  home  city, 
state  and  nation,  in  recognition  of  superior 
merit.  His  name  is  insepara.bly  interwoven 
with  the  annals  of  Indiana,  with  its  best  de- 
velopment and  its  stable  progress,  and  his 
memory  is  cherished  as  that  of  one  who  made 
the  world  better  for  his  having  lived. 


476 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Schuyler  Colfax  was  a  native  of  the  Em- 
pire state,  born  on  the  23d  of  March,  1823, 
in  New  York  City.  As  a  lad  of  thirteen  he 
came  to  New  Carlisle,  St.  Joseph  county, 
where  he  was  educated  and  early  developed 
a  taste  for  polities  and  newspaper  w^ork.  In 
1845  he  founded  the  St.  Joseph  Valley  Begis- 
ter,  and,  after  filling  many  political  positions 
of  local  import,  in  1852  was  selected  as  a 
delegate  to  the  Whig  convention  which  nom- 
inated General  Winfield  Scott  to  the  presi- 
dency. In  1855  he  was  sent  to  congress  and 
re-elected  for  six  consecutive  terms,  and  from 
1863  to  1869 — -covering  such  momentuous  pe- 
riods of  the  Civil  w^ar  and  Reconstruction — 
ably  served  as  speaker  of  the  house  of  rep- 
resentatives. His  vice-presidential  term  with 
General  Grant  covered  the  period  1869-73, 
and  in  the  latter  year  he  retired  from  public 
life  and  returned  to  South  Bend. 

In  1868  Schuyler  Colfax  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Ellen  "Wade,  a  niece  of  the 
widely  known  Senator  Wade  of  Ohio.  She 
is  a  most  accomplished  lady,  whose  many  acts 
of  charity  and  kindness  have  endeared  her 
to  the  citizens  of  South  Bend  and  St.  Joseph 
county.  One  son  was  born  of  their  union, 
Schuyler  Colfax,  Jr.,  who  for  many  years 
was  an  active  business  man  of  South  Bend 
and  was  elected  its  mayor  in  1898,  but  is  no 
longer  a  resident  of  the  place. 

In  his  public  capacities,  Schuyler  Colfax 
was  a  recognized  orator  of  his  day  and  a  wise 
statesman.  In  his  domestic  and  personal  rela- 
tions he  was  a  loving  husband  and  an  affec- 
tionate father;  was  kind  and  benevolent,  and 
charitable  to  a  fault;  a  man  beloved  by  all. 
especially  by  the  citizens  of  South  Bend  and 
others  who  knew  him  best.  With  him  friend- 
ship was  inviolable  and  the  circle  of  his 
friendship  was  almost  co-extensive  with  the 
circle  of  his  acquaintance.  When  those  who 
needed  assistance  came  to  him  his  aid  was 
never  withheld.  Honor  and  integrity  char- 
acterized his  every  act,  and  he  was  never 
known  to  take  advantage  of  his  fellow  man. 
His  name  will  be  honored  for  many  genera- 
tions as  that  of  one  who  stood  as  the  highest 
type  of  American  citizenship. 

Alexis  Coquillard.  The  name  Coquillard 
is  synonymous  with  South  Bend,  and  is  inter- 
twined with  so  many  interests  of  this  city 
that  it  is  difficult  to  say  what  is  the  most 
prominent  feature  of  its  historical  relations 
with  South  Bend.  To  the  oldest  residents, 
and  to  those  who  would  learn  of  the  origin  of 


this  city,  one  of  the  first  personalities  in  a 
long  list  of  celebrities  is  that  Alexis  Co<iuil- 
lard  who,  after  Peter  F.  Navarre,  became  the 
first  white  settler  on  the  site  of  South  Bend. 
He  located  here  in  1823,  an  agent  of  the 
American  Fur  Company,  and  as  such  con- 
ducted a  trading  post  in  a  log  cabin  that  was 
the  first  residence  of  white  man  in  the  woods 
at  the  south  bend  of  the  St.  Joseph  river. 
Unlike  others  in  that  occupation,  who  usually 
retreated  before  the  advance  of  actual  settle- 
ment, he  remained  on  the  site  of  South  Bend 
while  it  was  being  settled  by  a  thrifty  class 
of  pioneers,  and  until  his  death  in  1855  was 
closely  identified  with  the  interests  of  the 
growing  town,  being  one  of  the  proprietors 
of  the  first  flouring  mill  and  in  many  other 
ways  a  citizen  of  note  and  influence. 

It  was  a  nephew  and  namesake  of  this 
trader  and  pioneer  whose  career  is  most  fami- 
liar to  the  later  generation  of  St.  Joseph 
county.  Although  it  is  now  seventeen  years 
since  his  death,  he  is  still  remembered  with 
affection  and  gratitude  for  his  noble  character 
and  his  usefulness  and  generosity  as  a  citi- 
zen. Many  departments  of  activity  were  in- 
fluenced by  him  while  living,  and  much  re- 
mains with  which  his  name  can  still  be 
identified.  Having  acquired  a  fortune  in  his 
home  city  and  county,  he  was  generous  in 
its  expenditure  for  the  benefit  of  his  citizens. 
A  few  years  before  his  death  he  purchased 
one  thousand  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  city, 
and  donated  a  large  tract  of  it  for  the  pur- 
poses of  a  public  park.  He  established  the 
Coquillard  Wagon  Worfe  in  1865,  and  di- 
rected it  through  a  prosperous  growth  until 
its  output  was  sold  in  nearly  every  county 
in  the  United  States.  In  ways  too  numerous 
to  mention,  his  private  interests  were  inter- 
twined with  the  progress  of  the  entire  com- 
munity, and  among  those  who  helped  make 
South  Bend  during  its  first  half  century  of 
existence  he  will  always  be  considered  as  one 
of  the  most  prominent. 

Dying  at  Battle  Creek.  Michigan,  February 
25,  1890,  Alexis  Coquillard  had  rounded  out 
a  life  of  sixty-five  years.  He  was  born  in 
Detroit,  April  29,  1825,  where  his  parents, 
Benjamin  and  Sophia  (Andre)  Coquillard, 
were  among  the  well  known  French  settlers 
of  that  city.  Benjamin  Coquillard  was  in 
almost  the  first  group  of  notable  pioneers  who 
came  to  St.  Joseph  county  at  the  close  of  the 
decade  of  the  twenties.  He  brought  his  fam- 
ily to  the  site  of  South  Bend  in  1829.  only 


THE 
//  -RK 

\\  Asiof,  Lensy  and  Tilden  , 
V   1909 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


477 


a  few  years  after  his  brother,  the  fur  trader, 
had  located  here,  although  by  1829  the  fur- 
trading  period  was  rapidly  passing  and  the 
era  of  permanent  settlement  had  begun.  Ben- 
jamin Coquillard  made  of  his  rough  and 
primitive  home  a  place  of  public  entertain- 
ment, or  tavern,  as  it  was  then  known,  and  it 
was  in  this  backwoods  inn  that  the  boy  Alexis 
gained  his  lirst  experiences  in  the  world.  His 
tendency  to  trade  early  became  marked,  and 
while  still  a  boy  he  was  conducting  a  profit- 
able traffic  among  the  Indians.  It  is  recalled 
that  when  he  was  sixteen  years  old,  L.  P. 
Johnson,  who  kept  a  tavern  located  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  Michigan  avenue  and 
Washington  street,  built  a  wagon  which  at- 
tracted general  attention,  this  being  the  first 
one  ever  constructed  in  South  Bend.  The 
wagon  became  an  object  of  envious  interest 
to  young  Coquillard,  and  when  it  was  com- 
pleted he  induced  his  mother  to  purchase  it 
for  him.  He  put  it  into  service  by  hauling 
produce  and  goods  from  the  river  for  the 
few  merchants  of  the  town,  and  soon  had  paid 
not  only  for  the  wagon  but  for  his  team  of 
horses. 

As  is  made  clear  in  other  parts  of  this  his- 
tory, the  educational  facilities  offered  at 
South  Bend  during  the  thirties  and  forties 
were  very  meager.  In  the  history  of  Notre 
Dame  University,  Alexis  Coc{uillard's  name 
comes  first — the  first  student.  This  oppor- 
tunity for  gaining  an  education  came  when 
Father  Sorin,  in  two  log  houses,  commenced 
the  work  that  proved  the  nucleus  of  the  pres- 
ent university,  and  the  young  boy  who  so 
cheerfully  rowed  him  across  the  river  to  per- 
form his  priestly  labors  became  his  first  stu- 
dent. Alexis  pursued  his  studies  and  grad- 
uated from  the  log  cabin  college. 

The  spii'it  of  the  pioneer  has  always  b^en 
strong  in  the  Coquillard  family.  When  the 
rush  to  California  began,  this  spirit  took  hold 
of  Alexis,  and.  having  persuaded  his  uncle  to 
furnish  him  with  an  outfit,  he  started  to  find 
his  fortune  in  the  Eldorado.  The  agreement 
was  that  the  profits  of  the  venture  were  to 
be  divided  between  the  uncle  who  furnished 
the  capital  and  the  nephew  who  furnished 
the  energy  and  enterprise.  He  was  one  of 
the  lucky  forty-niners,  for  after  nine  months 
he  returned  to  South  Bend  and  faithfully 
divided  his  little  fortune  of  four  thousand 
dollars  with  the  uncle  who  had  thus  stood 
sponsor  for  his  honesty  and  good  judgTnent. 

The  two  thousand  dollars  rea.lized  from  his 


California  venture  became  the  working  capi- 
tal with  which  he  built  up  his  fortune.  With 
this  money  he  bought  some  land  near  the 
present  family  homestead  at  Mosquito  Glen, 
but  he  soon  found  farming  too  monotonous 
and  its  profits  too  tardy.  Following  the  sale 
of  this  property,  he  turned  his  lattention  to 
real  estate  dealings,  and  in  that  direction 
gained  the  greater  part  of  his  fortune.  His 
operations  were  at  first  confined  to  the  vicin- 
ity of  South  Bend.  Another  departure  was 
the  buying  of  a  sawmill,  which  directed  him 
into  the  lumber  business,  and  in  a  few  years 
he  became  one  of  the  most  extensive  lumber 
dealers  of  northern  Indiana.  His  real  estate 
interests  were  growing  so  rapidly  that  by 
1860  he  was  reputed  to  be  the  largest  land 
owner  in  St.  Joseph  county.  The  founding 
of  the  wagon  works  followed  in  1865,  and 
with  the  extension  of  his  real  estate  and  other 
operations  to  various  parts  of  the  country,  he 
built  up  a  large  fortune. 

Of  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Coquillard  to  Miss 
Maud  Perley,  of  Portland,  Maine,  two  sons 
were  born,  Alexis  and  Joseph  Alexander,  who 
continue  the  Coquillard  interests  in  South 
Bend  and  are  worthy  successors  of  a  father 
whose  life  and  work  were  of  so  much  im- 
portance to  South  Bend's  history. 

Hon.  Clem  Studebaker.  Those  are  rare 
characters  in  the  world's  history  who  have 
both  the  tact  and  the  force  of  character  to 
overcome  all  obstacles  caused  by  lack  of  early 
education,  and  take  their  place  not  only 
among  the  material  forces  of  their  country 
but  -with  the  cultured  and  professionally 
trained,  who  have  had  every  advantage  af- 
forded by  the  universities  of  two  continents. 
But  eminent  common  sense,  a  great  heart  and 
the  courtesy  of  an  inborn  gentleman  will  over- 
come all  artificial  considerations,  especially  in 
these  United  States  of  America,  and  perhaps 
half  a  dozen  times  in  a  generation  a  family 
of  characters  bearing  these  strong  traits  comes 
to  the  surface  and  holds  the  unbounded  ad- 
miration of  the  country.  The  Studebaker 
family  is  of  this  great  democracy,  and  none 
of  its  representatives  was  more  typical  of  its 
admirable  characteristics  than  the  late  Hon. 
Clem  Studebaker. 

Mr.  Studebaker  was  born  near  Gettyvsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  March  12.  1831,  the  boy  being 
four  years  of  age  when  the  family  moved  to 
Ashland  county,  Ohio.  There  his  youth  was 
passed,  attending  the  public  schools  and  work- 
ing with  his   father  at  the  forge  and  in  his 


478 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


wagon  shop.  Through  the  latter  occupation 
he  laid  the  basis  of  that  thorough  and  prac- 
tical knowledge  which  enabled  hira  in  lateir 
years  to  be  a  prime  factor  in  the  founding 
of  the  great  industry  conducted  by  the  Stude- 
baker  Brothere  Manufacturing  Company. 
When  nineteen  years  old  (in  1850)  he  came 
to  South  Bend  to  live,  and  was  introduced  to 
the  locality  as  a  teacher.  His  career  as  an 
educator  covered  only  two  terms  of  school, 
after  which,  in  partnership  with  his  oldest 
brother,  Henry,  he  opened  a  small  blacksmith 
shop  near  Jefferson  and  Michigan  streets. 

It  appeal's  that  during  the  first  year  of 
what  may  be  considered  the  establishment  of 
the  industry  which  now  has  a  world-wide 
fame  two  wagons  constituted  the  total  out- 
put, although  the  brothers  also  engaged  in  a 
general  blacksmithing  business.  Their  initial 
capital  was  sixty-eight  dollars.  The  succes- 
sors of  these  sturdy  founders  have  now  in 
their  splendidly  equipped  office  an  oil  paint- 
ing of  this  little  blacksmith  shop,  which 
proved  to  be  the  foundation  of  the  splendid 
reputation  and  fortune  made  eventually  by 
the  Studebaker  family.  The  plant  is  now 
the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  and  its 
wagons  and  vehicles  of  all  kinds  are  turned 
out  by  the  hundreds  of  thousands,  being  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  civilized  globe. 

Clem  Studebaker,  who  had  so  large  a  share 
in  bringing  about  this  remarkable  industrial 
and  commercial  development,  and  although 
before  all  else  a  practical  man  of  rare  ability 
and  tireless  energy,  coupled  with  an  iron  de- 
termination and  a  manly  ambition  to  excell  in 
his  life  work,  was  at  the  same  time  liberal 
in  his  outlook  and  deeply  interested  in  edu- 
cational and  public  movements.  He  was  one 
of  the  leading  Republicans  of  his  state,  which 
he  twice  represented  in  national  conventions. 
He  was  thrice  honored  as  a  United  States 
commissioner  to  the  great  modern  expositions, 
being  a  representative  to  those  at  Paris,  New 
Orleans  and  Chicago,  and  at  the  World's  Co- 
lumbian Exposition  he  served'  as  president  of 
the  Indiana  board  of  managers.  For  many 
years  Mr.  Studebaker  was  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  DePauw  l^nivereity,  was 
president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
Chautauqua  Assembly  in  1889-90,  and  was 
selected  by  President  Harrison  to  represent 
the  United  States  at  the  Pan-American  Con- 
gress held  at  Washington,  where  his  wide 
knowledge  of  commercial  conditions,  as  they 
existed  on   the  western  hemisphere,   and  his 


strong  personal  influence  were  freely  recog- 
nized. 

Clem  Studebaker  was  not  only  a  man  of 
strength,  but  one  of  magnetism,  with  a  sym- 
pathetic outflow  toward  all  suffering.  He  was 
charitable  in  spirit,  and  his  benevolence  mani- 
fested itself  in  countless  practical  works.  An 
ideal  business  man,  a  good  citizen,  a  helpful 
friend,  a  broad  philanthropist  and  man  of 
the  world,  eager  to  aid  in  its  best  progress, 
the  deceased  left  a  great  void  both  in  the 
public  community  and  in  the  hearts  of  count- 
less friends. 

]\Ir.  Studebaker 's  wife,  before  marriage, 
was  known  as  ^Irs.  Ann  (]\Iilburn)  Harper, 
daughter  of  George  ^lilburn,  a  prominent 
wagon  manufacturer  of  Mishawaka.  Their 
home,  which  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  state, 
is  known  as  Tippecanoe,  in  commemoration 
of  the  famous  treaty  which  is  said  to  have 
taken  place  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by 
the  Studebaker  residence.  No  citizen  of  In- 
diana ever  passed  away  whose  death  was 
more  keenly  or  generally  deplored. 

Henry  Studebaker  was  one  of  the 
foundere  of  the  great  vehicle  industry 
of  the  Studebaker  Brothers  ]\Ianufactur- 
ing  Company,  and  although  he  retired 
from  the  business  at  an  early  period  in  its 
development,  it  was  quite  firmly  founded 
when  he  retired  to  the  less  strenuous  career  of 
an  agricultural  life.  He  was  born  near  Get- 
tysburg, Penn.sylvania,  October  5,  1826,  the 
son  of  John  Studebaker,  whose  sketch  appears 
elsewhere.  When  Henry  was  nine  years  of 
age  the  family  migrated  to  Ashland  county, 
Ohio,  being  transported  in  a  wagon  which 
was  built  by  the  father.  So  it  may  be  that, 
in  reality,  John  Studebaker  was  the  founder 
of  the  business  which  has  carried  the  name 
of  the  family  to  every  part  of  the  globe. 

In  Ashland  county  Henry  Studebaker  was 
apprenticed  to  a  country  blacksmith,  working 
at  his  trade  during  the  biLsy  season  and  in  the 
winter  months  attending  the  district  schools. 
He  fina.lly  mastered  his  trade  iinder  his  fa- 
ther's instruction,  and  when  he  was  ready  to 
go  out  into  the  world  as  an  independent  work- 
man there  was  no  more  expert  blacksmith 
than  he  in  that  section.  In  1847.  then  of  age, 
he  bought  a  horse  and  started  for  the  farther 
west.  His  first  stop  was  at  Goshen,  Indiana, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  some 
months,  but,  finding  nothing  to  encourage 
him  in  the  outlook  of  the  locality,  returned 
to  his  home  in  Ohio. 


THE 

'i      NEW  VORK 

^^-^"or.Un^x  and  ri)rf„^ 
X-.    7  9C9 


HENRY  STIIDEBAKER 


z.sn. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


479 


111  1850  Henry  Studebaker,  in  company 
with  his  younger  brother  Clem,  made  a  trip 
to  South  Bend,  Indiana,  and  with  their  joint 
capital  of  sixty-eight  dollars  established  a 
blacksmith  shop.  During  the  following  year, 
in  addition  to  a  general  business  in  the  line 
of  their  trade,  they  turned  out  and  sold  two 
wagons,  which  was  the  commencement  of  a 
world-famed  business.  The  prospects  were  so 
promising  that  in  1852  the  remainder  of  the 
family  oaiiie  from  Ohio,  making  the  journey 
in  two  wagons.  The  brothers  established 
their  little  blacksmith  shop  at  the  corner  of 
Michigan  and  Jefferson  streets,  under  the 
firm  name  of  H.  &  C.  Studebaker,  worked  in- 
dustriously and  hopefully  night  and  day, 
toiled  and  economized,  and,  within  a  few 
years  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
they  had  founded  a  new  and  profitable  in- 
dustry of  unusual  proportions  for  those 
times.  In  1858,  with  the  business  fairly  on 
its  feet,  Henry  Studebaker  was  obliged  to  re- 
tire from  it  on  account  of  impaired  health, 
disposing  of  his  interest  to  his  brother,  J.  M. 
Buying  a  large  tract  of  land  adjoining  South 
Bend,  he  continued  to  cultivate  and  improve 
it  until  his  death,  March  12,  1895,  by  which 
time,  on  account  of  the  general  development 
of  the  country  and  the  consequent  increase  in 
real  estate  values,  coupled  with  Mr.  Stude- 
baker's  good  management  and  business  judg- 
ment, he  had  reached  a  position  of  comfort 
and  agricultural  prominence. 

Henry  Studebaker  was  a  man  of  strictly 
temperate  habits,  being  an  abstainer  from  al- 
cohol and  tobacco  during  his  entire  life.  He 
was  of  an  affectionate  disposition,  a  loving 
husband  and  father  and  a  good  neighbor  and 
citizen,  and  possessed  altogether  a  warm,  hon- 
orable and  CTiristian  character.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Dunkard  Church,  and  took 
especial  delight  in  entertaining  the  brethren 
and  elders  at  his  home.  His  wife,  to  whom 
be  wfis  married  in  1852,  was  Susan  Stude- 
baker, daughter  of  Samuel  Studebaker,  by 
whom  he  had  the  following  six  children :  Mrs. 
A.  W.  Bowanan,  Samuel  W.,  Edith  (now  Mrs. 
Ervin  GMngrich).  Clem  W.  and  Mrs.  J.  M. 
Chillas,  all  of  whom  are  living;  and  Laura, 
who  died  in  1876.  The  mother  and  wife 
passed  away  June  8,  1871. 

In  1873  Henry  Studebaker  married  as  his 
second  wife  his  estimable  widow,  who  now 
occupies  the  commodious  residence  which  was 
so  many  years  a  comfortable  and  happy  fam- 
ily home.  Mrs.  Studebaker  was  formerly  Miss 


Priseilla  Kreichbaum,  and  she  is  the  mother 
of  four  children:  D.  Adelle,  William,  Peter 
C.  (who  married  Mrs.  Olive  Lewis),  and 
Arthur.  Her  devotion  as  a  mother  and  her 
feminine  talents  as  a  home  maker  have  earned 
for  her  the  admiration  of  a  wide  circle  of 
friends  and  the  honor  of  the  children  whom 
she  has  reared. 

J.  M.  Studebaker.  In  this  age  of  colossal 
enterprise  and  marked  intellectual  energy  the 
prominent  and  successful  men  -are  those  whose 
abilities,  persistence  and  courage  lead  them 
into  large  undertakings  and  to  assume  the 
responsibilities  and  labors  of  leaders  in  their 
respective  vocations.  Mr.  Studebaker  has 
made  of  life  a  grand  success,  steadilv  over- 
coming  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his 
path  and  working  his  way  upward  to  the 
place  where  success  places  the  laurel  on  the 
victor's  brow.  He  was  born  near  Gettysburg, 
Adams  county,  Pennsylvania,  October  10, 
1833.  His  father,  John  Studebaker,  worked 
as  a  blacksmith  there,  but  when  his  son  was 
two  years  of  age  he  moved  to  Ashland  county, 
Ohio. 

It  was  in  that  county  that  J.  M.  Studebaker 
received  the  early  educational  training  which 
fitted  him  for  life's  responsible  duties,  being 
obliged  to  walk  two  miles  to  attend  a  country 
school.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  began  work 
on  the  farm  of  his  brother-in-law  at  three 
dollare  a  month,  at  the  same  time  contrib- 
iuting  his  earnings  to  the  support  of  the  fam- 
ily. In  1851  the  family  home  was  established 
in  South  Bend,  the  journey  being  made  in  a 
wagon  built  by  the  father,  and  they  took  up 
their  abode  in  a  log  cabin  four  miles  from  the 
city  in  the  winter  of  that  year,  supplies  being 
obtained  by  selling  wood  in  South  Bend.  The 
lad  was  a  strong  and  willing  worker,  and  cut 
two  cords  a  day  during  the  winter  of  1851, 
while  his  father  hauled  it  to  town  and  se- 
cured two  dollai's  a  cord.  In  the  spring  of 
1852  he  entered  the  employ  of  John  Cotton, 
a  wagon  maker.  In  the  spring  of  the  follow- 
ing year,  1853,  a  company  was  formed  to  go 
to  California  overland,  and  Mr.  J.  M.  Stude- 
baker gave  his  services  and  furnislied  a  wag- 
on, the  wood  work  made  by  him,  and  ironed 
by  his  brothers,  for  the  privilege  of  joining 
the  party.  The  trip  was  a  perilous  and  weary 
one,  fraught  with  many  dangers  and  hard- 
ships, with  mountains  to  scale,  rivers  to  cross 
and  Indian  savages  to  fight.  The  leader  of 
the  party  died  as  the  result  from  a  bite  of  a 
scorpion  and  was  buried  en  route.     Finally, 


480 


HISTOKY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


however,  the  brave  little  band  reached  their 
destination  in  Hangtown,  California,  after 
five  months  and  eight  days  spent  on  the  road, 
Mr.  Studebaker's  cash  capital  at  that  time 
consisting  of  but  fifty  cents.  He  at  once  found 
employment  at  his  trade  of  a  wagon  maker 
with  H.  L.  Hines,  who  in  after  years  became 
a  stockholder  in  the  Studebaker  Company 
and  superintendent  of  the  factories.  There 
he  battled  earnestly  and  energetically,  and  by 
indomitable  courage  and  integrity  soon  be- 
came a  partner  in  the  business.  By  practicing 
the  strictest  economy  he  was  while  thus  con- 
nected enabled  to  save  enough  funds  at  the 
close  of  five  years  with  which  to  return  to 
South  Bend  and  also  to  pui-chase  a  half  in- 
terest in  the  business  of  the  Studebaker 
Brothers.  At  that  time  the  brother  Henry 
retired  from  the  business  and  engaged  in 
farming,  and  the  firm  name  was  then  changed 
to  C.  &  J.  M.  Studebaker,  Clem  doing  the 
blacksmith  work  and  J.  M.  the  wood  work. 
Both  were  skilled  artisans  in  their  respective 
trades,  were  ever  faithful  in  the  performance 
of  their  duties  and  success  attended  their  ef- 
forts. They  subsequently  took  into  the  firm 
Peter  E.,  the  next  younger  brother  in  age  to 
J.  M.,  while  later  Jacob  F.  was  admitted  into 
the  partnership.  These  brothers  have  by  their 
own  energy  and  ability  built  the  wonderful 
business  which  is  known  all  over  the  world 
as  the  Studebaker  Manufacturing  Company. 
The  men  of  influence  in  this  enlightened  age 
are  the  enterprising,  progressive  representa- 
tives of  commerce,  and  to  such  ones  advance- 
ment and  progress  are  due.  Although  having 
reached  the  seventy-fourth  milestone  on  the 
journey  of  life  J.  M.  Studebaker  still  takes 
an  active  interest  in  the  business,  and  is  fami- 
liar with  its  every  detail.  His  son,  J.  M.,  Jr., 
and  two  sons-in-law,  F.  S.  Fish  and  H.  D. 
Johnson,  are  also  actively  associated  M'ith  the 
firm,  as  are  also  the  young  men  of  different 
branches  of  the  family  and  by  their  ability 
and  industry,  are  keeping  the  firm  to  the 
front. 

^Ir.  Studebaker's  beautiful  home,  Sunnv- 
side,  is  one  of  the  beautiful  sights  of  the  city. 
His  name  figures  conspicuously  in  the  history 
of  St.  Joseph  county  from  the  period  of  early 
development  to  the  present  time. 

Jacob  F.  Studebaker.  Practical  ability  of 
the  highest  order,  eombined  with  the  warm 
traits  of  humanity  and  an  invariable  consid- 
eration for  the  rights  and  feelings  of  others, 
are  qualities  which  mark  the  Studebakers  as 


a  family;  and  the  late  Jacob  F.  Studebaker 
inherited  these  family  traits  in  their  full 
strength.  He  was  therefore  a  large  factor  in 
the  erection  of  the  splendid  industrial  monu- 
ment which  his  kindred  have  erected  to  the 
glory  of  themselves  and  their  descendants. 
The  Studebaker  Brothers  jNIanufacturing 
Company  is  one  of  the  distinctively  great  in- 
dustries of  the  world,  and  none  of  its  depart- 
ments are  better  or  more  favorably  known 
than  that  devoted  to  the  output  of  carriages, 
with  which  Jacob  F.  was  so  long  identified 
as  manager. 

Jacob  F.  Studebaker  was  born  in  Ashland 
county,  Ohio,  May  26,  1844,  the  son  of  John 
Studebaker,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  else- 
where in  this  work.  The  old  family  home- 
stead was  near  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  a 
change  of  location  to  the  Buckeye  state  being 
made  in  1835,  and,  in  1852,  to  South  Bend. 
At  the  old  seminary  there  and  at  the  Notre 
Dame  University,  the  boy  obtained  the  bulk 
of  his  education,  and  early  displayed  those 
strong  family  traits  which  marked  him  as  a 
valuable  future  element  in  the  fortunes  of  the 
Studebaker  company.  His  brothers  Clem,  J. 
^1.  and  Peter  E.  wei'e  proud  to  give  him  full 
credit  for  his  admirable  business  and  per- 
sonal qualities.  Methodically  and  surely  he 
advanced  from  post  to  post  until  as  manager 
of  the  carriage  department  he  was  one  of  the 
most  important  pereonal  forces  connected 
with  the  great  industry.  Under  the  stimulus 
of  his  practical  knowledge  and  keen  foresight 
the  branch  of  the  business  under  his  direct 
supervision  reached  mammoth  proportions. 
He  was  energetic  and  straight-forward,  at  the 
same  time  kind  and  considerate  to  those  in 
his  employ. 

The  nature  of  ]\Ir.  Studebaker's  specialty 
in  the  business  of  the  company  necessarily 
brought  him  in  contact  with  the  owners  and 
lovers  of  horses,  and  he  himself  became  one 
of  the  most  enthusiastic  horsemen  in  the  coun- 
try. He  possessed  some  of  the  stars  of  the 
turf,  but  his  particular  admiration  was  the 
Pereheron,  and  he  organized  the  great  Perche- 
ron  Horse  Company  of  Colorado,  which  has 
been  the  means  of  importing  some  of  the  fin- 
est specimens  of  that  breed  ever  brought  to 
the  United  States. 

Jacob  F.  Studebaker  found  vent  for  his 
large  activities  in  other  channels  than  those 
of  business,  and  in  connection  with  his  ab- 
sorbing duties  connected  with  the  Studebaker 
company,  he  was  interested  in  the  organiza- 


^rrn'-L,    ie.\^ior  Jr,  ChicaC,o 


t^ 


^^^^A^e^y^ 


Jacob  F.   Studebaker 


THE 

NEW  YORK 
'public  UBi^ARY' 

f»»f,  Lenex  and  Ttlcltay 

foMudationi. 

TS09 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


481 


tion  of  the  Agricultural  Association,  and 
identified  in  the  leadership  of  many  public 
enterprises  of  city,  county  and  state. 

Ill  1864  31r.  Studebaker  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Harriet  Chord,  a  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel Chord,  a  prominent  citizen  of  South 
Bend,  and  two  daughters  have  been  born  to 
them.  The  widow  has  occupied  their  beauti- 
ful home  at  "Sunnyside"  since  the  death  of 
her  husband  December  17,  1887.  The  fu- 
neral sermon  of  the  deceased  was  preached 
by  the  Rev.  G.  E.  Farr,  and  the  opening  of 
his  addre-ss  well  expresses  the  sentiment  of 
this  review — "Know  ye  not  that  there  is  a 
prince  and  a  great  man  fallen."  In  the  field 
of  labor  to  which  he  was  called  Jacob  F.  Stu- 
debaker was  truly  a  prince,  and  a  figure  of 
national  importance,  while  among  his  inti- 
mates his  character  was  but  another  name 
for  strict  reliability  and  unimpeachable 
honor. 

Peter  E.  Studebaker.  For  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  treasurer  of  the  great 
Studebaker  Brothers  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, the  deceased  and  prominent  member  of 
the  famil.y  mentioned  above  was  long  acknowl- 
edged to  be  one  of  the  most  far  sight-ed  finan- 
ciers of  the  country.  By  virtue  of  his  posi- 
tion with  the  company  he  could  have  been 
nothing  else  but  a  financial  leader.  He  was 
energetic,  a  close  observer  of  industrial  and 
commercial  conditions,  and  always  prepared 
for  financial  depression  or  booms,  guiding  the 
finances  of  the  immense  enterprise  thus  con- 
trolled by  him  according  to  his  wise  forecast. 

Peter  E.  Studebaker  was  a  native  of  Ash- 
land county.  Ohio,  born  April  1.  1836.  the 
.son  of  John  Studebaker,  who  is  elsewhere 
mentioned  in  this  volume.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  that  section,  and  in 
1852  came  to  South  Bend.  Indiana,  soon  se- 
curing employment  with  Kingsley  and  Beach, 
then  the  leading  dry  goods  merchants  of  the 
place.  From  his  clerk's  salary  of  fifteen  dol- 
lars a  month  he  finally  saved  one  hundred 
dollars  and  began  business  for  himself.  He 
thus  continued  until  1856.  when  be  was  mar- 
ried to  Dora  Han.  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and 
removed  to  Goshen.  Indiana,  where  he  was 
associated  with  Joseph  H.  Defrees,  a  dry 
goods  merchant  of  that  city,  who  used  to 
send  ]\Tr.  Studebaker  out  with  a  peddling  out- 
fit and  in  later  years  he  often  told  how  one 
day  while  peddling  through  the  country  he 
rapped  at  a  farm  house  door  and  the.  lady 
of  the  house  came  out  and  informed  him  she 

31 


did  not  want  anji;hing  to  do  with  peddlers. 
He  told  her  he  was  not  a  peddler,  but  a  trav-- 
eling  merchant  and  sold  her  quite  a  large  bill 
of  goods. 

In  the  connection  named,  Mr.  Studebaker 
was  profitably  engaged  until  1860,  when  he 
began  handling  his  brothers'  goods,  and  made 
such  a  success  of  it  that  they  offered  him  a 
partnership  in  the  business.  By  the  accep- 
tance of  their  proposition  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Studebaker  Brothers,  in 
1864.  and  in  the  following  year  he  established 
a  branch  warehouse  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri, 
at  that  time  an  important  outfitting  town  for 
miners,  plainsmen  and  emigrants.  He  soon 
extended  their  trade  over  the  entire  western 
country,  but  in  1872  relinquished  the  St.  Jo- 
seph office,  as  his  services  were  in  imperative 
demand  as  general  officer  of  the  company. 

In  the  year  named  ]\Ir.  Studebaker  assumed 
the  highly  responsible  duties  of  the  treasurer- 
ship  of  the  company,  which  he  retained  until 
his  death  at  Alma,  Michigan,  October  9,  1897. 
During  that  period  there  was  never  a  time 
when  the  brothers  doubted  his  ability  to  meet 
any  crisis,  industrial,  commercial  or  financial, 
and  their  confidence  in  his  good  judgment 
was  never  displaced. 

]\Ir.  Studebaker 's  first  wife  died  in  1865, 
his  secoaid  wife,  whom  he  married  in  1871, 
being  Mrs.  M.  L.  Guthrie,  daughter  of 
Charles  W.  Ewing.  of  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana, 
and  the  widow  still  survives  him.  Besides 
i\Irs.  Studebaker,  the  members  of  his  family 
were  William  F.  Studebaker.  deceased,  and 
two  daughters.  ]\Irs.  Xelson  J.  Riley  and  Mrs. 
W.  R.  Innis. 

James  Oliver.  A  great  inventor  in  the 
field  of  agriculture  and  a  real  benefactor  to 
mankind,  the  venerable  and  venerated  James 
Oliver,  the  discoverer  of  the  chilled-plow 
process,  stands  out  pre-eminently  among 
the  practical  geniuses  of  the  United  States, 
and  is  at  least  one  striking  exception  to  the 
sweeping  biblical  .statement  that  "a  prophet 
hath  no  honor  in  his  own  country."  So 
secure,  in  fact,  is  he  in  the  affectionate  honor 
of  his  neighbors  of  South  Bend  and  Indiana, 
and  his  admirers  throughout  the  west  and  the 
United  States,  that  the  very  warmth  with 
which  he  is  regarded  may  detract  somewhat 
from  a  calm  consideration  of  his  greatness  as 
a  benefactor  to  the  world  through  his  con- 
tribution to  the  progTess  of  the  primal  and 
cosmopolitan  industry  of  agriculture.  AVith 
such  men  as  Fulton  and  Morse  he  stands  as 


482 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


one  of  the  historic  inventors,  who  has  pei-se- 
vered  in  the  development  of  his  original  idea 
and  its  application  to  the  good  of  mankind. 
There  is  also  one  featui-e  in  his  life  in  which 
his  family  and  widely  scattered  admirers  take 
a  well  grounded  pride,  and  that  is  that  no 
suspicion  has  ever  been  cast  upon  the  origi- 
nality of  his  invention.  Perhaps  the  history 
of  invention  furnishes  no  case  like  his — un- 
less it  be  that  of  Edison — in  which  the  real 
inventor,  fighting  for  many  years  against 
ridicule  and  ig-norant  criticism,  has  emerged 
triumphant  from  the  long  and  bitter  conflict 
and  enjoyed  the  legitimate  satisfaction  not 
onl}'  of  seeing  his  invention  recognized  by  the 
authorities  of  the  world,  but  of  profiting  by  it 
even  to  the  point  of  opulence.  Locally.  James 
Oliver  is  admired  and  revered  as  a  public 
spirited,  liberal  minded  gentleman — practical, 
but  open  hearted  and  warm — and.  having 
passed  his  more  than  fourscore  years  of  great 
and  useful  toil,  the  sunset  of  his  life  is  aglow 
with  the  rich  colors  of  a  fair  western  sky. 

James  Oliver  is  a  Scotchman  by  birth,  or 
it  may  be  that  the  discouragements  of  his 
earlier  years  would  have  completely  over- 
whelmed him.  His  native  place  was  Rox- 
burghshire, and  he  was  born  amid  humble  cir- 
cumstances on  the  28th  of  August.  1823. 
Early  in  life  he  learned  the  value  of  honest 
and  unremitting  labor,  and  his  remarkable 
success  has  never  weakened  his  respect  and 
warm  regard  for  the  conscientious  workman. 
At  the  age  of  twelve  yeai-s  the  boy  came  with 
his  family  to  the  United  States,  and,  after 
living  for  one  year  in  Seneca  county.  New 
York,  they  located  at  ]\Iishawaka,  St.  Joseph 
county.  Indiana.  James  at  once  put  his  shoul- 
der to  the  family  wheel  and  became  one  of 
the  supporters  of  the  household,  and  in  1840, 
then  seventeen  years  of  age,  entered  into  in- 
dependent work. 

In  the  year  mentioned  Mr.  Oliver  under- 
took a  contract  for  the  Lee  Company,  of 
]\Iishawaka.  to  lay  pump  logs  in  trenches  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  water  from  a  brook, 
through  Vistula  street  to  the  race  and  still 
house.  He  was  successful  in  this  undertaking 
and  soon  after  bought  his  first  house  and  lot 
in  ]\Iishawaka.  The  still  house,  however,  was 
later  destroyed  by  fire  and  it  was  necessary' 
to  seek  a  new  occupation.  Soon  after  the 
manly  youth  learned  the  cooper's  trade,  get- 
ting out  his  own  timber  and  making  his  own 
barrels,  sometimes  as  high  as  eleven  per  day. 
From  1845  to  1855  he  was  in  the  employ  of 


the  St.  Joseph  Iron  Works.  ^NILshawaka.  where 
he  acquired  that  practical  knowledge  of  the 
foundry  business  which  became  so  useful  to 
him  in  after  years.  Prior  to  thLs  time — May 
30,  1844 — he  had  married  Miss  Susan  Doty, 
of  Mishawaka,  and  commenced  housekeeping 
in  the  modest  cottage  which  he  owned. 

In  1855,  while  waiting  at  South  Bend  for 
a  train  to  Groshen  on- a  matter  of  business, 
]\Ir.  Oliver  met  a  Mr.  Lamb,  who  was  part 
owner  of  a  small  foundrj^  in  South  Bend — 
the  fii-st  of  its  kind.  The  attraction  was  so 
mutual  that  the  young  man  purchased  an  in- 
terest in  the  enterprise,  and  thus  became  a 
permanent  fixture  and  force.  It  is  by  such 
accidents  as  this  that  the  destinies  of  men 
and  the  progress  of  communities  are  de- 
termined. 

The  little  foundry,  with  its  additions,  which 
became  the  founxiation  of  the  mammoth  es- 
tablishment of  the  present  day,  was  first 
known  as  the  South  Bend  Iron  Works,  the 
plant  being  located  on  ]\Iill  street  near  Wash- 
ington, not  far  from  the  site  now  occupied  by 
the  Cociuillard  Wagon  Works  buildings.  In 
a  few  yeare  ]\Ir.  Oliver  bought  the  interest  of 
his  partner,  and  among  his  first  contracts  se- 
cured the  iron  work  for  the  new  St.  Joseph 
Hotel,  which  was  then  being  built  where  the 
.stately  Oliver  House  now  stands.  While  the 
enterprise  w&s  rapidly  advancing  a  flood 
washed  away  his  water  power,  and,  although 
he  was  obliged  to  install  hor.se  power,  he  com- 
pleted his  contract  according  to  stipulations. 
On  Christmas  eve.  1859,  a  portion  of  the 
works  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  was  prompt- 
ly rebuilt  and  operat-ed  on  a  larger  and  a 
more  modern  scale.  Later.  ]\Ir.  Oliver  was 
associated  with  T.  M.  Bissell,  of  South  Bend, 
and  George  Milburn,  of  iNIishawaka,  who  be- 
came heartily  interested  in  the  brig-ht  pros- 
pects and  substantial  interests  of  South  Bend. 
In  1864  another  fire  wiped  out  the  plant,  but 
it  was  promptly  rebuilt  and  increased  in 
capacity.  If  ever  there  was  a  heroic  cam- 
paign conducted  against  adverse  circum- 
stances it  was  this  which  ^Nlr.  Oliver  bravely 
fouo-ht.  marshallinff  his  forces  with  masterly 
skill  and  unflinchingly  advancing  toward  the 
triumphant  future. 

In  the  new  and  enlarged  worlvs  ^Ir.  Oliver 
continued  his  experiments  which  resulted  in 
the  perfection  of  the  chilled  plow — a  plow 
which  is  self-scouring,  with  share  and  mold- 
board  of  chilled  cast  iron.  In  spite  of  ig- 
norant  pleasantry  of   friends   and  bitter  at- 


' '"  - '  .^y 


^^ 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


483 


tacks  of  critics,  he  patiently  labored  night 
and  day  to  prove  that  his  ideas  were  prac- 
ticable. The  agTicultural  world  knows  the 
result,  as  the  plow  trade  of  the  globe  was 
revolutionized.  At  the  Centennial  Exposition, 
held  at  Philadelphia  in  1876,  the  Oliver 
Chilled  Plow  received  the  encomiums  of  the 
expert  agriculturists  of  the  world,  and  the 
West  Race  works  soon  proved  too  small  to 
meet  the  demands  of  the  host  of  converted 
farmers.  Foreseeing  this,  Mr.  Oliver  had  pur- 
chased the  Perkins  farm  of  thirty-two  acres 
southwest  of  the  city,  and  in  1875  commenced 
the  great  Oliver  Cliilled  Plow  Works  wliich 
are  there  located  and  whose  products  go  to 
every  part  of  the  civilized  globe.  They  are 
considered  in  the  light  not  only  of  one  of  the 
greatest  public  benefits  of  this  section  of  the 
state,  but  among  the  leading  industries  of  the 
world. 

In  1885,  with  his  son,  Joseph  D.,  Mr.  Oliver 
completed  a  handsome  opera  house,  conceded 
to  be  one  of  the  best  equipped  play  houses 
in  the  west.  It  was  dedicated,  October  26, 
1885,  by  the  rendition  of  the  drama,  Louis 
XI,  by  the  great  actor,  W.  H.  Sheridan.  In 
December,  1899,  the  magnificent  Oliver  Hotel 
was  thrown  open  to  the  public.  It  is  one  of 
the  finest  hostelries  in  the' country,  and  but 
another  monument  to  the  public  spirit  and 
liberality  of  James  Oliver.  At  his  own  ex- 
pense he  also  erected  South  Bend's  beautiful 
city  hall,  generously  agreeing  to  await  the 
pleasure  of  tax  payers  for  repayment.  It 
is  little  wonder  that  the  citizens  of  South 
Bend  take  an  attitude  of  deep  gratitude  and 
profound  veneration  toward  Jamas  Oliver. 

The  home  of  this  revered  citizen  is  a  beau- 
tiful residence  on  West  Washington  street, 
and  for  many  years  was  presided  over  by  his 
estimable  wife,  who  departed  this  life  on  the 
18th  of  September,  1902.  In  the  calm  eve- 
ning of  their  lives  they  were  dispensers  of 
numberless  charities  and  benevolences,  and 
were  blessed  with  abundant  and  well  merited 
rewards.  The  children  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Oliver  are:  Joseph  D.,  associated  with  his 
father  in  his  large  interests,  and  Josephine, 
wife  of  Hon.  George  Ford,  a  prominent  at- 
tornev  of  South  Bend  and  congressman  from 
this  district  from  1885  to  1887. 

WhjTJam  W.  Dodge.  The  one  whose  name 
forms  the  caption  of  these  memoirs  was  one 
whose  labor,  influence  and  co-operation  was 
a  strong  moving  element  in  the  business,  in- 
tellectual and  moral  development  of  St.  Jo- 


seph county,  Indiana,  who  rose  to  promi- 
nence through  the  inherent  force  of  his  char- 
acter, the  exercise  of  his  native  talent  and 
the  utilization  of  opportunity,  and  the  high 
regard  in  which  he  w^as  uniformly  held  came 
through  the  fact  that  his  was  largely  an  ideal 
American  manhood.  While  he  controlled  im- 
portant and  extensive  business  enterprises, 
they  were  largely  of  the  character  that  pro- 
mote public  progress  as  well  as  individual 
prosperity,  and  his  efforts  were  directed 
along  many  lines  in  wliich  the  community 
was  the  sole  recipient  of  benefit.  His  connec- 
tion with  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the 
state  was  of  the  most  practical  and  helpful 
character,  for  he  aided  in  shaping  the  indus-  ' 
trial  interests  and  in  promoting  the  educa- 
tional, aesthetic  and  moral  development  of  his 
city,  county  and  state.  Aside  from  his  great 
manufacturing  interests,  his  patriotic  citizen- 
ship and  interest  in  community  affairs  found 
manifestation  in  his  zealous  labors  for  im- 
provements along  many  lines,  and  through 
the  institutions  of  many  trade  interests,  af- 
fecting the  material  growth  of  this  part  of 
the  state  and  nation. 

William  W.  Dodge  was  born  in  Mishawaka, 
January  18,  1861,  and  was  a  son  of  Harlow 
and  Elizabeth  Dodge.  As  a  boy  he  attended 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  city,  and 
completed  his  education  in  the  University  of 
Notre  Dame.  In  1878  Mr.  Wallace  H.  Dodge, 
his  brother,  founded  the  Magic  Jack  Com- 
pany, and  began  the  manufacture  of  a  su- 
perior wagon  jack,  and  Mr.  William  W. 
Dodge  became  interested  in  the  business.  In 
1879  the  Dodge  Manufacturing  Company 
was  organized  and  our  subject  became  the 
treasurer,  and  held  that  position  at  the  time 
of  death,  September  1,  1899.  About  this  time 
the  company  began  to  manufacture  saw 
frames,  door  stops  and  a  line  of  wooden  hard- 
ware. On  July  10,  1881,  the  plant  burned 
down  and  the  Dodge  Brothers  rebuilt  and 
continued  the  business,  and  then  commenced 
manufacturing  a  wood  split  pulley.  In  1884 
they  discarded  all  else  and  confined  them- 
selves to  the  manufacture  of  The  Dodge  In- 
dependence Wood  Split  Pulley,  and  in  1886 
they  perfected  the  great  system  of  power 
transmission  by  means  of  manila  rope. 
Through  their  energy  and  a.bilitv  they  have 
built  up  the  great  plant  that  will  ever  stand 
as  a  monument  to  their  progressive  business 
methods  and  which  has  branches  in  all  parts 
of  the  civilized  world.  Mr.  William  W.  Dodge 


484 


HISTOEY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


directed  the  financial  affaii-s  of  the  great  en- 
terprise, and  the  impress  of  his  methods  will 
ever  remain  with  the  company.  It  was  his 
foresight  that  built  up  great  system  in  many 
M^ays,  and  his  master  mind  handled  the  fin- 
ances of  all  the  branches  in  all  parts  of  the 
world.  Mr.  Dodge  was  one  of  the  best  known 
and  most  highly  esteemed  men  that  St.  Jo- 
seph county  ever  produced;  he  organized  the 
Western  Gas  Engine  Company,  and  was  its 
president  at  the  time  of  his  death.  During 
his  ever  active  and  useful  life,  his  many  ex- 
cellent virtues  endeared  him  to  a  constantlv 
arowina:  circle   of   friends   here   and   abroad. 


to  Miss  Xettie  Ford,  a  most  estimable  and 
cultured  lady  of  IMishawaka  who,  with  his 
son,  William  Wallace,  was  left  to  mourn  his 
loss.  Of  Mr.  Dodge  it  may  be  said,  in  his 
private  life  he  was  distinguished  by  all  that 
marks  the  true  gentleman;  his  was  a  noble 
character,  one  that  subordinated  personal 
ambition  to  public  good  and  sought  rather 
the  benefit  of  others  than  the  aggTandizement 
of  self.  When  those  who  needed  assistance 
came  to  him,  his  aid  was  never  withheld,  if 
it  could  be  rendered,  and  many  a  business 
man  a.nd  firm  of  St.  Joseph  county  owes  its 
prosperity  in  a  large  measure  to  the  generous 


A  Corner  of  the  Parlor,  Dodge  Engineering  Association. 


He  was  prominent  in  church,  social  and  fra- 
ternal life,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Indiana 
and  Commercial  Athletic  clubs  of  South 
Bend,  and  the  20th  Century  Club  of  South 
Bend  and  Elkhart.  He  was  a  member  of 
Mishawaka  Lodge  No.  130,  F.  and  A.  M., 
]\Iishawaka  Chapter  No 
Bend  Commandery  No. 
and  a  member  of  the 
funeral  was  conducted 
monies  of  his  lodges. 

Mr.  Dodge  was  married  November  26,  1890, 


19,  R.  A.  M..  South 
13.  Knights  Templar, 
Mystic  Shrine.  His 
with  impressive  cere- 


assistance  of  Mr.  Dodge  in  time  of  need.  His 
own  bu.siness  career  was  unassailable.  Honor 
and  integrity  characterize:!  his  every  act.  He 
enjoyed  to  the  fullest  extent  the  love  and  es- 
teem of  those  with  whom  he  was  associated. 
Wallace  H.  Dodge.  Deeds  are  thoughts 
crystallized,  and  according  to  their  brilliancy 
do  we  judge  the  worth  of  a  man  to  the  coun- 
try which  produced  him,  and  in  his  works  we 
expect  to  find  the  true  index  to  his  character. 
The  study  of  the  life  of  the  representative 
American  never  fails  to  offer  much  of  pleas- 


Library,  Dodge  Engineering  Association  Rooms. 


Dodge  Engineering  Association  Dining  Room. 


THE 

W  YORK 

C   LIB>:SARY' 

Len«x  and  rildag, 
aaationj, 
909 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


487 


ing  interest  and  valnable  instruction,  devel- 
oping- a  mastering  of  expedients  which  has 
brouo'ht  about  most  wonderful  results.  The 
subject  of  this  review  was  a  worthy  repre- 
sentative of  that  type  of  American  character 
and  of  that  progressive  spirit  which  promote 
public    good    in    advancing-   individual    pros- 


perity and  conserving  popular  interests.  He 
was  long  prominently  identified  with  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  Mishawaka  and  St.  Joseph 
county,  and  while  his  varied  affairs  brought 
him  success  they  also  advanced  the  general 
welfare  bv  acceleratinor  commercial   activity. 


i\Ir.  Dodge  was  a  representative  of  an  hon- 
ored pioneer  family  in  St.  Joseph  county,  and 
he  was  one  of  Mishawaka 's  native  sons,  born 
on  the  10th  of  July,  1848.  His  father,  Har- 
low Dodge,  who  is  remembered  as  one  of  the 
leading  hardware  merchants  of  Mishawaka, 
was  a  native  of  Booneville,  New  York,  but 
when  a  young  man  he  came  to  St.  Joseph 
county,  Indiana,  this  being  in  the  early  '40 's, 
and  he  was  first  employed  as  a  contractor 
and  builder  for  the  railroad.  Subsequently 
however,  he  embarked  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness, and  as  such  will  be  well  remembered 
by  the  early  residents  of  Mishawaka.  Durin,g 
his  residence  in  Mishawaka  he  was  married  to 
Elizabeth  Luce,  a  native  also  of  the  Empire 
State,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four 
children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of 
whom  claimed  St.  Joseph  county  as  the  place 
of  their  nativity. 

Wallace  II.  Dodge,  the  eldest  son  and  sec- 
ond child  in  order  of  birth,  spent  the  early 
yeare  of  his  life  in  St.  Joseph,  and  received 
an  excellent  educational  training  in  the  Uni- 
vereity  of  Notre  Dame.  His  first  employment 
was  in  the  hardware  business,  continuing  in 
that  line  of  activity  for  twelve  years.  In 
1881  he  founded  what  is  now  the  Dodge 
[Manufacturing  Company,  and  to  that  large 
corporation  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his  time 
and  abilities  until  his  busy  and  useful  life 
was  ended.  A  history  of  this  manufactory 
appeal's  on  other  pages  of  this  work. 

For  his  wife  Mr.  Dodge  chose  Hattie  E. 
Vesev,  who  M^as  born  and  reared  in  Michi- 
gan.  where  her  father,  ^Madison  Vesey,  was 
an  agriculturist,  having  removed  to  that  com- 
monwealth from  Vermont.  In  life  Mr.  Dodge 
exercised  his  risht  of  franchise  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Democratic  party.  Not  only  in  busi- 
ness affairs  was  he  well  known,  but  he  was 
active  and  earnest  in  his  advocacy  of  all 
measures  for  the  public  good,  and  was  a 
worthy  and  consistent  member  of  the  Mafsonic 
order.  He  did  all  in  his  power  to  promote 
sobriety,  morality  and  godliness  among  men. 
and  his  own  upright,  honorable  life  formed 
an  example  well  worthy  of  emulation. 

]\lELvnj.E  W.  Mix.  For  a  number  of  years 
Melville  W.  Mix  has  been  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  business  interests  of  St.  Joseph 
county  as  president  of  the  Dodge  Manufac- 
turing Company,  of  Mishawaka,  and  in  that 
time  has  become  recognized  as  one  of  its  most 
valued  and  useful  citizens.  Mr.  Mix  was 
born  in  Atlanta,  Illinois,  November  16,  1865, 


488 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


hi.s  parents  being  Walter  W.  and  Mary  E. 
(Dodge)  2Iix.  The  mother  was  a  native  of 
Mishawaka  and  a  daughter  of  Harlow  Dodge. 
The  father,  who  was  a  native  of  New  York, 
journeyed  west  in  1859,  and  at  that  early 
day  took  up  his  abode  in  St.  Joseph  county, 
being  accompanied  on  the  journey  hither  by 
his  mother  and  one  brother,  the  former  hav- 
ing conducted  a  millinery  store  in  Mishawaka, 
the  first  in  the  county.  In  1863  Walter  W. 
Mix  removed  to  Illinois  and  resumed  his  for- 
mer occupation  of  a  tinner  and  hardware 
merchant,  having  learned  his  trade  in  ]\Iish- 
awaka.  He  is  still  a  resident  of  Atlanta, 
Illinois. 

In  the  city  of  his  birth  Melville  W.  Mix 
received  his  educational  training,  graduating 
in  the  Atlanta  high  school  in  1881.  From  the 
time  of  his  graduation  until  January,  1885, 
he  was  employed  in  his  father's  hardware 
store.  In  January,  1886,  he  came  to  ]\Iish- 
awaka  and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Dodge 
IManufaeturing  Company,  but  in  the  year 
preceding  this  he  had  had  charge  of  their 
exhibit  at  the  New  Orleans  Exhibition.  Mr. 
Mix  entered  this  corporation  at  the  very  bot- 
tom round  of  the  ladder,  but  his  meritorious, 
honorable  effort  enabled  him  to  ascend  step 
by  step  until  in  1890  he  was  given  charge  of 
their  Chicago  branch,  thus  continuing  for 
four  years,  when  he  returned  to  South  Bend 
in  1894.  this  being  at  the  time  of  the  death 
of  the  founder  and  president,  Wallace  H. 
Dodge.  With  the  latter 's  brother,  William 
W.  Dodge,  Mr.  INIix  was  then  appointed  one 
of  the  executors  of  the  estate,  also  vice-presi- 
dent for  the  year,  while  in  1895  he  was 
elected  president.  Thus  he  has  made  for  him- 
self a  place  in  connection  with  the  activities 
and  honors  of  life,  has  successfully  sur- 
mounted obstacles  and  has  gained  recognition 
for  intrinsic  worth  of  character.^ 

The  Dodge  ]\Ianufacturing  Company  was 
founded  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago 
by  Wallace  H.  Dodge.  It  was  first  a  little 
saw  mill  for  the  production  of  hardwood  lum- 
^c:/',  «nd  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  never 
inrough  all  the  years  of  its  existence  has  the 
saw  mill  feature  been  missing  from  the  com- 
pany's plant.  From  time  to  time  the  produc- 
tion of  such  wooden  hardware  specialties  as 
window  screens,  door  stops,  tool  handles,  saw 
frames,  vice  handles,  mallets,  etc.,  were  in- 
ti'oduced  as  the  busine«i  extended  and  grew, 
while  later  automatic  turning  lathes  and 
other  more  improved  tools  were  added.    The 


industry  prospered  so  well  that  in  1880  the 
Dodge  ^lanufacturing  Company  was  incor- 
porated by  Wallace  H.  Dodge,  William  W. 
Dodge  and  George  Philion.  In  1881,  how- 
ever, the  little  factory  was  destroyed  by  fire, 
and  being  uninsured  proved  a  heavy  blow  to 
the  young  concern.  But  they  rebuilt  at  once 
on  a  more  substantial  plan,  and  from  then 
until  now  the  business  has  continued  to  grow 
in  volume  and  importance.  Foundries  and 
machine  shops  have  been  added,  for  the  more 
extensive  manufacture  of  power  transmission 
iron  goods.  The  Dodge  Company  were  the 
first  to  recognize  the  great  possibilities  of  the 
wood  pulley  idea,  and  developed  it  into  prac- 
tical commercial  fame.  They  also  revolution- 
ized the  mechanical  world  by  the  invention 
and  introduction  of  the  famous  Dodge  Amer- 
ican or  Continuous  Wind  System  of  rope 
transmission.  Other  numerous  devices  anil 
appliances  which  have  made  the  Dodge  Com- 
pany known  the  world  over  have  from  time 
to  time  been  added,  such  as  the  Dodge  Iron 
Split  Pulley,  the  iron  center  wood  rimmed 
pulley,  the  safety  wood  rim  fly  wheel,  the 
split  friction  clutch,  the  Eureka  water  soft- 
eners and  purifiers,  and  many  others. 

The  founder  of  the  company,  Wallace  H. 
Dodge,  died  in  1894,  and  was  succeeded  by 
]\Ielville  W.  Mix,  who  has  proved  a  worthy 
successor  and  by  his  careful  and  able  man- 
agement the  business  has  more  than  doubled 
during  the  last  decade.  W.  W.  Dodge,  the 
younger  brother,  serv^ed  for  years  as  secre- 
tary and  treasurer,  later  as  treasurer  only, 
and  his  death  opcurred  in  1899.  George  Phil- 
ion,  associated  with  Wallace  H.  Dodge  as 
joint  inventor  of  the  Independence  Wood 
Split  Pulley,  continued  as  superintendent  of 
the  company  until  the  time  of  his  death  in 
1903.  The 'present  officers  are  M.  W.  Mix, 
president ;  W.  B.  Hosford,  vice-president ; 
and  Charles  Endlieh,  secretaiy  and  treasurer. 
The  company  has  had  a  phenomenal  gi'owth, 
and  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  since  its  incep- 
tion it  has  never  had  an  unprofitable  year. 
Demands  for  the  Dodge  products  are  showing 
a  steady  increase,  and  the  success  of  the  in- 
stitution is  due  entirely  to  the  straialitfor- 
ward  business  methods  employed  by  its  offi- 
cer's and  to  the  excellence  of  its  products. 

In  addition  to  his  connection  with  this  large 
corporation  Mr.  Mix  is  also  president  of  the 
]\ri'^hawaka  Trust  and  Saving's  Company, 
which  was  organized  in  1905  to  succeed  the 
old  bank  of  Clark  &  Whitson.     He  is  inter- 


^ARYl 
j^Artor,  Lenox  and  THdati , 
PoHntrationj. 
1909 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


489 


estetl  in  the  National  Veneer  Products  Com- 
pany, a  new  org-anization,  but  one  which  has 
already  demonstrated  its  usefulness  and  its 
success,  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Simplex  Motor 
Car  Company,  and  is  connected  with  many 
others  of  the  leading  corporations  of  St.  Jo- 
seph county.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Mish- 
awaka  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Commanclery, 
past  conuiiander  of  South  Bend  Commandery 
No.  13,  a  member  of  the  Indianapolis  Con- 
sistory of  Scottish  Rites  and  of  Murat  Temple 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engi- 
neers, president  of  the  American  Supplj^  and 
Machinery  ^Manufacturers'  Association,  a 
member  of  the  Academy  of  Political  and  So- 
cial Science,  of  Philadelphia,  and  is  a  Demo- 
crat in  his  political  affiliations.  Mr.  Mix  was 
a  member  of  the  Indiana  Commission  to  St. 
Louis  in  1904,  and  from  1902  until  1906  was 
the  mayor  of  ^lishawaka. 

The  marriage  of  Mv.  ]Mix  was  celebrated 
in  1887.  when  Zella  Louise  Kenyon,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  W.  Kenyon.  of  Lincoln,  Illi- 
nois, became  his  wife.  Their  home  has  bean 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  one  son,  Kenyon,  and 
one  daughter,  Dorothy  L 

W.  B.  HosPORD.  The  sterling  characteris- 
tics in  the  life  of  W.  B.  Ilosford  have  made 
him  a  leader  in  the  biLsiness  world,  and  as 
the  vice-president  of  the  Dodge  Manufactur- 
ing Company  his  name  is  wideh'  known 
throughout  St.  Joseph  county.  He  was  born 
in  Oberlin.  Ohio,  August  9,  1842.  His  father. 
Elihu  Hosford,  was  r.  native  of  Vermont 
but  when  a  young  man  accompanied  his 
father  on  his  removal  to  Oberlin.  Ohio,  where 
they  cleared  the  land  on  which  the  cottage 
is  now  located.  Remaining  there  until  the 
early  '40s  he  removed  to  Owego,  New  York, 
which  continued  as  his  home  until  1860,  when 
he  became  connected  with  the  well  known 
stove  manufacturing  company  of  Fuller, 
Warren  &  Company  of  Troy,  New  York,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  many  years.  Plis 
death,  however,  occurred  in  Washington,  D. 
C.  in  1890.  where  he  was  extensively  and 
successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine, he  having  entered  upon  the  study  of 
that  science  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Mrs. 
Elihu  Hosford  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Eliza.beth  Jennings,  and  was  a  native  of 
Connecticut. 

W.  B.  Hosford  received  his  educational 
training  in  Olivet  Collea^e  of  M'ichigan,  and 
then    learned    the    machinist's    trade.      Since 


entering  upon  the  business  world  he  has  had 
a  varied  experience,  but  his  path  has  ever 
been  upward  and  he  is  now  leaving  his  im- 
press upon  the  industrial  world.  During  a 
period  of  three  years  he  was  employed  as  an 
engineer  on  a  Mississippi  river  steamer,  while 
from  1861  to  1867  he  was  with  the  Toledo, 
Peoria  &  Warsaw  Railroad  Company  as  loco- 
motive engineer,  and  finally  rose  to  the  po- 
sition of  a  master  mechanic.  From  1867 
until  1884  he  was  with  the  Fuller,  Warren 
&  Company  manufacturing  industry,  and  in 
the  last  named  year  came  to  IMishawaka  and 
entered  upon  his  connection  with  the  Dodge 
IManufacturing  Company  in  the  capacity  of 
vice-president,  which  position  he  has  ever 
since  so  ably  filled. 

In  1866  Mr.  Hosford  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Emma  E.  Keener,  of  Peoria,  Illinois, 
and  one  son  has  been  born  of  this  union, 
Hugh  H.,  a  prominent  resident  of  South 
Bend,  and  one  daughter,  Eva  May,  now  Mrs. 
Lampkins.  Mr.  Hosford  is  associated  with 
i\lishawaka  Lodge  No.  130,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
also  with  the  Gliapter  No.  83,  R.  A.  M.,  Com- 
mandery of  Mishawaka  No.  51,  and  the 
Shi'ine  and  Consistory  of  Indianapolis.  He 
is  also  an  officer  of  the  Grand  Commandery 
of  the  state  of  Indiana. 

Charles  Endlich.  During  many  years 
Charles  Endlich  has  been  prominently  iden- 
tified with  the  business  interests  of  Misha- 
waka, and  throughout  the  entire  period  of  his 
residence  in  this  city  he  has  been  associated 
with  the  Dodge  Manufacturing  Company, 
in  which  he  now  holds  the  important  offices 
of  secretary  and  treasurer.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Chicago,  Illinois,  January  5,  1859, 
l)ut  when  only  two  years  of  age  he  was  taken 
b,y  his  parents  to  Denver.  Colorado,  and 
thence  to  Reading,  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
was  reared  to  mature  years  and  received  his 
educational  training.  In  1878  he  accompa- 
nied his  mother  to  Colorado,  and  after  a 
residence  in  that  state  of  four  years 
came  to  Mishawaka,  Indiana,  and  in  1882, 
a,s  a  stockholder,  became  associated  with  the 
Dodge  ^Manufacturing  Company.  His  first 
connection  with  this  corporation  was  in  the 
capacity  of  an  office  clerk,  but  gradually, 
step  by  step,  he  won  his  way  to  the  front 
and  to  his  present  high  position  of  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  manufactory.  His  abil- 
itv  and  versatile  talents  are  well  known  and 
acknowledo-ed.  gaining  him  entrance  into 
many  of  the  leading  business  interests  of  the 


490 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


city,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  his  con- 
nection with  the  National  Veneer  Product 
Company. 

In  1898,  in  Mishawaka,  Mr.  Endlich  was 
united  in  marriage  to  ^Carolina  Vollmer,  born 
in  Reading,  Pennsylvania,  but  reared  in 
Philadelphia,  and  they  are  well  known  in 
the  social  circles  of  this  city.  Mr.  Endlich 
gives  his  political  support  to  the  Democracy, 
and  fraternally  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason. 

John  Comly  Birdsell.  The  BirdseU 
Manufacturing  Company's  plant  at  South 
Bend  represents  more  than  a  large  area  of 
ground,  covered  with  stories  of  brick  and 
iron,  filled  with  powerful  engines,  clanking 
and  whirring  machinery,  and  all  the  wonder- 
ful system  and  tremendously  efficient  energy 
of  the  modem  business  plant.  Admirable 
and  impressive  to  be  sure,  but  what  the  casual 
visitor  sees  is  only  the  superficial  greatness 
hiding  with  its  bulk  a  story  of  human 
interest. 

The  nucleus  of  it  all  was  once  contained 
in  the  ingenious  mind  of  a  quiet,  industrious 
Quaker  farmer,  who  for  something  like  a 
rpuirter  of  a  century  had  pursued  his  reg- 
ular vocation  on  a  little  farm  in  Rush  town- 
ship, Monroe  county.  New  York,  and  with 
more  than  the  average  success  of  the  farmers 
who  were  his  neighbors  and  friends.  These 
Jieighbors  had  much  respect  and  esteem  for 
the  fertile  mind  and  energetic  ability  of  the 
Quaker,  and  were  accustomed  to  obtain  his 
services  in  threshing  their  seeds  and  grain 
with  the  rather  primitive  machinery  then  in 
use.  This  occupation  furnished  opportuni- 
ties for  his  inventive  ability  to  develop.  The 
difficulty  of  separating  clover  seed  from  the 
straw  and  the  expensiveness  of  the  operation 
were  apparent  to  everyone,  but  to  him  alone 
were  the  insight  and  careful  toil  granted  by 
which  the  process  could  be  facilitated.  He 
began  to  work  on  this  problem  early  in  the 
fifties,  and  by  1855  had  invented  a  machine 
combining  in  itself  the  characteristics  of  all 
the  separate  machines  then  used  for  that  pur- 
pose. Upon  this  machine  he  succeeded  in 
obtaining  a  patent  in  1855.  and  on  his  New 
York  farm  established,  with  humlile  begin- 
liings,  the  industry  which  the  developments 
of  later  years  made  one  of  the  cornerstones 
of  South  Bend's  manufacturing  greatness. 

With  the  granting  of  the  patent  for  his 
clover  huller  and  the  manufacture  of  the  first 
machines,  the  Quaker  farmer,  who  had  up 
to  that  time  found  the  difficulties  of  agricul- 


ture only  moderate  and  had  pursued  the  quiet 
tenor  of  his  way  very  much  as  the  tradi- 
tional Quaker  is  supposed  to  do,  found  him- 
self beset  by  unscrupulous  rivalry  and  com- 
petition that  taxed  his  every  resource  of  mind 
and  body  and  transformed  him  into  a  gen- 
uine "fighting  Quaker."  A  stern  defender 
of  what  he  believed  his  rights,  he  spent  years 
in  litigation  over  his  clover  huller  patents, 
prosecuting  all  infringers,  and  courageously 
battling  for  the  privileges  which  alone  could 
insure  the  success  of  his  manufactures.  He 
spent  nearly  ten  years  in  perfecting  his  in- 
ventions and  in  the  litigation  that  this 
involved. 

In  1864  his  whole  factory  on  his  farm  in 
New  York  was  destroyed  by  fire.  This  was  a 
serious  loss  to  the  inventor,  but  South  Bend 
should  regard  it  as  a  fortunate  event,  for 
after  the  fire  he  decided  to  sell  his  farm  and 
move  to  this  thriving  town  situated  in  one 
of  the  great  states  of  the  central  Mississippi 
valley,  where  he  -foresaw  the  future  market 
for  his  invention  to  lie;  and  also  attracted 
by  the  excellent  quality  and  cheapness  of 
the  timber  used  in  the  construction  of  his  ma- 
chines. After  the  establishment  of  the  fac- 
toiy  in  South  Bend,  as  is  elsewhere  stated, 
it  enjoyed  a  steady  growth,  and  the  founder 
devoted  all  his  energies  to  improving  still 
further  the  clover  huller  and  extending  the 
trade. 

With  a  career  so  independent,  so  self-re- 
liant, it  seems  almost  superfluous  to  speak  of 
antecedents  and  of  the  minor  facts;  and 
yet,  perhaps  for  the  very  reason  that  his 
life  was  cast  for  large  undertakings,  we  want 
to  know  some  of  the  more  familiar  facts  that 
concerned  him.  Born  in  Westchester  county, 
New  York,  March  31,  18]  5,  a  son  of  a  West- 
chester county  farmer,  Benjamin  Birdsell, 
and  his  wife,  Charity  Carpenter,  John  Comly 
Birdsell  inherited  his  industry  and  his  pri- 
mary occupation  of  farming  from  a  Quaker 
family  that  had  long  resided  in  that  section 
of  the  Empire  State.  In  1822  the  family 
moved  west  to  Monroe  county.  New  York, 
where  the  wilderness  was  yet  scarcely  broken, 
and  there  began  making  a  new  farm  and 
home.  While  a  boy  in  this  rather  primitive 
country,  plohn  C.  attended  district  school. 
The  meagerness  of  the  education  which  this 
supplied  was  somewhat  amended  by  two 
terms  in  the  academy  of  the  neighboring  vil- 
lage of  West  Henrietta.  During  some  of  the 
winters  that   followed  he   taught  school,   but 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


491 


while  still  a  boy  began  the  vocatiou  of  farm- 
ing' winch  he  supposed  would  continue 
through  lite.  When  twenty-one  he  left  home 
and  rented  a  farm  near  Mendon,  in  Monroe 
county,  and  three  years  later  purchased  a 
place  in  the  adjoining  township  of  Rush. 
Just  about  this  time  he  was  married,  on 
June  7,  1838,  to  Miss  Harriet  Lunt.  There 
were  five  chddren,  and  their  names  and  dates 
of  birth  are:  Joseph  Benjamin,  December  2, 
1843  (see  sketch)  ;  Byron  A.,  March  7,  1817.^ 
Varnum  0.,  January  5,  1811  (died  December 
6,  1875);  John  C,  June  25,  1859;  Harriet 
Elizabeth,  died  April,  1863.  In  June,  1879, 
Mr.  Birdsell  was  married  to  the  wife  who 
still  survives,  to  Mrs.  Susan  Snelling,  of 
Boston,  Massachusetts. 

Mr.  Birdsell  continued  as  president  of  the 
manufacturing  company  in  South  Bend  until 
his  death,  July  13,  1891.  The  company  was 
incorporated  in  1870,  with  his  sons  as  offi- 
cers and  stockholders.  j\Ir.  Birdsell  mani- 
fested a  keen  public  spirit,  and  his  practical 
interest  in  his  city  was  shown  during  t^e 
three  years  he  devoted  to  his  duties  as  mem- 
ber of  the  city  water  works  board  of  trustees. 
He  was  a  man  of  robu.st  frame,  five  feet  nine 
inches  in  height,  weighing  about  225  pounds, 
and  all  who  knew  him  will  never  forget  the 
vigor  of  character  that  accompanied  this 
physique.  His  most  distinguishing  charac- 
teristic was  his  iron  determinatit)n  and  his 
perseverance  in  the  face  of  discouragements. 
Though  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
Ihere  being  no  meeting  house  of  this  sect  in 
South  Bend,  he  became  a  regular  attendant 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  was 
a  Republican  nearly  all  his  life,  but  during 
his  last  years  his  enthusiasm  for  the  cause  of 
temperance  led  him  to  supi)ort  the  Prohibi- 
tion movement.  For  many  years  he  had  af- 
filiated with  the  Masonic  order.  His  travels 
took  bim  to  all  parts  of  the  United  States, 
and  he  talked  of  men,  places  and  affairs 
with  a  familiarity  that  showed  close  observa- 
tion and  study.  In  1880  he  took  an  extended 
tour  through  Europe,  Egypt  and  the  Holy 
Land,  spending  about  fifteen  months  abroad. 

Joseph  Ben.jamin  Birdsell.  South  Bend 
in  the  '60s  was  a  community  of  too  infan- 
tile growth  to  have  developed  any  careers,  or 
to  have  indicated  any  business  prominence. 
In  the  nature  of  things  its  destiny  was  the 
slow  but  sure  unfolding  of  a  prairie  site, 
dependent  upon  a  rich  agricultural  region, 
and  upon  its  proximity  to  a  clear  and  beauti- 


ful river.  The  most  adventurous  and  daring 
could  discern  no  road  to  rapid  fortune,  nor 
any  short  cut  to  any  immediate  personal  ag- 
grandisement. The  man  who  sought  wealth 
only,  continued  his  way  to  the  Pacific  coast, 
necessarily  those  who  tarried  here  to  lend 
their  brain  and  energy  and  heart  to  the  mak- 
ing of  homes  and  the  establishment  of  legiti- 
mate enterprises  possessed  patience,  courage 
and  pioneer  instincts.  They  were  the  back- 
bone of  the  city  of  to-day.  A  few  remain  to 
tell  the  story  of  unsettled  conditions,  but 
more  left  hardy  sons  to  continue  their  work 
or  to  maintain  the  dignity  and  purpose  of 
their  less  happily  environed  lives.  To  the 
latter  class  belongs  Joseph  Benjamin  Birdsell, 
whose  death,  September  27th,  1906,  inter- 
rupted his  forty-second  year  as  a  manufac- 
turer of  South  Bend,  and  around  whose  name 
centers  much  of  the  stability  and  public  spir- 
itedness  of  his  adopted  city.  He  was  born 
in  ^lonroe  county,  New  York,  December  2, 
1811,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Comly  Birdsell 
(who  in  1855  invented  the  famous  clover 
buller  which  bears  his  name,  and  whose  biog- 
raphy appears  on  another  page  of  this  work). 
His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Harriet  Lunt. 
The  family  migrated  from  New  York  in 
J  861  and  settled  in  South  Bend.  A  small 
factory  for  the  manufacture  of  clover  hullers 
Avas  established,  most  of  the  work  being 
turn'^d  out  by  hand,  all  the  members  of  the 
firm  acting  as  general  utility  men,  doing  all 
phases  of  the  work.  Our  subject  received  his 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  New  York 
state,  and  after  leaving  school  began  work 
at  the  age  of  nineteen  years  in  the  office  of 
his  father's  establishment,  continuing  thus 
until  1870,  when  the  Birdsell  Manufacturing 
Company  was  incorporated,  and  Mr.  J.  B. 
Bii'dsell  wa.s  made  treasurer.  In  that  year 
the  main  building  of  the  present  plant,  five 
stories  in  height,  was  built,  being  the  first 
large  factory  building  erected  in  South  Bend. 
Mr.  Birdsell  now  devoted  himself  to  the  af- 
fairs of  the  company  with  untiring  energy. 
It  continued  to  prosper,  and  in  1887,  in 
response  to  the  desire  of  its  patrons,  the 
manufacture  of  wagons  was  begun.  Throueh 
his  indefatigable  efforts  the  business  of  the 
company  was  greatly  extended,  not  alone 
throughout  America,  but  to  Europe  and  many 
foreign  ports,  and  large  additions  to  the  fac- 
tory were  made  necessary  by  the  increasing 
trade.  To-day  the  company  is  not  only  one 
of  the  largest  wagon   manufacturers  in   this 


492 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


country,  but  enjoj^s  the  unique  distinction  of 
having   the   largest   clover   huller   factory   iu 
the  world.     Upon  the  death  of  his  father  in 
1894  Mr.  Birdsell  was  chosen  president  and 
treasurer  of  the  company,  in  which  capacity 
he    continued   until   the   time   of   his    death. 
He  was  a  director  of  the  St.  Joseph  Countj 
Savings    Bank,    served    as    president    of    the 
Municipal  League  of  South  Bend  and  as  one 
of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Associated 
Charities  of  this  city.     He  was  a  member  of 
the  Commercial  Athletic, Club,  of  the  Indiana 
Club    and    the    Country'   Club,    and    derived 
much    pleasure    in    an    informal    way    from 
these   institutions.      P]arly    in    the   spring  of 
1906,  Mr.  Birdsell  decided  to  turn  over  the 
active    management    of    this    extensive    and 
growing  business  to  his  brothers,  and  retire 
from  the  cares  involved  to  enjoy  a  long  mer- 
ited and  Avell  earned  rest.    With  his  wife  and 
daughter  he  had  journeyed   to   Los   Angeles 
with   the  intention    of   a  sea  voyage  to   the 
Orient,  but  was  taken   suddenly   ill    and  re- 
turned to  his  home,  and  after  a  sickness  cov- 
ering  a    period   of   three   months   was   called 
to  his  final  rest,  on  the  27th  day  of  Septem- 
ber. 1906.     He  is  survived  by  his  widow,  son 
and   two   daughters.     As  a   mark  of  respect 
and  to  show  the   high   esteem  in   which  Mr. 
Birdsell    was    held,    all    of    the    factories    of 
South  Bend  were  closed  on  the  day  that  his 
funeral    was   held.      He    was   for   more   than 
forty  years  a  resident  of  South  Bend,  where 
he  became  known  as  a  leading  representative 
of  business  interests,  an  active  factor  in  com- 
munity   affairs   and   a    valued   representative 
of   commercial   and   social   interests.      It   was 
not  these  alone  that   entitled  him   to  special 
distinction    or   won    for   him    the    great^  love 
that  was  extended  him  by  those  with  whom 
he  was  associated.     It  was  his  kindliness  of 
heart,  his  generosity,  his  deep  s\Tnpathy  and 
abiding  tenderness.     He  was  all  that  is  meant 
by  the  term,  a  gentleman  and  a  manly  man, 
strong  and  vigorous  in  intellect  and  reliable 
in   judgment.     It  may  be  true  that  he  held 
decided  opinions  of  his  own.  but  he  had  the 
courage   of   his  convictions   to   express   them 
freely,   frankly   and   fearlessly,   which,   when 
said   truly,   is  the    greatest   euloay   that    can 
be    pronounced    upon    an    American    citizen. 
Strong    and    manly    was    his   life    in    all    its 
relations,  and  most  beautiful  and  tender  was 
it  in  the  home  circles.     His  deepest  interests 
centered  there,  and  no  personal  sacrifice  on 
his  part  was  considered  too  great  if  it  would 


promote  the  welfare  ci'  jus  wife  and  children. 
Having  nearly  reached  the  bounds  of  man's 
appointed  years,  at  last  life's  blessings  all 
enjoyed,  life's  labors  done,  serenely  to  his 
final  rest  he  passed,  while  the  tender  memory, 
of  his  virtues  yet  lingers  like  twilight  when 
the  sun  has  set. 

Frank  (i.  Perkins.  The  family  of  which 
the  subject  of  this  memoir  is  a  most  honored 
representative  is  a  pioneer  one  of  St.  Joseph 
county.  They  have  taken  a  patriotic  interest 
in  everything  bearing  upon  the  upbuilding 
and  progress  of  the  comnnuiity,  and  have 
aided  in  many  enterprises  which  have  greatly 
benefited  the  city,  county  and  state.  Frank 
G.  Perkins,  the  vice  president  of  the  Perkins 
Windmill  Company,  was  born  in  Branch 
county,  Michigan,  January  28,  1852,  a  son 
of  Barber  and  Jane  (Boon)  Perkins,  both 
natives  of  New  York.  In  1842  the  fathei-  re- 
moved to  the  west,  the  mother  coming  earlier 
in  1836,  and  they  established  their  homes  in 
Branch  county. 

Tbe  public  schools  of  his  native  county  fur- 
nished P^rank  G.  Perkins  with  his  preparatory 
education,  and  he  afterwards  became  a  stu- 
dent in  Hillsdale  College.  Coming  thence  to 
JNIisha.waka  he  learned  the  machinist's  trade 
with  the  Perkins  Windmill  Company,  owned 
and  conducted  by  his  uncle.  P.  C.  Perkins, 
and  has  remained  with  this  large  corporation 
ever  since,  being  now  its  vice  president.  He 
has  thoroughly  learned  the  business  in  every 
department,  and  step  by  step  has  mounted 
the  ladder  of  success  until  he  has  reached  a 
place  of  prominence,  a  just  reward  of  hon- 
orable, eff'ort. 

In  December,  1875,  Mr.  Perkins  married 
Cp.rrie  Hudson,  a  daughter  of  Albert  Hudson, 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Perkins  Windmill 
Company.  Two  children  have  been  born  to 
bless  their  home, — Mrs.  Robert  Ca.mpbell  and 
:\Irs.  Glen  Hillier.  Mr.  Perkins  is  a  capable 
business  man  and  a  worthy  scion  of  the  fa- 
mous old   Perkins  family. 

George  M.  Fountain.  This  name  is  one 
known  throughout  St.  Joseph  county,  for 
within  its  confines  George  M.  Fountain  has 
passed  his  entire  life,  and  here  also  his 
parents  lived  for  many  decades.  He  was 
born  in  South  Bend  on  the  21st  of  March, 
1857,  his  parents  being  Solomon  H.  and  Jane 
Ann  (Tuttle)  Fountain.  The  maternal 
tjrandfather.  Richmond  Tuttle,  was  also  num- 
bered among  the  honored  pioneers  of  St.  Jo- 
seph county,  where  he  was  prominently  iden- 


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PUBLIC    Ll&^^ARY 
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HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


493 


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citted  With   its 
in    other    wjv- 
uieiit.  and  U}<: 
the  oldest  M 
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Creek. 

George  M 
tional  traini' 
and    in    1  ..jkca 

tield  in  >,.  ..    v  ...  ..>le..  In 
was  elected  the  f\evk  of 
iu  which  he  ser\ 
his  term  of  office' 
all  with  whom  he    . 
he  assumed  busine?'-- 
kins  Windmill  ' 
is  now  ably  filijiig   iiiai    ui; 
I!??- is  a  well  know    'i"!  hi.j>  . 
St.   Joseph  county  hfnl 

and  an  excellei 

Albert 
Hudson 
most  vril: 
were 
a  long  {)• 
with  one 
the  couiii 
His  life  A 
.just,  being  iu  a 
]iles  of  human  cuinni 

Mr.  Hudson  waa  )x' 

ticut.  on  the  1st  ol 

of  Ben.ia.min   Hudson,  ai 

c'oiinnonw     '-^     md  a  me' 

I'v-lnnr^  y.      In    V 

'■5rof;kport, 
had   been   living 

and  in  his  jourinzv   ui.iii  i    -  i  .u 
So  pleas-rrl  Tvns  he  '^ilh  ^hr-  vn 
futuri- 
and    in 

Mishawal\d  .niu.  ^mi-ul 
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1!- 


Li_ 


494 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


of  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  wJio  came  to  War- 
ren township  of  this  county  in  1831,  and  was 
thereafterward    prominently    identified    with 
its  welfare  and  upbuilding,  his  name  being 
well  known  in  the  buying  and  selling  of  farm 
lands.  His  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death  in 
1852.    His  son  Jacob  supplemented  the  early 
educational  training  which  he  received  in  the 
district  schools  by  attendance   at  the  North- 
ern  Indiana   Normal    College   and  the   East- 
man's Business  College.     He  was  then  for  a 
short  time  thereafter  associated  with  Colonel 
Norman   Eddy,  collector  of  internal  revenue 
for  this  district,  after  which  he  traveled  for 
an  oil  firm  of   Cleveland  for   a  short  time, 
while  next  he  was  with  the  Studebaker  Broth- 
ers as  bookkeeper  in  the  counting  room.  Fore- 
seeing the  great  po.ssibilities  in  the  real  estate 
business,  ]\Ir.  Wool  vert  on  in  June,  1869,  be- 
eg.me   associated   in   partnership   with   W.   L. 
Kizer   in    that    occupation,    and   the   firm    of 
Kizer  &  Woolverton  has  been  prominent  and 
successful  to  a  high  degree,  conducting  ex- 
tensive loans  on  property  in  Indiana.   ■Michi- 
gan and  Ohio.     However,  the  efiforts  of  Mr. 
Woolverton  have  not  been  eonfined  to  one  line 
of  endeavor.     He  is  now  president  of  the  St. 
Joseph  County  Savings  Bank,  a  stockholder 
and  vice-president  of  the  St.  Joseph  Loan  & 
Trust  Company  and  vice-president  and  treas-. 
urer  of  the  IMalleable  Steel  Eange  Company. 
He  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party,  active  and  enthusiastic 
in  its  support  and  well  being,  and  on  several 
occasions  has  served  as  treasurer  of  the  Re- 
publican Central  Committee. 

The  marriage  of  ]\Ir.  Woolverton  was  cele- 
brated in  October,  1870,  when  Miss  Alice  M. 
Rupel  became  his  wife.  He  has  earned  for 
himself  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  careful 
man  of  business,  always  known  for  his 
prompt  and  honorable  methods  of  dealing, 
which  have  won  him  the-  deserved  and  un- 
bounded confidence  of  his  fellow  men. 

Edwin  R.  Dean,  M.  D.  In  the  medical- 
profession  advancement  is  not  easily  secured. 
It  comes  through  true  merit  and  cannot  be 
obtained  by  gift  or  purchase.  One  must  be 
well  qualified  in  the  profession,  for  in  no 
other  calling  is  pretense  so  easily  discovered 
as  among  those  who  engage  in  the  alleviation 
of  human  suffering.  That  Dr.  Dean  has  a 
large  patronage  is  indicative  of  his  skill  and 
ability.  He  is  a  native  son  of  the  southland, 
his  birth  having   occurred   in  Mt.    Sterling, 


Kentucky,  on  the  27th  of  August,  1865,  being 
a  son  oi  Ellis  and  Emma  (Robinson)  Dean,  . 
the  former  of  Scotch-Irish  and  the  latter  of 
English  descent.  The  parents  were  natives  of 
Kentucky,  but  were  of  old  Virginian  families. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  but 
was  weU  known  in  public  life,  having  held 
various  offices  in  his  county  for  twenty-seven 
years.  His  death  occurred  on  the  2d  of  Octo- 
ber, 1898,  when  he  had  reached  the  sixty- 
fourth  milestone  on  the  journey  of  life. 

Edwin   R.   Dean   received   his   preparatory 
education  in  the  Harris  Institute  at  ]\It.  Ster- 
ling, after  which  he  pursued  a  collegiate  course 
at  Georgetown  College,  graduating  therefrom 
in  1888  with  the  degree  of  B.  S.    His  medical 
training  was  received  in  the  Jefferson  ]\Iedical 
College^  of  Philadelphia,  in  which  he  gradu- 
ated as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1890,  and  he 
immediately  began  the  practice  of  his  chosen 
profession  in  Mt.  Sterling,  where  he  remained 
for  nine  years.     In  1899  he  came  to  South 
Bend  and  opened  an  office,  and  he  has  re- 
mained here  ever  since  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine.    His  long  professional  career 
has  been  attended  with  marked  success.     His 
promptness,  his  sympathetic  nature  and  his 
generosity  are  well  known  factors  in  his  make- 
up, and  those  who  have  known  him  longest 
esteem  him  most  highly.     As  an  instance  of 
his  early  maturity  he  was  appointed  deputy 
tax   collector    of   ]\Iontgomery   county,   Ken- 
tucky, at  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  and  held 
the  office  for  eight  years  under  three  different 
officials,  having  given  a  bond  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  faithful  per- 
formance of  his  duties,  and  before  removing 
from   ]kIontgomery   county  he   also   served  as 
president  of  the  ilontgomerj-  County  Medical 
Society.    He  is  now  a  member  of  the  medical 
staff  of  Epworth  Hospital  and  the  St.  Joseph 
Hospital;    is    a   member    of   the    St.    Joseph 
County  and  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Socie- 
ties, of  the  American  Association  and  is  exam- 
iner for  a  number  of  insurance  societies. 

Dr.  Dean  married  Miss  Emma  Dunn,  a 
native  of  South  Bend  and  whose  death 
occurred  in  1903.  The  Dunn  family  is  num- 
bered among  the  old  and  honored  settlers  of 
St.  Joseph  county.  Three  children  were  born 
of  this  union :  Esther  R.,  born  April  6,  1895; 
J.  Edwin,  born  September  23,  1897;  and  R. 
Ellis,  born  January  5,  1899.  The  Doctor  was 
married  in  1905  to  Miss  Bessie  Stover,  a 
daughter  of  J.  C.  Stover,  one  of  the  old  and 


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HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


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HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


dent,  and  later  they  purchased  the  old  Mil- 
burn  Wagon  Works  and  converted  it  into  a 
furniture  factory.  In  1883  Mr.  Roper  sold 
his  interest  in  that  corporation  to  Frank  Per- 
kins, and  for  one  year  thereafter  conducted  a 
furniture  factory  in  South  Bend.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period,  in  1884,  he  organized 
the  Roper  Furniture  Company,  his  associates 
being  J.  W.  and  J.  Q.  C.  Vandenbosch,  and 
after  the  death  of  J.  W.  Vandenbosch  he  pur- 
chased their  interest,  and  the  Roper  family 
are  now  sole  owners  of  the  business.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  connection  with  this  important 
industry  Mr.  Roper  is  also  president  of  the 
First  National  Bank,  a  director  of  the  First 
Trust  and  Savings  Bank,  president  of  the 
Public  Utility  Company,  was  formerly  presi- 
dent of  the  City  Electric  Light  Company  and 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Public  Util- 
ities Company.  In  an  early  day  he  also 
served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council,  while 
at  the  present  time  he  is  a  member  of  the 
county  council. 

In  1868  Mr.  Roper  "was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Ella  M.  Dowling.  a  daughter  of  Ed- 
ward and  Margaret  Dowling  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  and  they  have  five  sons,  H.  C,  C.  A., 
H.  D.,  L.  E.  and  J.  G.,  all  of  whom  are  hold- 
ing prominent  positions  in  their  father's  busi- 
ness with  the  exception  of  L.  E.  Roper.  Mr. 
Roper  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  Houghton  Post,  of  which  he  served 
as  the  first  commander,  holding  that  position 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  church,  being  now  superin- 
tendent of  its  Sunday  school. 

James  M.  DeRhodes.  Banking  institutions 
constitute  the  heart  of  the  financial  body,  in- 
dicating the  healthfulness  of  trade.  There 
are  no  other  enterprises  which  so  soon  feel  a 
depression  in  the  market  or  a  period  of  pros- 
perity, and  banks  which  follow  a  safe,  con- 
servative policy  do  more  to  establish  a  feeling 
of  confidence  in  times  of  widespread  financial 
panic  than  any  other  institutions  in  the  world 
of  trade.  Mr.  DeRhodes  stands  today  at  the 
head  of  one  of  the  leading  financial  concerns 
of  South  Bend,  being  president  of  the  Mer- 
chants' National  Bank.  With  a  thorough  un- 
derstanding of  his  business,  he  has  labored 
for  the  success  of  the  institution  along  lines 
that  have  awakened  public  confidence,  and 
made  the  bank  one  of  the  safe,  reliable  monied 
concerns  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 

Mr.  DeRhodes  was  born  in  Columbiana 
county.  Ohio,  on  the  12th  of  November,  1853, 


a  son  of  David  and  Mary  A.  (Miller) 
DeRhodes,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
The  father,  who  was  born  in  1815, 
removed  to  Ohio  during  his  boyhood 
days,  where  he  was  engaged  in  both 
farming  and  merchandising,  and  his  death 
occurred  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years.  He  obtained  his  early  education 
in  the  country  schools  of  his  native  county, 
and,  after  completing  his  studies,  his  father 
gave  him  a  third  interest  in  the  home  farm, 
under  which  arrangement  he  met  with  a  high 
degree  of  success,  making  a  specialty  of  the 
raising  of  grain.  His  desire  to  embark  more 
extensively  in  the  grain  trade  induced  him 
to  remove  to  North  Dakota,  in  1882.  his  part- 
ner in  the  enterprise  being  his  brother,  K.  C. 
DeRhodes,  now  the  cashier  of  the  Merchants' 
National  Bank  of  South  Bend.  They  were 
engaged  in  both  grain  farming  and  merchan- 
dising on  a  large  scale,  also  conducting  an 
elevator  and  a  wood  and  coal  business;  but, 
although  their  interests  were  varied,  exten- 
sive and  very  profitable  and  the  brothers  rap- 
idly acquired  wealth  and  a  high  position  as 
citizens,  they  decided  to  return  to  Indiana 
where  their  children  could  enjoy-  better  edu- 
cational advantages.  In  1896  they  therefore 
disposed  of  their  interests  in  North  Dakota, 
and  located  in  Lafayette,  successfully  engag- 
ing in  the  wholesale  grain  trade  in  that  city. 
•On  the  21st  of  June,  1902,  they  settled  in 
South  Bend,  erected  the  Merchants'  Bank 
building  on  the-  corner  of  Michigan  and 
Wayne  streets  and  organized  the  Merchants' 
National  Bank,  of  which  James  INI.  DeRhodes 
became  president  and  his  brother  cashier. 

In  1884  Mr.  DeRhodes  was  married  to 
Sarah  E.  Large,  a  daughter  of  Levi  Large, 
of  Fond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin,  and  they  have 
three  children — Guy  L.,  Emma  G.  and  Alice. 
The  family  are  ass'^ciated  with  the  aiethodist 
church,  and  Mr.  l3eRhodes  is  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  Although 
he  has  been  identified  with  South  Bend  but 
a  few  years,  he  is  highly  regarded  in  all  cir- 
cles— social,  religious  and  business.  He  is  a 
mail  of  sterling  worth  and  strong  character, 
but  affable  and  courteous  in  manner,  and  has 
a  wide  circle  of  friends,  both  social  and  busi- 
ness. He  is  a  recognized  authority  in  the 
financial  world,  and  has  thoroughly  identified 
himself  with  the  leading  interests  and  enter- 
prises of  his  adopted  home.  He  is  broad- 
minded  and  liberal,  and  while  not  seeking 
notoriety  has  a  just  pride  in  the  development 


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HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


497 


and  progress  of  his  home  and  his  own  success      election  lie  received  a  majority  of  four  hun- 

^^  lif^-  dred  and  nineteen  votes.    He  was  admitted  as 

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498 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


A  native  son  of  the  county  of  St.  Joseph, 
and  one  of  which  it  may  well  be  proud,  he 
was  born  on  the  14th  of  June.   1833,   a  son 
of  Reynolds  and  Phoebe  Dunn,  the  former  a 
native  of  New  Jersey  and  the  latter  of  Greene 
county,  Ohio.    During  his  boyhood  days,  how- 
ever,  the   father  went  to   Ohio,   and   shortly 
after  his   marriage  he   brought   his   bride  to 
St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  where  their  hon- 
orable  and   upright   lives   won   them   the   re- 
spect and  confidence  of  their  fellow  citizens. 
In  the  public  schools  of  South  Bend  their  son 
received  his  early  educational  training,   and 
for  a  number  of  years  after  laying  aside  his 
text   books   he   served    as    a    clerk    for   John 
Brownfield,  the  then  leading  merchant  of  the 
city.     In   1860  he  made  the  trip   to  Pike's 
Peak,   Colorado,  with  a  party  in  search  for 
gold,  but  not  being  successful  in  the  finding 
of  the  precious  metal  Mr.  Dunn  returned  to 
South  Bend  in  the  following  year.     In  1864 
he  was  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business  as 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Dunn  &  Zimmerman, 
while  later  his  brother  was  admitted  to  a  part- 
nership, business  being  thereafter  conducted 
under  the  firm  name  of  Dunn  Brothers.     Sub- 
sequently, however,  B.  F.  Dunn  relinquished 
his  interest  in  this  enterprise  and  in  company 
with    ,his   brother-in-law,    Robert    Myler,  was 
thereafterward    engaged     in     manufacturing 
pursuits   until   1873,   in   which  year  he  sold 
his   interest.      Since   that   time   his  time   and 
attention  have  been  given  to  the  real  estate 
business.     In  company  with  Mr.  A.  J.  Home 
he  platted  and  laid  out   the   town   of  River 
Park,  one  of  the  beautiful  subdivisions  of  the 
North  Side  and  which  they  now  own.     Mr. 
Dunn  has  been  a  potent  factor  in  the  success 
which  has  attended  various  enterprises.     He 
is  the  trustee  and  vice-president  of  the   St. 
Joseph  County  Savings  Bank,  and  for  eleven 
years  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  education, 
having   also   been   actively   interested   in   the 
establishment  of  the  public  library. 

Mr.  Dunn  was  married  in  1864  to  Mary  V. 
Hamilton,  of  Ohio,  and  three  children  have 
been  born  to  them:  ]\Irs.  J.  G.  Shurtz,  of 
Michigan ;  Mrs.  F.  A.  ]\Iiller.  of  South  Bend ; 
and  Miss  Blanche.  The  family  affiliate  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Dunn 
is  a  member  of  the  Commercial  Athletic  Club, 
and  is  accounted  one  of  the  prominent  and 
progressive  citizens  of  South  Bend. 

Richard  H.  Lyon,  for  thirty-three  years 
connected  with  the  South  Bend  Tribune, 
was   one   of  the  pioneer  newspaper  men   of 


the  city.  He  was  born  near  Bridgeport, 
Conn.,  and  in  1860  moved  with  his  family  to 
Ypsilanti,  Mich.  After  a  residence  there  of 
several  years  they  moved  to  Van  Buren 
county,  that  state.  His  early  education  was 
obtained  in  the  public  schools  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  learning  the  printers'  trade  in 
Decatur,  111. 

Mr.  Lyon,  who  had  served  as  correspondent 
of  The  Tribune,  came  to  South  Bend  in  1874 
and  accepted  a  position  in  The  Tribune  com- 
posing room  and  his  connection  with  that 
paper  continued  until  his  death,  April  4, 
1907.  He  was  advanced  to  the  reportorial 
staff  in  1875,  became  city  editor  in  1878  and 
later  was  made  associate  editor,  a  position 
which  he  filled  with  splendid  credit  until 
failing  health  compelled  him  to  resign  in 
1905.  He  continued  his  connection  with 
The  Tribune,  however,  as  a  special  writer  and 
did  some  excellent  work. 

Mr.  Lyon  was  a  co-author  with  Charles  H. 
Bartlett,  formerly  principal  of  the  South 
B-end  high  school,  in  a  beautiful  historic 
volume  entitled  "La  Salle  in  the  Valley  of 
the  St.  Joseph"  which  was  published  by  the 
Tribune  Printing  Company.  He  had  also 
written  many  articles  and  papers  of  historical 
value  and  deep  interest.  He  was  a  thorough 
musician  and  had  been  identified  with  nearly 
every  musical  organization  in  South  Bend 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  He  was  the  com- 
poser of  several  sacred  songs  and  anthems. 
Mr.  Lyon  was  known  as  the  original  "Old 
Shady"  and  his  services  in  political  cam- 
paigns in  a  musical  way  made  him  very 
popular  in  northern  Indiana  and  southern 
Michigan. 

He  was  married  in  1876  at  Kalkaska, 
Mich.,  to  Miss  Frances  A.  Kurtz,  of  Buffalo. 
N.  Y.,  who  continues  to  make  South  Bend 
her  home.  Mr.  Lyon  was  prominent  in 
numerous  movements  of  a  progressive  charac- 
ter and  was  a  member  of  the  Northern  In- 
diana Historical  Society  and  fraternally  was 
associated  with  the  National  Union. 

Charles  Frank  is  numbered  among  the 
leading  business  men  of  Mishawaka,  and  is 
also  an  honored  .soldier  of  the  Civil  war. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Beaver  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, March  18,  1842,  and  his  father, 
Reinhold  Frank,  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
coming  to  America  during  his  boyhood 
days  in  1806.  In  this  country  he  was 
married  to  Catherine  Roupp,  also  a  native  of 
the   f-^therland,    and  she   was   about   eighteen 


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\.,        FoHK-jatlon 


\'.. 


1909 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


499 


years  of  age  when  she  came  to  this  country, 
where  her  death  occurred  when  she  had 
reached  the  age  of  eighty  years.  In  their 
family  were  seven  children,  tive  sons  and  two 
daughters,  all  of  whom  grew  to  years  of  ma- 
turity. The  father  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life  in  Pennsylvania,  dying  there  at  the 
age  of  seventy-three  years. 

Charles  Frank,  the  fourth  child  and  third 
son  in  his  parents'  famil.y,  received  his  edu- 
cational training  in  the  schools  of  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  and.  remained  at  home  until 
1861,  when  he  offered  his  services  to  his 
country  during  the  Civil  war,  enlisting  when 
a  youth  of  nineteen  years  in  Company  B, 
Seventy-fourth  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  In- 
fantry. His  bravery  and  faithful  service  won 
him  many  promotions,  and  he  was  honorably 
discharged  as  a  conunis.sary  sergeant  after 
three  years  of  faithful  and  arduous  service, 
during  which  time  he  had  participated  in 
many  of  the  principal  battles  of  the  war,  in- 
cluding Chancellorsville  and  Fredericksburg. 
He  was  slightly  wounded  while  at  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  and  after  the  close  of  the  con- 
flict he  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, while  shortly  afterward,  in  1864,  he 
came  to  St.  Joseph  county,  rirst  locating  at 
Woodland,  where  for  about  twenty  years  he 
was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  and  also 
in  conducting  a  saw  mill.  From  that  city  he 
came  to  Mishawaka  in  1889,  resuming  his 
lumber  business.  For  forty-three  years  he  has 
been  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph  county,  and 
strictly  upright  and  above  reproach  in  all 
his  dealing  wdth  others,  he  merits  the  high 
esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  all  who  have 
the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance.  His  prom- 
inence in  the  public  life  of  the  community 
has  led  to  his  selection  for  many  offices  of 
public  trust,  having  been  the  Republican  rep- 
resentative in  the  office  of  school  trustee  for 
several  years,  and  was  a  justice  of  the  peace 
in  Madison  township  for  many  years,  was 
elected  mayor  in  the  fall  of  1906.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  extensive  lumber  business  he  also 
has  stock  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Mish- 
awaka. 

In  1868  ]\Ir.  Frank  was  married  to  Mary 
A.  Buchheit,  the  daughter  of  Jacob  Buchheit, 
and  their  four  children  are:  George  F.,  a 
resident  of  Mishawaka;  J.  N. ;  Estella,  the 
wife  of  R.  H.  Jernegan,  of  Mishawaka;  and 
Grace,  the  wife  of  John  W.  Beiger,  also  of 
this  city.  Mr.  Frank  has  membership  rela- 
tions with  Houghton  Post,  No.  128,  G.  A.  R., 


in  which  he  has  filled  all  the  offices,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  order  of 
Mishawaka  and  the  Elks  of  South  Bend. 

Myron  Campbell  is  cashier  of  the  South 
Bend  National  Bank,  and  his  prestige  in 
financial  and  business  affairs  has  been  won 
through  marked  executive  force,  keen  discrim- 
ination, sound  judgment  and  unfaltering 
energy.  He  was  born  in  Valparaiso,  Indiana, 
on  the  13th  of  March,  1849,  a  son  of  Samuel 
A.  and  Harriet  (Cornell)  Campbell,  and  is  a 
twin  brother  of  Marvin  Campbell.  The  public 
schools  of  his  native  city  furnished  him  with 
his  early  educational  training,  this  being  sup- 
plemented by  attendance  at  the  Northern  In- 
diana Normal  College  of  Valparaiso,  where  he 
studied  civil  engineering,  waring  and  survey- 
ing, and  afterwards  assisted  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Chicago  &  Grand  Trunk  Railroad 
between  Flint  and  Lansing,  Michigan.  Dur- 
ing a  period  of  four  years,  Mr.  Campbell  also 
acted  in  the  capacity  of  surve.yor  of  Porter 
county.  In  1872  he  embarked  in  the  grocery 
business  in  South  Bend,  in  partnership  with 
Ex-Postmaster  Horace  G.  Miller,  business 
being  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Mil- 
ler &  Campbell. 

During  the  past  many  years,  however,  Mr. 
Campbell's  endeavors  have  been  directed  to 
the  banking  business,  and  his  wise  counsel  and 
sound  judgment  have  contributed  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  institution  with  which  he  is  con- 
nected. In  1878  he  entered  the  South  Bend 
National  Bank  as  a  bookkeeper,  and  on  March 
14,  1891,  was  elected  cashier,  which  position 
he  has  since  held.  He  is  also  the  manager  of 
the  South  Bend  Clearing  House.  He  is  an 
authority  on  banking  business,  having  been 
awarded  prizes  by  the  Rand-McNally  Bank- 
ers' Magazine  for  papers  on  country  banking, 
and  also  by  the  Rhoades  Journal  for  a  paper 
on  Domestic  Exchange.  He  is  also  the  author 
of  a  valuable  book  of  interest  and  exchange 
tables,  which  has  been  endorsed  by  the  lead- 
ing bankers  and  business  men.  The  cause  of 
education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend,  who  has 
efficiently  advanced  its  interests,  having  from 
1895  until  1898  been  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Education,  and  other  measures  for  the  pub- 
lie  good  receive  his  hearty  support  and  co- 
operation. 

Mr.  Campbell  Avas  united  in  marriage  in 
1871  to  Miss  Abbie  Fifield,  also  of  Valparaiso, 
Indiana,  and  they  have  four  children,  two  sons 
and  two  daughters:  Edward  II.,  a  graduate 
of  the  IT.  S.  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis  and 


500 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


now  a  lieutenant  commander  in  the  United 
States  navy;  Robert  S.,  assistant  cashier  of 
the  South  Bend  National  Bank;  Ada  C,  a 
graduate  of  DePauw  University,  and  now  Ex- 
tension Secretary  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. ;  and 
Vera,  a  student  in  the  Ohio  Wesley  an  College 
of  Delaware,  Ohio.  The  family  are  devout 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
in  which  Mr.  Campbell  is  serving  as  treasurer, 
and  he  is  also  an  active  member  and  Treasurer 
of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
Reliability  in  all  trade  transactions,  loyalty 
to  all  duties  of  citizenship,  fidelity  in  the  dis- 
charge of  every  trust  reposed  in  him — these 
are  his  chief  characteristics,  and  through  the 
passing  years  they  have  gained  for  him  the 
unqualified  confidence  and  respect  of  his  fel- 
low to^\Tismen. 

Caleb  A.  Kimball.  From  aii  early  period 
Caleb  A.  Kimball  has  been  prominently  iden- 
tified with  the  history  of  northern  Indiana, 
and  for  many  years  past  he  has  served  as 
cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  South 
Bend.  He  was  born  in  Ipswich,  Massachu- 
setts, twenty-seven  miles  from  Boston,  Febru- 
ary 13,  1829,  a  son  of  P.  H.  and  Susan  (Stan- 
ly) Kimball,  both  also  natives  of  that  com- 
monwealth. The  father  was  of  English  de- 
scent, and  was  a  life-long  manufacturer  of 
furniture  and  lumber. 

Caleb  A.  Kimball,  the  third  of  his  parents' 
five  children,  was  reared  and  received  his  edu- 
cational training  at  Yarmouth,  Maine,  there 
remaining  until  his  removal  to  St.  Joseph 
county  in  1850.  He  at  once  engaged  in  the 
cutting  of  black  walnut  timber  and  the  pro- 
duction of  lumber  in  South  Bend,  being  thus 
engaged  for  six  years,  when  he  turned  his 
attention  to  farming  for  a  few  years.  In 
1864  he  became  connected  with  the  First  Nat- 
ional Bank  as  bookkeeper,  but  in  1870  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  cashier,  in  which 
he  has  ever  since  remained.  He  is  a  man  of 
commanding  influence  in  the  community  and 
the  county,  and  widely  known  and  honored 
throughout  northern  Indiana.  He  has  attain- 
ed prominence  in  business  circles,  while  in 
private  life  he  has  many  warm  friends. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Kimball  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Marcia  L.  Willis,  the  daughter  of 
Lyda  Willis,  and  one  son  has  been  born  of 
this  union,  W.  L.  Kimball,  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  ]\Iishawaka.  During  the 
long  period  of  fifty  years  Mr.  Kimball  has  re- 
sided within  the  borders  of  St.  Joseph  county, 


and  throughout  all  that  time  has  been  deeply 
interested  in  its  upbuilding  and  improvement. 
Hon.  John  B.  Stoll.  To  Honorable  J.  B. 
Stoll  has  come  the  attainment  of  a  distinguish- 
ed position  in  connection  with  journalism,  his 
rise  and  present  standing  being  due  to  deter- 
mined, honest  and  intelligently  directed 
efforts,  based  upon  a  natural  strength  and 
practical  ability.  The  intuitive  insight  and 
quick  judgment,  so  necessary  to  the  success 
of  the  journalist,  were  also  his,  as  well  as  a 
practical  knowledge  of  the  printing  business 
which  enabled  him  to  build  his  newspaper  en- 
terprises on  firm  financial  bases.  Having  aU 
the  best  qualifications  of  the  all-around  news- 
paper man,  his  final  success  was  assured. 

Mr.  Stoll  is  of  German  birth,  being  a  native 
of   Wurtemberg,    and   the    day   of  his    birth, 
March  13,  1843.     His  father,  who  was  a  large 
landed  proprietor,  was  drowned  in  the  river 
]Murg  a  few  months  before  his  birth,  and  the 
child    went    to    live    with    his    grandparents, 
attending  school  until  1853.     In  that  year  he 
emigrated     to    the    United    States    with     his 
mother  and  located  at  Harrisburg.  Pennsylva- 
nia, where  she  died,  leaving  him  an  orphan 
at  the  age  of  twelve  years.    After  seeking  em- 
ployment   of    various    kinds    the    boy    found 
work  in  the  printing  office  of  the  Harrisburg 
Telegraph  and  Der  Vaterlands-Waechter.  By 
diligent  study  and  extensive  reading  he  mas- 
tered the  English  language  and,  at  an  early 
age,  entered  the  political  arena.     Although  a 
sturdy  Democrat,  he  was  opposed  to  slavery, 
and  in  1860,  when  but  seventeen  years  of  age, 
was,  by  the  Democracy  of  Cambria  county, 
chosen  as  a  delegate  to  the  Douglas  state  con- 
vention.     Upon   the   nomination    of   Douglas 
and  Johnson,  by  the  Baltimore  national  con- 
vention, he  delivered  an  eloquent  address  at 
the   ratification   meeting  held   in   Johnstown, 
Pennsylvania.     The  following  year  he  went  to 
^liddleburg.  Snyder  county,  that  state,  where 
he  worked  as  a  journeyman  on  the  People's 
Friend,  purchasing  the  paper  in  1863.   When 
he  thus  made  his  first  independent  venture  in 
journalism  he  was  only  twenty  years  of  age, 
but  he  greatly  improved  the  paper,  and  in  the 
year   following   the   purchase   was    elected    a 
member  of  the  school  board,  while  subsequent- 
ly he  was  made  auditor  of  Snyder  county. 

In  1866,  ]\Ir.  Stoll  first  came  to  Indiana, 
publishing  the  Ligonier  Banner  for  a  period 
of  seventeen  years.  In  the  spring  of  1869,  he 
establi.shed  and  edited  the  Laporfe  Argus,  and 
in   1873   became  editor   of  the   South   Bend 


O^k/^-^^^M  Ga^^^l 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


501 


Courier,  published  in  German.  The  next 
journal  witli  which  he  became  connected  was 
the  Daily  and  Weekly  Democrat,  of  which  he 
became  editor  and  proprietor,  as  also  of  the 
Monitor.  During  all  this  period  he  resided 
at  Lig'onier,  where  he  edited  and  published 
the  Banner.  J\Ir.  Stoll  organized  the  Press 
Association  of  northern  Indiana,  and  for  six 
years  successively  was  its  president,  while  in 
1881  he  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  founding 
the  Democratic  State  Editorial  Association, 
serving  as  its  first  president. 

As  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Times, 
]\Ir.  Stoll  is  a  power  for  good  in  his  commu- 
nity. He  is  a  brilliant  writer,  an  able  jour- 
nalist and  a  forceful  speaker,  and  has  placed 
the  Times  among  the  leading  newspapers  of 
northern  Indiana.  His  influence  has  passed 
beyond  the  confines  of  his  home  locality,  and 
upon  the  ladder  of  his  o\^ti  building  he  has 
climbed  to  prominence  and  prosperity.  In- 
tensely loyal  to  all  movements  for  the  good  of 
his  locality,  he  is  especially  interested  in  edu- 
cational and  literary  affairs,  and  has  served 
as  president  of  the  school  board  of  South 
Bend  for  eight  years.  Thus  commingling  his 
characters  of  journalist  and  citizen,  and  the 
management  of  his  private  with  public  affairs, 
his  influence  is  of  great  breadth  and  effective- 
ness. 

"William  Bell  Calvert.  The  history  of 
the  Calvert  family,  continued  to  the  present 
generation  through  William  Bell  Calvert,  the 
well  known  real  estate  man  of  South  Bend, 
introduces  personages  who  have  been  promi- 
nently known  in  St.  Joseph,  county  since  the 
fii-st  years  of  its  settlement  and  pioneer  life. 

For  the  origin  of  the  American  branch 
of  the  family,  we  go  back  to  the  parish  of 
Essex,  England,  where  on  August  25,  1793, 
w^as  born  Isaac  Bond  Calvert,  grandfather 
of  the  Calvert  above  named.  On  January 
15,  1815,  he  married  Isabella  Bird,  who  was 
bom  in  Cumberland,  England,  March  17, 
1792,  and  in  1819,  with  two  children,  this 
pioneer  couple  came  to  America,  settling 
near  Philadelphia. 

For  a  number  of  years  Isaac  B.  Calvert 
engaged  in  the  dairy  business,  w^ith  Philadel- 
phia as  his  market.  In  the  fall  of  1834  he 
set  out  for  the  w^est,  and  after  a  long  over- 
land journey  by  wagon,  arrived  in  the  little 
villa-ge  of  South  Bend  in  January,  1835.  In 
Portage  tow^nship.  four  and  a  half  miles 
west  of  South  Bend,  is  located  the  Calvert 
farm,  one  of  the  best  known  and  handsomest 


country  estates  in  the  county.  It  is  still 
owned  in  the  family,  and  220  acres  of  it  has 
never  passed  from  this  ownership  since  Isaac 
B.  Calvert  bought  it,  over  seventy  years  ago. 
Although  his  first  home  shelter  has  long  since 
been  removed,  it  deserves  a  place  of  lasting 
remembrance  in  the  family  records. 

It  was  a  double  cabin,  and  was  of  rather 
advanced  style  of  pioneer  architecture,  be- 
cause the  logs  were  hewn  on  two  sides,  giv- 
ing plane  surfaces  both  within  and  without. 
Chips  and  clay  filled  up  the  spaces  between 
the  logs.  The  floor  was  of  puncheons,  and 
the  one  door  swung  on  wooden  hinges,  with 
a  wooden  bolt  and  latch  on  the  inside,  and, 
in  accordance  with  family  hospitality,  the 
latch  string  was  always  on  the  outside.  A 
claif  and  stick  chimney  completed  the  prin- 
cipal features  of  this  primitive  home.  Here 
occurred  the  death  of  Isaac  B.  Calvert,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1839,  leaving  a  widow  and  eight 
children  to  continue  his  memory.  His  widow 
died  March  7,  1866. 

Joseph  Hall  Calvert,  son  of  the  above  pio- 
neer and  father  of  W.  B.  Calvert,  was  born 
near  Philadelphia,  October  30,  1822,  and  ac- 
companied the  family  to  St.  Joseph  county 
when  he  was  twelve  years  old.  To  continue 
his  schooling  in  this  county  he  had  to  walk 
two  and  a  half  miles  to  the  primitive  school- 
house  that  then  gave,  for  a  few  weeks  in 
the  year,  educational  facilities  to  the  neigh- 
borhood children.  He  bought  the  interest  of 
the  other  children  in  the  old  homestead,  and 
continued  to  reside  there  until  his  death, 
April  1,  1885,  since  which  time  his  widow  has 
made  this  her  home. 

Another  log  house  was  erected  by  him, 
and  somewhat  later  he  built  a  commodious 
frame  house,  barn  and  other  farm  buildings, 
so  that  the  farm,  then  containing  320  acres, 
was  the  best  improved  in  the  township  at  the 
time  of  his  death. 

By  his  marriage  on  March  30,  1862,  to 
Mary  Jane  Brick,  he  united  by  family  ties 
two  of  the  oldest  families  connected  with 
the  history  of  St.  Joseph  county.  His  wife 
w^as  the  daughter  of  William  Woolsen  and 
Elizabeth  (Wills)  Brick.  The  former,  who 
was  born  at  i\fount  Holly,  New  Jersey,  Feb- 
ruary 13,  1808,  traced  his  ancestry  back  to 
1663,  when  three  brothers,  John,  William 
and  Samuel,  of  whom  the  first  was  the 
founder  of  this  branch  of  the  family,  came 
from  England  with  a  Quaker  colony  that 
settled  in  New  Jersey  and  became  owners  of 


502 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


large  tracts  of  land  there,  where  the  family 
is  still  prominent.  John,  the  direct  ancestor, 
was  conspicuous  in  the  activities  of  his  lo- 
cality, being  a  lawyer,  farmer,  banker  and 
judge. 

William  Woolsen  Brick,  on  coming  west, 
first  settled  on  Pokagon  prairie  in  Cass 
county,  Michigan,  in  1826,  but  two  years  later 
came  to  St.  Joseph  county,  joining  the  first 
settlers  who  beat  down  the  wilderness  and 
founded  the  institutions  of  civilization  here. 
Securing  government  land  in  Warren  town- 
ship, he  began  the  improvement  of  what  is 
to-day  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county, 
and  after  living  a  number  of  years  on  this 
farm  he  moved  to  South  Bend,  where  he 
spent  his  declining  years.  He  was  three 
times  married  and  left  a  large  family. 

Representing  the  third  generation  of  the 
family  in  this  county,  William  Bell  Calvert 
was  born  in  his  father's  log  cabin  in  Portage 
township,  October  22,  1863.  After  attending 
the  country  schools  he  continued  his  educa- 
tion at  Valparaiso  (Ind.)  .Business  College 
and  at  Oberlin  (Ohio)  College,  preparatory 
to  entering  Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  a  member  of  the  class  of  1890. 
His  studies  at  the  university  were  mainly 
along  the  lines  of  mechanical  and  electrical 
engineering. 

Having  completed  his  education,  he  re- 
turned to  his  home  county  and  bought  a 
farm  in  Warren  township  a  few  miles  from 
South  Bend.  However,  farming  was  his  ac- 
tive vocation  only  a  few  years,  when  he  moved 
to  South  Bend  and  entered  the  manufactur- 
ing field,  from  which  after  two  or  three  years 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  real  estate 
business. 

In  the  handling  of  city  and  farm  proper- 
ties and  the  promotion  of  building  additions, 
Mr.  Calvert  has  become  a  large  factor  in  the 
expansion  and  development  of  his  city.  Be- 
sides acting  as  agent  for  others  in  numerous 
large  transactions,  he  has  had  a  large  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account.  On  his  Highland 
Park  addition  there  is  a  natural  park  of 
twenty-five  acres,  well  wooded  and  attractive, 
which  he  intends  giving  to  the  city  for  public 
park  purposes.  This  addition  is  valued  at 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars. Mr.  Calvert  was  the  first  to  introduce 
grading  and  the  improvement  of  streets  in 
the  new  additions  of  South  Bend, — his  first 
work  of  this  kind  having  been  done  at  Rose- 
land  Park,   one  of   his  several   additions  to 


the  city.  Calvert  street,  one  of  the  principal 
streets  of  the  city,  was  named  in  honor  of 
him.  Mr.  Calvert  has  one  of  the  finest  and 
best  equipped  real  estate  offices  in  the  state. 

August  24,  1887,  Mr.  Calvert  married 
Miss  Ella  Sincox,  a  daughter  of  Alvin  and 
Caroline  (Carleton)  Sincox,  of  Ohio  and  Vir- 
ginia ancestry  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Calvert  have  two  sons,  Charles  Everett  and 
William  Franklin. 

2Ir.  Calvert  affiliates  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  all  its  branches  and 
has  been  elected  to  and  filled  all  the  offices 
up  to  the  Supreme  Lodge ;  the  Elks  and  other 
orders ;  is  a  member  of  the  Commercial  Ath- 
letic Club,  Business  Men's  Association  and 
several  others.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers 
and  the  first  secretary  of  the  Real  Estate 
Board  of  South  Bend,  which  was  the  first 
successfully  organized  Real  Estate  Board  in 
the  state.  It  is  the  most  active  institution 
in  advancing  the  general  interests  of  the 
city. 

Chauncey  N.  Fassett.  For  a  long  period 
Chauncey  N.  Fassett  has  been  a  resident  of 
South  Bend,  and  during  many  years  of  that 
time  has  been  connected  with  its  journalistic 
interests.  South  Bend  also  claims  him  among 
her  native  sons,  for  his  birth  occurred  in  this 
city  on  the  30th  of  July,  1849,  his  parents 
being  Chauncey  S.  and  Lucy  Jane  (Harmon) 
Fassett,  both  natives  of  the  state  of  New  York. 
In  the  late  '30s  the  father  came  to  South 
Bend  and  engaged  in  a  mercantile  business. 
He  was  also  numbered  among  the  Argonauts 
to  California,  going  to  that  state  in  1849,  and 
remaining  for  four  years,  when  he  returned  to 
the  east  and  established  himself  in  business  in 
Middlebury,  Elkhart  county,  Indiana.  He 
afterwards  removed  to  Missouri,  where  he 
turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
but  failed  in  the  general  panic  of  1857.  Be- 
fore the  war  Mr.  Fassett  had  gone  to  Colo- 
rado with  his  eldest  son,  Charles  S.,  and  they 
assisted  in  opening  Russell's  Gulch,  Deing 
among  the  first  there.  The  father  spent  most 
of  his  remaining  days  in  the  west,  dying  in 
St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  in  1879,  when  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 

In  1863  the  family  retunied  from  Missouri 
to  Goshen,  where  the  son  Chauncey  N.,  at- 
tended the  common  schools,  and  after  com- 
pleting his  education  spent  two  years  in  the 
law  office  of  the  late  Judge  Mitchell.  At  that 
time  Mr.  Fassett  became  convinced  that  his 
forte  was  journalism,  and  in  1873  he  began 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


503 


work  on  the  old  "Union,"  one  of  the  early 
papers  and  which  Avas  owned  by  his  brother 
Herbert.  After  the  Union  was  sold,  he  pur- 
chased the  Register,  later  was  employed  on 
the  Tribune  until  1878,  and  was  then  ap- 
pointed assistant  postmaster,  continuing  as 
the  inemnbent  of  that  office  for  eight  yeare. 
In  1887.  Mr.  Fassett  established  the  Sunday 
News,  and  although  it  is  owned  by  a  stock 
company,  he  has  the  controlling  interest  and 
is  president  and  editor  of  the  corporation.  He 
is  a  writer  of  force  and  ability,  and  his  name 
occupies  a  conspicuous  place  among  the  lead- 
ing journalists  of  northern  Indiana. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Fassett  was  celebrated 
at  Lewistown,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  31st  of 
October.  1877,  when  Anna  Thrush  became  his 
wife.  Her  father,  the  late  Rev.  John  Thrush, 
was  former  pastor  of  the  Firet  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  South  Bend.  One  daugh- 
ter was  born  of  this  union,  Thrush,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  on  the  5th  of 
May,  1901.  In  her  memory  her  parents  have 
established  a  silver  medal  to  be  given  annually 
in  the  high  school  for  highest  standing  in 
English  literature,  the  Thrush  Fassett  Medal. 
In  addition  to  his  journalistic  work,  Mr.  Fas- 
sett is  treasurer  and  manager  of  the  Indiana 
Foundry  and  Machine  Company,  and  is  also 
interested  in  real  estate  in  a  general  way.  He 
is  an  able  and  experienced  newspaper  man, 
and  at  the  present  time  is  engaged  in  prepar- 
ing a  biography  of  the  late  Clem  Studebaker. 
Coming  from  such  a  versatile  and  brilliant 
writer,  this  will  prove  an  interesting  and  valu- 
able work. 

Elmer  Crockett.  Conspicuous  on  the  roll 
of  names  who  have  conferred  honor  upon  the 
profession  of  journalism  in  Indiana  is  that  of 
Elmer  Crockett,  president  of  the  Tribune 
Printing  Company.  He  has  a  great  versatil- 
ity of  talents,  and  exactness  and  thoroughness 
characterizes  all  his  attainments  and  work.  He 
is  a  writer  of  superior  force  and  ability,  and 
in  all  the  relations  of  life  he  is  an  honorable, 
upright  gentleman.  He  was  born  in  St.  Joseph 
county,  September  1.  1844,  a  son  of  Shellem 
and  Louise  (Ireland)  Crockett,  and  a  de- 
scendant of  Davy  Crockett.  In  1849  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  South  Bend,  but  Elmer  remained 
in  Mishawaka  for  several  years  with  an  uncle, 
S.  I.  H.  Ireland,  receiving  his  education  in 
its  public  schools.  He  later  became  a  student 
in  the  Northern  Indiana  College  at  South 
Bend,  thus  receiving  an  excellent  educational 
training  as  the  foundation  of  his  future  life 


work.  During  the  Civil  war  he  served  with 
the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  Indiana 
Volunteers,  and  after  being  mustered  out  he 
entered  the  office  of  the  Mishawaka  Enter- 
prise, where  he  learned  the  printer's  trade. 
He  then  returned  to  South  Bend  in  1867,  and 
has  ever  since  been  identified  with  the  inter- 
ests of  this  city. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Crockett  served  as 
foreman  in  the  office  of  the  St.  Joseph  Valley 
Register,  founded  by  Schuyler  Colfax,  vice- 
president  of  the  United  States,  and  ultimately 
purchased  the  paper  in  company  with  A.  Beal 
and  his  brother-in-law,  Alfred  B.  Miller, 
forming  the  firm  of  Beal,  Miller  &  Company. 
In  1872  the  firm  of  Miller  &  Crockett  founded 
the  South  Bend  Tribune,  which  is  now  num- 
bered among  the  leading  Republican  news- 
papers of  northern  Indiana.  A  few  years 
later  the  Tribune  Printing  Company  was  in- 
corporated, with  Mr.  Miller  as  president  and 
Mr.  Crockett  vice-president  and  manager. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Miller  in  1892,  I\Ir. 
Crockett  became  printer  and  business  man- 
ager, which  position  he  still  occupies.  He  is 
an  active  and  valued  member  of  the  Republi- 
can party,  and  in  1888  was  appointed  by  Ben- 
jamin Harrison  as  postmaster  of  South  Bend. 
He  has  also  served  as  a  member  of  the  State 
Republican  Committee  during  several  cam- 
paigns, and  was  chairman  of  the  State  News- 
paper Bureau. 

In  1868,  Mr.  Crockett  was  united  -in  mar- 
riage to  Anna  Miller,  whose  father,  the  late 
B.  F.  Miller,  was  an  honored  pioneer  of  St. 
Joseph  county  and  at  one  time  served  as  its 
sheriff.  Five  children  have  been  born  of  this 
union,  but  only  two  are  now  living:  Charles 
E.,  secretary  of  the  Tribune  Company,  and 
Ethel.  Mr.  Crockett  holds  membership  rela- 
tions with  the  Grand  Array  of  the  Republic, 
being  past  commander  of  Auten  Post,  No.  8, 
and  in  1896,  was  senior  vice  department  com- 
mander of  Indiana.  He  is  also  an  active 
worker  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which 
he  is  serving  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
School,  and  is  also  a  valued  factor  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  of  which 
he  has  been  president.  He  was  selected  as  a 
member  of  the  citizens'  advisory  committee 
during  the  building  of  the  new  court  house, 
and  proved  a  valued  member  of  the  commit- 
tee. He  exemplifies  in  his  life  the  tenets  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  of  which  he  is  a 
worthy  member,  and  in  1889  and  1890  served 


504 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


as  Grand  High  Priest  of  the  Grand  Chapter 
of  Indiana. 

Chaeles  Albert  McDonald  both  by  work 
and .  character  was  long  identified  with  the 
higher  progress  and  life  of  St.  Joseph  coun- 
ty. He  was  born  in  South  Bend,  Indiana, 
on  the  15th  of  September,  1859,  the  son  of 
John  i\I.  and  Elizabeth  IMcDonald,  his  father 
being  a  native  of  Virginia  of  Scotch  ancestry, 
and  the  mother  of  New  York  state,  whose  fore- 
fathers w^ere  of  the  German  fatherland. 

Charles  A.  was  a  faithful  school  attendant 
in  his  boyhood  and  youth,  graduated  from 
the  South  Bend  High  School  in  the  class  of 
1879,  taught  for  some  time,  and  M^as  subse- 
quently principal  of  the  Washington  and 
South  schools.  While  thus  employed  he  be- 
came assistant  editor  of  The  Times,  then  a 
weekly  paper  with  a  Saturday  edition.  A  few 
years  later  he  became  a  partner  with  J.  B. 
Stoll  in  the  ownership  of  the  South  Bend 
Daily  and  Weekly  Times,  as  well  as  its  city 
editor,  maintaining  these  dual  relations  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  December  14,  1905. 

From  numerous  tributes  to  the  high  and 
lovable  character  of  the  deceased,  which 
sprung  spontaneously  from  the  hearts  of  men, 
women  and  children  in  all  walks  of  life,  one  of 
the  most  tender  and  broadly  descriptive  was 
penned  by  a  classmate,  who  had  Imown  him 
from  his  youth.  It  is  as  follows:  "Afresh, 
wholesome  interest  in  intellectual  pursuits  dis- 
tinguished him  even  in  his  boyhood.  He  felt 
to  the  last  a  warm  enthusiasm  for  all  that  was 
good  and  noble.  Earnestness  of  purpose  and 
a  determination  to  excel  were  distinguishing 
marks  of  his  character.  He  was  ambitious 
and  cherished  high  ideals,  and  to  these  he  was 
always  faithful.  In  spite  of  the  harsh  de- 
mands of  practical  life  he  never  lost  his  rever- 
ence for  the  ideals  of  his  boyhood  and  the 
beautiful  dreams  of  his  youth.  Energy,  per- 
severance and  the  exercise  of  all  those  facul- 
ties which  make  for  success  are  admirable 
always,  but  when  they  are  tempered  by  a 
broad  love  of  humanity,  and  a  deep  inborn 
sense  of  devotion  to  family  and  friends  and 
unfailing  loyalty  to  the  ideals  of  youth,  they 
make  a  man  the  best  of  which  a  human  being 
is  capable.  ^Mr.  McDonald  had  all  these  in 
good  measure.  He  was  so  tender  and  true  in 
every  relation  that  even  the  casual  acquaint- 
ance felt  the  warmth  of  his  personality  and 
the  wholesome  influence  of  his  generous,  loving 
nature.  He  was  the  best  possible  exponent  of 
George  Eliot  s  Simple  Creed  Religion.     Kind- 


ness, piety  and  reverence  were  inherent  quali- 
ties, and  the  memories  of  old  associations 
were  sacred  to  him,  for  he  clung  with  all  his 
heart  to  the  friends  and  teachers  who  had 
guided  him  in  youth.  His  tenderness  and  re- 
gard for  old  friends,  his  cordial  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  his  felloAVmen,  his  unfailing  sym- 
pathy for  the  afflicted  and  the  oppressed,  are 
the  best  testimonials  of  his  character.  Strong, 
upright  and  honorable,  he  knew  no  deceit, 
but  gloried  in  the  greater  power  of  an  all- 
conquering  love.  The  high  esteem  of  all  who 
knew  him  is  the  best  proof  of  his  worth,  the 
sorrow  of  those  who  knew  him  well,  the  no- 
blest tribute  to  his  memory." 

Mr.  McDonald's  business  associate  wrote  of 
him :  "From  the  beginning  to  the  close  of  his 
connection  with  this  establishment,  he  proved 
himself  a  thoroughly  honest  man.  Greed  was 
absolutely  foreign  to  his  nature.  Avarice 
never  warped  or  dwarfed  his  intellect.  He 
became  profoundly  impressed  with  the  belief 
that  man's  mission  was  above  money-making. 
While  he  recognized  the  propriety  and  neces- 
sity of  man's  wants,  he  regarded  an  unsullied 
reputation  as  to  personal  honor  far  above  the 
value  of  glittering  gold.  His  career  was  too 
short  to  fully  develop  what  was  in  the  man. 
Could  he  have  lived  the  scriptural  allotted 
period,  his  splendid  traits  of  character  would 
have  been  conspicuously  brought  within  the 
vision  of  a  discerning  public.  But  he  lived 
long  enough  to  leave  a  record  to  which  his  be- 
reaved relatives,  friends  and  associates  will 
point  with  satisfaction  and  pride.  While  this 
cannot,  at  the  moment,  assuage  grief,  subdue 
sorrow,  still  teare  nor  silence  anguish,  in  years 
to  come  it  will  serve  as  a  pleasant  reminder 
that  it  was  well  for  this  community  to  have 
been  the  beneficiary  of  Charles  A.  McDon- 
ald 's  well  directed  and  honorable  efforts. ' ' 

Another  writer  said  of  the  deceased:  "It 
was  during  his  last  years  that  many  of  Mr. 
McDonald's  choice  poems  were  penned,  which 
brought  to  him  considerable  fame.  His 
ability  in  this  line  was  unquestioned,  and  he 
took  great  pleasure  in  hailing  the  arrival  of 
holidays  and  referring  to  South  Bend's  im- 
portant events  in  metrical  form." 

On  the  17th  of  November,  1886.  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald married  Miss  Fannie  Everson  Brad- 
ley, of  Berrien  Springs,  Michigan,  daughter  of 
Edward  and  Imogene  Everson  (Royce)  Brad- 
ley, both  natives  of  New  York.  Four  children 
were  born  to  their  union — Marie,  Arthur 
Royce,  Kenneth  Bradley  and  Charles  Albert, 


//Pue 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


505 


Jr.  Mrs.  McDonald  is  now  connected  with 
the  editorial  department  of  the  South  Bend 
Times. 

Although  a  public  spirited  man,  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald was  interested  in  only  one  fraternal 
organization — South  Bend  Lodge,  No.  235,  B. 
P.  0.  E. — but  in  this  he  was  a  willing  and 
enthusiastic  worker.  As  a  reward  for  his 
zeal  in  this  direction  he  was  recently  elected 
chaplain,  and  was  selected  as  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  Elks  Temple  Association. 
]\Iuch  credit  is  due  him  for  the  erection  of  this 
monument  to  Elkdom,  as  he  was  one  of  the 
prime  factors  in  bringing  about  the  plans 
which  made  possible  the  erection  of  the  home. 
It  was  also  Mr.  McDonald  who  suggested  that 
the  laying  of  the  cornerstone  should  take 
place  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  the  mystic 
hour  of  the  order.  The  deceased  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  which 
he  joined  in  his  youth  and  from  whose  teach- 
ings he  never  departed. 

George  W.  J.  Kalczynski,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing journalists  of  northern  Indiana,  was  born 
in  Havei-straw,  New  York,  January  17,  1872, 
a  son  of  George  W.  and  Mary  (Urbanowska) 
Kalczynski.  In  1877,  the  family  came  to 
South  Bend,  here  remaining  for  five  years, 
during  which  time  George  attended  a  paro- 
chial school.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period, 
just  after  the  death  of  the  mother,  they  re- 
turned to  Yonkers,  New  York,  where  the  son 
resumed  his  studies.  In  a  few  years,  however, 
he  came  again  to  South  Bend,  where  he  learned 
the  printer's  trade  on  the  South  Bend 
Times.  In  1894,  he  went  to  Toledo,  Ohio, 
and  purchased  the  Toledo  Courier  (Kuryer), 
continuing  its  publication  for  sixteen  months 
as  a  weekly,  when  he  made  it  a  daily  and  the 
name  was  changed  to  the  Times  (Czas).  Sell- 
ing that  paper  at  the  expiration  or  two 
months,  he  went  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  and 
thence  to  Bay  City,  Michigan,  where  for  five 
months  he  served  as  general  manager  of  the 
Truth  (Prawda). 

For  the  third  time  Mr.  Kalczynski  came  to 
South  Bend,  and  with  Messrs.  H.  C.  Dunbar 
and  H.  Elliott  organized  the  Goniec  Polski 
Publishing  Company.  Messrs.  Dunbar  and 
Elliott  owned  a  printing  establishment,  to 
which  they  added  some  Polish  type  and  fur- 
nished the  means  with  which  to  establish  the 
paper,  while  Mr.  Kalczynski  contributed  the 
editorial  ability  and  experience.  The  paper, 
the  Polish  Messenger  (Goniec  PoLski),  was 
an  immediate  success,  and  has  continued  so  to 


the  present  time,  being  now  a  seven  column 
folio,  semi-weekly,  and  independent  in  poli- 
tics. The  first  number  was  issued  on  the  27th 
of  June,  1896,  and  at  that  time  Mr.  Kalczynski 
was  literally  penniless,  but  he  is  now  the  sole 
owner  of  this  large  plant,  which  is  equipped 
with  the  latest  and  most  improved  ma- 
chinery, conducted  by  electric  power  and  is 
valued  at  twelve  thousand  dollars.  This  is 
the  only  newspaper  printed  in  the  Polish  lan- 
guage in  the  state  of  Indiana.  Outside  of 
his  paper,  he  is  also  prominent  in  Polish 
affairs,  being  president  of  the  local  Polish 
Turners  M.  R.,  and  was  national  president  of 
Polish  Turners  Alliance  of  America  from  1901 
to  1905.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Columbus,  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  St. 
Stanislaus  Society,  the  Polish  Literary  society 
known  as  St.  John  De  Cantus,  and  the  South 
Bend  Press  Club,  of  which  he  is  secretary- 
treasurer.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Euro- 
pean society  known  as  "  Powsciagliwosc  i 
Praca, "  whose  object  is  the  bringing  up  of 
orphan  boys  and  fitting  them  for  the  battle  of 
life.  This  is  conducted  by  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic clergy,  and  its  headquarters  are  at  Miejsce 
Piastowe  in  Gallicia,  Austria.  Mr.  Kalczyn- 
ski has  gained  a  brilliant  success  so  far  on  the 
journey  of  life,  and  a  still  brighter  future 
awaits  him. 

Edward  A.  Jernegan.  Among  the  leading 
newspapers  in  northern  Indiana  is  the  Misha- 
waka  Enterprise,  edited  and  published  by 
Edward  A.  Jernegan.  His  keenly  analytical 
mind,  his  readiness  in  noting  the  most  impor- 
tant points  and  his  strong  logical  powers  have 
combined  to  make  the  journal  a  leading  news- 
paper of  this  locality.  He  was  born  in  La- 
porte,  Indiana,  on  the  27th  of  January,  1846. 
His  father,  Thomas  Jernegan,  a  native  of  Ed- 
gartown,  Massachusetts,  was  also  an  old  and 
prominent  newspaper  man.  In  1842  he  came 
to  South  Bend,  where  he  was  for  a  number  of 
years  engaged  in  a  mercantile  business,  and 
at  that  time  his  brother,  Joseph  L.,  was  a 
leading  attorney  of  the  city.  Purchasing  the 
Mishawaka  Tocsin,  Mr.  Jernegan  moved  it  to 
South  Bend,  next  to  Laporte  and  ultimately  to 
Michigan  City.  He  was  a  prominent  news- 
paper man  of  his  time,  and  was  also  a  public 
spirited  and  patriotic  citizen.  For  a  period 
of  eighteen  years  he  served  as  a  government 
employe  in  the  pension  department,  dying  in 
the  harness  at  Washington,  D.  C,  in  1900,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  His  wife,  nee 
Anne  M.  Clasby,  and  a  native  of  Nantucket, 


506 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Massachusetts,  preceded  him  to  the  home  be- 
yond many  years,  dying  in  1872. 

Edward  A.  Jernegan  attended  the  schools 
of  Michigan  City,  but  ere  the  completion  of 
his  education  he  enlisted  as  a  drummer  boy 
in  the  Seventy-third  Indiana,  Company  K. 
Subsequently,  however,  he  entered  the  navy, 
Avhere  his  father  was  paymaster,  and  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  war  was  in  Company 
D,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  Indiana, 
thus  continuing  until  1864.  In  that  year  he 
returned  home  and  served  in  the  provost  mar- 
shal's office  until  the  close  of  the  war.  After 
the  struggle  ended,  the  father  resumed  his 
newspaper  business  in  JNIichigan  City,  and 
Edwarcl  joined  him  as  assistant  editor.  In 
1872  he  came  to  Mishawaka  and  purchased  the 
Enterprise,  which  had  been  established  in 
1854,  and  which  he  has  ever  since  conducted 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  it  a  power  for 
good  in  this  part  of  the  state.  The  journal 
gives  evidence  of  the  high  editorial  ability  of 
Mr.  Jernegan,  whose  clear  presentation  of 
every  question  which  he  treats  has  borne 
marked  influence  upon  his  constituency.  In 
1897  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  state  legis- 
lature, while  for  four  years  during  the  Har- 
rison administration,  he  Avas  postmaster  of 
Mishawaka. 

In  1869  he  was  married  to  INIiss  Nannie  C. 
Sherman,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  M.  G.  Sherman, 
of  Michigan  City,  and  they  have  two  living 
children.  Mrs.  C.  A.  Ostrom,  of  Mishawaka, 
and  Ralph,  a  promising  young  lawyer  of  this 
city.  Their  eldest  son.  Mason  Sherman,  died 
in  1901.  He  was  a.  newspaper  man  of  promise, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  serving  on 
the  Detroit  Free  Press.  Mr.  Jernegan  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  Houghton  Post. 
He  has  had  many  dil¥iculties  and  obstacles  to 
overcome  on  his  way  to  success,  among  them 
being  the  great  fire  which  swept  over  Misha- 
waka in  1872  and  completely  destroyed  the 
tOAATi,  proving  a  great  loss  to  the  young  editor. 
His  genial  temperament,  courteous  manners 
and  broad  minded  principles  render  him  a 
favorite  with  all,  ancl  the  circle  of  his  friends 
is  almost  coextensive  with  that  of  his  acquaint- 
ances. 

Hon.  Abraham  Brick.  Whether  the  fun- 
damental attributes  of  success  in  life  are  in- 
nate, or  whether  they  are  quickened  by  a  pro- 
cess of  circumstantial  development,  is  impos- 
sible to  clearly  determine;  yet  the  study  of  a 
successful  life  is  none  the  less  profitable,  as 


it  is  found  that  in  the  majority  of  cases  ex- 
ceptionable ability,  supplemented  by  earnest 
purpose  and  close  application,  forms  the  real 
secret  of  advancement.    It  is  a  noticeable  fact 
that  the  young  men  are  rapidly  occupying  the 
foremost  places  in  the  financial,  professional 
and  political  circles.     Whether  this  is  due  to 
superior  education,  or  to  native  ability  is  a 
question   of   dispute;   at   all   events   the   fact 
remains  that  each  communitj'  numbers  among 
its  leaders  men  who,  although  young  in  years, 
are  controlling  extensive  interests  in  all  fields 
of  endeavor;  and  in  this  class  is  emphatically 
placed  Hon.  Abraham  Brick,  of  South  Bend. 
Hon.  Abraham  Lincoln  Brick  is  known  as 
a  man  of  high  attainments  and  possessed  of 
tbat  practical  ability  which  has  brought  him 
success  as  a  lawyer  and  a  man  of  varied  af- 
lairs.  His  broad  influence  extends  into  profes- 
sional, political  and  public  fields,  so  that  he 
lias  become  recognized  as  one  of  the  stronge.5t 
and  mast  popular  men  in  the  state.    Born  on  a 
farm  in  Warren  township,  St.  Joseph  county, 
on  the  27th  of  May,   1860,  he  is  descended 
from  Scotch-Irish  and  English  ancestry.    His 
father  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  but  re- 
moved to  Indiana  at  an  early  day,  and  was 
there  married  to  Elizabeth  Calvert,  who  had 
come    with    her    parents    from    Germantown, 
Pennsylvania.     Their  son  Abraham  received 
his  primary  education  in  the  district  schools 
of  Warren  township,  later  attended  the  South 
Bend  grammar  and  high  schools,  and  was  sub- 
sequently a  student  at  Yale  and  Cornell  uni- 
versities.    Close  application  to  his  studies  im- 
paired his  health  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
went  to  Kansas,  where  he  spent  a  year  on  a 
ranch.     AVith  restored  strength  he   returned 
to  Indiana  and  soon. after  entered  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan  to  prosecute  his  laAv  studies, 
graduating  there  in  1883  and  at  once  began 
practice  at  South  Bend.     As  a  lawyer  he  is 
remarkable  for  the  wide  research  and  provi- 
dent care  with  which  he  prepares  his  cases.  In 
no  instance  has  his  reading  ever  been  confined 
to  the  limitations  of  the  questions  at  issue;  it 
has  gone  beyond  and  compassed  every  con- 
tingency, providing  both  for  the  expected  and 
unexpected — the    latter    happening    quite    as 
frequently  in  the  courts  as  out  of  them.    His 
close  and  logical  grasp  of  facts  and  princi- 
ples, with  the  law^  applicable  to  them,  has  been 
another  potent  factor  in  his  success;  while  a 
remarkable     clearness    of    expression    which 
ena.bles  him  to  make  others  understand  not 
onlv  the  salient,  but  the  fine  points  of  his 


'^oUi^T^^.  t^-^x^ 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


507 


argument,  may  be  aeeounted  another  of  his 
conspicuous  accomplishments  which  go  to 
make  up  the  strength  and  attraction  of  his 
character  as  a  lawyer. 

iMr.  Brick's  public  services  have  been  vari- 
ous and  noteworthy.  He  was  first  brought 
into  official  prominence  by  the  able  discharge 
of  his  duties  as  prosecuting  attorney  in  the 
district  then  comprising  the  counties  of  La- 
porte  and  St.  Joseph.  In  1892.  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  State  Central  Committee  of 
the  Republican  party,  of  which  he  has  long 
been  a  recognized  leader  in  a  state  which  has, 
at  times,  been  classed  as  doubtful  and  pivotal. 
His  labors  on  the  state  committee  were  of 
such  value  that  he  was  accorded  a  place  among 
the  leaders  of  national  influence  by  being  sent 
as  a  delegate  to  the  presidential  convention 
which  met  in  St.  Louis  in  1896.  But  advance- 
ment and  high  standing  in  the  law  Avas  his 
prime  ambition,  and  it  was  really  against  his 
personal  inclination  that  he  was  nominated 
and  elected  as  a  representative  of  the  Thir- 
teenth congressional  district  in  1898,  receiving 
a  majoritv  of  twentv-five  hundred  votes.  He 
was  re-elected  in  1900,  1902,  1904  and  1906, 
being  also  returned  during  those  years  by 
handsome  majorities.  As  would  be  expected 
from  his  character  as  a  lawyer  and  a  man 
his  legislative  labors  were  faithfully  and  ably 
performed  and  most  fruitful  of  results  which 
redounded  to  the  good  of  his  country.  In 
congress,  as  in  the  field  of  his  profession,  he 
has  been  a  hard  worker,  an  effective  speaker 
and  a  courteous  gentleman,  and  with  the  pro- 
gress of  his  service  his  constituents  are  con- 
tinually placing  a  higher  value  upon  him  as  a 
faithful  and  practical  representative. 

On  the  11th  of  November,  1884,  Mr.  Brick 
was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Meyer,  a  daughter 
of  the  late  Godfrey  E.  Meyer,  and  one  daugh- 
ter has  been  born  to  them.  Mr.  Brick  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Indiana  and  Commercial  Athletic 
clubs  and  also  holds  fraternal  relations  with 
the  Masons,  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Elks.  Per- 
sonally, he  is  of  a  genial  nature  and  inspires 
friendship  of  an  uniLsual  strength.  Endowed 
with  active,  energetic  and  strong  capabili- 
ties, he  is  a  worthy  representative  of  that  class 
of  comparatively  young  men  who  are  forging 
to  the  front  and  remaining  there. 

Hon.  Walter  A.  Funk.  The  bulwark  of 
the  country  is  composed  of  members  of  the 
great  middle  class,  who  from  lowly  circum- 
stances, though  stress  of  brave  endeavor 
and  inherited  energy  of  sturdy  ancestors,  rise 


to  positions  of  great  personal  influence  and 
public  responsibility.  Thus  struggling,  as  it 
were,  from  the  ground  upward,  closely  sur- 
rounded by  relatives  and  old-time  friends, 
their  progress  is  so  natural  and  unobtrusive 
that  jealousies  seldom  arise  to  embitter  their 
progress,  as  is  usually  the  case  when  standing 
and  authority  depend  largely  on  family  con- 
nections and  inheritance.  This  wide  and  pow- 
erful influence  of  members  of  the  middle 
class  upon  the  public  affairs  of  American  com- 
munities is  nowhere  more  evident  than  in  the 
domain  of  the  law,  and  few  judges  of  note 
have  come  from  wealthy,  or  so  called  aristo- 
cratic families.  A  good  judge  must  be  a  good 
sympathizer  with  the  people  at  large,  in  order 
to  carry  into  court  both  the  spirit  and  the 
letter  of  the  law. 

All  of  the  above  general  remarks  may  well 
be  applied  to  the  personality  and  career  of 
Hon.  Walter  A.  Funk,  long  an  active  and 
prominent  member  of  the  South  Bend  bar  and 
for  a  number  of  years  past  circuit  judge  of 
St.  Joseph  county.  Born  on  a  farm  in  Elk- 
hart county,  Indiana,  on  the  18tli  of  Decem- 
ber, 1857,  his  most  serious  occupation  until 
he  attained  his  majority  consisted  of  hard 
and  faithful  work  upon  the  farm  of  his  father, 
William  Funk.  But  the  boy  early  showed 
that  his  ambitions  extended  beyond  the  bare 
performance  of  his  prosaic  duties  connected 
with  the  family  homestead,  and  when  only 
sixteen  years  of  age,  he  had  so  advanced  in 
his  studies  that  he  was  called  upon  by  the 
township  authorities  to  teach  district  school. 
At  this  profession  he  did  well  and  saved 
enough  money  to  warrant  him  in  aiming  for  a 
higher  education  than  he  could  secure  at 
home. 

After  laying  a  firm  foundation  for  his  pro- 
fessional studies  in  various  educational  insti- 
tutions of  Goshen  and  Valparaiso,  Indiana, 
Judge  Funk  had  the  satisfaction  of  becoming 
a  student  in  the  law  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  having 
already  enjoyed  the  benefits  of  study  and 
tutelage  in  the  offices  of  Judge  Smith,  of  Cas- 
sopolis,  Michigan,  and  of  Hon.  Andrew  An- 
derson, of  South  Bend.  Mainly  through  his 
association  with  the  latter,  upon  his  gradua- 
tion from  the  state  university  and  the  win- 
ning of  his  professional  degree,  in  1885,  Mr. 
Funk  came  to  South  Bend :  and  he  seems  from 
the  outset  to  have  been  received  by  its  citizens 
and  his  fellow  practitioners  as  a  stable  and 
most  valuable  personal  addition  to  the  com- 


508 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


mimity  and  the  bar.  He  was  thorough  in  the 
preparation  of  his  cases,  courteous  yet  firm  in 
the  positions  which  he  assumed  as  an  advo- 
cate, clear  and  concise  in  his  arguments,  and 
underneath  all  his  high  qualities  as  a  lawyer 
could  plainly  be  perceived  the  warm  and  com- 
mon-sense character  of  the  man  of  broad  sym- 
pathies. This  combination  constituted  his 
main  strength  when  he  was  put  forward  for 
the  office  of  circuit  judge  of  St.  Joseph  county 
and  resulted  in  his  decisive  election  to  that 
position  in  1900.  These  attributes  of  legal 
and  personal  character  also  made  him  an 
earnest,  able  and  upright  judge,  bringing  him 
also  the  popularity  which,  through  the  votes 
of  his  constituents,  called  him  to  the  bench 
in  1906  for  a  second  term  of  six  years.  On 
the  bench  he  is  the  embodiment  of  judicial 
dignity — ever  courteous  and  considerate,  and 
never  attempting  to  win  cheap  applause  at 
the  expense  of  an  inexperienced  attorney  or 
an  overwrought  witness.  Of  unimpeachable 
character  and  of  unusual  intellectual  endow- 
ments, with  a  thorough  understanding  of  the 
law;  patient,  urbane  and  industrious.  Judge 
Funk  took  to  the  bench  the  very  highest 
qualifications  for  the  discharge  of  his  responsi- 
ble duties.  His  record  as  a  judge  has  been  in 
harmony  with  his  career  as  a  lawyer  and  his 
character  as  a  man,  being  distinguished  not 
only  by  unswerving  integrity  but  by  a  master- 
ful grasp  of  every  problem  which  has  come 
before   him   for   solution. 

Judge  Funk's  domestic  relations  are  most 
harmonious,  as  befits  one  of  his  character  and 
temperament.  His  wife  was  formerly  Miss 
Mary  E.  Harris,  who  has  borne  him  one  child 
— William  Harris.  His  character  thus  rounded 
and  softened  by  the  influences  of  wife,  family 
and  home,  the  Judge  is  a  typical  American 
citizen,  vigorously  upholding  the  framework 
of  society  both  in  his  public  capacity  as  an 
able  judge  and  as  a  founder  of  that  great 
American  unit — the  household.  His  is  truly  a 
complete  and  grand  character,  subordinating 
personal  ambition  to  public  good,  seeking  the 
benefit  of  others  rather  than  the  aggrandize- 
ment of  self.  Endowed  by  nature  with  high 
intellectual  qualities,  to  which  have  been 
added  the  discipline  and  embellishments  of 
culture,  his  is  a  most  attractive  personality, 
and  in  South  Bend,  where  .he  has  so  long  made 
his  home,  he  is  numbered  among  the  most 
honored  citizens,  receiving  the  respect  and  re- 
gard of  all  peoples  and  classes. 

Hon.  George  Ford.     For  more  than  a  third 


of  a  century  Hon.  George  Ford  has  been 
recognized  as  a  distinguished  member  of  the 
bar  of  South  Bend,  Indiana.  The  city  is 
therefore  pleased  to  claim  him  as  one  of  her 
native  sons,  his  birth  occurring  at  No.  422 
South  Main  street  on  the  11th  of  January, 
1846.  His  father,  Isaac  Ford,  had  come  to 
the  city  during  the  preceding  year,  dying 
here  in  1880,  in  his  sixty-second  year.  His 
wife,  formerly  Emelipe  Perkins,  was  born  in 
Oswego  county.  New  York,  and  survived  her 
husband  until  1903,  when  she  passed  aw^ay  at 
the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  For  more  than 
sixty  years,  therefore,  the  sterlins:  record  of 
the  Ford  family  has  been  a  part  of  the  annals 
of  South  Bend. 

The  local  public  schools  furnished  George 
Ford  with  the  early  mental  training  which 
he  enjoyed,  and  his  professional  studies  were 
pursued  in  the  law  department  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1869.  In  that  year  he  began  practice 
in  South  Bend,  and  during  the  intervening 
years  has  secured  not  only  a  large  and  dis- 
tinctively representative  clientele,  but  estab- 
lished a  reputation  as  a  strong  and  progressive 
leader  of  the  Democracy.  For  a  number  of 
years  after  his  graduation  he  was  associated 
in  practice  with  Colonel  Norman  Eddy  and 
Joseph  Henderson.  The  litigation  with  which 
his  name  has  been  prominently  associated  em- 
braces many  of  the  important  cases  tried  in 
the  courts  of  this  circuit,  and  his  powers  as 
an  advocate  as  well  as  his  far-sightedness  as 
a  counselor,  have  been  freely  acknowledged 
these  many  years.  His  career  as  a  Democratic 
leader  was  inaugurated  in  1874  by  his  election 
to  the  office  of  prosecuting  attorney  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  and,  after  a  continuous  and 
most  meritorious  service  of  ten  years  in  this 
arduous  position,  in  1885  he  commenced  his 
term  in  the  Forty-ninth  congress  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  Thirteenth  district.  Mr. 
Ford  was  a  working,  useful  and  practical 
member  of  congress,  and  returned  to  South 
Bend  with  a  greatly  strengthened  and  broad- 
ened reputation. 

In  1885  George  Ford  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Josephine  Oliver,  a  daughter  of 
James  Oliver,  the  great  inventor  of  the 
Chilled  Plow  and  one  of  the  most  venerable 
and  best  beloved  citizens  of  South  Bend.  In 
his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Ford  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  sociable  and 
popular,  possesses  a  keen  intellect  and  is  logi- 


1909 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


509 


eal  and  liberal  iii  his  deductions.  Regarded 
as  a  eitizeii,  he  belongs  to  that  public  spirited 
and  useful  type  of  men  whose  ambitions  and 
desires  are  centered  and  directed  to  those 
channels  through  which  flow  the  greatest  and 
most  permanent  public  benefits. 

Charles  j\I.  Krieghbaum.  There  are  few 
who  can  more  justly  claim  the  proud  Ameri- 
can title  of  a  self-made  man.  than  Charles 
M.  Krieghbaum,  who  without  any  extraordin- 
ary family  or  pecuniary  advantages  at  the 
commencement  of  life  has  battled  earnestly 
and  energetically,  and  by  indomitable  cour- 
age and  integrity  has  achieved  both  character 
and  influence.  By  sheer  force  of  will  and  un- 
tiring effort  he  has  worked  his  way  upward. 
He  was  born  near  Pl\Tnouth,  Marshall  county, 
Indiana.  ^larch  13,  1867.  a  son  of  Edwin  and 
^lary  (Ringer)  Krieghbaum,  both  natives  of 
Ohio.  The  father,  who  was  born  in  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  came  to  Indiana  when  a  young 
man.  taking  up  his  abode  within  the  borders 
of  ^Marshall  county,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  His  death  occurred  in 
1901,  when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  sixty- 
three  years. 

Charles  ]\1.  Krieghbaum  received  his  ele- 
mentary education  in  the  country  schools  of 
Marshall  county,  this  being  supplemented  by 
attendance  at  the  Normal  College  of  Logans- 
port  and  the  normal  school  at  Valparaiso, 
Indiana.  He  thereafter  taught  for  two  years 
in  Marshall  county,  and  in  1889  became  a  resi- 
dent of  St.  Joseph  county,  where  he  also  fol- 
lowed the  teacher's  profession  for  four  years. 
During  this  time  he  had  been  taking  a  couree 
in  the  South  Bend  Business  College,  and  he 
also  studied  law  in  the  office  of  W.  A.  Funk, 
while  in  1894  he  graduated  from  the  law  de- 
partment of  Notre  Dame  University.  In  the 
same  year  he  opened  an  office  in  South  Bend 
for  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  is  able 
and  well  posted  in  his  profession,  clear  and 
convincing  as  a  speaker  before  judge  and 
jury,  painstaking  and  accurate  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  his  cases,  and  conscientiously  adheres 
to  the  spirit  as  well  as  to  the  letter  of  the  law. 
He  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  although  an  active  worker 
in  its  cause  he  has  never  desired  the  honors 
or  emoluments  of  public  office. 

In  1896,  Mr.  Krieghbaum  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Lillian  Kellar,  a  daughter 
of  Howard  M.  and  Annie  Kellar,  of  Misha- 
waka,  Indiana,  and  they  have  one  son,  F.  Wal- 
lace, born  Mav  22,  1898.  In  his  fraternal  rela- 


tions  Mr.  Krieghbaum  is  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  of  the 
Order  of  Owls.  His  friends  have  the  highest 
appreciation  of  his  many  excellent  qualities, 
and  his  life  history  furnishes  a  splendid 
example  of  what  may  be  accomplished  through 
determined  purpose,  laudable  ambition  and 
well  directed  efforts. 

Charles  E.  Crockett,  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Tribune  Printing  Company, 
was  born  in  South  Bend,  August  8,  1876, 
being  a  son  of  the  president  of  the  Tribune 
Company,  whose  sketch  is  given  elsewhere. 
Educated  in  the  public  schools  and  grad- 
uating from  the  South  Bend  High  school 
in  1894,  he  then  entered  Wabash  College  at 
Crawfordsville,  where  he  was  graduated  in 
1898  with  the  degree  of  B.  A.  He  showed 
his  talent  and  inclination  for  journalism 
while  a  student  in  college,  having  been  chief 
editor  of  "The  Wabash"  while  there.  Since 
leaving  college  he  has  been  connected  with 
the  South  Bend  Tribune,  and  became  secre- 
tary  and  treasurer  of  the  company.  In  col- 
lege his  fraternal  connections  were  with  the 
Delta  Tau  Delta  and  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
Greek  letter  societies.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  church  in  South  Bend. 
He  married,  April  17,  1906,  Miss  Edna  Sum- 
mers, and  they  have  one  child,  Elizabeth 
Ann  Crockett. 

Ed  B.  Reynolds.  In  the  death  of  Ed  B. 
Reynolds,  St.  Joseph  county  lost  one  of  its 
most  valued  citizens.  His  entire  life  was 
spent  within  its  borders,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  he  was  connected  with  one  of  the 
chief  industries  of  the  county,  having  been 
vice  president  of  the  First  National  Bank. 
Many  biLsiness  concerns  and  moral  enter- 
prises, however,  owe  their  excellence  and 
progress  largely  to  his  influence.  He  was  in 
touch  with  the  people,  and  from  a  sincere 
and  deep-felt  interest  in  their  welfare  la- 
bored for  all  that  would  prove  of  public  bene- 
fit until  the  busy  and  iLseful  life  was  ended. 

Mr.  Reynolds  was  born  in  South  Bend  on 
the  28th  of  June,  1859,  being  a  son  of  Ethan 
S.  and  Janette  (Briggs)  Reynolds,  the  fa- 
ther having  been  for  many  years  an  honored 
and  respected  business  man  of  this  city.  The 
public  and  high  schools  of  South  Bend  fur- 
nished their  son  with  the  educational  train- 
ing which  fitted  him  for  life's  duties,  and 
his  first  employment  was  in  his  father's  paper 
mill,  where  he  remained  for  fifteen  years. 
The   father  had  been   one   of  the  organizers 


510 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


of  the  First  National  Banlv  of  South  Bend, 
of  which  he  was  also  a  director,  stockholder 
and  vice  president,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  his  son  E.  B.  took  his  place  therein. 
He  was  a  keen  and  reliable  business  man,  an 
able  financier,  a  sympathetic  and  kind- 
hearted  man  and  his  loss  was  deeply  felt 
throughout  the  community  in  which  he  had 
so  long  made  his  home.  During  his  lifetime 
he  had  been  an  extensive  traveler,  having 
visited  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  also 
Mexico  and  Alaska,  and  traveled  all  over 
Europe,  the  Holy  Land  and  many  oriental 
countries,  including  China  and  Japan. 

]\Ir.  Reynolds  withheld  his  support  from  no 
philanthropic  or  benevolent  movements  or  en- 
terprises for  the  public  good,  and  labored 
earnestly  for  the  betterment  of  mankind, 
realizing  most  fully  that  financial  success, 
fame  or  high  position  count  for  naught  un- 
less supplemented  by  an  upright,  honorable 
character.  He  was  a  member  of  the  leading 
clubs  of  South  Bend  and  was  prominent  in 
fraternal  societies.  In  1901  he  was  appointed 
by  Mayor  Schuyler  Colfax  as  a  member  of 
the  board  of  public  works.  He  passed  away 
October  1,  1906,  but  in  the  hearts  of  his 
friends  are  enshrined  many  pleasant  mem- 
ories of  him,  and  his  influence  for  good  will 
long  remain  with  those  who  knew  him. 

Frederick  A.  Miller.  As  mentioned  in 
the  history  of  journalism  on  other  pages  of 
this  work,  the  name  Miller  has  been  connected 
with  South  Bend  newspapers  for  nearly  forty 
years.  Alfred  B.  ]\Iiller.  the  father  of  the 
present  editor  of  the  Tribune,  was  born  in 
South  Bend,  the  son  of  B.  F.  Miller,  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  the  city.  B.  F.  ]ililler  was 
of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  after  settling  in  this  county  was 
honored  by  election  as  one  of  the  early  sher- 
iffs. Alfred  B.  Miller  was  born,  reared  and 
educated  in  this  county.  He  enlisted  at  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war  and  was  com- 
missioned second  lieutenant  of  the  Twenty- 
first  Indiana  Battery,  serving  with  that  com- 
mand through  the  entire  war.  On  his  return 
from  the  field  he  clerked  for  D.  M.  Shively 
and  John  Brownfield  and  later  entered  news- 
paper work,  purchasing  an  interest  in  and 
becoming  editor  of  the  St.  Joseph  Valley 
Register,  founded  by  the  late  Vice-President 
Colfax.  In  1872  "he  and  Elmer  Crockett 
founded  the  South  Bend  Tribune,  the  first 
issue  of  which  appeared  March  9  of  that  year. 
He   continued   as   editor   and   as   one   of  the 


active  heads  of  this  paper  until  his  death, 
December    10,    1892.      His    wife    was    Esther 

A.  Tarbell,  a  native  of  Ohio  and  a  daughter 
of  William  Tarbell,  a  pioneer  of  the  county. 
Mrs.   Miller  died  January  15,   1906. 

Frederick  A.  Miller  has  been  engaged  in 
newspaper  work  in  South  Bend  for  over 
twenty  years.  Graduating  from  the  South 
Bend  High  school  with  the  class  of  1887, 
on  the  3d  of  July  following  he  began  work 
as  a  reporter  for  the  Tribune,  and  since  his 
father's  death  has  been  the  editor  of  this 
flourishing  index  of  affairs  and  opinion  in 
South  Bend.'  June  8,  1892,  Mr.  Miller  mar- 
ried  ]\Iiss   Flora   Dunn,   second   daughter  of 

B.  F.  Dunn.  (See  sketch  elsewhere.)  Mr. 
Miller  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  the  Royal  Arcanum. 

William    A.    McInerny.     The     law    has 

ever  called  into  its  circle  of  devotees  the 
brightest  minds,  the  most  gifted  sons  of  the 
nation.  The  most  careful  analysis,  closest 
reasoning  and  most  logical  thought  are 
brought  into  play,  and  the  lawyer  of  ability, 
by  reason  of  his  strong  intellectuality,  rises 
above  the  many  to  become  a  leader  in  thought 
and  action.  Among  the  members  of  the  legal 
profession  of  St.  Jaseph  county  who  are  rap- 
idly forging  to  the  front  may  be  mentioned 
William  A.  ]\lclnerny,  a  native  of  Cutler, 
Carroll  county,  Indiana,  born  on  the  14th  of 
October,  1875,  his  parents  being  Matthew  and 
Mary  (Barrett)  McInerny,  both  natives  of 
Ireland,  the  former  of  County  Clare  and  the 
latter  of  Roscommon.  The  father  came  to  the 
Ignited  States  with  his  parents  when  a  boy,  the 
family  home  being  established  in  Carroll 
county,  where  the  son  Matthew  became  a 
prominent  merchant.  During  the  Civil  war 
he  served  as  captain  of  the  Eighty-sixth  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  Company  H,  parti- 
cipating in  the  entire  campaign.  In  1889  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  South  Bend,  where 
he  is  now  well  knoAvn  as  a  commercial  traveler. 
]Mr.  and  !Mrs.  ]McInerny  became  the  parents 
of  five  sons  and  one  daughter,  four  ©■f  whom 
are  living  in  South  Bend. 

William  A.  McInerny  supplemented  the 
early  educational  training  which  he  had  re- 
ceived in  the  public  schools  of  Carroll  county 
by  attendance  at  the  high  school  of  South 
Bend,  while  his  legal  training  was  obtained 
in  Notre  Dame  University,  graduating  in  that 
institution  in  1901.  Previous  to  entering 
Notre  Dame,  however,  he  was  for  five  years 
employed  in  the  money  order  department  of 


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HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


511 


the  South  Bend  postoffice.  Immediately  after 
his  graduation  he  began  the  practice  of  his 
chosen  profession  in  South  Bend,  where  he  is 
now  associated  in  business  with  his  brother, 
Joseph  Walter,  the  firm  of  Mclnerny  &  Mc- 
Inernv  being  well  known  throughout  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  William  A.  Mclnerny  is 
also  interested  in  several  land  companies,  is  a 
director  and  secretary  of  the  South  Bend  Iron 
Bed  Company,  also  president  of  the  M.  B. 
Bieger  Realty  Company,  of  Mishawaka,  and 
president  of  the  Mishawaka  Folding  Carriage 
Company. 

In  October,  1902,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
]\Ir.  ]McInerny  and  j\Iiss  Ann  Murphy,  she 
being  a  daughter  of  Frank  J.  ]\Iurphy,  of 
South  Bend.  Two  children  have  been  born  of 
this  union, — Dorothy  Agnes,  born  on  the  26th 
of  August.  1903,  and  Anna  Marie,  born  Octo- 
ber 6,  1905.  In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr. 
Mclnerny  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Columbus,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
the  Ellvs  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hiber- 
nians. Throughout  the  years  of  his  ma.jority 
he  has  been  a  prominent  worker  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Democratic  partj^  and  for  a  number 
of  years  has  been  a  member  of  the  county 
committee,  while  in  1902  he  was  appointed  by 
Mayor  E.  J.  Fogarty  as  president  of  the  board 
of  public  works. 

Harry  G.  Schock,  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Bugbee  and  Schoi'k,  attorneys  at  law 
and  abstracters,  with  offices  at  122  North 
Main  street.  South  Bend,  is  a  represen- 
tative of  a  family  that  from  an  early  period 
has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  his- 
tory of  St.  Joseph  county.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Joseph  Schock,  located  in  the 
county  in  the  '30s,  as  did  also  the  maternal 
grandfather,  George  Replogle.  the  latter  at 
that  time  taking  up  his  abode  in  South  Bend. 
Since  that  early  day  the  various  members  of 
the  families  have  won  for  the  name  an  envi- 
able distinction  by  theii"  true  worth  of  charac- 
ter. The  parents  of  Harry  G.  were  James  J. 
and  Emma  (Replogle)  Schock,  a  native  son 
and  daughter  of  St.  Joseph  county,  and  the 
father  is  now  employed  by  the  Studebaker 
^Manufacturing  Company,  but  the  mother  is 
deceased,  passing  away  in  1901,  at  the  age  of 
forty-seven  years.  Their  younger  son,  James 
E.,  resides  in  South  Bend. 

Harry  G.  Schock  was  born  in  New  Carlisle, 
St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  March  8,  1872, 
but  his  education  was  received  in  the  public 
schools  of  South  Bend,  in  which  he  graduated 


in  1890.  He  then  entered  the  literary  depart- 
ment of  the  Michigan  University,  while  later 
he  was  a  student  in  the  law  department  of 
that  institution,  spending  in  all  six  years  in 
that  temple  of  learning.  Thus  with  an  excel- 
lent training  to  form  the  foundations  of  his 
future  life  work  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
W.  A.  Bugbee  in  the  law  and  abstract  busi- 
ness in  1899,  and  this  firm  has  continued  to 
the  present  time  and  has  won  a  distinguished 
position  at  the  bar  of  northern  Indiana. 

In  1904  Mr.  Schock  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Evalyn,  the  daughter  of  W.  A.  and  Evalyn 
(Badet)  Bugbee.  She  was  born  in  the  city 
of  South  Bend  and  after  attending  its  public 
schools  completed  her  education  at  Ferry 
Hall  Seminary  at  Lake  Forest,  Illinois.  Mr. 
Schock  is  a  musician  of  note,  and  during  the 
past  twenty  years  has  been  connected  with  the 
Elbel  Band  as  a  cornet  player.  His  political 
support  is  given  to  the  Republican  party. 
In  his  business  relations  he  is  thoroughly  up- 
right and  conscientious,  is  public  spirited  and 
progressive  in  all  his  ideas,  and  has  won  an 
enviable  position  among  the  younger  repre- 
sentatives of  the  legal  profession. 

Thomas  M.  Hoban.  One  of  the  early  fami- 
lies to  make  a  settlement  in  South  Bend  is  that 
now  worthily  represented  by  the  gentleman 
whose  name  introduces  this  review.  For 
many  years  the  Hobans  have  been  identified 
with  the  business  interests  of  this  city,  aiding 
materially  in  the  development  of  the  resources 
of  their  sections  and  taking  an  active  part  in 
everything  tending  to  promote  the  welfare 
and  happinesS'  of  the  majority.  Martin  Ho- 
ban, the  father  of  Thomas  M.,  was  a  native  of 
Bath,  Maine,  but  when  only  seven  years  old 
was  brought  by  his  parents  to  South  Bend, 
and  he  became  a  well  known  and  prominent 
resident  of  this  city.  For  many  years  he  was 
a  general  contractor,  and  was  also  prominent 
in  the  public  life  of  his  community,  having 
served  as  the  Democratic  alderman  of  the 
Eighth  ward  for  eight  years.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1903,  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  fifty-five  years.  He  was  thoroughly  in  touch 
with  the  people,  and  from  a  sincere  and  deep- 
felt  interest  in  their  welfare  labored  for  all 
that  would  prove  of  public  benefit  until  the 
busy  and  useful  life  was  ended.  Mrs.  Hoban 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Julia  E.  Downey, 
and  was  a  native  of  Rome,  New  York. 

Thomas  M.  Hoban,  a  worthy  son  of  these 
honored  pioneer  settlers,  was  born  in  South 
Bend  on  the  20th  day  of  July,  1878,  and  to 


512 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


its  public  schools  he  is  indebted  for  the  early 
educational  training  which  he  received,  while 
later  be  became  a  student  in  Notre  Dame  Uni- 
versity, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  law 
in  1899,  but  in  1900  he  took  a  post  graduate 
course  therein.  He  has  spared  neither  time 
nor  labor  in  his  preparation  for  the  legal  pro- 
fession, and  is  recognized  as  a  young  man  of 
great  promise,  with  a  bright  future  before 
him. 

CouRTLAND  P.  DuCoMB.  The  man  who 
wins  prominence  at  the  bar  of  America's 
thriving  cities,  of  which  South  Bend  is  one, 
must  have  a  thorough  understanding  of  the 
law,  a  keen  perception,  logical  reasoning,  for- 
cible argument,  and,  above  all,  habits  of  pains- 
taking, patient  industry.  In  like  manner  with 
all  others  Courtland  P.  DuComb  started  out  to 
win  a  name  and  pla.ce  for  himself,  and  his  suc- 
cess has  made  him  one  of  the  leaders  of  the 
South  Bend  bar. 

Mr.  DuComb  was  born  in  Union  township, 
St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  August  12,  1872, 
a  son  of  Philip  P.  and  Bertha  E.  (Wright)  , 
DuComb,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio  and  the 
latter  of  Indiana.  During  the  '50s  the  father 
came  to  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  and  when 
the  Civil  war  was  inaugurated  he  enlisted  in 
the  Twenty-ninth  Indiana  Infantry,  Company 
K,  in  which  he  served  for  four  years,  and 
after  the  close  of  the  struggle  he  resumed  the 
quiet  pursuits  of  a  farm  life.  Subsequently, 
however,  he  removed  to  Lakeville,  Indiana, 
where  he  engaged  in  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits, for  awhile.  He  was  then  engaged  in  the 
general  merchandising  business  but  selling 
out,  returned  to  the  fanu  and  remained  about 
fifteen  years,  when  he  again  entered  the  gen- 
eral mercantile  field,  and  is  still  in  business 
there. 

Courtland  P.  DuComb,  the  second  in  order 
of  birth  of  his  parents '  four  sons,  received  his 
elementary  education  in  the  country  schools, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  thereafter  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  St.  Joseph  county. 
While  thus  engaged  he  conceived  the  idea  of 
entering  the  legal  profession,  and  to  perfect 
himself  in  that  calling  he  entered  the  law 
department  of  the  Indiana  State  University, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1895,  but  prior 
to  entering  that  institution  he  had  also  had  a 
year's  preparatory  work  in  DePauw  Univer- 
sity. After  his  graduation  Mr.  DuComb  came 
to  South  Bend,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in 
active  practice.  He  enjoys  a  large  clientage, 
which  has  connected  him  with  much  of  the  im- 


portant litigation  heard  in  the  courts  of  the 
district  for  the  past  few  years.  His  political 
support  is  given  to  the  Republican  party,  and 
on  one  occasion  he  was  the  candidate  of  his 
party  for  the  office  of  city  judge,  being  de- 
feated by  only  a  small  majority,  although  he 
ran  ahead  of  his  ticket.  For  four  years  he 
served  as  a  deputy  prosecuting  attorney,  and 
has  been  engaged  in  some  important  county 
litigation  and  several  noted  murder  trials. 
He  was  appointed  to  assist  the  state  in  the 
celebrated  Koonsman  nuirder  trial,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  convicting  the  three  Koonsman 
brothers  and  several  others. 

In  189G  Mr.  DuComb  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  JNIiss  Clara  B.  Augustine,  a  daughter 
of  William  Augustine,  an  old  and  honored 
resident  of  Warren  township,  St.  Joseph 
county.  This  union  has  been  blessed  with  one 
son,  Noel  V.,  who  was  born  on  the  15th  of 
October,  1897.  In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr. 
DuComb  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Lodge  No.  29,  and  of 
other  societies.  His  religious  connection  is 
with  the  Christian  church. 

Benjamin  F.  Shively.  For  a  number  of 
years  a  distinguished  member  of  the  legal  pro- 
fession, honored  and  respected  in  every  class 
of  society,  Mr.  Shively  has  long  been  a  leader 
in  thought  and  action  in  the  public  life  of  the 
state.  His  name  is  a  familiar  one  in  political 
and  professional  circles  throughout  the  north- 
ern portion  of  Indiana,  and  by  reason  of  his 
marked  intellectual  activity  and  superior 
ability  he  is  well  fitted  to  aid  in  upbuilding 
the  policy  of  the  state,  to  control  general  inter- 
ests and  form  public  opinion. 

Mr.  Shively  was  born  in  St.  Joseph  county, 
Indiana,  March  20,  1857,  a  son  of  Rev.  Joel 
and  Elizabeth  (Penrod)  Shively,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  who  came  to  St.  Joseph  county 
in  1854.  Their  son  Benjamin  F.  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  attend- 
ance at  the  district  schools  and  in  assisting  in 
the  work  of  the  home  farm,  while  later  he  be- 
came a  student  in  the  Northern  Indiana  Nor- 
mal College  at  Valparaiso.  From  1875  until 
1880  he  was  engaged  in  teaching,  and  in  the 
latter  year  came  to  South  Bend  and  embarked 
in  the  newspaper  field.  Mr.  Shively  has  long 
been  recognized  as  a  leader  in  the  ranks  of 
the  Democratic  party,  and  in  1884  he  was 
elected  to  congress  to  represent  the  Thirteenth 
district,  and  on  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  service,  in  1885,  he  entered  the  University 
of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  in  which  he  gradu- 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


513 


nted  in  the  law  department  in  1886.  He  was 
then  again  elected  to  congress,  and  in  1888 
and  1890  re-elected,  while  in  1906  he  was  nom- 
inated for  the  same  position,  and  although  he 
was  defeated  by  less  than  three  hundred  votes 
he  succeeded  in  reducing  a  majority  at  pre- 
vious elections  of  over  six  thousand.  While 
in  congress  JMr.  Shively  proved  himself  one 
of  its  most  indefatigable  members  and  ren- 
dered excellent  service  to  his  constituents. 
While  a  member  of  that  body  he  served  on 
banking  and  currency,  Indian  affairs  and 
ways  and  means,  and  on  the  expiration  of 
his  term  he  returned  to  South  Bend  and  has 
since  devoted  his  time  to  his  large  legal  prac- 
tice, having  secured  a  distinctively  represen- 
tative clientele.  In  1896  he  received  the 
Democratic  nomination  for  governor,  and 
although  defeated  in  the  race,  he  polled  more 
votes  by  thirty  thousand  than  had  ever  been 
cast  for  governor  up  to  that  time.  His  name 
was  also  mentioned  for  vice-president  in  1896, 
but  he  absolutely  declined  to  allow  it  to  be 
put  forward,  although  his  ability  would  en- 
able him  to  grace  any  position  which  he  might 
be  called  upon  to  fill.  He  is  a  brilliant  lawyer, 
an  eloquent  speaker,  a  deep  thinker  and  stu- 
dent of  affairs,  and  it  is  believed  that  still 
higher  honors  await  him. 

In  1889,  Mr.  Shively  was  married  to  Miss 
Laura  Jenlcs.  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  George 
A.  Jenlvs,  of  Brookdale,  Pennsylvania,  who 
from  1880  to  1886  was  solicitor  general  of  the 
United  States.  He  has  also  been  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  trustee  of  Indiana  University. 

Gaylord  H.  Case,  is  becoming  con- 
spicuously identified  with  the  bar  of 
St.  Joseph  county.  He  was  born  in  La 
Grange  county,  Indiana,  on  the  25th  day  of 
July,  1878.  and  was  reared  on  the  farm.  His 
father,  Zopher  Case,  for  many  years  a  farmer 
well  known  in  La  Grange  county,  was  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  came  to  La  Grange  county  and 
settled  there  in  1834.  Zopher  Case  was  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  early  history  of 
La  Grange  county  and  the  state  of  Indiana. 
He  was  also  a  ..prominent  and  influential 
worker  in  the  Democratic  party,  and  among 
the  people  with  whom  he  so  long  resided  he 
was  very  popular.  Mrs.  Zopher  Case  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Anna  Smith  and  for  many 
years  was  a  teacher  of  public  schools  in  La 
Grange  county. 

Gaylord  H.  Case  received  his  preparatory 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  La  Grange 
county,  afterwarcLs  attending  the  Wolcottville 

33 


High  School.  In  1895  he  entered  St.  Mary's 
Institute,  Dayton,  Ohio,  in  which  institution 
he  graduated  in  the  scientific  department  in 
1899.  In  1899  he  entered  the  Law  Depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Michigan,  where  he 
graduated  in  1902.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  the  State  of  Michigan  in  the  same  year, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1902  went  to  North 
Dakota  where  he  was  examined  by  the 
Supreme  Court  of  that  state  and  admitted  to 
the  bar.  He  practiced  in  North  Dakota  dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1902,  and  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  he  returned  to  Indiana,  located  in 
South  Bend  and  practiced  law  in  partnership 
with  A.  I.  Field  until  the  year  of  1904.  Since 
1904  he  has  practiced  by  himself.  In  March, 
1907,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Nellie  Eshel- 
man,  a  native  of  La  Grange  county,  and  since 
that  time  has  lived  with  his  wife  and  mother 
in  South  Bend. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge,  No. 
45,  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  South  Bend  Humane 
Society  and  Crusade  Lodge  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  and  is  well  known  throughout  the 
city. 

WiLBERT  Ward,  a  lawyer  of  South  Bend 
in  the  vigorous  prime  of  early  middle 
life,  has  achieved  high  standing  in  his 
profession  and  is  also  an  influential  Re- 
publican. He  has  won  a  most  substantial  rep- 
utation as  both  advocate  and  counselor,  this 
dual  achievement  implying  and  demanding 
qualities  of  eloquence  and  brilliancy  as  well 
as  of  broad  knowledge  of  the  law  and  solid 
common  sense.  All  of  these  Mr.  Ward  pos- 
sesses; hence  his  continuous  progress  and 
present  standing. 

Wilbert  Ward  is  a  native  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  his  birth  occurring  April  29,  1861, 
and  his  parents  were  George  and  Jane  (Cobb) 
Ward,  both  natives  of  the  county  and  long 
residents  of  Clay  township.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  George  Ward,  settled  in  this 
region  about  1837,  and  resided  there  until  his 
death  in  the  spring  of  1885.  The  son  of 
George  Ward  and  father  of  Wilbert,  also 
George  by  name,  is  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
as  he  always  has  been,  and  by  his  wife  (nee 
Jane  Cobb)  became  the  father  of  the  follow- 
ing children :  Wilbert,  Albert,  Cora,  the  wife 
of  Richard  Hicks ;  Mertie  and  Grace. 

AVilbert  AVard,  the  eldest  child  of  the  above 
named  family,  attended  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  Mishawaka  until  he  was  thirteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  removed  on  to  a  farm 
which  his  father  had  purchased  and  was  also 


514 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


trained  to  the  useful  and  health-giving  labors 
of  agriculture.  His  industry  and  intelligent 
application  at  school  enabled  him  to  enter  the 
ranks  of  pedagogy  at  the  early  age  of  seven- 
teen, his  services  embracing  Dutch  Island 
School  of  Penn  township  and  Stover  school 
of  Clay  township.  The  latter  was  his  home 
district  and  he  had  among  his  pupils  his  own 
brothers  and  sisters.  In  the  fall  of  1880  he 
matriculated  at  De  Pauw  University,  and  the 
succeeding  winter  taught  a  term  of  school  in 
Portage  township,  after  which  he  returned  to 
the  university  and  completed  his  collegiate 
studies  in  June,  1884.  He  was  principal  of 
the  Clayton  High  School  of  Hendricks  county 
in  the  winter  of  1884-5,  and  in  the  following 
summer  commenced  the  study  of  the  law  iu 
the  office  of  Williamson  &  Daggy  of  Green- 
castle.  Indiana.  The  next  winter  he  completed 
his  law  course  at  De  Pauw  University,  and 
almost  immediately  afterward  commenced  his 
duties  as  principal  of  the  high  school  at  An- 
derson, Indiana,  and  continued  in  that  posi- 
tion until  June,  1888. 

From  the  above  mentioned  date,  Mr.  Ward 
has  been  a  resident  and  a  progressive  practic- 
ing attorney  of  South  Bend,  and  is  firmly 
placed  among  the  leading  lawyers  of  the  St. 
Joseph  county  bar.  He  has  also  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  internal  revenue 
service  of  his  district,  and  has  served  with 
credit  as  a  state  representative. 

Mr.  Ward's  wife  was  formerly  Miss  Alice 
Chearhart.  of  Anderson,  Indiana,  by  whom 
he  has  had  one  child,  Wilbert.  The  parents 
are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Aside  from  his  general  practice  Mr. 
Ward  has  long  been  the  attorney  of  the  Work- 
ingmen's  Loan  Association.  His  strict  princi- 
ples of  personal  honor,  as  well  as  his  profes- 
sional ability,  make  him  an  especially  promi- 
nent and  valuable  factor  in  the  stability  and 
progress  of  all  such  associations. 

Vitus  George  Jokes.  During  the  four 
years  which  marks  the  period  of  Mr.  Jones' 
professional  career  he  has  met  with  gratifying 
success,  and  is  known  as  a  man  of  high  attain- 
ments and  practical  ability  as  a  lawyer.  He 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Cass  county,  Michigan, 
June  15,  1879,  a  son  of  Thomas  P.  Jones,  a 
native  of  Ireland.  When  but  seven  years  of 
age,  however,  the  father  was  brought  by  his 
parents  to  the  United  States,  the  family  home 
being  established  in  Michigan.  Mr.  Jones  be- 
came very  well  known  for  his  literary  ability. 
and  for  many  years  taught  school  in  Willow 


Springs,  Illinois,  and  was  also  connected  with 
the  Englewood  Normal  School.  He  then  em- 
barked in  business  in  Chicago,  but  his  love  for 
a  country  life  impelled  him  to  return  to  Michi- 
gan and  engage  in  farming,  and  he  still  makes 
his  home  in  that  state  and  carries  on  his  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  has  been  prominent  in 
public  life  as  well  as  in  business  circles,  and 
is  leaving  the  impress  of  his  individuality  for 
good  upon  many  lines  of  progress  and  ad- 
vancement in  his  conununity.  He  married 
Catherine  Callinane,  who  was  born  in  Michi- 
gan of  Irish  parents. 

Their  son,  Vitus  G.  Jones,  received  the  rudi- 
ments of  his  excellent  education  in  the  coun- 
try schools  of  Michigan,  and  in  1894  he 
entered  Notre  Dame  University,  where  he 
studied  English  and  law.  remaining  there  for 
nine  years  and  receiving  the  degrees  of  LL.  B. 
and  Lift.  B.  He  was  graduated  in  law  in 
1903  and  immediately  opened  an  office  for  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  South  Bend, 
being  associated  with  F.  M.  Jackson  for  one 
and  a  half  years,  since  which  time  he  has 
remained  alone.  In  January,  1905,  he  was 
appointed  by  the  county  commissioners  as  a 
justice  of  the  peace.  The  following  year, 
1906,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  D.  D. 
Bates,  which  continued  until  the  firm  of 
Howell,  Bates,  Elliott  &  Jones  was  formed 
in  May,  1907,  of  which  firm  he  is  a  member. 
As  a  lawyer  Mr.  Jones  has  won  rank  among 
the  leading  members  of  the  bar  of  Indiana, 
and  in  addition  to  his  large  legal  practice 
he  is  also  interested  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness with  H.  A.  Tohulka,  the  latter  conduct- 
ing that  part  of  the  business. 

Mr.  Jones  was  married  on  the  5th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1903,  to  Miss  Mary  Morley,  daughter  of 
James  Morley,  of  South  Bend.  In  his  frater- 
nal relations,  Mr.  Jones  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  ColumbiLS,  the  Knights  of  Equity 
and  the  Maccabees.  He  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  Republican  party,  and  is 
accorded  a  prominent  position  at  the  Indiana 
bar. 

Frank  H.  Dunnahoo.  One  of  the  rising 
young  men  of  South  Bend  is  Frank  H.  Dun- 
nahoo, a  representative  of  the  bar  of  St. 
Joseph  county.  He  is  conscientious,  prompt 
and  thoroughly  reliable,  and  has  won  the 
praise  and  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  has  had 
dealings.  He  is  a  native  son  of  this  county, 
his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  5th  of  April, 
1873.  His  father.  Griffin  S.  Dunnahoo,  has 
been  for  many  years  a  prominent  factor  in 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


515 


the  aii'ric'ultural  interests  of  St.  Joseph  county. 
Reliability  in  all  trade  transactions,  loyalty  to 
all  duties  of  citizenship,  fidelity  in  the  dis- 
charge of  every  trust  reposed  in  him,  these 
are  his  chief  characteristics,  and  through  the 
passing  years  they  have  gained  for  him  the 
unqualified  confidence  and  respect  of  his  fel- 
low townsmen. 

The  public  schools  of  St.  Joseph  county 
furnished  Frank  H.  Dunnahoo  with  his  ele- 
mentary educational  training,  while  his  pro- 
fessional studies  were  pursued  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  jMichigan,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
the  law  department  in  1894,  and  in  the  same 
year  he  opened  an  office  in  South  Bend  for  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  During  his  first 
six  years  in  practice  he  was  associated  with 
the  Hon.  A.  L.  Brick,  but  during  the  past 
six  years  he  has  been  alone.  He  is  a  rising 
young  man  in  the  profession,  popular  and 
respected  by  all  with  whom  he  has  had  deal- 
ing's, and  his  prestige  at  the  bar  of  St.  Joseph 
county  stands  in  evidence  of  his  ability  and 
likewise  serves  as  a  voucher  for  intrinsic 
worth  of  character.  He  gives  his  political 
allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  has 
for  a  number  of  years  acceptably  filled  the 
office  of  city  attorney  of  South  Bend.  In  his 
social  relations  he  is  a  member  of  the  Indiana 
Club,  the  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Demas  D.  Bates.  Honored  and  respected 
by  all,  Demas  D.  Bates  has  been  for  a  niunber 
of  years  prominently  connected  with  the  bar 
of  St.  Joseph  county,  while  during  this  time 
he  has  also  been  identified  w'ith  its  public 
affairs.  Throughout  the  entire  period  of  his 
residence  here  he  has  been  actively  interested 
in  all  measures  advanced  for  the  good  of  the 
people,  and  has  performed  his  full  share  in 
the  development  and  improvement  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Bates  was  born  near  Liberty,  St.  Joseph 
county,  Indiana,  November  4,  1865,  a  son  of 
Cahdn  Bates,  a  farmer  by  occupation.  The 
son  spent  the  period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth 
on  his  father's  farm  and  in  attendance  at  the 
district  school  near  his  home,  and  thereafter- 
ward  for  nine  years  he  was  a  member  of  the 
teacher's  profession.  While  thus  engaged  he 
was  also  at  intervals  a  student  in  the  Northern 
Indiana  Normal  College  at  Valparaiso,  Indi- 
ana, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  law 
department  in  May,  1893,  and  in  the  same 
year  he  came  to  South  Bend  and  opened  an 
office  for  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession. 
He  continued  alone  in  his  practice  until  Sep- 
tember. 1899,  when  he  formed  a  partnership 


with  Hon.  A.  L.  Brick,  the  firm  being  known 
as  Brick  &  Bates.  In  1898,  Mr.  Bates  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  referee  in  bankruptcy 
for  the  Thirteenth  district,  which  was  ten- 
dered him  by  Judge  Baker  of  the  United 
States  District  Court,  but  this  position  he 
resigned  in  1899  to  enter  a  partnership  with 
Mr.  Brick.  In  December,  1899,  Mr.  Bates  was 
the  choice  of  his  fellow  citizens  for  the  office 
of  county  attorney,  and  held  this  position 
until  1906,  when  he  resigned  to  become  post- 
master of  South  Bend.  He  took  charge  of  the 
postoffice  April  1,  1906.  ana  during  the  short 
period  he  held  the  office  he  obtained  a  busi- 
ness-like grasp  of  the  situation  which  caused 
him  to  introduce  methods  and  outline  a  policy 
that  greatly  increased  the  efficiency  of  the 
office. 

In  April,  1907,  Mr.  Bates  found  it  neces- 
sary to  relinquish  the  office  of  postmaster  on 
account  of  pressure  of  other  opportunities 
and  his  desire  to  accept  them.  He  resigned 
the  office  of  postmaster  to  take  effect  June  30, 
1907,  and  entered  into  a  law  partnership  with 
Hon.  M.  L.  Howell,  Hon.  Gilbert  A.  Elliott, 
and  Vitus  G.  Jones  under  the  firm  name  of 
Howell,  Bates,  Elliott.  &  Jones.  The  firm 
holds  first  rank  Avith  those  of  the  central  west, 
and  occupies  offices  in  the  American  Building, 
which  are  fitted  up  in  the  most  modern  style. 

Mr.  Bates  has  ever  taken  an  active  interest 
in  politics  as  a  Republican,  and  in  the  1898 
campaign,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Republicaij 
Central  Committee  for  the  Thirteenth  district, 
while  in  1900  and  1902  he  was  treasurer  of 
the  Central  Committee.  He  is  a  bright  and 
skillful  lawyer,  and  has  been  a  faithful  public 
servant,  and  is  enjoying  the  confidence  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  business  or  private  rela- 
tions. 

Hon.  Gilbert  A.  Elliott.  The  name  of 
Gilbert  A.  Elliott  figures  conspicuously  upon 
the  legislative  page  of  the  history  of  Indiana. 
An  enumeration  of  the  men  of  the  present 
generation  who  have  won  public  recognition 
for  themselves  and  at  the  same  time  have  hon- 
ored the  county  and  the  state  to  w'hich  they 
belong,  would  be  incomplete  without  promi- 
nent reference  to  the  one  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review.  He  is  serving  his  second 
term  as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature, 
where  he  has  ever  manifested  deep  interest  in 
those  questions  which  are  to  the  statesman, 
as  to  the  man  of  affairs,  of  vital  importance 
to  the  commonwealth  and  the  nation.  While 
he  has  not  been  without  the  personal  ambition 


516 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


which  is  the  spur  of  •energy  and  without  w^hich 
little  would  be  accomplished  in  life,  his  patri- 
otic attachment  to  his  country  is  even  greater, 
and  he  has  ever  placed  her  good  before  self- 
aggrandizement.  Thus  over  his  public  career 
there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong,  and,  while  he 
has  awakened  envy  and  criticism  such  as 
always  come  to  the  man  who  figures  promi- 
nently before  the  public,  the  citizens  who 
know  him  bast  have  manifested  their  confi- 
dence in  his  worth  and  work  by  re-electing 
him  to  represent  them  in  the  council  chambers 
of  the  state. 

Mr.  Elliott  is  a  splendid  example  of  the 
brilliant  y*t  enduring  stock  of  English-Irish 
ancestry  transplanted  to  American  soil  and 
subjected  to  the  broadening  influences  of 
western  education  and  training.  He  has  left 
nothing  to  chance,  and  taken  nothing  for 
granted  except  that  he  could  never  expect  to 
reach  a  given  point  in  his  career  without 
fighting  obstacles  and  struggling  over  difficul- 
ties, continuously  and  persistently.  The 
decided  ground  which  he  has  thus  gained, 
although  of  unnsual  extent  for  one  of  his 
years,  has  been  held  wnth  determination,  but, 
from  the  verv  nature  of  his  character,  with  no 
indication  of  overweening  pride.  He  is  a 
native  of  South  Bend,  born  on  the  11th  of 
October,  1879,  a  son  of  Gilbert  L.  and  Anna 
(IMcElroy)  Elliott,  the  latter  being  born  in 
Ireland.  The  paternal  grandfather  was  a  cap- 
tain in  the  English  army,  stationed  in  India, 
where  the  father  of  Gilbert  A.  was  born.  The 
family  afterward  removed  to  Canada,  and  in 
1870,  after  remaining  there  for  a  number  of 
years,  come  to  South  Bend.  The  father,  Gil- 
bert L.  Elliott,  died  in  this  city  in  1893. 

Gilbert  A.  Elliott  has  spent  his  entire  life 
in  the  city  of  his  nativity,  is  indebted  to  its 
public  schools  for  his  early  literary  training 
and  is  a  gi-aduate  of  its  high  school,  class  of 
1898.  Subsequently  he  pursued  a  higher 
course  in  the  Universitv  of  Michigan,  and  in 
1903  graduated  from  the  law  department  of 
that  institution.  After  his  admission  to  the 
bar  ]\Ir.  Elliott  entered  the  office  of  Wilbert 
Ward,  of  South  Bend,  but  in  1904  began  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession  alone.  He 
early  took  an  interest  in  public  C|uestions  and 
as  they  were  discussed  and  manipulated 
mainly  through  political  parties  he  naturally 
drifted  into  politics.  x\.s  it  is  quite  foreign  to 
his  nature  to  take  any  but  an  active  part 
in  anything  which  occupies  his  attention,  he 
soon  became  recognized  as  a  remarkablv  clear- 


headed and  influential  Republican,  and  after 
his  admission  to  the  bar  his  old  friends  at 
once  saw  that  he  would  make  a  very  useful 
legislator.  In  1904,  therefore,  before  he  had 
fairly  entered  practice,  he  was  elected  to  the 
legislature  from  his  home  city,  and  so  fulfilled 
the  public  expectations  as  to  his  faithfulness 
and  ability  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1906. 

In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Elliott  is 
identified  with  the  Masonic  order,  Lodge  No. 
294,  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  and  socially  is  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mercial-Athletic Club.  While  unassuming 
and  companionable,  he  is  at  the  same  time 
a  well  read  and  substantial  lawyer  and  a  prac- 
tical man  of  atfairs.  straightforward  and  de- 
termined. At  an  age  w^hen  most  young  men 
are  unknown  to  but  a  very  limited  circle,  Mr. 
Elliott  has  achieved  a  firm  public  standing, 
and  his  merits  are  freely  recognized,  not  only 
at  home,  but  in  other  sections  of  the  state. 
He  is  a  fine  type  of  the  progressive  American 
citizen- — enterprising  in  business,  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  current  political  situation,  and, 
whatever  his  position,  defending  it  with  the 
same  zeal  with  which  he  fosters  his  private 
affairs.  In  every  sense  he  Ls  intensely,  yet 
broadly,  American. 

George  E.  Clarke.  The  histoiy  of  a  city, 
county  or  state,  as  well  as  that  of  a  nation,  is 
chiefly  the  chronicle  of  the  lives  and  deeds  of 
those  who  have  conferred  honor  and  dignity 
upon  society.  The  world  judges  the  character 
of  a  community  by  that  of  its  representative 
citizens,  and  yields  its  tribute  of  admiration 
and  respect  for  the  genius,  learning,  labor  or 
virtue  of  those  whose  work  and  actions  consti- 
tute the  record  of  a  state's  prosperity  and 
pride :  and  it  is  in  the  character,  as  exempli- 
fied in  probity  and  benevolence,  kindly  virtues 
and  integrity  in  the  affairs  of  life,  that  we  are 
afforded  worthy  examples  of  emulation  and 
valuable  l&ssons  of  incentive. 

Among  the  men  whose  impress  of  individu- 
ality is  felt  upon  the  city  of  South  Bend,  Indi- 
ana, Avhose  efforts  have  promoted  its  welfare 
and  progress,  none  are  more  worthy  of  men- 
tion in  the  volume  than  George  Edmond 
Clarke,  whose  success  at  the  bar  classes  him 
among  the  foremost  members  of  the  legal  fra- 
ternity of  the  state  of  Indiana,  and  who  has 
directed  his  efforts  along  lines  demanding 
strong  mentality  and  keen  discernment  that 
continued  progression  has  followed  as  a  logical 
sequence.  As  an  exponent  of  the  law  he  has 
manifested  a  strength  that  shows  comprehen- 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


517 


sive  familiarity  with  the  great  judicial  prin- 
ciples involved  ;  and  yet  his  powers  have  not 
so  concentrated  along  one  line  of  thought  as 
to  produce  the  abnormal  development  that  so 
often  is  misconstrued  as  genius.  On  the  con- 
trary, his  is  an  evenly  balanced  mind  that  has 
found  scope  for  activity  in  literary,  fraternal 
and  social  circles.  Nor  has  he  been  remiss  in 
that  citizenship  which  takes  cognizance  of  the 
great  questions  alfecting  the  welfare  of  the 
country,  and  lends  hearty  co-operation  to  the 
movements  for  municipal  improvement  and 
advancement. 

George  E.  Clarke  Jias  been  practicing  law 
at  South  Bend  since  1890.  In  recognition  of 
his  legal  ability  and  sterling  worth  as  a  citi- 
zen, the  people  of  the  county  elected  him 
twice  to  the  olBee  of  prosecuting  attorney.  In 
this  office  he  added  numerous  laurels  to  his 
success  in  criminal  law.  Though  an  active 
member  of  the  St.  Joseph  county  bar,  Mr. 
Clarke  is,  perhaps,  best  known  to  the  younger 
generation  of  lawyers,  in  this  county  and 
elsewhere,  as  a  lecturer  on  legal  subjects.  He 
has  taught  in  the  law  department  of  Notre 
Dame  University  and  is  a  well  known  lecturer 
on  historical  and  legal  subjects.  At  a 
recent  meeting  of  the  State  Bar  Association 
at  Indianapolis,  he  delivered  an  address 
which  was  widely  and  favorably  commented 
upon  and  which  gave  him  general  recogni- 
tion as  one  of  the  able  public  speakersi  of  the 
west.  When  the  American  Bar  association 
met  in  Saratoga.  New  York,  he  was  one  of 
the  three  delegates  from  Indiana,  and  was 
elected  by  his  fellow  delegates  as  a  member 
of  the  council  for  the  state. 

A  man  of  exceptional  attainments  in  vari- 
■  ous  fields  of  effort,  Mr.  Clarke  has  had  a 
varied  career,  though  his  endeavors  have  been 
applied  in  one  general  direction  ever  since 
he  attained  manhood.  Born  in  New  Orleans, 
Louisiana,  May  8,  1860,  he  was  the  son  of 
a  railroad  ,and  steamboat  official  whose  home 
was  at  that  place.  Both  parents,  INIatthew 
and  Ellen  Clarke,  were  natives  of  Ireland. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  the  public  schools.  Dur- 
ing his  earlier  years  he  had  experience  in 
various  capaicities,  at  one  time  being  private 
secretary  of  the  president  of  the  M.  &  0. 
railroad  and  later  a  newspaper  reporter.  For 
sometime  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Stude- 
baker  Brothers  of  South  Bend.  He  soon 
gained  the  prestige  that  comes  through  the 
recognition  of  ability,  and,  moreover,  as  a 
young   man   with   a   reputation   to   make,   he 


displayed  the  unremitting  industry  and 
energy  without  which  success  in  any  walk  of 
life  is  impossible.  His  college  training  and 
experience  were  received  in  several  of  the 
foremost  schools  of  the  country,  namely,  St. 
Vincent's  College,  Cornell  University,  the 
University  of  Michigan  and  Notre  Dame 
University.  He  thoroughly  informed  himself 
concerning  great  judicial  principles  involved 
and  his  preparation  of  cases  has  always  been 
most  thorough  and  exhaustive.  Notre  Dame 
University  has  conferred  upon  him  the  de- 
gree of  LL.B.,  B.A.  and  M.A.  The  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan  made  him  a  Master  of 
Laws. 

He  is  one  of  the  best  known  officials  of 
the  order  of  Knights  of  Columbus  of  Indiana, 
being  a  district  deputy,  and  in  the  interests 
of  this  order,  as  well  as  a  lawyer,  he  is  known 
outside  of  the  state,  w^here  he  has  conferred 
the  degree  of  the  order  and  has  lectured  in 
its  interests.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Indiana  State  Bar  and  the  American  Bar 
Associations.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Catholic  church. 

Mr.  Clarke  is  an  influential  Republican  and 
has  advocated  the  doctrines  of  the  party  from 
the  platform  in  many  campaigns,  setting 
forth  the  real  issues  before  the  people  in,  a 
concise,  logical  and  forcible  manner  that  car- 
ries conviction  to  the  minds  of  his  auditors. 
He  was  honored  by  being  appointed  a  mem- 
ber of  the  reception  committee  to  receive 
Vice-President  Fairbanks  in  Chicago  in 
March,  1907. 

Mr.  Clarke  married  in  1887,  Miss  Mamia 
Giddings.  At  her  death  she  left  two  child- 
ren. His  present  wife  was  Miss  Mary 
Vanderhoof,  of  South  Bend,  Indiana. 

Thomas  W.^  Slick.  The  law  has  ever  called 
into  the  circles  of  its  devotees  the  brightest 
minds,  the  most  gifted  sons  of  the  nation.  The 
keen  intellect  is  sharpened  by  its  clash  with 
others  as  brilliant,  and  gains  thereby  an  added 
strength  and  power.  A  prominent  represen- 
tative of  the  bar  of  St.  Joseph  county  is 
Thomas  W.  Slick,  who  is  a  native  son  of  South 
Bend,  born  on  the  5th  of  July,  1869.  His 
father,  Thomas  J.  Slick,  is  a  native  of  Ohio, 
but  came  to  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  in 
the  early  '50s,  when  a  young  man,  and  was 
thereafter  engaged  in  business  in  South  Bend 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  1876,  however,  he 
took  up  his  abode  upon  a  farm,  and  from  that 
time  until  1886  was  actively  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  but  for  a  number  of  years 


518 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


past  he  has  been  promiuently  engaged  in  the 
laundry  business  in  this  city.  His  life  has 
been  one  of  untiring  activity,  and  he  is  now 
numbered  among  the  honored  pioneers  who 
aided  in  laying  the  foundation  on  which  to 
erect  the  superstructure  of  St.  Joseph 
county's  present  prosperity  and  progress. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Laura  Ann 
Whitteu,  she  being  a  daughter  of  President 
Whitten,  of  South  Bend. 

Thomas  W.  Slick,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  received  his  early  educational 
training  in  the  public  schools  of  South  Bend, 
graduating  from  its  high  school  in  1889,  and 
he  thereafter  taught  school  for  tW'O  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  entered  upon 
the  study  of  the  profession  which  he  had  de- 
termined to  make  his  life  work,  and  in  1893 
graduated  in  law^  and  literature  at  the  jNIichi- 
gan  University  at  Ann  Arbor.  His  prepara- 
tion for  the  bar  was  thorough  and  compre- 
hensive, and  he  w-as  therefore  ably  fitted  to 
open  an  office  in  South  Bend  and  engage 
actively  in  practice.  During  the  present  year 
his  brother  was  also  athnitted  to  the  bar  and 
has  been  taken  into  partnership.  Throughout 
the  period  of  his  majority  Mr.  Slick  has  been 
a  zealous  and  efficient  worker  in  the  Republi- 
can party,  and  for  four  years  he  served  as 
prosecuting  attorney. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Slick  was  celebrated  in 
1894,  when  iNIollie  G.  Falknor,  of  Covington, 
Ohio,  became  his  wife,  and  they  now  have  two 
sons,  Glenn,  born  July  9,  1895,  and  Ralph, 
born  September  29,  1896.  In  his  fraternal  re- 
lations Mr.  Slick  is  a  member  of  the  ^Masonic 
order,  lodge  No.  294.  of  which  he  is  a  past 
master,  and  also  a  member  of  the  Chapter 
and  Knights  Templar.  Mr.  Slick  is  accorded 
a  prominent  position  at  the  Indiana  bar,  and 
his  professional  career  is  an  htoor  to  the  dis- 
trict which  has  honored  him. 

Jonathan  P.  Creed.  The  name  of  Jona- 
than P.  Creed  is  inseparably  associated  with 
the  history  of  jurisprudence  in  northern  In- 
diana. He  has  not  looked  to  public  or  official 
life  for  advancement,  but  has  found  it  in 
the  line  of  his  chosen  profession,  wherein  he 
has  manifested  ability  of  a  superior  order, 
and  in  the  faithful  performance  of  each 
day's  duties  in  accordance  w'ith  the  princi- 
ples of  the  loftiest  and  most  noble  manhood. 

Mr.  Creed  was  born  in  Benton,  Yates 
county.  New  York,  on  the  2d  of  December, 
1844,  his  father,  AVilliani  H.  Creed,  being  a 
wtII   known   contractor   and   builder   of   that 


city.  During  his  early  manhood  the  son 
Jonathan  attended  Genesee  Wesley  an  Semi- 
nary at  Lima,  New  York,  and  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  years  he  offered  his  services  to 
the  Union  cause  in  her  efforts  to  overthrow 
the  South,  enlisting  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-sixth  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  was  sent  to  the  front.  His  regiment  w^as 
attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  being 
a  part  of  the  Second  Army  Corps  commanded 
by  General  W.  S.  Hancock.  The  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-sixth  was  one  of  the  fa- 
mous "three  hundred  fighting  regiments," 
and  young  Jonathan  saw'  much  arduous  serv- 
ice, as  his  command  took  part  in  all  the 
battles  and  skirmishes  in  which  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  participated.  On  the  4th  of 
July,  1863,  at  Gettysburg,  he  was  shot 
through  the  side  and  right  arm.  He  w'as  a 
brave  and  fearless  soldier  and  suffered  many 
hardships  and  privations  for  his  country's 
cause. 

The  year  1868  witnessed  the  arrival  of 
]\Ir.  Creed  in  South  Bend,  where  he  began 
the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  J.  B.  Arnold, 
with  whom  he  afterwards  formed  a  partner- 
ship. In  1881  he  began  the  practice  of  law 
alone,  but  since  1897  he  has  had  associated 
with  him  his  daughter,  Miss  Alice  M.  Creed, 
who  is  a  graduate  of  the  South  Bend  high 
school  in  the  class  of  1892.  She  pursued  her 
law  studies  at  the  I^niversity  of  Indianapolis, 
graduating  in  1897,  and  was  admitted  to 
practice  before  the  supreme  court  of  Indiana. 
Her  mother,  nee  Lucretia  Miller,  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Solomon  Miller,  of  South  Bend.  Mr. 
Creed  is  a  member  of  Auten  Post,  No.  8,  G. 
A.  R..  of  which  he  served  as  commander  for 
three  years.  For  many  years  he  has  been 
accorded  a  prominent  position  at  the  Indiana 
bar,  and  he  and  his  popular  and  gifted 
daughter  form  a  strong  combination. 

Francis  E.  Lambert.  Many  years  have 
passed  and  gone  since  the  family  to  which 
this  Avell  known  lawyer  belongs  became  iden- 
tified with  St.  Joseph  county,  and  its  various 
members  have  w^on  for  the  name  an  enviable 
distinction  by  their  intelligence  and  worth. 
This  high  reputation  is  in  no  way  dimin- 
ished in  this  generation,  and  Francis  E.  Lam- 
bert, w^ho  is  numbered  among  the  leading 
members  of  the  bar  in  St.  Joseph  county, 
displays  in  a  marked  degree  the  admirable 
characteristics  which  the  name  suggests. 

A  native  son  of  this  county,  ]\Ir.  Lambert 
was   born    on    a    farm    on    the   4th    of    June, 


(^^^^^ 


THE 
KE'^    N'ORK       Vy 
PUBL  "•' 


HISTORY    OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


519 


1860,  a  son  of  Oliver  C.  and  Ellen  (McMul- 
len)  Lambert,  the  former  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  the  latter  of  Henry  county,  In- 
diana, born  November  27,  1825.  In  their 
family  were  ten  children,  seven  sons  and  three 
daughters,  of  whom  five  are  now  living.  The 
father  was  born  in  Frederick  county,  Vir- 
ginia, in  1818,  and  as  early  as  1835  cast  in 
his  lot  with  the  early  pioneers  of  the  Hoosier 
State.  For  many  years  after  his  arrival  he 
cOiidueted  a  cooper  shop  in  South  Bend,  and 
in  1853  purchased  the  farm  in  Warren  town- 
siiip  on  which  his  remaining  days  were  spent, 
passing  away  in  1872,  when  one  more  name 
was  added  to  the  list  of  honored  dead  whose 
earthly  record  closed  with  the  words,  "Well 
done.'"' 

Francis  E.  Lambert  obtained  his  early 
educational  training  in  the  schools  of  old  St. 
Joseph  county,  this  being  later  supplemented 
by  attendance  at  the  Northern  Indiana  Nor- 
]iial  College  at  V/a.lparaiso,  Indiana,  from 
which  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1884. 
For  twelve  years  thereafter  he  was  numbered 
among  the  prominent  and  efficient  teachers  of 
the  county,  and  was  also  connected  with  the 
South  Bend  Commercial  College  as  princi- 
pal of  the  business  department.  During  all 
this  time  his  ambitions  had  been  to  become  a 
lawyer,  and  as  a  means  to  that  end  he  pur- 
sued a  course  in  the  law  department  of  the 
Valparaiso  College.  After  his  admission  to 
the  bar  in  1891  he  immediately  began  the 
pi-actice  of  his  chosen  profession  in  South 
Bend,  and  for  a  number  of  years  thereafter 
was  in  partnership  with  F.  M.  Jackson,  but  is 
now  alone.  He  is  recognized  as  a  man  of 
exceptional  attainments  and  mental  culture, 
and  his  success  has  made  him  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  South  Bend  bar.  He  advo- 
cates the  principles  of  the  Eepublican  party, 
and  for  two  terms,  1894-1898,  was  a  member 
of  the  state  legislature.  Prior  to  that  time 
St.  Joseph  and  Laporte  counties  formed  one 
.iudicial  district,  and  during  his  terra  in  of- 
fice Mr.  Lambert  introduced  and  had  passed 
a  bill  making  this  county  the  circuit.  He 
was  also  appointed  referee  in  bankruptcy  in 
1898,  .and  is  now  filling  that  position. 

On  the  12th  of  February.  1904.  :\Ir.  Lam- 
bert was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Blanche 
Gee,  a  native  of  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin.  His 
first  marriage,  however,  was  celebrated  in 
1891,  when  Mary  E.  Moomaw,  of  South  Bend, 
became  his  wife.  One  daughter,  Mildred, 
was  born  of  this  union  on  the  13th  of  July, 


1893.  In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Lam- 
bert is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks. 

Will  G.  Crabill  was  born  iu  Wabash,  In- 
diana, September  22,  1869.  He  came  of 
sturdy  Hoosier  parentage,  his  grandfather, 
Michael  R.  Crabill,  who  died  at  Wabash  in 
November,  1906,  having  been  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  Wabash  county  and  a  prominent 
factor  iu  its  history.  He  held  many  offices 
of  public  trust,  and  had  the  distinction  of 
being  the  first  Democratic  mayor  ever  elected 
in  the  city  of  Wabash,  and  that  in  the  face 
of  a  large  political  m/ajority.  ^  Charles  B., 
eldest  sou  of  Michael  R.  Crabill,  and  father 
of  W.  G.  Crabill,  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
War.  He  married  Julia  Ann  Guin,  a  native 
of  Howard  county,  Indiana,  in  1866.  He 
removed  to  South  Bend  with  his  family  in 
1882  and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Stude- 
baker  Brothers'  Mianufacturing  Company  as 
lumber  buyer  and  inspector. 

Will  G.  Crabill  at  once  entered  the  public 
schools  of  South  Bend  and  graduated  from 
the  high  school  in  1888.  At  this  time  he  re- 
ceived his  first  public  recognition,  his  high 
standing  entitling  him  to  the  only  honor 
then  in  the  gift  of  the  high  school, — a  schol- 
arship to  Wabash  College.  Immediately  after 
his  graduation  he  entered  the  employ  of  Hon. 
.Andrew  Anderson,  the  leading  lawyer  of 
the  St.  Joseph  county  bar,  of  South  Bend, 
Indiana,  land  began  the  study  of  law.  In 
1890  and  1891  he  took  a  special  course  in 
law  at  the  University  of  Michigan.  Returning 
he  re-entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Anderson,  who 
was  then  associated  with  James  DuShane. 
and  in  the  same  year  was  admitted  to  the 
bar. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  doing  an  excellent  class 
of  business  and  so  much  of  it  that  he  was 
working  da,y  and  night.  So  the  boy  did  not 
spend  much  time  in  cutting  his  legal  teeth  on 
the  rubber  ring  of  trivial  business  that 
usually  falls  to  the  infant  lawyer,  but  was 
put  to  the  bone  of  real  work.  He  w^as  alert 
and  self-reliant,  and  depended  not  upon  luck, 
but  upon  studious  and  thorough  preparation 
to  win  his  cases,  and  he  rapidly  developed  a 
precocious    ability    to    "deliver    the    goods." 

In  the  year  1893  he  married  Laura  C. 
Jones.  They  have  two  daughters.  In  1897 
he  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  which  then 
rpad  Anderson,  DuShane  &  Cra.biH.  In  1906 
Mr.  DuShane,  who  had  devoted  his  time  ex- 


520 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


cliisively  to  patent  business,  formally  retired 
from  the  firm.  The  Hon.  Samuel  Parker, 
formerly  of  Marshall  county,  came  to  South 
Bend  and  became  associated  with  Mr.  Ander- 
son and  Mr.  Crabill,  the  tirm  style  now  bein^' 
Anderson,  Parker  &  Crabill.  Mr.  Anderson 
has  reached  the  contemplative,  philosophic 
age,  and  has  withdrawn  from  active  practice, 
willing,  as  he  says,  to  "let  the  boys  do  the 
work."  This  is  what  Mr.  Crabill  has  always 
been  doing.  How  well  he  is  doing  it  the 
records  of  St.  Joseph  county  show.  He  is 
helping  make  the  current  history  of  the 
county  and  is  bearing  the  brunt  of  a  large 
number  of  its  most  important  legal  battles. 
He  and  his  firm  represent  large  corporate  in- 
terests, being  attorneys  for  the  Grand  Trunk 
Western  Railway  Company,  Studebaker 
Brothers'  Manufacturing  Company,  St.  Jo- 
seph County  Savings  Bank,  Vanclalia  Rail- 
road Company,  and  many  concerns  less  pow- 
erful, but  have  never  turned  a  deaf  ear  to 
the  impecunious  client  with  a  meritorious 
case. 

Mr.  Crabill  has  been  too  deeply  engrossed 
in  business  and  study  to  attain  any-  great 
social  prominence.  He  lives  in  a  quiet,  un- 
pretentious way.  He  is  affiliated  with  a 
number  of  fraternal  organizations,  but  is  con- 
tent with  the  position  of  lay  member  in  most 
of  them.  In  Masonic  circles  he  is  well  known, 
having  held  successive  posts  of  honor,  cul- 
minating with  the  office  of  Eminent  Com- 
mander of  South  Bend  Commandery  No.  13, 
Knights  Templar. 

He  has  a  host  of  friends.  He  is  still 
young,  his  practice  is  clean,  his  methods  are 
vigorous  and  straightforward,  and  his  ideals 
are  high.  He  has  a  future  more  brilliant 
than  his  past. 

Hon.  Lucius  Hubbard.  Occupying  a  high 
place  among  the  leading  law  practitioners 
of  St.  Joseph  county  may  be  found  the  name 
of  Hon.  Lucius  Hubbard.  His  entire  life 
has  been  passed  in  the  county,  for  his  birth 
occurred  within  its  borders  in  Olive  township 
on  the  7th  of  January,  1844.  His  parents, 
Ransom  and  JMariette  (Whitlock)  Hubbard, 
were  natives  respectively  of  Oneida  and 
Delaware  counties.  New  York.  As  early  as 
1835  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  sub.iect. 
Jonathan  Hubbard,  came  from  Oneida 
county  a.nd  settled  within  the  borders  of 
Olive  township,  St.  Joseph  county.  Indiana, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits.    The  life  history  of  Ransom  Hubbard 


was  closely  identified  with  the  history  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  which  was  his  home  for 
many  years,  and  through  all  that  period  he 
was  closely  allied  with  its  interests  and  up- 
building. He,  too,  devoted  his  time  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  and  was  of  the  highest 
type  of  business  man.  In  his  family  were 
three  sons,  one  of  whom.  Haven,  now  resides 
on  the  old  homestead  which  has  been  in  the 
possession  of  the  family  for  three  generations. 

When  fifteen  years  of  age  Lucius  Hubbard, 
whose  name  introduces  this  review,  entered 
Notre  Dame  University,  where  he  received  an 
excellent  literary  education,  while  his  legal 
training  was  obtained  in  the  University  of 
Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  in  which  he  gradu- 
ated with  the  class  of  1866.  In  the  same 
year  he  beg'an  the  practice  of  law  in  South 
Bend,  where  he  has  ever  since  been  accorded 
a  prominent  position  at  the  bar.  his  profes- 
sional career  being  an  honor  to  the  district 
which  has  honored  him.  His  superior  ability 
has  won  him  marked  success  in  public  life, 
and  from  1871  until  1873  he  served  as  a 
state  senator,  while  from  1894  until  1900  he 
was  circuit  .judge.  Professional  eminence  is 
an  indication  of  individual  merit,  for  in 
professional  life  advancement  cannot  depend 
upon  outside  influences  or  the  aid  of  wealthy" 
friends;  it  comes  a-s  the  reward  of  earnest, 
persistent  labor  and  the  exercise  of  natural 
talents,  and  for  many  years  Judge  Hubbard 
has  been  accorded  a  leading  place  at  the 
Indiana  bar. 

The  marriage  of  Judge  Hubbard  was  cele- 
brated in  1869,  when  Miss  Mattie  0.  Davis, 
a  daug-hter  of  Joshua  Davis  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  became  his  wife.  One  son  has  been 
born  to  them,  Arthur,  a  bright  young  lawyer 
who  is  in  partnership  with  his  father.  Ho 
also  graduated  from  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan and  from  Harvard  law  school.  In  his 
fraternal  relations  the  .judge  is  a  member  of 
the  ^lasonic  order  of  St.  Joseph  county. 

Andrew  Anderson.  There  is  no  nation- 
ality more  honored  in  the  United  States  or 
which  has  been  of  more  practical  strength, 
value  and  utility  than  the  Scotch.  Intensely 
honoi^able.  and  ever  having  a  clear  compre- 
hension of  the  ethics  of  life  the  Scotch  have 
wielded  a  wide  influence,  and  this  service 
cannot  but  be  held  in  high  estimation  by 
those  who  appreciate  true  worth  and  true 
advanr^pment.  Although  a  native  of  White- 
ball.  Washinp-fon  countv.  New  York,  born 
October  6.  1830.  ^Ir.  Anderson  is  a  descendant 


•^     ^^•■"'         '"        ■■^'^^^■'JJff^{fi^^'^^..^^^'^^^-^-='^:>^>M.^^^ 


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THE 


PU'^:^' 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


521 


of  Scotland,  for  his  father,  Andrew  Ander- 
son, was  a  native  of  Dundee  of  that  country, 
born  in  1779.  When  twenty-three  years  of 
age  he  came  to  the  United  States,  taking  up 
his  abode  in  Washington  county,  New  York, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits. 
His  death  occurred  in  1870.  He  married 
Lucinda  Groodrich,  of  an  old  New  England 
family. 

Andrew    Anderson,-    Jr.,    attended    Union 
College  of  Schenectady,  New  York,  and  grad- 
uated from  the  Albany  Law  School  in  1856. 
He  at  once  came  to  South  Bend,  and  on  the 
1st  of  January,  1856,  opened  a  law  office  in 
this  city,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in 
active  practice.     He  enjoys  a  large  clientage, 
which  has  connected  him  with  much  of  the 
important   litigation   heard   in   the   courts  of 
the  district  for  many  years,  while  for  a  long 
period  he  has  also  been  the  lecturer  on  law 
at  Notre  Dame  University.     He  is  a  dean  of 
the  St.  Joseph  county  bar,  a  forceful  speaker 
before  judge  and  jury  .and  is  a  man  of  the 
most  sterling  qualities  of  heart  and  mind.  He 
is  a  true  friend  and  an  honorable  opponent. 
For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Anderson  was  in 
partnership   with    Thomas    S.    Stanfield,    and 
he  is  now  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Anderson, 
Parker  &  Crabill.     His  name*  also  stands  con- 
spicuously forth   on   the   pages  of   Indiana's 
political  history,  and  in  1862  he  served  as  a 
member  of  the  legislature.     He  was  also  the 
first  man   in  St.  Joseph  county  to  offer  his 
services  to  his  country  during  the  Civil  war, 
becoming  a  member  of  Company  I,  Ninth  In- 
diana Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served 
for  three  months. 

In  1857  Mr.  Anderson  was  married  to 
]\Iiss  ]\Iary  Chapin;  a  daughter  of  Horatio 
Chapin,  a  banker  and  an  honored  early  set- 
tler of  South  Bend.  Her  death  occurred  in 
1905,  leaving  two  daughters,  Mrs.  Willis  Put- 
nam, of  Massachusetts,  and  Emma,  the  wife 
of  James  DuShane,  of  South  Bend.  Mr.  An- 
dereon  continues  his  connection  with  his  old 
army  comrades  by  his  membership  in  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  is  inde- 
pendent in  his  political  affiliations,  and  re- 
ligiously is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

John  W.  Kitch,  a  substantial  and  progres- 
sive lawyer  of  South  Bend,  residing  at  No. 
906  East  Da5d:on  street,  is  a  native  of  In- 
diana, born  in  Marshall  county,  June  8,  1866. 
Of  his  parents,  Martin  Van  Buren  and 
Amanda  M.  (Lehr)  Kitch,  his  father  was  for 


many  yeai-s  engaged  in  his  native  county  as 
a  lumberman  and  farmer.  He  was  proprietor 
of  a  saw  mill,  .and  a  man  of  substance  and 
considerable  prominence.  The  mother  was 
born  in  Harris  township,  in  the  extreme 
northeastern  part  of  St.  Joseph  county,  and 
her  father  was  one  of  the  first  to  take  up 
land  in  that  section.  Samuel  Lehr  became  a 
settler  of  Harris  township  in  the  early  thir- 
ties, and  until  his  death  was  .a  well  known 
pioneer  in  the  locality  named. 

Of  the  six  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Martin  V.  Kitch  two  died  in  infancy,  and 
John  W.  is  the  oldest  of  the  five  sons.  His 
early  education  was  obtained  in  the  district 
schools  of  ^Marshall  county,  and  he  afterw^ard 
became  a  student  in  Valparaiso  University,  in  - 
which  he  pursued  both  scientific  and  classical 
courses.  His  first  intention  was  to  enter  the 
educational  field  and  cultivate  it  permanently, 
and,  judged  by  the  progress  he  made  in  his 
early  manhood,  he  would  have  acquired  emi- 
nence there.  After  graduating  from  the  Val- 
paraiso University,  he  located  in  Holland, 
Michigan,  where  for  two  years  he  held  the 
position  of  principal  of  the  high  school.  Sub- 
sequently he  was'  an  incumbent  of  the  same 
position  at  Adair  and  Coon  Rapids,  both  in 
Iowa.  While  thus  engaged  at  the  former 
place  he  commenced  the  study  of  the  law  in 
an  attorney's  office. 

Having  been  admitted  to  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  in  1898  Mr.  Kitch  opened  an 
office  for  practice  at  Bremen,  Indiana,  and 
engaged  in  professional  labors  at  that  place 
for  three  years.  Early  in  1901  he  located  at 
South  Bend,  and,  with  the  exception  of  two 
years,  when  he  was  connected  with  the  Lindon 
School,  he  has  devoted  himself  to  his  chosen 
calling.  He  now  has  a  profitable  and  hiyh- 
grade  practice,  .and  is  recognized  as  a  leading 
lawyer  and  a  valuable  citizen. 

On  September  12,  1890,  I\Ir.  Kitch  was 
married  to  Miss  Ida  Simpson,  the  ceremony 
occurring  at  the  home  of  her  parents  in  Fow- 
ler, Indiana.  Mi^.  Kitch  is  a  native  of  Tippe- 
canoe county,  that  state,  and  she  was  raised 
to  useful  womanhood  in  the  locality  of  her 
birth.  Her  father,  Jeremiah  Simjison,  w^as 
long  the  foreman  for  Closes  Fowler,  a  mil- 
lionaire farmer  of  that  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
John  W.  Kitch  have  two  children — Lorene 
and  Donnell.  Politically  ]\Ir.  Kitch  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, .and  is  an  active  and  effective  party 
worker.     His  fraternal  connections  are  with 


522 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows,  in  whose  ranks 
he  is  a  progressive  member. 

Cyrus  E.  Pattee.  During  tlie  past  eight 
years  Cyrus  E.  Pattee  has  been  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  in  St.  Joseph  county.  He  is 
able  and  well  posted  in  his  profession,  clear 
and  convincing  as  a  speaker  before  judge  and 
jury,  painstaking  and  accurate  in  the  prep- 
aration of  his  casas,  and  conscientiously  ad- 
heres to  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  letter  of  the 
law.  He  was  born  in  Kankakee  county,  Illi- 
nois on  the  25th  of  February,  1870.  a  son  of 
Cyrus  and  Nancy  E.  (Fleming)  Pattee.  the 
former  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York  and 
the  latter  of  LaGrange,  Indiana.  In  the  year 
1845  the  father  established  his  home  in  Illi- 
nois, where  both  he  and  his  wife  are  still  liv- 
ing, enjoying  the  comforts  which  many  years 
of  earnest  and  pei-sistent  labor  have  brought 
to  them. 

The  elementary  educational  training  of  Cy- 
rus E.  Pattee  was  received  in  his  native  coun- 
ty  of  Kankakee,   after  which  he   completed 
the  scientific  course  in  the  Northern  Indiana 
Normal  College  at  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  grad- 
uating yviih  the  class  of  1893.     For  one  year 
thereafter  he  was  engaged  in  the  study  of  law 
in  the  University  of  JMichigan  at  Ann  Arbor, 
and  in  1898  graduated  from  the  law  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Colorado,  at  Bould- 
er, that  state.     In  the  same  year  he  began  the 
practice   of   his   chosen   profession    in    South 
Bend,   remaining  alone  until   1901.  when  he 
formed  the  partnershij)  with  ]\Iiller  Guy  which 
still  exis'ts,  and  the  firm  of  Guy  &  Pattee  has 
gained  a  high  reputation  throughout  St.  Jo- 
seph county.     Mr.  Pattee  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  Republican  party,  and  was  its 
nominee  for  the  office  of  prosecuting  attorney 
in  1906.     His  finst  political  work  was  in  the 
Blaine  campaign,  when  he  was  a  member  of 
the  School  Bo.ys'  :Marching  Club  of  Yellow- 
head  town.ship.  Kankakee  county,  Illinois.  He 
is  an  indefatigable  and  earnest  worker,  and 
he  is  proficient  in   every  department  of  the 
law.     Before   taking   np   the   practice  of  the 
law  he  also  attained  distinction  in  educational 
fields,    having   been    principal    of   the    Grant 
Park  high  school  of  Grant  Park.  Illinois. 

Mr.  Pattee  married  Miss  Elizabeth  :\Iiller 
Creed,  a  daughter  of  J.  P.  Creed,  whose  his- 
tory appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  This 
union  has  been  blessed  with  two  children: 
Edwin  John,  born  December  13.  1902.  and 
Robert  Stuart,  born  in  May,  1905. 


IMiLLER  Guy,  a  prominent  attorney  of 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  and  well  known 
throughout  this  section  of  the  state  among  the 
younger  representatives  of  the  bar,  was  born 
in  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  on  the 
13th  of  December.  1870.  His"^  parents,  S.  L. 
and  Agnes  A.  (^Miller)  Guy,  were  natives 
respectively  of  Washington  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  Brook  county.  West  Virginia.  The 
father  removed  to  Kansas  in  1887,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising, 
and  there  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in 
death  in  1896. 

Miller  Guy  attended  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  county  and  also  Bethany  College, 
West  Virginia,  in  which  he  was  graduated 
in  1889  with  the  degree  of  B.  A.  He  also 
graduated  in  law  from  the  I^niversity  of 
^Michigan  in  1895,  and  after  working  for  one 
year  in  Ohio,  he  came  to  South  Bend,  arriv- 
ing here  on  the  1st  of  November,  1896,  and 
from  that  time  until  April.  1901,  he  prac- 
ticed alone,  but  then  formed  a  partnership 
with  C.  E.  Pattee,  the  name  of  Guy  &  Pattee 
being  well  known  in  the  northern  portion  of 
Indiana.  ^Ir.  Guy  has  won  prominence  at 
the  bar  of  South  Bend,  and  has  been  con- 
nected with  much  important  litigation,  while 
at  the  same  time  he  has  inade  a  specialty  of 
drainage  law.  and  is  looked  upon  as  an 
authority  on  that  particular  branch  on  ac- 
count of  the  success  which  has  attended  his 
efforts  in  its  practice.  His  activity  in  politi- 
cal lines  has  connected  him  with  much  cam- 
paign work,  and  he  is  recognized  as  a  Re- 
publican leader  in  this  section  of  the  state. 

^Ir.  Guy  is  also  a  prominent  worker  in  the 
Young  ]\Ien's  Christian  Association,  having 
done  nuieh  valuable  and  voluntary  work  for 
the  organization,  and  was  president  of  the 
board  of  directors  for  two  yeai-s.  also  chair- 
man of  the  executive  committee  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  building  committee. 

Wladyslav^  Alex  Grzesk,  a  prominent  at- 
torney of  South  Bend,  is  known  as  a  man  of 
high  attainments  and  practical  ability  as  a 
lawyer.  He  was  born  in  Portage  township, 
St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  June  4,  1880,  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Anthony  Grzesk,  both 
natives  of  Poland,  but  who  came  to  this  coun- 
try in  1873  and  located  in  South  Bend.  In 
1885  they  took  up  their  abode  on  an  eighty 
acre  farm  ten  miles  west  of  this  city,  their 
first  home  being  a  little  log  cabin,  and  on  this 
(^Id  home  farm  the  father  still  resides,  but  th? 
mother  died  on   the  7th  of  June,  1906.     In 


I  ^\jiy 


jggggjfs^ggtmm^mmiHmmsa^ssiismim' 


ir   fail! 


Aind  son  i; 
irs  of  I 

distri 
■>lic  scl 
en  he  bey 
••vesting" 
'^ndinu   - 

MiehK 
•ly  about 
■  "  South    : 
ril,  1901,  ■' 
'•mick  Hh'- 
Oetobe' 


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vcn    his   ei. 

■  praetiee. 
ad  standi) 

.ikewise    ser\ 
' -"rt}!  of  eh;( 
/    the  Polish 
holder  in  the  -Ian 
<    an  Association, 

■ested   in    r  ■  ' 

iieh  valnal 

.-  taken  an 

i  ~  eommuni 

<iidate  for  th 

On  the  ^t!, 
united   ii 
■ '    ir  only  d;: 

1  examplf 
■     inselves   ; 
M\  and  as  ' 

.{'  of  which 

•     McMui 
.  iM'Ogrest:: 
have   a    ; 
•'■ed.  of  Si 


is  th' 


ve  ofi 


^:(;    iillk;.: 


'H. 


[iublic 
e  was 


I'oud. 


than    A 

r  of  ) 


vard  J^ 


in- 


in 
Mds 

'Mil 

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:ts 


:  his  ■moth*^r  wp 


524 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


should  be  held  in  perpetual  reverence  by 
those  who  enjoy  the  fruits  of  their  toil.  So 
well  did  he  succeed  in  his  business  ventures 
that  in  1900  Mr.  Feldman  was  enabled  to  lay 
aside  the  active  duties  of  a  business  life,  and 
removed  to  Bourbon,  Marshall  county,  In- 
diana, while  in  1906  he  came  to  South  Bend, 
where  he  and  his  wife  are  now  enjoying  the 
reward  of  their  former  toil,  surrounded  by 
the  many  luxuries  which  a  life  of  industry 
has  brought  to  them. 

George  G.  Feldman  received  his  elementary 
educational  training  in  the  schools  of  Mar- 
shall county,  and  after  completing  his  studies 
therein  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  from 
1879  until  1889.  In  1889  he  entered  upon  a 
course  in  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal  Col- 
lege at  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  now  the  Univer- 
sity of  Valparaiso,  graduating  in  the  next 
year  with  the  degree  of  B.  S.,  and  two  years 
later,  in  1892,  graduated  in  law  and  classics 
with  the  degrees  of  A.  B.  and  LL.  B.  On 
May  18th  of  the  latter  year  he  was  granted 
a  life  state  teacher's  certificate  on  examina- 
tion on  twenty-four  subjects,  and  this  he 
prizes  very  highly,  as  such  documents  are 
very  rare.  In  August,  1892,  "Sir.  Feldman 
took  up  his  abode  in  South  Bend  and  com- 
menced the  practice  of  law.  His  prestige  at 
the  bar  of  St.  Joseph  county  stands  in  evi- 
dence of  his  ability,  and  he  has  used  his  in- 
tellect to  the  best  purpose.  He  is  also  ac- 
counted one  of  the  leaders  of  Democracy  in 
this  section  of  the  state,  and  was  a  candidate 
for  the  legislature  in  1894,  while  from  1896 
until  1898  he  was  chairman  of  the  County 
and  City  Democratic  Committees.  In  1902 
he  was  elected  city  judge,  the  duties  df  which 
he  discharged  with  such  ability  that  in  1905 
he.  was  re-elected  for  another  term  of  four 
years,  by  an  increased  majority  of  over  two 
hundred  votes.  "Wliat  higher  testimonial  of 
his  able  service  on  the  bench  could  be  given 
than  the  fact  of  his  long  continuance  thereon  ? 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1897,  Judge  Feldman 
was  married  to  Miss  Louise  A.  Wenger,  a 
daughter  of  Gustavus  Wenger,  a  manufac- 
turer and  a  prominent  early  settler  of  South 
Bend,  a  well  known  and  highly  respected 
business  man  of  this  city  for  many  years. 
This  union  has  been  blessed  with  three  chil- 
dren:  Horace  W.,  born  March  20,  1899; 
Earl  R.,  born  September  12.  1900;  and  George 
G.,  Jr.,  born  January  26,  1904.  Judge  Feld- 
man has  been  identified  with  the  Ma.sonic  or- 
der for  sixteen  years,  a  member  of  Lodge  No. 


294,  also  of  the  Chapter  and  Commandery, 
and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks. 

Hon.  E.  Volney  Bingham.  Everywhere 
in  our  land  are  found  men  who  have  worked 
their  own  way  from  humble  beginnings  to 
places  of  leadership  and  high  esteem,  and 
thus  it  has  been  with  the  eminent  member 
of  the  bar  of  St.  Joseph  county,  E.  Volney 
Bingham,  in  whose  life  history  many  useful 
lessons  may  be  gleaned.  He  is  a  native  son 
of  Penn  township  of  this  county,  born  August 
1,  1844.  his  parents  being  Alfred  and  Ann 
(Miller)  Bingham.  The  father,  a  native  of 
New  York,  took  up  his  abode  in  St.  Joseph 
county  in  an  early  day,  and  was  for  many 
years  associated  with  the  St.  Joseph  Iron 
Works. 

E.  Volney  Bingham  attended  during  his 
ho.yhood  days  the  public  school  near  his  home, 
and  after  the  completion  of  his  studies  be- 
came an  employe  in  the  furniture  factory. 
In  his  early  youth  he  had  a  desire  to  become 
a  member  of  the  legal  profession,  and  had 
made  up  his  mind  to  enter  upon  the  study 
of  law,  but  at  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil 
war  he  put  aside  all  personal  considerations 
and  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Union  cause, 
l)ecoming  a  member  of  Company  G,  Forty- 
eighth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which 
he  served  throughout  the  entire  struggle  and 
was  promoted  to  sergeant  major  of  his  regi- 
ment. After  the  close  of  his  military  careej* 
he  returned  to  Mishawaka  and  for  two  years 
thereafter  was  employed  as  a  clerk,  and  later 
became  a  traveling  salesman.  In  the  mean- 
time Mr.  Bingham  had  found  time  to  gratify 
his  old  desire  for  the  study  of  the  law,  and 
when  he  gave  up  his  position  on  the  road  on 
account  of  ill  health  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  peace  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket,  winning  the  election  in  a  strong 
Republican  township  and  continuing  as  its 
incumbent  for  twelve  years.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  of  St.  Joseph  county  in 
1875,  and  at  once  began  the  battle  for  name 
and  position,  and  from  that  time  forward 
he  has  prospered.  During  Cleveland's  admin- 
istration he  served  as  postmaster  of  Misha- 
waka. but  higher  honors  awaited  him  and 
he  was  made  a  member  of  the  state  senate, 
1892,  for  St.  Joseph  and  Starke  counties,  suc- 
ceeding Judge  Howard,  who  was  Dromoted  to 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court.  To  this  high 
position   Mr.   Bingham  was   returned  in  No- 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


525 


veniber,  1906,  aud  iu  doing"  so  the  Republican 
majority  was  revei-sed.  During  the  sixty-fifth 
regular  legislative  session  he  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Criminal  Code  Committee,  Commit- 
tee on  Public  Morals,  Claims  and  Expendi- 
tures Committee,  Constitutional  Revision 
Committee,  Natural  Resources  Committee, 
Supervision  and  Inspection  of  Journal.  In 
the  legislature  of  1903  he  was  chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  State's  Prisons.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Committee  on  the  Organi- 
zations of  Courts,  Fees  and  Salaries  Com- 
mittee, Labor  and  Labor  Statistics  Commit- 
tee. Mr.  Bingham  was  the  Democratic  can- 
didate for  judge  in  1894,  for  St.  Joseph  and 
Laporte  counties.  Close  study  has  given  him 
keen  insight  into  the  important  political 
problems,  and  he  has  thus  been  a  valued  fac- 
tor in  administering  the  affairs  of  the  gov- 
ernment. 

In    December,     1872,    Mr.    Bingham    was 
united   in   marriage  to   Hattie   E.    Grimes,  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  Grimes,  one  of  the  old  and 
well  known  physicians  of  Mishawaka.     Foui' 
children  have  been  'born  to  bless  their  home. 
Joseph  B.  Arnold  was  born  near  Medina, 
Orleans  County,  New  York,  July  1,  1839.   He 
attended  an  advanced  school  in  South  Bend, 
and  then  taught  one  term  of  school  in  Elk- 
hart   county,    after    which    he    went    to    Des 
Moines,   where  he   clerked   in  his  brother-in- 
law's  store  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  w-ar, 
when  at  the  first  call  for  troops  he  enlisted 
for  three  months.     He  drilled  with  the  com- 
pany and  was  in  readiness  to  start  when  word 
came  that  the  quota  was  full,  and  the  services 
of  the  company  not  accepted.     He  then  re- 
turned to   South  Bend  and  soon  turned  his 
attention  to  the  study  of  law,  in  the  office  of 
Judge  Thomas  S.   S'tanfield,  after  which  he 
attended   a   law  school   in    Chicago   and   was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  South  Bend  in  1863, 
and    engaged    in    practice.      He    soon    com- 
menced compiling  an  abstract  of  the  titles  to 
real   estate  of  St.  Joseph  county.     That  he 
understood  the  business  and  spared  no  pains 
is   attested  to   by  the   fact   that   the   Arnold 
Abstracts  always  stand  the  test.     For  many 
years  he  devoted  much  time  to  the  abstract 
business,  but  in   1902  he   sold  the  abstracts, 
and  since  then  has  practiced  law.  when  not 
busy  attending  to  his  private  affairs,  which 
take  much  of  his  time.     With  his  sister,  Mrs. 
Garrison,    he    occupies    the    beautiful    home- 
stead on  West  Jefferson  street,  purchased  of 
his  father  in  1861.     He  cast  his  first  presi- 


dential vote  for  Lincoln  in  1860,  and  has  been 
true  to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party 
since.  He  joined  the  Masonic  Fraternity  in 
about  1868. 

Mr.  Arnold  is  .  unquestionably  one  of  the 
most  astute  and  painstaking  lawyers  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  a  constant  student  of  men 
and  affairs.  His  honorable  means  of  adjust- 
ing the  legal  complications  of  his  clients  has 
won  for  him  the  confidence  of  the  entire  com- 
munity. Endowed  by  nature  with  a  sense  of 
right  and  justice,  he  shuns  all  action  that  is 
to  the  detriment  of  his  fellowmen,  and 
squares  his  life  by  the  Golden  Rule.  His 
courtesy,  tact,  consideration,  and  all-around 
good  fellowship,  have  added  to  his  appreeia- 
tors  many  warm  and  dependable  friends. 

Ralph  H.   Jernegan.     Although    a    com- 
paratively short  time  has  elapsed  since  Ralph 
H.   Jerneg'an   began   practice   at   the   bar   of 
Mishawaka  his  rise  has  been  rapid,  and  he  to- 
day  occupies   a  leading  position   among   the 
representatives  of  the  legal  profession  in  his 
district.  His  reputation  has  been  won  through 
earnest,  honest  labor,  and  his  high  standing 
is  a  merited  tribute  to  his  ability.     His  birth 
occurred  in  the  city  of  Mishawaka  on  the  30th 
of  August,  1877,  his  parents  being  Ed  A.  and 
Nannie   C.    (Sherman)    Jernegan,   whose  his- 
tory  will   be   found   on  other   pages   in   this 
work.     Their  son  Ralph,  the  youngest  of  four 
children,    two    sons    and   two    daughtei's.    ob- 
tained his  early  literary  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  city,  in  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  high  school  with  the  class 
of  1897,  and  immediately  thereafter  he  en- 
tered upon  the  study  of  the  profession  which 
he  had  chosen  as  a  life  work  in  the  University 
of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor.    Close  application 
characterized  this  period  of  his   career,   and 
at  the  time  of  his  graduation  in  that  high  in- 
stitution of  learning  in  1900  he  had  gained 
a  broad  general  knowledge  of  jurisprudence. 
On   the  3d  of  October,  1900,  he  opened  his 
law  office  in  Mishawaka.  where  for  a  time  he 
was  in   partnership  with   Mr.   Bingham,   but 
since  the  severance  of  that   relationship  ha^s 
been  alone.     Although  the  duties  of  his  pro- 
fession   have    assumed   extensive    proportions 
he  is  also  interested  in  many  of  the  leading 
busines-s  concerns  of  the  city,  being  a  stock- 
holder in  one  of  its  leading  banks,  and  is  also 
interested  in  the  Beiger  Furniture  Company 
of  Mishawaka,  in  which  he  is  now  serving  as 
secretary. 

In  1904  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 


526 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


JerneKan  and  E.stella  Frank,  she  being  the 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Buekheit) 
Frank,  whose  history  also  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  work.  Mr.  Jernegan  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  Order  and  the  Knights  of  Pyth- 
ias, No.  453,  both  of  Mishawaka.  In  his  politi- 
cal.connections  he  is  a  Republican,  and  takes 
a  deep  interest  in  the  political  questions  which 
atfect  the  welfare  of  state  and  nation  and 
mold  the  public  policy.  As  its  representative 
he  has  served  as  the  township  chairman  of  the 
central  committee,  also  as  first  vice  chairman 
of  the  county  central  committee,  and  for  six 
years  was  deputy  prosecuting  attorney  under 
Clark  and  Kurtz.  He  is  a  broad-minded, 
progressive  man  and  public  spirited  citizen, 
and  in  all  life's  relations  is  found  true  to 
the  duties  of  professional  and  social  life 
which  the  day  may  bring  forth. 

Enos  E.  Long.  The  family  of  which  the 
subject  of  this  review  is  a  representative  is 
a  pioneer  one  in  St.  Joseph  county,  for  as 
early  as  1837  Stephen  ]\1.  Long  came  from 
Ohio  to  Indiana  and  secured  government 
land  in  Penn  township,  St.  Joseph  county. 
There  he  was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
until  1875.  In  that  year  he  moved  to  Mish- 
a.waka.  which  continued  as  his  home  until  his 
death  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years.  His  name  is  deeply  engTaved  on  the 
pages  of  St.  Joseph  county's  history  in  con- 
nection with  its  public  affairs  of  an  early  day. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  town  board  of  Mishawaka.  Mrs. 
Long  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Eutzler. 
and  was  a  native  of  Ohio.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  1865.  when  sixty  years  of  age. 

Enos  E.  Long,  a  son  of  this  honored  old 
pioneer  couple,  was  engaged  in  farming  from 
tbe  time  he  completed  his  education  in  the 
country  schools  until  he  had  reached  his  twen- 
ty-third year.  His  birth  occurred  in  Penn 
township  of  this  county,  on  the  28th  of  Au- 
gust. 1848.  In  1873  he  came  to  ]\Iishawaka 
and  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Andrews  School 
and  Church  Furniture  Company  four  years, 
and  then  with  the  Perkins  Company  fourteen 
years.  From  1888  until  1892  he  served  as  a 
justice  of  the  peace,  to  which  office  he  was 
returned  in  1898  for  four  years,  and  in  1906 
he  was  again  elected  to  that  office  for  a  pe- 
riod of  four  years.  During  this  time  Mr. 
Long  also  studied  law,  and  in  ]\Iarch.  1901. 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  South  Bend.  He 
bas  gained  distinction  in  his  official  and  pro- 
fessional career,  has  been  an  earnest  and  dis- 


criminating  student,    and    has    drawn    about 
him  a  circle  of  devoted  friends. 

On  the  1st  of  December,  1870,  Mr.  Lon^- 
was  united  in  marriage  to  jMaggie  House- 
holder, a  native  of  Wood  county,  Ohio,  and 
a  daughter  of  John  Householder.  One  son 
has  been  born  of  this  union,  Fred  L. 

John  A.  Hibberd  is  actively  connected 
with  a  profession  which  has  important  bear- 
ing upon  the  progress  and  stable  prosperity 
of  any  section  or  community,  and  which  has 
long  since  been  considered  as  conserving  the 
public  welfare  by  furthering  the  ends  of  jus- 
tice and  maintaining  individual  rights.  His 
reputation  as  a  lawyer  has  been  won  through 
earnest,  honest  labor,  and  his  standing  at  the 
bar  is  a  merited  tribute  to  his  ability.  He 
now  has  a  good  practice  and  his  careful 
preparation  of  cases  is  supplemented  by  a 
power  of  argument  and  forceful  presentation 
of  his  points,  in  the  court  room,  so  that  he 
seldom  fails  to  impress  court  and  jury. 

The  life  history  of  Mr.  Hibberd  is  closely 
identified  with  the  annals  of  St.  Joseph  coun- 
ty, which  has  been  his  home  for  forty  years. 
He  is  not  alone  a  prominent  representative 
of  the  bar  of  northern  Indiana  but  is  also  a 
leading  citizen  and  financier  of  this  section  of 
the  state.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  State, 
born  in  Syracuse  November  12,  1855,  a  son 
of  Joseph  H.  and  Helen  (Baldwin)  Hibberd, 
also  natives  of  that  great  commonwealth.  -The 
father,  whose  birthday  was  January  19,  1827, 
is  a  retired  farmer,  making  his  home  with  his 
son,  John  A. 

The  public  schools  of  South  Bend  furnished 
John  A.  Hibberd  with  the  foundation  of  his 
education,  and  after  mastering  the  elementary 
branches  he  completed  a  high-school  course 
and  then  for  a  time  taught  school  in  the 
county.  While  thus  engaged  he  decided  upon 
the  law  as  his  life  work,  spending  two  years 
in  the  office  of  Arnold  &  Creed  and  then  en- 
tering the  Union  College  of  Law.  Chicago, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1883 — William 
Jennings  Bryan  being  a  fellow  student  of 
the  same  class.  Having  thus  thoroughly  pre- 
pared himself  to  assume  the  active  duties  of 
his  profession  ]\Ir.  Hibberd  returned  to  South 
Bend,  and  has  since  practiced  here,  establish- 
ing himself  both  as  a  leading  lawyer  and  a 
prominent  man  of  affairs.  He  is  an  active 
supporter  of  Republican  principles  and  poli- 
cies, and  was  nominated  by  the  party  as 
prosecuting  attorney  many  years  ago,  mak- 
ing   the    race    with    no    hope     of    election. 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


527 


Tlii'oughout  the  period  of  his  ro^ideuce  iu 
South  Beiid  he  has  been  actively  aud  practi- 
cally interested  in  public  and  progressive 
movements,  having  been  for  a  number  of 
years  a  member  of  the  school  board,  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Citizens'  National  Bank, 
of  which  he  is  the  vice-president,  and  is  also 
one  of  the  founders  and  the  vice-president  of 
the  Citizens'  Loan.  Trust  aud  Savings  Com- 
I)any.  ]\Ir.  Ilibberd  is  also  the  proprietor  of 
the  Hibberd  Printing  Company. 

In  1884,  on  the  8th  of  May,  Mr.  Hibberd 
^va.^  united  in  marriage  to  ^liss  ]\Iollie  C.  Cor- 
bett.  a  daughter  of  Charles  Corbett.  of 
Williams  county.  Ohio,  and  two  children 
have  been  born  of  this  union — Helen,  in 
1885,  and  ^Marjorie.  in  1890.  the  former  now 
a  student  in  Smith  College,  Northampton. 
Massachusetts.  Mr.  Hibberd  is  a  Mason,  a 
member  of  the  Royal  Arch  Chapter  No.  29, 
and  is  identifie:!  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Elks  and  other  societies. 
He  ranks  high  at  the  bar  and  in  political  cir- 
cles, and  is  altogether  a  most  substantial  and 
influential  citizen.  In  a.  more  special  and 
personal  sense  ^Ir.  Hibberd  is  a  broad-minded 
man.  giving  his  chief  attention  to  his  business 
atfairs,  but,  nevertheless,  finding  opportunity 
to  aid  in  the  intellectual  development  and 
moral  progress  of  the  conuuunity,  realizing 
the  necessity  of  growth  along  these  lines.  As 
a  man  of  unsw^erving  integrity  and  honor, 
one  who  has  a  strong  appreciation  for  the 
higher  ethics  of  life,  he  has  gained  and  re- 
tained the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  fel- 
low men. 

Harry  Wair.  A  prominent  representative 
of  the  younger  members  of  the  bar  of  this 
section  of  the  state  is  Harry  Wair.  of  South 
Bend  who  is  also  accounted  one  of  the  rising 
political  leaders.  He  was  born  in  LaPorte, 
Indiana,  being  a  son  of  Andrew  Jackson  and 
Judith  S.  Wair.  His  rudimentary  education 
was  received  in  the.  schools  of  his  native  city, 
after  which  he  pursued  a  course  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  ^Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  gradu- 
ating from  the  law  department  of  that  uni- 
versity. He  then  returned  to  LaPorte  and 
opened  an  office  for  the  practice  of  his  chosen 
profession,  but  a  short  time  afterward  came 
to  South  Bend  and  resumed  the  private  prac- 
tice of  law.  From  the  beginning  of  his  career 
as  a  legal  practitioner  his  efforts  have  been 
attended  with  success,  for  he  has  thorousrhlv 
mastered  the  science  of  jurisprudence  and  his 
deep   research  and  thorough   preparation   of 


every  case  committed  to  his  care  enable  him 
to  meet  at  once  any  contingency  that  may 
arise.  His  ability  has  led  to  his  selection  for 
public  honors,  and  during  his  residence  in 
LaPorte  county  he  was  elected  to  the  state 
legislature.  Mr.  Wair  ranks  high  among  the 
younger  representatives  of  the  bar  and  in 
political  circles,  and  South  Bend  numbers  hiuT 
among  her  leading  and  influential  citizens. 

Frank  E.  Herixg.  In  connection  with 
both  the  industrial  and  political  interests  of 
northern  Indiana  the  name  of  Frank  E.  Her- 
ing  is  well  known  and  honored.  He  was  born 
in  Xorthiunberland  county.  Pennsylvania,  on 
the  80th  of  April,  1871:,  a  son  of  Solomon  and 
Mary  (Neuer)  Hering,  both  of  German  par- 
entage. The  father,  also  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, now  makes  his  home  with  his  son  in 
South  Bend. 

Frank  E.  Hering  received  an  excellent  edu- 
cational training  in  his  youth,  having  first 
attended  the  Williamsport.  Pennsylvania, 
high  school,  in  which  he  graduated  in  1892, 
and  during  the  following  year  was  employed 
by  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company.  Dur- 
ing the  years  of  1893-94-95  he  attended  the 
ITnivei'sity  of  Chicago  and  in  1896  was  at 
Bucknell  University  in  charge  of  athletics. 
He  then  came  to  Notre  Dame  as  director  of 
athletics,  and  there  received  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Philosophy  in  1898  and  Bachelor 
of  Laws  in  1902.  During  the  intervening 
period  from  1898  until  1902  Mr.  Hering 
taught  history  and  English,  being  awarded 
the  English  medal  in  1898.  His  broad  intel- 
ligence, scholarly  attainments  and  his  full 
appreciation  of  the  value  of  knowledge  as  a 
preparation  for  life's  responsibilities  made 
him  an  able  educator.  His  name  is  also  well 
known  throughout  northern  Indiana  in  politi- 
cal circles,  for  in  1902  he  was  the  Democratic 
nominee  for  Congress,  two  years  later  being 
renominated  for  that  high  official  position, 
and  although  he  declined  to  have  his  name 
used  the  party  refused  to  accept  his  declina- 
tion. At  both  elections  he  ran  far  ahead  of 
his  ticket,  in  1904  reoeivinsr  five  thousand 
above  the  average  vote.  In  1902  Mr.  Hering 
left  Notre  Dame  and  entered  upon  a  connec- 
tion with  the  ice  business  in  the  wholesale 
trade,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Hering  and 
Murphv.  The  name  has  become  well  known 
throughout  this  section  of  the  state  in  busi- 
ness circles,  and  they  have  won  an  enviable 
success  in  this  line  of  endeavor.  Mr.  Hering 
is  also  president  of  the  State  Association  of 


o28 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  building  committee 
for  their  new  hall  in  South  Bend,  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  United  States.  He  is  also  Na- 
tional Treasurer  of  the  Fraternal  Order  of 
Eagles. 

In  1895,  in  Chicago,  Mr.  Hering  was  united 
in  marriage  to  MLss  Florence  Madison  Dal- 
mond,  a  daughter  of  Charles  M.  Dalmond, 
of  French  descent  and  a  resident  of  Chicago. 
Mr.  Hering  is  a  scholarly  gentleman,  a  bril- 
liant orator,  a.  prominent  politician,  courteous 
and  popular,  and  his  future  is  bright  with 
promise. 

Dr.  J.  M.  Partridge,  for  nearly  forty  years 
a  successful  and  honored  practicing  physician 
of  South  Bend,  St.  Joseph  county,  was  born 
in  Gustavus,  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  May  17, 
1835.  and  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth 
(Bailey)  Partridge.  His  father  was  a  native 
of  Connecticut,  born  in  1808,  and  when 
twelve  years  of  age  removed  with  his  grand- 
father, Thomas,  to  the  state  of  Ohio.  His 
mother,  a  daughter  of  Iddo  Bailey,  was  a 
native  of  Vermont,  removed  to  the  Buckeye 
State  about  1825,  and  died  in  February,  1856. 
Thomas  Partridge,  his  grandfather,  served 
through  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  engagement  which  resulted  in 
the  surrender  of  the  British  forces  under 
Cornwallis. 

During  his  early  years  Dr.  Partridge  lived 
on  a  farm,  and  received  a  good  education  in 
the  district  schools  of  his  neighborhood.  At 
the  age  of  twenty  he  -began  teaching  in  the 
winter  months,  assisting  his  father  on  the 
home  farm  in  sununer.  Thus  he  continued 
for  three  years,  when,  yielding  to  an  earnest 
desire  for  a  classical  education,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three  he  began  his  preparatory  studies 
at  Oberlin  college.  A  stranger  and  without 
means  he  was  obliged  to  find  employment  to 
support  himself,  and  during  the  six  years 
covering  his  preparatory  and  collegiate 
courses  worked  and  studied  far  into  the  night 
of  each  day.  During  a  part  of  this  time  he 
was  employed  as  a  teacher  in  the  preparatory 
department  of  the  college.- 

After  his  graduation  from  Oberlin  College 
Dr.  Partridge  enli.sted  (in  1863)  in  the  Ohio 
state  militia,  an  organization  intended  for 
home  protection,  but  subject  to  the  orders  of 
the  governor.  In  April,  1864,  his  regiment, 
the  One  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Ohio,  was  or- 
dered to  the  front  and  attached  to  the  garri- 
son holding  the   fortifications  about  the  city 


of  Washington,  his  company  (K)  being  sta- 
tioned at  l^'ort  Slocum  and  later  removed  to 
Fort  Stevens  in  anticipation  of  an  attack 
from  the  enemy,  which  occurred  July  12, 
1864,  when  General  Early  was  repulsed  from 
his  assault  on  the  national  capital.  He  was 
mustered  out  of  service  August  23,  1864,  and 
returned  to  Oberlin.  At  this  time,  upon  the 
recommendation  of  President  Fairchild,  of 
Oberlin  College,  he  went  to  Berea,  Kentucky, 
and  organized  the  first  classes  in  Greek,  Latin 
and  algebra  for  the  recently  established  in- 
stitution which  afterward  became  the  well 
knoM'n  Berea  College. 

In  the  spring  of  1865  Dr.  Partridge  en- 
tered the  office  of  Dr.  L.  B.  Dye  as  a  medical 
student,  his  preceptor  being  a  physician  of 
Gustavus.  In  the  fall  he  continued  his  studies 
with  Doctors  Blair  and  Sanders,  at  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  and  during  the  ensuing  winter 
he  attended  his  fii\st  course  of  lectures  in 
the  Cleveland  Homeopathic  College.  In  No- 
vember, 1866,  he  commenced  medical  prac- 
tice in  partnership  with  Dr.  Craig  at  Niles, 
Michigan,  where  he  remained  a  year  and  then 
attended  a  second  course  of  lectures  at 
Hahnemann  Medical  College,  Chicago,  where 
he  received  a  diploma  in  the  spring  of  1868. 
In  the  preceding  year  he  had  obtained  his 
second  literary  degree,  with  the  title  A.  M., 
from  Oberlin  College,  so  that  he  now  was  en- 
titled to  both  M.  D.  and  the  title  indicated. 

In  March,  1868,  Dr.  Partridge  commenced 
the  practice  of  his  permanent  profession  at 
South  Bend,  being  the  first  homeopath  to 
be  recognized  as  a  successful  practitioner  in 
the  city.  By  his  quiet  yet  positive  ways,  his 
superior  mental  discipline,  his  sympathy  and 
practical  judgment,  and  his  thorough  pro- 
fessional knowledge,  all  enforced  by  most  fa- 
vorable results  of  actual  practice,  he  estab- 
lished himself  firmly  in  the  public  confidence 
and  won  position  as  well  as  pecuniary  re- 
wards. He  erected  a  beautiful  residence  for 
his  family,  as  well  as  a  fine  block  of  houses 
for  rent,  and  came  into  possession  of  other 
property  which  placed  him  among  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  South  Bend.  Although 
Avell  advanced  in  years,  the  doctor  is  still 
in  the  active  ranks  of  his  profession.  He  is 
an  old  member  of  the  Indiana  IMedical  Insti- 
tute, and  has  been  a  frequent  contributor  to 
the  medical  press,  his  papers  showing  a 
marked  clearness  and  condensation  of  state- 
ment and  an  interesting  style  in  the  convey- 
ance of  professional  information.     The  doctor 


^^J-?7i 


THE 
EW  YORK 

L    Llfl>'^ARY' 

Lenex  and  Tilden^ 
foHRaatlon*. 
1909 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


529 


and  his  family  are  Presb>i;erians.  Politi- 
cally he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  but  has  never 
been  active  in  any  field  but  that  of  his  pro- 
fession. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1866,  on  leaving 
Ohio  for  Niles,  Michigan,  Dr.  Partridge  was 
married  to  Aurelia  H.  Chapman,  of  Kings- 
ville,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Jedediah  and  Sarah 
E.  (Osborne)  Chapman.  She  was  a  graduate 
of  Oberlin  College,  class  of  '65,  and  at  the 
time  of  her  marriage  was  preceptress  of 
King^sville  Academy.  The  family  born  to 
them  consisted  of  Clara.  Eloise.  William  Har- 
vey, Charlotte.  Frances  and  Katherine.  Dr. 
Partridge  had  two  brothers  and  five  sisters, 
one  of  the  former.  Captain  Harvey  W.  Par- 
tridge, being  killed  at  the  battle  of  Chicka- 
mauga  and  buried  in  the  Soldiers'  Cemetery 
at  Chattanooga,  Tennessee.  The  remainder 
are  all  living.  The  doctor  and  his  wife  and 
their  six  children  are  all  graduates  of  Ober- 
lin College. 

Stanley  A.  Clark.  Dr.  Stanley  A.  Clark, 
one  of  the  younger  members  of  the  medical 
profession  in  St.  Joseph  county,  was  born  in 
Galien,  Berrien  county,  ^Michigan,  July  14, 
1877,  a  son  of  Charles  A.  and  Lydia  (Blakes- 
lie)  Clark,  the  former  a  native  of  Huntsburg, 
Ohio,  and  the  latter  of  Batavia.  Illinois. 

Dr.  Clark,  the  eldest  of  their  three  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  a  daughter,  received  his 
literary  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  city  of  Galien.  graduating  in  the  high 
school  in  1894.  For  one  year  thereafter  he 
studied  pharmacy  in  the  Northern  Indiana 
Normal  College  at  Valparaiso.  Indiana,  and 
then  entered  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College 
of  Chicago,  in  which  he  completed  the  course 
and  was  graduated  in  1898.  He  was  house 
surgeon  in  Hahnemann  Hospital,  Chicago, 
for  the  following  year,  and  in  1899  located 
at  his  old  home  in  Galien.  ]\Iichigan,  for  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession,  where  he 
remained  for  two  years,  and  since  1901  has 
been  numbered  among  the  leading  medical 
practitioners  of  South  Bend.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  St.  Joseph  County  Medical  So- 
ciety, the  American  Medical  Association  and 
the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy,  also 
a  member  of  the  staff  of  Epworth  Haspital. 
In  his  political  views  Dr.  Clark  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  and  is  coroner  of  St.  Joseph 
county  at  the  present  time.  His  fraternal 
connections  are  with  the  Knights  of  Modern 
Maccabees,   Modem   Woodmen    of    America, 


and  the  Masonic    order,   South  Bend    Com- 
mandery  No.  13. 

J.  A.  Stoeckley.  There  is  ever  a  degree 
of  satisfaction  and  profit  in  scanning  the  life 
history  of  one  who  has  attained  to  an  em- 
inent degree  of  success;  who  has  had  the 
mentality  to  direct  his  endeavors  toward  the 
desired  ends,  and  the  singleness  and  stead- 
fastness of  purpose  which  have  given  due 
value  to  each  consecutive  detail  of  effort.  As 
a  distinctive  type  of  a  self-made  man  we  can 
refer  with  singular  propriety  to  the  honored 
subject  whose  name  forms  the  caption  of 
this  review.  Doctor  Stoeckley 's  father  died 
when  he  was  but  one  year  of  age.  Thus  grow- 
ing from  infancy  to  boyhood  he  was  thrown 
upon  his  own  resources,  working  his  way 
through  school,  college  and  his  profession  to 
the  substantial  position  he  has  attained. 

He  was  born  in  Monroeville,  Ohio,  on  the 
20th  day  of  May,  1870,  a  son  of  Anthony  and 
Theresa  Sinnot  Stoeckley,  the  latter  a  native 
of  Ohio  but  of  German  descent.  The  father 
was  born  in  Germany,  but  came  to  the  United 
States  when  nineteen  years  of  age  and  identi- 
fied his  interests  with  the  city  of  Monroe- 
ville, being  long  numbered  among  its  prom- 
inent merchants.  His  death  occurred  in  1871. 
He  was  an  honored  soldier  of  the  Civil  war, 
and  the  severities  which  he  endured  during 
his  campaign  hastened  his  death. 

Dr.  Stoeckley  attended  the  parochial  and 
public  schools,  and  graduated  from  the  high 
school  of  Monroeville,  Ohio,  in  1887,  and  then 
entered  a  drug  store  as  a  clerk,  earning  and 
saving  enough  money  for  his  first  year's  col- 
lege course,  and  immediately  thereafter  be- 
gan the  study  of  pharmacy  at  the  Western 
Reserve  College  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  thus^ 
continued  in  pharmacy  until  the  fall  of  1893, 
when  he  entered  the  Chicago  College  of 
Dental  Surgery.  He  continued  his  occupa- 
tion as  a  pharmacist  in  the  summer  months. 
Thus  with  the  help  of  some  borrowed  money 
he  was  enabled  to  continue  his  college  work 
and  was  graduated  on  the  7th  of  April,  1896. 
In  the  same  year  he  came  to  South  Bend  and 
opened  an  office  in  the  Oliver  Opera  House 
block,  but  in  the  following  year,  1897,  moved 
to  his  present  offices  on  West  Washington 
street,  which  are  well  equipped  with  modern 
appliances  for  the  conduct  of  his  business. 
He  has  a  dental  surgeon  and  lady  attendant 
to  assist  him  in  his  work,  and  he  always 
keeps  in  touch  with  the  advancement  that  is 
continually  being  made  in  the  profession.    He 


54 


530 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


has  not  only  an  enviable  reputation  and  prac- 
tice in  South  Bend  and  vicinity,  but  enjoys 
a  nice  practice  at  Notre  Dame  and  St; 
Mary's.  He  has  since  pursued  a  post-grad- 
uate course  in  the  Chicago  College  of  Dental 
Surgery,  his  alma  mater.  The  doctor  further 
keeps  in  touch  with  the  advancement  in  den- 
tistry^ by  his  membership  in  the  Northern 
Indiana  Dental  Society,  of  which  he  has  been 
secretary,  treasurer,  vice-president  and  presi- 
dent :  is  also  a  director  of  the  Indiana  State 
Dental  Society ;  also  a  member  of  the  Odon- 
tographic  Dental  Society  of  Chicago  and  a 
member  of  the  National  and  International 
Dental  Society.  He  was  one  of  the  three  rep- 
resentatives from  Indiana  to  the  International 
Dental  Congress  at  St.  Louis  during  the 
World's  Fair. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Stoeckley  was  cele- 
brated on  June  18,  1902,  when  ]\Iiss  Emelyn 
Hinkle,  a  native  of  Muncie,  Indiana,  and  a 
daughter  of  Mrs.  Cecelia  B.  Hinkle,  now  of 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  became  his  wife.  They 
have  one  son,  John  Francis,  Avho  was  born 
on  the  13th  of  September,  1904,  and  a  daugh- 
ter, Hildegarde  Cecelia,  born  February  6, 
1907.  Dr.  Stoeckley  gives  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Democratic  party,  and  fraternal- 
ly he  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of 
Columbus.  He  and  his  family  are  members 
of  St.  Patrick's  Catholic  church  of  South 
Bend,  Indiana. 

In  seeking  for  the  causes  which  have  con- 
tributed to  Dr.  Stoeckley 's  success,  we  find 
them  in  their  rarity  as  in  their  harmonious 
union,  and  they  may  be  sunmied  up  by  say- 
ing that  he  has  the  manners  of  a  gentleman, 
the  habits  of  a  man  of  business,  and  the 
scientific  ability  so  necessary  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession,  a  combination  of  qualities 
that  are  bound  to  produce  the  highest  re- 
sults. He  is  yet  a  young  man,  but  has  at- 
tained success  which  many  an  older  practi- 
tioner might  well  envy.  His  laudable  ambi- 
tion to  rise  in  his  profession,  his  close  appli- 
cation, and  his  conformity  to  the  strictest 
professional  ethics  have  combined  to  win  him 
advancement  in  a  profession  where  success 
depends  on  individual  merit. 

"W.  F.  Mills,  M.  D.  Among  those  w^ho 
have  attained  distinctive  prestige  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  in  the  city  of  South  Bend  and 
whose  success  has  come  as  the  logical  sequence 
of  thorough  technical  information  and  skill 
stands  Dr.  Mills,  who  is  a  man  of  scholarlv 


attainments  and  w^ho  has  made  deep  and  car''- 
ful  research  into  the  science  to  which  he  is 
devoting  his  life.  He  was  born  in  Joliet,  Illi- 
nois, February  22,  1856,  a  son  of  Andrew  and 
Sarah  E.  (Whitemore)  Mills,  the  latter  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  The  father  was  also 
a  member  of  the  medical  profession,  having 
practiced  in  Joliet  for  a  number  of  years. 

W.  F.  Mills  received  his  early  literary  edu- 
cation in  Blooming-ton,  Illinois,  in  the  Normal 
University,  pursuing  the  teacher's  course 
there,  and  then  began  teaching  in  1875,  con- 
tinuing in  that  profession  in  Will  county  for 
six  years.  In  1881  he  became  a  student  in  Rush 
Medical  College  of  Chicago,  but  the  same  year 
took  the  state  examination  and  received  a  di- 
ploma to  practice  medicine  from  the  State 
Board  of  Medical  Examiners.  In  1887  he  grad- 
uated from  Rush  Medical  College,  and  im- 
mediately began  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Chicago.  In  a  short  time,  however,  he  returned 
to  his  old  home  in  Joliet,  but  hearing  such  fav- 
orable reports  concerning  the  city  of  South 
Bend  he  decided  to  locate  here,  and  did  so  in 
1899,  having  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his 
change  of  residence.  Dr.  Mills  has  gained  dis- 
tinction in  the  line  of  his  chosen  calling,  has 
ever  been  an  earnest  and  discriminating 
student,  and  holds  a  position  of  due 
relative  precedence  among  medical  prac- 
titioners of  northern  Indiana.  A.fter  a 
residence  of  only  six  months  in  this 
city  he  was  appointed  physician  for  both 
the  township  and  county,  and  these  of- 
fices he  still  continues  to  fill  with  ability  and 
wisdom.  He  is  also  examining  physician  for 
the  Knights  of  the  jNIaccabees,  the  Ladies  of 
the  Maccabees,  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur,  and 
holds  membership  relations  with  the  Masons 
Lodge,  No.  294,  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  and  other  orders. 

In  1883,  in  Chicago,  Dr.  Mills  was  married 
to  Miss  Agnes  McDonough,  a  daughter  of  T. 
McDonough,  a  prominent  early  pioneer  of 
that  city,  having  resided  there  as  early  as 
1838.  By  this  union  was  born,  May  17,  1885, 
one  daughter,  Alice  Elda.  Dr.  Mills  is  deeply 
interested  in  the  affairs  of  the  city  which  has 
been  his  home  for  a  number  of  years,  and  in 
private  life  has  gained  that  warm  personal 
regard  Avhich  arises  from  true  nobility  of 
character,  deference  for  the  opinion  of  others, 
kindliness  and  geniality. 

Francis  William  Lockwood,  M.  D.  The 
genealogy  of  Francis  W.  Lockwood  betokens 


I 


H 


P 


THE 

//      NEV.  YORK 

'  PUBLie    Llfe^-iARY' 

^v,  Aswr,  Leiiax  and  TildflB^ 
foMP.aation*' 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


531 


that  he  is  a  scion  of  a  family  who&e  associa- 
tion witli  the  annals  of  American  history  has 
been  intimate  and  honorable  from  the  early 
colonial  epoch.    Such  men  and  such  ancestral 
prestige  fully  justify  the  compilation  of  works 
of  this  nature,  that  a  worthy  record  may  be 
perpetuated    for    future    generations.      The 
Lockwood  family  is  a  very  old  English  one, 
and  the  first  of  the  name  to  come  to  America 
was  Robert  Lockwood,  who  was  a  member  of 
the  Winthrop  fleet  and  settled  near  what  is 
now  Norwalk,  Connecticut.      From  that  time 
to  the  present  the  representatives  of  the  family 
have  been  prominent  in  the  history  of  the 
country,  and  it  has  given  many  distinguished 
men  to  the  various  professions,  while  in  both 
the  Revolutionary  and  Civil  wars  there  are 
recorded  two  hundred  and  eighty-nine  Lock- 
woods    who    valiantly    fought    for    the    flag. 
Among  its  many  distinguished  members  may 
be  mentioned  a  few — Major  James  Lockwood, 
a  gallant  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war; 
James  Lockwood,  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
famous  firm  of  Case,  Lockwood  &  Brainard, 
of  Hartford,  Connecticut;  Brigadier  General 
Henry  Hayes  Lockwood,  a  soldier  of  the  Civil 
war  and  a  well  known  writer  on  many  sub- 
jects ;  J.  Booth  Lockwood,  the  Arctic  explorer ; 
Rev.   James   Lockwood,    pastor  of    the  first 
church  in  AVeathersfield ;  Commodore  Samuel 
Lockwood,   of   the   United   States   Navy   and 
others.     The  parents  of  Francis  W.  .were  Cor- 
nelius Gray  and  Mary  Catherine    (Barrett) 
Lock^vood,  "both  natives  of  Port  Jervis,  New 
York.    The  father  was  a  jeweler  and  optician 
in  that  city,  as  was  also  his  father,  while  on 
the  maternal  side  there  were  also  many  pro- 
fessional men,   physicians    and   dentists,   the 
maternal  grandfather,  S.  T.  Barrett,  having 
won  a  wide  reputation  as  a  dentist  of  Port 
Jervis,  and  he  is  still  a  resident  of  that  city, 
having  reached  the  age  of  ninety  years.    Cor- 
nelius G.  Lockwood  was  called  to  the  home 
bevond  in  1894,  when  fifty-four  years  of  age, 
but  his  widow  survived  until  1906,  dying  at 
the  age  of  fifty-five  years. 

Dr.  Francis  W.  Lockwood  was  born  in  Port 
Jervis,  New  York,  on  the  11th  of  June,  1878, 
and  in  the  schools  of  his  native  city  he 
received  his  early  educational  training,  gradu- 
ating from  its  high  school  in  1897.  He  then 
began  the  study  of  pharmacy,  but  before  leav- 
ing school  he  had  taken  a  special  interest  in 
the  study  of  chemistry,  so  consequentlv  his 
knowledge  of  the  drug  business  was  very  com- 
plete w^hen  he  entered  upon  the  study  of  phar- 


macy. He  graduated  in  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Michigan  in  1902, 
and  immediately  came  to  South  Bend  and 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  aud  sur- 
gery. Although  he  has  but  practically  just 
entered  upon  his  life  work,  yet  he  is  an 
earnest  and  discriminating  student  and  has 
already  gained  a  large  practice. 

In  1903,  Dr.  Lockwood  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Florence  Jenkins,  a  daughter 
of  John  Fletcher  and  Susan  E.  (McQueen) 
Jenkins,  the  mother  being  a  member  of  the 
well  Imown  McQueen  family  of  Canada.  The 
Doctor's  professional  work  connects  him  with 
the  County,  State  and  Tri-State  Medical  So- 
cieties, and  in  his  fraternal  relations  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  His 
religious  affiliations  are  with  the  Prasbyterian 
church. 

Oscar  Von  Barandy,  M.  D.  Dr.  Oscar 
Von  Barandy,  w^ho  is  rapidly  winning  for 
himself  a  name  and  place  among  the  leading 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  South  Bend,  was 
born  in  Hungary,  October  22,  1876.  He  grad- 
uated from  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
country  in  1886,  and  going  thence  to  Kalocsa, 
one  of  the  great  educational  places  of  Hun- 
gary, was  graduated  in  the  classic  schools  of 
that  city  in  1894.  In  the  same  year  he 
entered  the  University  of  Budapest,  and  after 
five  years  in  that  high  institution  of  learning, 
graduated  in  1899.  During  the  year  and  a 
half  following  this  eventful  period  in  his  life 
he  was  engaged  in  hospital  work  in  Hungary, 
while  in  March,  1900,  he  bade  farewell  to  the 
home  and  friends  of  his  native  land  and  came 
to  America,  at  once  coming  to  South  Bend. 
It  was  not  until  1903,  however,  that  he  was 
able  to  pass  the  examination  before  the  state 
board,  for  he  had  some  difficulty  in  mastering 
the  intricacies  of  the  English  language,  but 
in  that  year  he  engaged  actively  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  surgery,  working  princi- 
pally among  his  countrymen.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber "of  the  St.  Joseph  County  Medical  Associa- 
tion aud  also  of  the  Indiana  State  and  the 
American  Medical  Associations,  thus  being 
enabled  to  keep  fully  inforaied  concerning  the 
many  improvements  in  the  two  sciences  to 
which  he  is  devoting  his  life  with  such  eminent 
success.  He  is  serving  as  the  examining  phy- 
sician for  many  Hungarian  societies  of  South 
Bend,  and  is  very  deeply  interested  in  the  wel- 
fare of  his  native  countrymen.  Since  coming 
to  this  city.  Dr.  Von  Barandy  has  been  instru- 


532 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


mental  in  having  over  two  thousand  Hungar- 
ians become  citizens  of  America. 

On  the  16th  of  September,  1906,  there  was 
erected  a  statue  of  Washington  at  Budapest, 
Dr.  Von  Barandy  serving  as  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  monumental  association, 
and  represented  over  fifty  thousand 
Hungarian  born  Americans  at  the  dedi- 
catory festival.  At  the  services  there 
were  fifty  thousand  people  present,  with 
about  two  thousand  delegates  from  dif- 
ferent places  in  Hungary,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  noted  historical  events  of 
that  nation.  Since  his  arrival  in  America  the 
Hungarian  citizens  here  have  been  organized 
into  about  twelve  fraternal  societies,  three 
federations  and  two  political  clubs.  Since 
coming  to  America  to  cast  his  lot  with  this 
free  country  he  has  been  actively  interested 
in  its  institutions,  and  is  rapidly  winning  for 
himself  a  prominent  place  among  the  leading 
citizens  of  South  Bend. 

H.  A.  Fink,  M.  D.  For  a  period  of  over 
seventeen  years,  Dr.  Fink  has  been  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  South  Bend,  and 
his  name  is  a  hoiLsehold  word  in  many  of  the 
homes  of  this  community.  His  long  identifica- 
tion with  the  place  and  his  prominence  here 
entitle  him  to  more  than  a  passing  notice  in  a 
work  of  this  character,  devoted  as  it  is  to  the 
portrayal  of  the  lives  of  representative  men 
of  the  county.  The  Doctor  was  born  in  Elk- 
hart county,  Indiana,  on  the  26th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1854.  His  father,  Peter  Fink,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  but  removed  to  Elk- 
hart county  in  the  '30s,  where  he  engaged  in 
his  life  occupation  of  farming.  He  bore  an 
important  part  in  the  early  settlement  of  Elk- 
hart county,  and  when  the  Civil  war  was  in- 
augurated he  enlisted  for  service  in  July, 
1862,  remaining  a  faithful  soldier  until  the 
war  had  ended.  He  participated  in  many  of 
the  historical  battles,  took  part  in  the  Grand 
Review  at  Washington,  where  the  victorious 
armies  were  welcomed  by  the  president  and 
many  eminent  men  of  the  nation,  and  w^as 
active  in  the  organization  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic.  After  his  removal  to  Indi- 
ana, Mr.  Fink  married  Mary  Clouse,  a  native 
daughter  of  Ohio,  but  who  had  removed  to  the 
Hoosier  state  about  1838,  her  parents  having 
been  among  the  early  pioneers  of  Elkhart 
county.  She  has  now  reached  the  age  of  sev- 
enty years,  and  resides  in  Wakarusa,  Elkhart 
county.     In  the  family  of  this  worthy  pioneer 


couple  were  nine  children,  five  sons  and  four 
daughters. 

Dr.  Fink,  the  eldest  of  the  nine  children, 
entered  the  high  school  of  Goshen  during  his 
boyhood  days,  later  spending  two  years  at  the 
Northern  Indiana  Normal  College  of  Valpa- 
raiso, Indiana,  while  his  medical  training  was 
received  in  the  Northwestern  University  of 
Chicago,  in  which  he  was  graduated  in  1888. 
He  immediately  opened  an  office  and  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  in 
Woodland,  St.  Joseph  county,  but  soon  sought 
a  larger  field  of  endeavor  and  in  1890  came  to 
South  Bend,  where  he  has  won  distinctive 
prestige  in  his  special  line.  His  long  profes- 
sional career  has  been  attended  with  success, 
and  those  who  have  known  him  longest  esteem 
him  most  highly.  He  keeps  in  touch  with  the 
progress  made  in  the  medical  world  by  his 
membership  in  the  St.  Joseph  County,  the 
State  and  American  Medical  Associations. 

In  1880,  Dr.  Fink  was  married  to  Martha 
J.  Moore,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Julia 
Moore,  of  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  and  they 
have  a  sou  and  a  daughter.  The  son,  Ralph 
A.  is  a  graduate  from  the  high  school  of 
South  Bend  and  spent  two  years  at  Ann 
Arbor,  University  of  Michigan,  returning 
thence  to  South  Bend.  Being  of  a  mechani- 
cal turn  of  mind,  he  bought  a  one-half  in- 
terest in  the  Mecklenberg  Gas  and  Gasoline 
Engine  works,  one  of  the  important  manu- 
facturing concerns  of  South  Bend.  The 
daughter,  Grace  M.,  is  a  miLsieian  of  marked 
talent  in  both  vocal  and  instrumental  music. 
The  Doctor  takes  an  active  interest  in  politi- 
cal matters,  voting  with  the  Democratic  party, 
and  for  three  years  was  chosen  for  the  posi- 
tion of  health  officer  of  South  Bend.  His 
fraternal  relations  are  with  the  Masonic  order 
and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks. 

W.  A.  Hager.  M.  D.,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing physicians  and  surgeons  of  South 
Bend,  has  made  a  specialty  of  the  dis- 
eases of  the  ear,  nose  and  throat.  He  is  a 
great  student  and  endeavors  to  keep  abreast 
of  the  times  m  ever>i:hing  relating  to  the  dis- 
coveries in  medical  science.  His  birth  occurred 
in  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the  23d  of  August, 
1863.  his  parents  being  Addison  and  Maria 
(Smith)  Hager,  both  also  natives  of  Canada. 
During  his  active  business  career  the  father 
was  extensively  engaged  in  farming  and  the 
grain  business,  but  he  is  now  living  in  quiet 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


533 


retirement.     Tlie  wife  and  mother  died  at  the 
comparatively  early  age  of  forty-four  years. 

Dr.  Hager  is  the  older  of  their  two  chil- 
dren, his  sister  being  Ada  J.,  the  wife  of 
Richard  S.  Babb,  of  Hamilton,  Ontario.  After 
completing  his  literary  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  city  the  Doctor 
entered  the  Ontario  College  of  Pharmacy  in 
Toronto,  in  which  he  was  graduated  in  1883. 
He  then  became  a  student  in  the  Jefferson 
Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  graduating 
there  with  the  class  of  1891,  and  for  the  fol- 
lowing two  years  was  interne  in  the  Jefferson 
College  Hospital.  Coming  thence  to  South 
Bend  in  1893,  he  opened  an  ofSce  for  the  gen- 
eral practice  of  medicine,  but  during  the  years 
of  1899  and  1900  he  pursued  post  graduate 
work  in  Germany,  England  and  Austria  as  a 
specialist  in  the  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose 
and  throat.  During  the  period  of  his  profes- 
sional career  Dr.  Hager  has  met  with  a 
marked  and  gratifying  success,  and  has  won 
the  good  will  and  patronage  of  many  of  the 
residents  of  South  Bend  and  vicinity,  both  in 
a  general  practice  and  in  his  special  line.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  St.  Joseph  County  Medicar 
Society,  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society, 
the  American  Medical  Association  and  the 
American  Ophthalmologieal  and  Otological 
Society,  which  enables  him  to  keep  well 
informed  concerning  the  advancement  made 
in  the  medical  world. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Hager  was  celebrated 
in  1904  when  Harriet  B.  Campbell,  the 
daughter  of  Hon.  Marvin  Campbell,  became 
his  wife,  and  their  two  sons  are  Walter  A.  and 
Donald  C. 

Dr.  Charles  Stoltz,  whose  skill  in  surgery 
has  given  him  more  than  local  prominence  in 
addition  to  his  high  rank  in  the  general  field 
of  medicine,  began  practicing  in  South  Bend 
in  1893.  A  graduate  of  the  College  of  Phy- 
sicians and  Surgeons  of  Chicago,  he  entered 
upon  his  profession  not  only  with  excellent 
class-room  and  clinical  training,  but  also  with 
unusual  natural  talent.  His  family  for  sev- 
eral generations  have  been  noted  for  a  certain 
manual  dexterity,  which  has  been  very  useful 
to  its  possesors  whether  employed  in  the  me- 
chanical trades  or  in  the  skilled  professions. 
Among  Dr.  Stoltz 's  relatives  now  living  in 
Europe  are  several  well  known  physicians  and 
surgeons,  while  in  his  immediate  family  both 
his  grandfather  and  father  were  skilled  cab- 
inet-makers and  several  uncles  were  successful 
bridge  builders.  The  inventive  and  construc- 
tive genius  is  an  inheritance  of  the  family, 


and  this  faculty  has  proved  very  valuable  to 
Dr.  Stoltz  in  his  profession.  A  high  degree 
of  manual  dexterity  is  a  pre-requisite  in  sur- 
gery, and  all  the  great  surgeons  have  been 
noted  in  this  respect. 

In  addition  to  this  natural  fitness,  deep 
research  and  study  have  also  been  character- 
istics of  his  career  in  medicine.  A  number 
of  years  of  youth  and  early  manhood  were 
spent  in  those  studious  pursuits  and  occupa- 
tions which  are  the  best  preparation  for  a 
professional  career.  Having  received  his 
higher  literary  education  in  the  Northern 
Indiana  Normal  College  at  Valparaiso  and  in 
the  scientific  department  of  the  University  of 
Indiana,  he  then  taught  school  in  St.  Joseph 
and  Laporte  counties  for  five  years,  serving 
as  principal  of  the  Union  Mills  high  school 
in  Laporte  county  during  the  last  year  of 
that  occupation.  His  broad  intelligence, 
scholarly  attainments  and  his  full  apprecia- 
tion of  the  value  of  knowledge  as  a  prepara- 
tion for  life's  responsibilities  made  him  an 
able  educator,  and  he  will  be  long  remem- 
bered for  his  effective  work  in  the  schools 
with  which  he  was  connected.  He  had  al- 
ready planned  a  career  in  medicine,  and  in 
the  final  stage  of  preparation  entered  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Chi- 
cago, where  he  was  graduated  in  1893.  Lo- 
cating at  South  Bend,  almost  from  the  start 
he  acquired  an  extensive  practice.  To  sur- 
gery he  has  given  much  time,  observation  and 
research,  and  the  local  medical  fraternity 
acknowledge  his  ability  in  this  department. 
He  is  the  author  of  many  technieal  papers  on 
surgical  and  medical  sub,jects,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Northern  Tri-State,  the  Mississippi 
Valley  and  several  other  medical  societies. 
During  four  of  the  early  years  of  his  practice 
he  was  health  officer  for  South  Bend,  an  honor 
that  came  without  his  seeking,  but  he  served 
with  credit  to  himself  and  with  much  benefit 
to  the  city.  Though  always  interested  in  pub- 
lic affairs,  he  has  never  held  any  other  public 
office. 

A  native  of  St.  Joseph  county.  Dr.  Stoltz 
was  born  on  Sumption  Prairie  January  17, 
1864.  His  parents,  Charles  and  Margaret 
(Popp)  Stoltz,  were  born  in  Germany,  the 
former  in  Alsace  and  the  latter  in  Bavaria. 
The  father  came  to  America  when  a  young 
man,  living  awhile  with  his  parents  in  Can- 
ton, Ohio,  and  then  moving  to  St.  Joseph 
county,  where  the  family  have  been  well 
known  since  almost  pioneer  days.  On  June 
5,  1895,  Dr.  Stoltz  married  Miss  Lillian  Dun- 


534 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


nahoo  of  South  Bend.  Their  one  son,  Charles, 
was  born  June  13,  1897. 

H.  F.  ]MiTCHELL,  M.  D.  For  a  number  of 
years  past,  Dr.  Mitchell  has  been  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  South  Bend,  and 
during  these  years  has  not  only  maintained 
his  position  among  the  leaders  of  the  medical 
fraternity,  but  has  taken  part  in  much  of  the 
public  and  social  life  of  the  city,  so  that  he  is 
accounted  one  of  her  honored  citizens.  His 
birth  occurred  in  Kingston,  Ontario,  Canada, 
on  the  10th  of  Jul}',  1866,  being  a  son  of  Peter 
Mitchell,  a  native  of  Scotland  and  a  ship 
builder  by  occupation.  When  a  young  man 
he  left  his  Scotland  home  for  Canada,  the 
year  of  his  emigration  being  1846,  and  for  the 
long  period  of  twenty-four  years  was  proprie- 
tor of  the  Portsmouth  Marine  Railway.  His 
busy  and  useful  life  was  ended  at  the  age  of 
sixty-five  years.  He  married  Victoria  G. 
Wycott,  a  native  of  Canada,  but  of  English 
parentage,  and  four  children  w^ere  born  of 
their  union ;  C.  F.,  a  practicing  physician  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio :  Beatrice  F.,  a  graduate  of 
the  Ep worth  Hospital  Training  School  of 
South  Bend ;  and  Florence,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  five  years. 

•  H.  F.  Mitchell,  the  second  child  and  second 
son  in  the  family,  was  graduated  at  Queens 
University  in  1889,  and  the  Royal  College  of 
Phj-sicians  and  Surgeons,  after  which  he  was 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  On- 
tario, New  York,  for  one  j^ear.  Removing 
thence  to  Indiana,  he  practiced  in  Lakeville, 
St.  Joseph  county,  for  the  following  three  and 
a  half  years,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
numbered  among  the  practitioners  of  general 
medicine  in  South  Bend.  During  these  years 
he  has  fully  demonstrated  the  fact  that  he  is 
well  informed  concerning  the  science  to  which 
he  is  devoting  his  life,  and  has  therefore  been 
accorded  a  liberal  patronage. 

In  1892,  Dr.  Mitchell  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Lillie  M.  Woodburn,  a  daughter  of 
the  late  Thomas  M.  Woodburn,  of  Ottawa, 
Canada,  in  which  city  ]\Irs.  Mitchell  was  born. 
By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of 
two  sons,  Weir  W.,  aged  twelve  years,  and 
Grant  F.,  a  little  lad  of  five  years.  The  Doc- 
tor is  now  serving  as  President  of  the  St. 
Joseph  County  Medical  Society,  and  also  has 
membership  relations  with  the  Indiana  State 
Medical  Association,  the  American  Medical 
Association  and  the  Tri  State  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. His  fraternal  relations  connect  him 
with  the  ^Masonic  order.  Lodge  No.  294,  of 


South  Bend,  and  with  the  Maccabees,  in  which 
he  is  now  serving  as  surgeon  general  of  the 
Uniformed  Rank. 

L.  V.  Stranz.  In  connection  with  the 
science  of  medicine,  Dr.  Stranz  has  gained  an 
enviable  prestige  as  one  of  the  most  able  of 
the  younger  practitioners  in  the  city  of  South 
Bend.  He  was  born  in  Germany,  ^lay 
24,  1868,  and  ere  his  removal  from  his  native 
land  received  an  excellent  education  in  its 
high  schools.  In  1890,  he  sailed  for  America, 
and  after  his  arrival  stopped  for  a  time  in 
Buffalo  and  Niagara  Falls,  New  York,  subse- 
quently making  his  way  to  Detroit,  Michigan, 
where  he  taught  Latin  and  Greek  in  the  Po- 
lish seminary  for  one  year.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine in  the  Detroit  Medical  College,  but  later 
went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  continued  his 
studies  in  Wooster  University,  thence  enter- 
ing the  Dunham  Medical  College  of  Chicago, 
in  which  he  was  graduated  in  May,  1896. 
Thus  with  an  excellent  training  to  serve  as 
the  foundation  on  which  to  erect  the  super- 
structure of  his  future  life  work  he  went  to 
South  Chicago,  Illinois,  but  three  months 
later  removed  to  La  Salle,  Illinois,  where  he 
remained  three  years.  He  then  joined  the 
hospital  corps  in  the  Spanish-American  war 
where  he  served  four  months,  enlisting  in  the 
First  Division,  Third  Army  Corps,  and  Avas 
stationed  at  Chickamauga  Park,  receiving  his 
honorable  discharge  at  Anniston,  Alabama. 
Dr.  Stranz  then  came  to  Hanover  township. 
Lake  county,  Indiana,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  practice  until  1904,  and  in  that  year  came 
to  South  Bend.  Although  he  is  one  of  the 
younger  representatives  in  practice  in  point 
of  years  of  continuous  service  in  this  city,  yet 
he  has  demonstrated  the  fact  that  he  is  well 
informed  in  its  principles  and  their  correct 
application,  and  is  therefore  building  up  a  lib- 
eral patronage. 

In  1894  Dr.  Stranz  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Magdalena  Missal,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children,  Isabel,  Edmund 
and  Martin. 

A.  E.  Barber,  M.  D.  One  of  the  most 
earnest  workers  in  the  medical  profession  is 
A.  E.  Barber,  and  to  his  own  energy  and  per- 
severance he  owes  the  success  which  he  has 
achieved  thus  far  in  life.  He  was  born  in 
Leeds  county,  Canada,  on  ths  24th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1868,  a  son  of  Charles  Earl  and  Mary  E. 
(Davis)  Barber,  the  former  a  native  of  Can- 
ada and  the  latter  of  Belfast,  Ireland.     The 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


535 


father,  however,  was  of  Irish  descent,  and 
during  his  early  life  followed  agricultural 
pui*suits,  but  in  1890  abandoned  that  occupa- 
tion and  engaged  in  the  banking  and  invest- 
ment business.  In  1893  he  retired  from  an 
active  business  life  and  thus  continued  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death  which  occurred  in  April, 
1895.  Dr.  Barber's  mother  was  an  exceedingly 
cultured  lady,  and  for  a  number  of  years  had 
been  a  member  of  the  teacher's  profession. 

The  public  and  high  schools  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  furnished  their  son,  A.  E.,  with  his 
early  educational  training,  while  later  he  be- 
came a  student  at  the  Queen's  Royal  College 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Kingston,  On- 
tario, graduating  therein  in  1892  with  the  de- 
grees of  M.  D.  and  C.  M.  Coming  thence  to 
St.  Joseph  county  in  1892  he  established  him- 
self in  practice  in  Mishawaka,  but  that  town 
soon  proving  too  small  for  his  capabilities  he 
came  to  South  Bend  in  1898,  where  he  has 
succeeded  in  building  up  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion for  skill  in  his  chosen  line  of  endeavor. 
He  has  made  a  specialty  of  the  diseases  of  the 
eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  and  in  this  special 
branch  he  has  achieved  remarkable  success  for 
a  young  man.  His  membersliip  with  the 
County  and  State  Medical  Society  enables 
him  to  keep  abreast  with  all  the  progressive 
movements  in  the  medical  profession,  and  he 
has  proved  himself  worthy  of  the  patronage 
and  confidence  of  the  public.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Epworth  Hospital  staff  of  phy- 
sicians and  surgeons,  as  a  specialist  in  diseases 
of  the  eye.  ear,  nose  and  throat,  and  he  has 
held  the  position  of  medical  expert  in  the 
Bureau  of  Pensions  of  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment since  1899. 

In  1895,  Dr.  Barber  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Grace  M.  Greene,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  D. 
Greene,  of  Mishawaka,  whose  death  occurred 
on  the  26th  of  March,  1903.  One  daughter 
has  blessed  this  union,  Grace  Margaret,  whose 
birth  occurred  on  the  18th  of  August,  1898. 
Mrs.  Barber  was  a  graduate  of  the  Mishawaka 
high  school.  She  was  a  cultured  lady  and 
social  leader,  both  in  :\Iishawaka  and  South 
Bend.  Her  demise  was  deeply  regretted 
throughout  the  county.  Dr.  Barber  holds 
fraternal  relations  with  the  Masonic  order, 
Lodge  No.  294,  also  with  the  Chapter,  Council 
and  Commandery,  with  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees  and  the  Elks'  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Commercial  Athletic  club. 

C.  A.  Rennoe,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  leading 
physicians     of     South     Bend,     with     offices 


at  234  South  Michigan  street,  was  born 
in  Windsor,  Canada,  October  7,  1868. 
His  father,  Joseph  Rennoe,  also  a  native  of 
Canada,  was  of  French  origin,  and  his  life  oc- 
cupation was  that  of  the  tilling  of  the  soil. 
About  the  year  1872  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
Portage  township,  St.  Joseph  county,  where 
he  purchased  a  farm  and  continued  his  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  but  retired  from  the  active 
cares  of  a  business  life  in  1901,  and  lived  in 
South  Bend  until  his  death  on  June  22,  1907. 
His  wife,  nee  Mary  Clark,  was  a  native  of 
Ca.nada,  although  her  father  was  born  in  Eng- 
land and  her  mother  in  France.  In  their 
family  are  eight  living  children,  including 
twins,  C.  A.  and  Alexander  J.,  they  being  the 
third  in  order  of  birth. 

Dr.  Rennoe  was  but  four  years  of  age  when 
brought  by  his  parents  to  St.  Joseph  county, 
and  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were 
spent  on  the  home  farm  until  his  fourteenth 
year  when  he  entered  the  city  schools  of  South 
Bend.  When  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  he 
began  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  precep- 
torship  of  Dr.  Kilmer,  of  this  city,  with  whom 
lie  continued  until  his  "Taduation  from  Rush 
Medical  College  of  Chicago,  in  1892.  In 
that  year  he  located  in  South  Bend  for 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  where  he 
has  been  engaged  as  a  general  practitioner 
ever  since.  He  has  gained  an  enviable  pres- 
tige as  one  of  the  most  able  and  successful,  fol- 
lowers of  the  medical  science,  and  the  success 
which  he  has  attained  is  due  to  his  thorough 
technical  information  and  skill,  as  reinforced 
by  that  s^Tupathy  and  tact  which  are  the  in- 
evitable concomitants  of  precedence  in  this 
noble  profession. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Rennoe  was  celebrated 
in  1895,  when  Josephine  M.  Beckwith,  a  native 
of  White  Pigeon,  Michigan,  and  a  daughter  of 
Levi  and  Lucy  Beckwith,  became  his  wife. 
The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Americap 
Medical  Association  and  the  St.  Joseph 
County  :\Iedical  Society,  while  his  fraternal 
relations  connect  him  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  the  'Elks  and  other  societies.  He  is  a 
stanch  Republican,  and  for  four  years  served 
as  the  coroner  of  St.  Joseph  county.  He  has 
also  been  an  active  worker  in  the  local  militia, 
having  served  as  captain  surgeon  of  the  Third 
Indiana  National  Guards  from  1900  to  1904, 
and  he  is  now  the  examining  surgeon  of  the 
order. 

William  Allen  Wickham,  M.  D.,  who 
for    a    number    of    years    past    has    been 


536 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


actively  engaged  in  the  medical  profes- 
sion in  South.  Bend,  is  one  of  the 
most  talented  members  of  his  profession 
in  northern  Indiana.  Being  of  broad  and 
liberal  mind,  and  having  enjoyed  the  advant- 
ages of  a  superior  education,  he  has  had  the 
interests  of  the  people  deeply  at  heart,  and  by 
pen  and  speech  has  used  his  influence  in  the 
advocacy  of  higher  education  and  training  for 
physicians.  He  was  born  in  Goshen,  Indiana, 
on  the  28th  of  February,  1860,  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam Wallace  and  Anne  (Reiley)  Wickham, 
the  latter  a  native  of  Ireland.  The  father  was 
born  in  the  state  of  New  York,  but  when  a 
young  man  made  his  way  to  Indiana,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
for  over  half  a  century.  His  long  professional 
career  has  been  attended  with  marked  suc- 
cess, and  his  name  is  a  household  word  in  the 
homes  of  the  community  in  which  he  resides. 
He  has  now  reached  the  eighty-seventh  mile- 
S'tone  on  the  journey  of  life,  and  those  who 
have  known  him  longest  esteem  him  most 
highly. 

Dr.  W.  A.  Wickham  obtained  his  literary 
education  in  the  high  school  of  Goshen,  while 
his  professional  training  was  pursued  in  the 
Eclectic  Medical  College  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
in  which  he  was  graduated  in  1880.  He  then 
took  post  graduate  courses  in  Europe  in  1893- 
95,  also  in  Chicago  in  1903.  Thus  with  an 
excellent  training  to  serve  as  a  foundation  on 
which  to  rear  the  superstructure  of  his  life 
work  he  began  practice  in  South  Bend,  where 
success  has  attended  his  efforts.  He  has  made 
a  specialty  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat, 
and  has  also  been  United  States  Pension  Ex- 
aminer and  surgeon  since  McKinley's  first  ad- 
ministration. He  is  a  member  of  the  County 
and  State  Medical  Societies  and  of  the  order 
of  Elks.  Dr.  Wickham  has  been  a  resident 
of  South  Bend  since  1881,  and  throughout  all 
these  years  he  has  commanded  the  regard  of 
all  by  his  upright  life. 

Louis  S.  La  Pierre,  D.  D.  S.  During  the 
years  in  Avhich  he  has  been  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  dentistry  in  South  Bend,  Dr.  La 
Pierre  has  demonstrated  the  fact  that  he  is 
well  informed  concerning  the  principles  of  the 
science,  and  has  not  only  maintained  his  posi- 
tion among  the  leaders  of  the  dental  frater- 
nity, but  has  taken  part  in  much  of  the  public 
and  social  life  of  the  city,  so  that  he  is  ac- 
counted one  of  her  honored  citizens.  His 
birth  occurred  in  South  Bend  on  the  8th  of 
June,  1866,  his  father,  J.  M.  La  Pierre  having 


been  a  prominent  business  man  in  this  city 
for  many  years.  The  son  Louis  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  city  and  those  of 
Walkerton,  Indiana,  and  after  the  completion 
of  his  literary  education  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Gushing  &  Company,  pharmacists, 
with  whom  he  remained  until  1890.  Previous 
to  this  time  he  had  formed  the  determination 
to  devote  his  life  to  the  practice  of  dentistry, 
and  with  that  end  in  view  he  pursued  a  course 
in  the  Chicago  College  of  Dental  Surgery  and 
graduated  in  1892.  Returning  thence  to  his 
native  city  of  South  Bend,  he  immediately 
opened  an  office  for  the  practice  of  his  chosen 
profession,  and  the  large  patronage  which  he 
now  enjo3^s  is  indicative  of  his  skill  and 
ability. 

On  the  17th  of  February,  1896,  Dr.  La 
Pierre  was  united  in  marriage  to  Clara  Ginz, 
of  South  Bend,  and  their  home  is  the  center 
of  a  gracious  and  warm  hearted  hospitality. 

W.  L.  Owen,  M.  D.  During  the 
short  time  which  marks  the  period  of 
Dr.  Owen's  professional  career  he  has 
met  with  a  gratifying  success,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  has  won  the  good 
will  of  the  citizens  of  South  Bend.  He  was 
born  in  Porter  county,  Indiana,  April  27, 
1877,  a  son  of  William  B.  and  Annie  (Pride) 
Owen,  the  former  a  native  of  the  state  of  New 
York,  and  the  latter  of  Scotland.  During  his 
business  career  the  father  was  engaged  largely 
in  manufacturing  enterprises,  in  the  making 
of  porous  tiles,  etc.,  and  his  life's  labors  were 
ended  in  death  in  1901,  having  survived  his 
wife  for  a  number  of  years,  she  having  passed 
away  in  1897. 

The  public  schools  of  Lake  county,  Indiana, 
and  the  Morgan  Park  Academy,  of  Chicago, 
furnished  Dr.  Owen,  with  his  early  literary 
training,  while  his  medical  education  was  re- 
ceived in  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College  of 
Chicago,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1906. 
Immediately  after  his  graduation  he  came  to 
South  Bend,  where  he  has  since  been  actively 
engaged  in  professional  work. 

In  1898,  Dr.  Owen  married  Miss  Mary  Wil- 
ling, who  was  a  practicing  physician  at  the 
time  of  her  marriage,  also  a  graduate  of 
Hahnemann,  and  she  is  now  associated  with 
her  husband  in  practice.  Both  are  members 
of  the  St.  Joseph  County  Medical  Society. 

Cornelius  H.  Myers,  M.  D.  One  of  the 
exacting  of  all  the  higher  lines  of  occupation 
to  which  a  man  may  lend  his  energies  is  that 
of  the  physician.   A  most  scrupulous  prelimin- 


'.  ^swr,LB»»''  a 
''^.  .  1909 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


537 


ary  trainiug  is  demanded  and  a  nicety  of 
judgment  little  understood  by  the  laity.  Thus 
when  professional  success  is  attained  in  any 
instance  it  may  be  taken  as  certain  that  such 
measure  of  success  has  been  thoroughly 
merited.  In  Cornelius  H.  Myers  we  have  one 
who  has  gained  distinction  in  the  line  of  his 
chosen  calling,  who  has  been  an  earnest  and 
discriminating  student,  and  who  holds  a  posi- 
tion of  due  relative  precedence  among  the 
medical  practitioners  of  northern  Indiana. 
He  is  a  native  son  of  Ohio,  his  birth  occurring 
in  Wayne  county  of  that  state  on  the  29th 
of  October,  1853,  a  son  of  Enos  and  Mary 
(Funk)  Myei^,  both  of  whom  claimed  the 
commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania  as  their  place 
of  birth.  In  1854,  however,  a  year  after  the 
birth  of  their  son  Cornelius,  they  removed  to 
Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  where  the  father 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  where 
the  son  attended  the  public  schools  during  his 
early  boyhood  days.  After  completing  his 
education  he  taught  school  in  Elkhart  and 
St.  Joseph  counties  for  two  years. 

Prepared  by  a  broad  general  knowledge  for 
entrance  into  professional  life,  Mr.  Myers 
then  went  to  Goshen  and  entered  the  office  of 
Dr.  Whippey,  being  then  twenty-three  years 
of  age,  and  he  remained  there  for  six  months. 
He  was  next  a  student  in  Hahnemann  College 
for  two  years,  graduating  therein  in  1879,  and 
in  the  same  year  he  returned  to  that  institu- 
tion for  a  post-graduate  course,  also  taking  a 
post-graduate  course  in  the  New  York  Homeo- 
pathic College.  All  this  was  a  splendid  train- 
ing for  the  young  physician,  and  thus  with  a 
comprehensive  knowledge  of  anatomy  and  the 
science  of  medicine  he  began  the  practice  of 
his  chosen  profession  in  South  Bend,  where 
he  has  succeeded  because  he  desired  to  suc- 
ceed. Nature  has  endowed  him  bountifully, 
and  he  has  studiously,  carefully  and  conscien- 
tiously increased  the  talents  that  were  given 
him.  Dr.  Myers  holds  membership  relations 
with  the  Indiana  Homeopathic  Association 
and  the  American  Institute,  and  has  also 
served  as  coroner  of  St.  Joseph  county. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Myers  was  celebrated 
in  1879.  when  Gertrude  Harris  became  his 
wife.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Fred  Harris,  one 
of  the  honored  old  pioneere  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  while  her  mother  was  a  sister  of  Judge 
Andrew  Anderson,  of  South  Bend.  Six  chil- 
dren have  been  born  of  this  union,  Frederick, 
Edgar,  George,  Jeanette,  Gertrude  and  Mar- 
garet. The  family  are  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church. 


Richard  B.  Dugdale,  M.  D.,  who  occupies 
an  enviable  position  as  a  member  of  the 
medical  profession  in  St.  Joseph  countv,  was 
born  in  South  Bend  on  the  17th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1868.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and 
Susannah  Dugdale,  both  natives  of  England. 
The  father  came  to  South  Bend  in  the"  '60s, 
and  was  thereafter  employed  in  the  Oliver 
Chilled  Plow  Company  for  thirty-eight  years, 
or  until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in 
death  in  June,  1905,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight 
years. 

Richard  B.  Dugdale,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  received  his  preparatory  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city, 
graduating  from  the  high  school  in  1887,  and 
two  years  later,  in  1889,  he  became  a  student 
in  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  where  he 
graduated  in  1892.  During  the  three  years 
following  his  graduation  Dr.  Dugdale  was  en- 
gaged in  practice  in  North  Liberty,  Indiana, 
and  on  the  expiration  oi  that  period,  in  1895, 
returned  to  South  Bend,  where  he  has  since 
been  numbered  among  the  leading  members 
of  the  medical  fraternity.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  County,  State  and  National  Medical  So- 
cieties, and  in  1905  was  made  president  of  the 
County  Medical  Society.  During  the  three 
terms  of  1894-96-98,  he  was  the  county  coro- 
ner of  St.  Joseph  county.  His  professional 
career  has  been  attended  with  marked  success. 
His  promptness,  his  s^mipathetic  nature  and 
his  generosity  are  well  loiown  factors  in  his 
personality,  and  those  who  have  known  him 
longest  esteem  him  most  highly. 

Dr.  Dugdale  was  man-ied  in  1893  to  Miss 
Fannie  Bungay,  a  daughter  of  Francis  B. 
Bungay,  of  Constantino,  Michigan,  and  they 
have  one  son,  Milo,  who  was  born  October  29, 
1895.  The  Doctor  gives  his  political  support 
to  the  Republican  party,  while  fraternally  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Elks,  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World  and  other  societies.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Walter  D.  Chaffee,  M.  D.  In  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  in  South  Bend,  Dr.  Chaffee 
has  demonstrated  the  fact  that  he  is  well  in- 
formed concerning  the  principles  of  the  medi- 
cal science  and  their  correct  application  to 
the  needs  of  suffering  humanity,  and  has 
therefore  been  accorded  a  liberal  patronage. 
He  is  a  native  son  of  Michigan,  born  in  Lima 
on  the  4th  of  August,  1865.  His  father,  the 
Rev.  Comfort  T.  Chaffee,  was  born  in  the  state 
of  New  York  and  was  a  well  known  minister 
of  the  Baptist  church,  having  been  pastor  of 


538 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  chnrcli  of  that  denomination  at  the  time 
of  the  birth  of  his  son  Walter.  His  death 
occurred  on  the  23d  of  June,  1899,  where  he 
was  living  in  quiet  retirement  after  a  pastor- 
ate in  the  Baptist  church  of  that  -city.  He 
was  also  at  one  time  pastor  of  a  church 
in  South  Bend.  He  was  a  Doctor  of 
Divinity,  and  was  thoroughly  earnest 
and  sincere  in  all  his  thoughts,  words 
and  deeds,  and  his  noble,  manly  life  proved 
an  inspiration  to  many  of  his  friends  and  fol- 
lowers. He  was  also  a  great  financier,  and 
while  in  charge  of  his  church  at  Centerville, 
^Michigan,  he  built  knitting  mills  there,  of 
which  he  was  president,  and  he  was  also  an 
organizer  and  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Centerville.  Michig-an.  Prior  to  en- 
tering the  ministry  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
and  practiced  law  at  Three  Rivers,  Michigan. 
Mrs.  Chaffee  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hattie 
Dennison.  and  was  a  native  of  Ohio. 

Dr.  Walter  Chaft'ee  was  a  student  in  the 
Univei'sity  of  Nebraska  and  Central  Univer- 
sity of  Bella,  Iowa,  in  those  excellent  educa- 
tional institutions  receiving  the  instruction 
which  enabled  him  to  enter  upon  the  study  of 
his  chosen  life  work,  for  he  had  decided  upon 
the  medical  profession  as  his  vocation  and  to 
that  end  entered  the  Hahnemann  ]\Iedical  Col- 
lege of  Chicago.  Graduating  from  that  insti- 
tution in  1886.  he  immediately  began  practice 
in  Saginaw,  Michigan,  where  he  remained  for 
only  a  few  months,  and  then  spent  a  short 
time  in  Vicksburg  and  Three  Rivers.  Since 
1888  he  has  been  a  resident  of  South  Bend, 
and  his  long  identification  with  this  place  and 
his  prominence  here  makes  his  name  a  house- 
hold word  in  the  homes  of  this  community. 
His  professional  career  has  been  attended  with 
success.  His  promptness,  his  generosity  and 
his  s^^;npathetic  nature  are  well  known  factors 
of  his  life,  and  those  who  have  known  him 
longest  esteem  him  most  highly.  He  is  a 
homeopath  and  gjiiecologist.  while  in  his  fra- 
ternal relations  Dr.  Chaffee  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order.  Lodge  No.  45  and  the 
Chapter,  and  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protect- 
ive Order  of  Elks. 

Jacob  W.  Hill.  As  a  member  of  the  medi- 
cal profession  Dr.  Jacob  W.  Hill  has  won  dis- 
tinction, and  throughout  the  period  of  his 
residence  in  St.  Joseph  county  he  has  enjoyed 
an  extensive  and  remunerative  practice.  He 
is  progressive  in  all  his  ideas,  constantly  read- 
ing and  studying,  and  keeps  in  close  touch 
with  the  spirit  of  the  times.     He  was  born  in 


Columbia  countj^  Pensylvania,  September  6, 
1858,  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Anna  (Auchenbach) 
Hill,  natives  also  of  the  Keystone  state.  The 
father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
passed  away  in  death  in  1859. 

Dr.  Hill  received  his  elementary"  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  Pennsylvania,  while 
later  he  attended  Dickerson  Seminary  of  Wil- 
liamsport,  that  state,  in  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1877,  and  he  then  entered  upon  the 
study  of  the  profession  which  he  had  determ- 
ined to  make  his  life  work.  He  first  studied 
under  the  preceptorship  of  Dr.  Jesse  R.  Cas- 
selberry,  and  in  1881  completed  the  course  in 
the  Jefferson  Medical  College.  In  the  same 
year  he  came  to  South  Bend  and  opened  an 
office  for  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  he  has 
met  with  gratifying  success.  He  is  a  student 
and  endeavors  to  keep  abreast  of  the  times  in 
everything  relating  to  the  discoveries  in  medi- 
cal science.  Progressive  in  his  ideas  and 
favoring  modern  methods  as  a  whole,  he  does 
not  dispense  with  many  of  the  true  and  tried 
systems  which  have  stood  the  test  of  years. 
During  the  past  eight  years  Dr.  Hill  has 
served  as  secretary  of  the  St.  Joseph  county 
board  of  health,  is  a  member  of  the  State  and 
County  Medical  Societies,  was  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Censors  of  the  St.  Joseph  County 
Medical  Society,  is  a  delegate  to  the  State 
Medical  Society,  appointed  in  1905  for  two 
vears  and  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge. 
No.  45  and  of  the  Chapter  No.  29. 

Elbert  W.  McAllister,  M.  D.  Dr.  ]\Ic- 
Allister,  a  prominent  representative  of  the 
medical  profession  in  South  Bend,  with  office 
and  residence  at  1327  West  Washington 
street,  was  born  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  July 
1,  1845.  His  father,  William  A.  jMcAllister, 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  although  his 
father  was  born  in  Ireland  and  his  mother  in 
Norway,  and  was  extensively  engaged  in  deal- 
ing in  harness  in  his  native  state.  About  1854 
he  came  to  Goshen,  Indiana,  and  there  his 
death  occurred  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years.  ]\Irs.  McAllister  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Ellen  Stevens,  and  was  of 
German  descent.  She  was  called  to  the  home 
beyond  after  reaching  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years. 

Dr.  McAllister,  their  only  child,  was  about 
eight  years  old  when  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  Indiana,  the  family 
home  being  established  at  Goshen,  where  he 
was  reared  and  educated.  Wlien  a  young  man 
he  began  the  study  of  medicine,  but  his  pre- 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


539 


paration  for  that  profession  was  interrupted 
by  his  enlistment  in  1864  for  service  in  the 
Civil  war,  becoming  a  member  of  Company 
D,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-Sixth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  his 
period  of  enlistment  and  then  returned  to  his 
home  in  Goshen.  From  1861  until  1863  he 
was  a  student  in  the  Rush  College  and  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  after  which  he  re- 
simied  his  medical  studies  and  graduated  at 
the  Long  Island  College  Hospital  of  Brook- 
lyn, New  York,  in  1866.  His  first  work  in 
his  chosen  profession  was  as  surgeon  on  a  line 
of  sailing  vessels  plying  between  Liverpool 
and  New  York  city,  but  after  one  year  of  this 
work  he  engaged  in  a  general  practice  of  med- 
icine in  Goshen  in  partnei'ship  with  Dr.  Wick- 
ham,  that  relationship  continuing  until  1874, 
when  Dr.  McAllister  came  to  South  Bend. 
Here  he  entered  into  partnership  relations 
with  Dr.  L.  J.  Ham,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  1879,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been 
alone  in  practice.  Dr.  McAllister  in  a  large 
measure  meets  all  the  requirements  necessary 
for  a  successful  physician,  and  the  value  of  his 
services  to  the  community  cannot  be  overesti- 
mated. He  is  a  member  of  Auteu  Post,  G.  A. 
R.,  of  South  Bend,  also  of  the  Masonic  order 
in  this  city,  in  which  he  has  attained  the 
Knight  Templar  degree.  The  marriage  of  Dr. 
McAllister  and  Miss  Alice  Elliott,  was  cele- 
brated in  about  1870,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, Nellie,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Luce,  of 
South  Bend,  and  William  E.,  a  machinist. 

James  M.  Garrison,  D.  V.  S.  Dr.  Garri- 
son, who  is 'accorded  an  extensive  patronage 
as  a  veterinary  surgeon  in  St.  Joseph  county, 
was  born  in  Penn  township  of  this  county 
February  3,  1847,  a  son  of  Lewis  and 
Catharine  (Mead)  Garrison,  the  latter  of 
French  descent,  although  her  father  was 
born  in  Vermont.  Mr.  Garrison  was  a 
native  of  New  York,  and  was  numbered  among 
the  early  pioneers  of  St.  Joseph  county,  Indi- 
ana, but  in  1849  he  joined  the  tide  of  emigra- 
tion to  California,  and  his  death  occurred  dur- 
ing his  residence  in  that  state.  In  their  family 
were  two  sons,  the  elder  being  George  A.,  a 
prominent  real  estate  dealer  in  Guthrie,  Okla- 
homa. 

Dr.  Garrison  was  reared  to  years  of 
maturity  in  St.  Joseph  county,  receiving  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Mishawaka.  and 
after  its  completion  he  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  veterinary  surgerv^  On  the  17th  of 
October,  1861,  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the 


Civil  war,  becoming  a  member  of  Company 
F,  Forty-eighth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  was  only  fifteen  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  enlistment,  and  was  one  of  the  young- 
est soldiers  to  carry  a  knapsack  in  the  war  of 
the  rebellion.  He  subsequently  re-enlisted  in 
the  same  company  and  regiment,  and  took 
part  in  many  of  the  historic  battles  of  the 
war,  including  Corinth  and  Malvern  Hill, 
and  was  then  transferred  to  Sherman's  army 
and  went  with  him  in  the  celebrated  march  to 
the  sea.  He  was  never  seriously  wounded, 
although  on  one  occasion  he  was  hit  by  a  piece 
of  shell.  During  his  entire  military  career  of 
four  years  and  fourteen  days,  he  was  in  active 
service  as  a  private,  and  throughout  that  time 
his  brother  was  with  him  in  the  same  regiment, 
both  participating  in  the  Grand  Review  at 
Washington,  after  which  he  received  an  hon- 
orable discharge  at  Lexington,  Kentucky,  in 
1865.  Returning  thence  to  his  old  home  in 
jMishawaka.  Dr.  Garrison  engaged  in  the  quiet 
pureuit  of  agriculture,  but  a  short  time  after- 
ward resumed  his  practice  as  a  veterinary  sur- 
geon in  Penn  township,  St.  Joseph  county. 
For  a  period  of  two  years  he  was  in  Warsaw, 
Indiana,  returning  thence  to  ]\Iishawaka,  but 
later  went  to  Marcellus,  Michigan.  In  1893 
he  took  up  his  abode  in  South  Bend,  where  for 
the  past  thirteen  years  he  has  been  actively 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  veterinary  surgery, 
in  that  time  winning  for  himself  a  prominent 
place  among  the  professional  men  of  the  com- 
munity. 

In  1869,  in  Mishawaka,  Dr.  Garrison  was 
married  to  Catherine  Westfall,  a  native  of 
Mechanicsburg.  Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  and  Sarah  Westfall.  also  of  that 
commonwealth.  Seven  children  have  been 
born  of  this  union,  namely:  William;  Laura, 
wife  of  George  Harper,  of  South  Bend; 
Frank ;  Ida,  wife  of  Arthur  Fordham :  Mamie, 
at  home ;  Jay,  of  South  Bend ;  and  Lulu,  also 
at  home.  The  Doctor  is  a  staunch  supporter 
of  Republican  principles,  although  in  local 
affairs  he  votes  rather  for  the  man  than  party, 
and  during  his  residence  in  Cass  county, 
Michigan,  he  served  as  a  deputy  sheriff,  re- 
signing that  office  to  remove  to  South  Bend, 
where  he  is  now  a  well  kno^\ai  and  honored 
citizen.  He  holds  pleasant  relations  with  his 
old  army  comrades  by  his  memberehip  in  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

Robert  Shanklin,  M.  D.  During  his  brief 
connection  with  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
South  Bend,  Dr.  Shanklin  has  demonstrated 


540 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  fact  that  he  i.s  well  informed  concerning 
the  principles  of  the  medical  science,  and  has 
therefore  been  accorded  a  liberal  patronage. 
He  was  born  in  Frankfort,  Indiana,  on  the 
3d  of  February,  1881,  a  son  of  Robert  and 
Mary  Jane  (Sims)  Shanklin,  both  natives  of 
Indiana.  The  father,  who  was  born  in  Carroll 
county,  followed  agricultural  pursuits  during 
his  early  business  career,  but  during  the  past 
thirty  years  has  been  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  R.  P.  Shanklin  &  Company,  whole- 
sale grocers  of  Frankfort,  Indiana.  He  has 
earned  for  himself  an  enviable  reputation  as 
a  careful  man  of  business,  always  known  for 
his  prompt  and  honorable  methods  of  dealing, 
which  have  won  him  the  deserved  and  un- 
bounded confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of 
Frankfort,  Indiana,  Robert  Shanklin  entered 
Hanover  College,  in  which  he  was  graduated 
in  1902  with  the  degree  of  B.  S.,  while  in 
1905  he  graduated  in  medicine,  from  Rush 
Medical  College  of  Chicago.  His  first  year 
after  leaving  college  was  spent  as  an  interne 
in  St.  Mary's  Hospital  in  Milwaukee,  Wiscon- 
sin, but  in  August,  1906,  he  came  to  South 
Bend  and  entered  at  once  into  the  practice  of 
medicine.  Although  numbered  among  the 
younger  practitioners  he  maintains  his  posi- 
tion among  the  leaders  of  the  medical  frater- 
nity, and  has  also  taken  part  in  much  of  the 
public  and  social  life  of  South  Bend.  Dr. 
Shanklin  is  an  exemplary  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  and  also  of  the  Masonic 
order.  South  Bend  Lodge  No.  294.  As  a 
member  of  the  St.  Joseph  Medical  Society  he 
has  taken  an  active  interest  in  all  medical 
affairs  affecting  the  profession  in  general. 

Allen    G.   Miller,   M.   D.     One  who  has 

attained  distinction  and  wide-spread  celebrity 
for  his  skill  and  research  is  Dr.  Allen  G.  Mil- 
ler, whose  knowledge  of  the  science  of  medi- 
cine is  broad  and  comprehensive,  and  his 
ability  in  applying  its  principles  to  the  needs 
of  suffering  humanity  has  gained  him  an  en- 
viable prestige  in  professional  circles.  He 
was  born  in  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania, 
October  12,  1835,  and  is  descended  from  a 
prominent  old  Saxon  family  and  from  three 
brothers  who  left  Saxony,  Germany,  and  came 
to  Pennsylvania  about  the  same  time  as  Wil- 
liam Penn.  and  in  that  commonwealth  his 
great-grandfather,  Jacob  Miller,  was  born. 
The  grandfather,  Abraham  Miller,  was  born 
near  Philadelphia,  and  to  him  belongs  the 
honor  of  being  the  first  sheriff  of  Somerset 


county.  Isaac  Miller,  the  father  of  the  Doctor, 
also  claimed  Somerset  county  as  the  place  of 
his  nativity,  and  he  became  well  known  there 
as  a  hat  manufacturer.  He  married  Caroline 
Miller,  also  a  native  of  Somerset  county, 
Pennsylvania,  where  her  father,  Jacob  G.  Mil- 
ler, was  also  born.  He  became  one  of  the 
first  merchants  of  Somerset  county,  and  he 
there  also  owned  two  tanneries,  and  was 
accounted  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  his 
time  in  the  county.  He  was  of  Prussian  de- 
scent. 

Dr.  Allen  G.  Miller,  the  only  living  repre- 
sentative of  his  parents'  family  of  five  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  three  daughters,  accom- 
panied his  father  on  his  removal  to  Allegany 
county,  Maryland,  when  six  years  of  age,  and 
when  fourteen  the  family  home  was  estab- 
lished in  Baltimore  that  state,  the  son  receiv- 
ing his  educational  training  in  the  schools  of 
Baltimore  and  Philadelphia,  and  also  in  the 
University  of  ^Maryland.  Ha\ang  decided  to 
enter  the  medical  profession,  he  became  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  completing  the  course  therein 
returned  to  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania, 
to  engage  in  practice,  there  continuing  until 
1879,  when  he  transferred  his  residence  and 
the  scene  of  his  activities  to  South  Bend.  He 
first  located  on  South  Michigan  street,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  practice  during  the  long 
period  of  twenty-five  years,  and  in  1904  he 
removed  to  the  corner  of  JMiller  and  Sample 
streets.  In  his  practice  the  Doctor  has  made 
a  specialty  of  chronic  and  complicated  dis- 
eases, and  is  the  proprietor  of  what  is  kno\ATi 
as  the  Neuropathic  Remedies  Laboratory,  721 
East  Sample  street,  where  his  remedies  are 
compounded  under  his  own  supervision.  He 
also  owns  the  Dr.  Miller  Sanatorium  and 
Northern  Indiana  Mineral  Springs,  located  on 
the  St.  Joseph  river  between  Mishawaka  and 
South  Bend,  while  at  the  present  time  he  is 
planning  to  build  a  large  observatory  on  Mil- 
ler's Hill,  which  is  claimed  to  be  the  highest 
point  in  the  state  of  Indiana,  and  is  located  in 
Penn  township,  south  and  west  of  Mishawaka. 
In  addition  to  all  these  varied  interests,  the 
most  noted  of  which  is  his  large  and  elegantly 
equipped  laboratory,  Dr.  Miller  owns  the  larg- 
est orchard  in  the  county  of  St.  Joseph,  con- 
sisting of  twenty  thousand  trees  of  various 
kinds  of  fruit,  and  which  is  located  in  Penn 
to^\'nship.  In  this  township  he  is  also  the 
owner  of  Floral  Park.  He  is  one  of  the  largest 
land  o\\'ners  in  St.  Joseph  county,  owning  the 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUxXTY. 


541 


Aoutli  portion  of  the  Frantz  addition  to  South 
Bend,  also  the  Peterman  addition,  and  he 
has  five  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land  in 
the  coal  regions  of  Somerset  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, also  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
the  finest  timber  land  in  Pennsylvania,  con- 
sisting of  poplar,  basswood  and  oak  timber. 
This  tract  is  located  on  the  Raystown  branch 
of  the  Juniata  river.  Thus  as  a  physician  and 
business  man.  Dr.  IMiller  has  made  of  life  a 
grand  success,  and  South  Bend  is  fortunate 
that  he  has  allied  his  interests  with  her. 

In  September,  1856,  the  Doctor  married 
Susan  Kimmel,  whose  death  occurred  on  the 
16th  of  November.  1886,  aged  forty -five  years. 
She  was  the  mother  of  fourteen  children : 
Clara,  born  June  27,  1857 ;  Horace  M.,  March 
4,  1858;  Isaac  X..  August  2,  1859;  Elmer  E., 
January  30,  1861 ;  Edward  S.,  August  8, 
1862 ;  one  who  died  in  infancy ;  Frank  D., 
born  March  4,  1866 ;  Anna  A.,  May  28,  1869 ; 
Nora  A.,  March  29,  1871 ;  Mary  M.,  April  28, 
1872 ;  an  infant  born  January  15,  1874 :  Cora 
E.,  February  2,  1875;  Charles  H.,  August  1, 
1877 ;  and  an  infant  who  was  born  and  died 
in  1880.  On  the  21st  of  March,  1888,  Dr. 
Miller  married  Jennie  E.  Sanderson.  During 
his  residence  in  the  east  the  Doctor  held  mem- 
bership with  all  the  leading  medical  societies. 
He  is  well  known  throughout  the  state  of  Indi- 
ana in  connection  with  the  medical  profession, 
for  he  has  been  eminently  successful  in  his 
chosen  field  of  endeavor,  and  the  fraternity 
places  him  in  its  front  ranks. 

Hon.  Wn.LiAM  Webster  Butterworth,  M. 
D.  Possibly  there  are  no  names  upon  the 
pages  of  the  history  of  St.  Joseph  county  that 
are  more  worthy  of  special  mention  in  a  work 
of  this  character  than  that  which  forms  the 
caption  of  these  memoirs.  A  name  which 
was  a  household  word  in  hundreds  of  homes — 
the  name  of  Dr.  AV.  W.  Butterworth,  which 
stood  for  all  that  was  grand  and  noble.  In 
fact  the  name  of  Butterworth  has  been  con- 
nected with  affairs  of  the  state  and  nation 
for  over  a  century  past,  and  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  a  most  creditable  representa- 
tive of  that  grand  old  pioneer  family,  of 
Quaker  stock. 

William  Webster  Butterworth,  M.  D.,  (de- 
ceased) was  born  in  Waynesville,  Warren 
county,  Ohio.  His  father,  Benjamin  Butter- 
worth. was  born  in  Campbell  county,  Virginia, 
and  his  father,  Benjamin  Butterworth,  was  a 
native  of  the  same  county.  His  father,  Isaac 
Butterworth,  was  born  in  England  and  came 


to  America  in  Colonial  times  and  settled  in 
Campbell  county,  where  he  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  His  son  Benjamin, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  reared  and 
married  in  his  native  state,  but  in  an  early 
day  removed  from  there  to  Ohio  and  settled 
on  the  Miami  river  in  Warren  county,  where 
he  was  one  of  the  first  settlers.  He  purchased 
about  one  thousand  five  hundred  acres  of 
timbered  land  and  first  erected  a  log  house, 
but  later  erected  a  commodious  stone  house, 
a  large  frame  barn  and  other  farm  buildings. 
He  and  his  sons  were  Abolitionists,  and  his 
home  was  a  station  on  the  "Under  ground" 
railroad  through  which  many  a  dusky  slave 
passed  en  route  to  Canada.  He  resided  here 
until  his  death,  and  the  old  homestead  is  now 
owned  by  his  great-grandson.  Professor 
Eugene  Foster.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife 
was  Ara villa  Gilbert,  also  a  native  of  Virginia 
and  of  English  ancestry.  She  reared  the 
following  children :  Moorman,  Benjamin, 
Polly,  Millie,  Betsy,  Nancy,  Samuel,  Rachel, 
William  and  Thomas.  The  parents  were 
members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  reared 
their  children  in  that  faith.  Their  son 
Benjamin  was  reared  in  his  native  state,  and 
went  to  Ohio  with  his  parents.  His  father 
gave  him  land  in  Waynesville,  and  his  wife 
inherited  land  adjoining,  so  that  he  had  an 
extensive  farm.  While  living  there  he  went 
to  Michigan  and  bought  government  land  in 
that  state,  and  also  came  to  Indiana  and  pur- 
chased land  in  St.  Joseph  county.  In  1835 
he  sold  his  possessions  in  Ohio  and  emigrated 
to  Indiana,  accompanied  by  his  family,  mak- 
ing the  entire  journey  with  teams.  He  lo- 
cated about  three  miles  south  of  LaPorte, 
where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  and  later 
added  thereto  until  he  owned  nearly  one 
thousand  acres,  and  there  he  made  his  home 
till  his  death  in  1869,  aged  seventy-four  years. 
The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Judith 
Welch.  She  was  born  in  Iredell  county.  North 
Carolina.  Her  father.  Gilbert  Welch,  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  married  Chloe  Hendricks. 
She  was  one  of  seven  sisters  and  was  of 
Swedish  ancestry,  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Gustavus  Adolphus.  Samuel  Gilbert  Welch  re- 
moved ^\^th  his  family  from  North  Carolina 
to  Hillsboro.  Ohio,  and  later  to  Waynesville. 
From  there  he  came  to  Indiana  and  lived  for 
a  time,  then  returned  to  Waynesville  and 
spent  his  last  years  there.  He  and  his  family 
were  also  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 
Mrs.     Benjamin     Butterworth    died     at    the 


542 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


homestead  in  LaPorte  county  in  1880.  She 
reared  eight  children :  Mary,  William  Web- 
ster, Isaac,  Ruth,  Moses,  Sarah  E.,  Benjamin 
Thomas  and  Turner. 

The  subject  received  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Waynesville  and  La 
]*orte  county,  and  supplemented  this  by  a 
course  in  an  advanced  school  at  Greencastle, 
Indiana.  He  studied  medicine  at  a  medical 
college  at  LaPorte,  and  later  graduated  from 
a  medical  college  in  New  York  city,  after 
which  he  commenced  practice  at  Mishawaka. 
At  the  first  call  for  troops  in  1861  he  was 
called  upon  by  Governor  ]\Iorton  to  go  to 
the  front  as  surgeon  of  the  three  months  regi- 
ment. After  the  expiration  of  that  term  he 
was  appointed  surgeon  of  the  Xinety-ninth 
regiment,  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
was  with  the  regiment  in  all  its  marches,  cam- 
paigns and  battles,  including  Sherman's 
march  to  the  sea.  He  served  until  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  then  returned  to 
Mishawaka.  He  served  for  two  terms  as  a 
member  of  the  state  legislature  and  during 
that  time  was  instrumental  in  framing  and 
passing  many  bills  of  general  good.  He  was 
a  personal  friend  of  Governor  Hendricks. 
He  resumed  his  practice  and  continued  until 
his  death  in  1888.  December  7.  He  was  twice 
married,  first  to  Sarah  J.,  a  daughter  of  Elias 
Smith,  of  ]\Iishawaka,  who  died  five  years 
later.  He  was  married  to  his  second  wife, 
Mrs.  Eugene  Kennedy,  daughter  of  Milo 
Whitney  and  Sarah  (Hall)  Smith,  and  widow 
of  Eugene  Kennedy,  in  1859.  Milo  Whitney 
Smith  was  born  in  Benson,  Vermont,  and 
his  father  Judge  Smith,  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land and  on  removing  to  America  settled  in 
Benson,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
days.  The  father  of  ]\Irs.  Butterworth  at- 
tended the  State  University  at  Burlington,  and 
later  went  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  attended 
the  State  University  there.  While  in  Rich- 
mond he  married  Sarah  Thorston  Hall, 
daughter  of  William  Hall,  a  native  of 
England,  who  on  emigrating  to  America 
settled  in  Hanover  countj^  Virginia, 
where  he  bought  a  plantation  which 
he  operated  by  slave  labor.  After  his 
marriage  Mr.  Smith  returned  to  Benson, 
Vermont,  and  entered  into  the  practice  of 
law.  He  became  prominent  in  public  affairs 
and  served  as  a  representative  in  the  state 
legislature.  About  1851  he  came  to  Indiana 
and  located  at  Pl\Tnouth.  where  he  practiced 
for  a  time,  and  then  removed  to  Mishawaka 


and  resided  there  until  his  death  in  1860, 
aged  sixty-two  years.  His  wife  survived  him 
several  years.  She  reared  six  children: 
Carrie  Virginia,  widow  of  E.  A.  Sherwood; 
Mrs.  Butterworth:  ^lelvina  A.,  who  married 
David  Smith  of  Mishawaka;  Milo  Agustus; 
Mary  Louise,  who  married  Jerry  L.  Taylor; 
and  Ella,  who  married  Dr.  W.  H.  Hanford, 
of  South  Bend. 

To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Butten\'orth  there  were 
born  three  children,  William  Eugene,  deputy 
postmaster  at  Mishawaka ;  Dr.  Charlie  M.,  a 
practicing  physician  of  South  Bend ;  and 
Camilla,  superintendent  of  the  kindergarten 
at  the  Laurel  school. 

Dr.  Butterworth  had  a  winning  personality, 
a  genuine  appreciation  of  manly  principles, 
a  noble  purpose  and  a  pure  heart.  He  was 
generous,  and  his  innumerable  acts  of  kind- 
ness were  unostentatiously  and  quietly  per- 
formed. Of  a  philosophical  turn  of  mind,  he 
saw  the  best  in  his  friends  and  life  in  general, 
and  thus  brought  the  best  of  friends  to  him. 
He  was  all  that  can  be  termed  a  manly  man; 
.  large  in  sympathy,  the  depth  and  wealth  of 
his  friendships,  and  above  all  the  love  of  his 
fellow  men,  most  applicable  to  him  is 
"Homer's  Requiem  to  a  Departed  Hero:" 
' '  Xe  "er  to  the  chambere  where  the  mighty  rest 
Since  their  foundation  came  a  nobler  guest ; 
Xor  e  'er  was  to  the  bowers  of  bliss  conveyed 
A  fairer  spirit,  a  more  welcome  shade." 

William  E.  Butterworth.  the  deputy 
postmaster  of  Mishawaka,  is  one  of  the  native 
sons  of  this  city,  his  natal  day  being  the  17th 
of  October,  1860.  His  father,  W.  W.  Butter- 
worth, was  a  native  of  Virginia,  but  in  an 
early  day  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  La 
Porte,  Indiana,  and  later  came  to  Mishawaka, 
where  he  was  one  of  the  best  known  physi- 
cians of  the  early  days,  practicing  his  profes- 
sion here  for  forty-six  years.  It  was  in  this 
city  that  he  was  married  to  Sarah  M.  Smith, 
by  whom  he  had  one  daughter,  now  deceased, 
and  after  the  death  of  the  wife  and  mother 
he  married  Sarah  E.  Smith,  the  widow  of 
Eugene  Kennedy.  Their  union  was  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  three  children:  William  E., 
whose  name  introduces  this  review ;  Dr.  C.  M. 
Butterworth,  of  South  Bend:  and  Camilla,  a 
kindergarten  teacher  in  the  Laurel  school  of 
South  Bend. 

After  completing  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  ]\Iishawaka.  William  E.  Butter- 
worth engaged  in  the  drug  business,  thus  con- 
tinuing from  1880  until  1892.  while  for  three 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


543 


years  he  was  also  engao-ed  iu  the  wood  and 
coal  business.  In  1898  he  became  the  deputy 
postmaster  of  ^lishawaka,  first  under  Mr. 
G-aylor  and  later  under  ]Mr.  Shaw,  the  present 
postmaster.  He  is  a  popular  oliicial,  systema- 
tic and  careful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties, 
courteous  to  all,  and  no  man  connected  with 
the  oiBce  has  a  greater  number  of  friends 
than  has  he.  He  is  also  connected  with  the 
agricultural  interests  of  the  count}',  and  is 
the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
land  in  the  eastern  part  of  Mishawaka. 

In  1887  Mr.  Butterworth  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Ella,  the  daughter  of  William 
and  Emily  (Gril^in)  Skerritt  and  a  native  of 
Mishawaka.  Mr.  Butterworth  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican in  his  political  affiliations,  and,  a 
life-long  resident  of  Mishawaka,  he  is  well 
and  favorably  known  to  its  citizens. 

George  A.  Osborn,  M.  D.  During  many 
years  Dr.  Osborn  was  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  in  South  Bend,  and  in  that  time 
endeared  himself  to  many  friends,  so  that  his 
death  was  deeply  mourned  throughout  this 
section  of  the  county.  He  was  born  on  the 
Ohio  river  in  ]\Iadison  county,  Indiana, 
February  28,  1823,  his  father,  Isaac  Osborn, 
having  been  extensively  engaged  in  shipping 
t)u  the  river.  The  son,  however,  was  reared 
in  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  receiving  his  early 
literaiy  training  in  its  public  schools,  and 
later  pursued  a  scientific  and  medical  course 
in  Indianapolis,  Indiana.  For  about  fifteen 
years  after  leaving  college  he  was  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  in  La- 
fayette, Indiana,  and  in  1886  he  arrived  in 
South  Bend,  resmning  his  medical  practice, 
which  was  continued  until  within  a  few  years 
of  his  death.  His  busy  and  useful  life  was 
ended  on  the  5th  of  November,  1903.  His 
long  professional  career  was  attended  with 
marked  success,  while  in  private  life  he  gained 
that  warm  personal  regard  which  arises  from 
true  nobility  of  character,  kindliness  and 
geniality.  He  exemplified  in  his  life  the 
beneficent  spirit  of  the  Masonic  order,  of 
Avhich  he  was  long  a  faithful  member,  and  he 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Medical  Society  of 
Indiana. 

On  the  22d  of  December,  1846,  Dr.  Osborn 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Dr.  Margaret  A. 
Fannon,  who  was  born  in  Clinton  county, 
Ohio,  April  30.  1827,  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Helen  (]\IcGrath)  Fannon,  both  also  na- 
tives of  that  commonwealth.  The  father,  who 
was    an    agriculturist,    moved    to    Pickaway 


county,  Ohio,  about  1827,  while  six  years 
later,  in  1833,  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Clinton 
coimty,  that  state,  where  his  death  occurred 
in  1834.  Mrs.  Fannon  was  but  thirty-six 
years  of  age  when  she  was  called  to  the  home 
beyond,  the  husband  and  wife  dying  on  the 
same  day,  leaving  their  three  little  children, 
two  sons  and  a  daughter,  homeless  and  parent- 
less.  Their  daughter  ]\Iargaret  was  then  but 
seven  years  of  age,  and  she  was  bound  out 
to  a  family  namecl  Hoblit,  Avith  whom  she 
lived  until  eighteen  years  old,  in  the  mean- 
time pursuing  her  education  in  the  public 
school  until  she  had  reached  her  fourteenth 
year.  She  later  graduated  at  the  Ladies  Com- 
mercial College  of  Xenia,  Ohio,  and  after  her 
marriage  began  the  study  of  medicine  under 
the  preceptorship  of  her  husband  and  a  Pro- 
fessor Brown.  She  practiced  during  the  war 
of  1860-65,  and  had  been  actively  engaged 
in  the  profession  for  ten  years  before  she  re- 
ceived her  license,  but  in  the  meantime  had 
attended  the  Indiana  Medical  College.  Dur- 
ing a  long  period  of  years  she  has  continued 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  Lafayette  and 
South  Bend,  in  the  time  winning  for  herself 
a  name  and  place  among  its  leading  practi- 
tioners, and  she  now  confines  her  duties  to 
office  work.  She  is  the  mother  of  eight  child- 
ren, namely :  Eugene  B.,  of  Milwaukee,  "Wis- 
consin; Stephen  P.,  a  farmer  of  St.  Joseph 
county;  Sarah  E..  the  wife  of  David  M.  Reed, 
of  Lafayette,  Indiana;  Georgiana,  the  widow 
of  F.  W.  Brown  and  a  resident  of  South 
Bend;  Chase  S.,  a  prominent  journalist  of 
Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Michigan ;  Horace  E.,  at 
home;  Charlie,  of  Jackson,  Michigan;  W.  D., 
a  plumber  of  South  Bend.  Dr.  Osborn  and 
his  wife  took  up  their  abode  in  South  Bend 
during  an  early  epoch  in  its  history,  and 
during  the  intervening  years  which  have  since 
come  and  gone  they  have  witnessed  many 
changes,  while  they  also  performed  their  full 
share  in  its  wonderful  development  and  im- 
provement. During  many  years  they  con- 
tinued the  journey  of  life  together  until  one, 
tired  and  worn,  lay  down  to  rest,  while  the 
other  continues  on  alone  until  she  too  shall 
be  called  to  lay  aside  the  burdens  and  re- 
sponsibilities of  this  life  and  join  her  husband 
in  the  home  beyond. 

W.  H.  Hanford,  M.  D.  For  many  years 
Dr.  Hanford  has  traveled  life's  journey,  and 
now  in  the  evening  of  a  long,  useful  and 
honorable  career,  he  is  enjoying  a  well  earned 
rest,    relieved   of   the   burdens   and   responsi- 


344 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


bilities  of  a  professional  life,  for  through 
many  deqades  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  both  medicine  and  dentistry.  He  was  born 
about  seven  miles  from  Springfield,  in  Clark 
county,  Ohio,  August  15,  1825,  his  parents 
being  Henry  and  Harriet  (Chamberlain) 
Hanford,  the  former  of  English  and  the  latter 
of  Welsh  descent.  The  father  was  reared  in 
his  native  state  of  Connecticut,  where  he  fol- 
lowed the  dual  occupation  of  farming  and 
coopering,  and  at  one  time  was  engaged  in 
business  in  what  is  now  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
When  a  boy  he  was  associated  with  the 
Beecher  family,  and-  he  often  held  the  little 
daughter  Harriet  upon  his  lap.  He  continued 
to  make  his  home  at  Lewistown,  Logan 
county,  Ohio,  for  many  years,  his  death  there 
occurring  when  he  had  reached  the  eighty- 
second  milestone  on  the  journey  of  life,  but 
his  wife  preceded  him  to  the  home  beyond, 
dying  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  In 
their  family  were  seven  children,  all  of  whom 
grew  to  years  of  maturity,  but  all  have  now 
passed  away  with  the  exception  of  a  son  and 
daughter,  the  latter  being  Lottie  MeKennon, 
of  Lewistown,  Ohio. 

Dr.   Hanford.   the  sixth  child  in  order  of 
birth,  was  about  twelve  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Logan 
county,  Ohio,  receiving  his  education  in  both 
Springfield  and  Lewistown,  and  he  was  early 
inured  to  the  work  of  the  farm.     After  com- 
pleting   his    education    he    was    engaged    for 
about  three  years   in   the   printing  business, 
but  on  the  expiration   of  that  period  began 
the  study  of  medicine  at  Bellefontaine,  Ohio. 
Coming    to    Indiana    when    about    seventeen 
years  of  age,  he  resumed  the  study  of  medi- 
cine at  Lebanon,  Boone  county,  and  after  com- 
pletinp-  his  studies  began  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine at  Republic,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  for 
about  two  years.     For  some   time  following 
Dr.  Hanford  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  Elgin,  Illinois,  and  he  then 
entered  upon  the  dental  profession,  thus  con- 
tinuing in  that  city  for  about  two  years.    He 
then  moved  to  Sycamore,  Illinois,  and  in  1865 
came  to   South  Bend,   Indiana,   where   for   a 
long  period  he  was  engaged  in  both  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  dentistry,  being  without 
doubt  the  oldest  practitioner  in  the  state  of 
Indiana.     He  gained  an  enviable  reputation 
as    a   successful    practitioner,    the    result    of 
thorough  technical  information  and  skill,  for 
he  made  deep  and  careful  research  into  the 


two  sciences  to  which  he   devoted  so  many 
years  of  his  life. 

Dr.  Hanford  was  married  in  1864,  but  his 
wife  has  preceded  him  to  the  home  beyond. 
Their  three  children  are  Carrie,  a  music 
teacher  of  ability  and  organist  of  St.  Paul's 
church,  and  William  Arthur  and  Chester  0., 
of  South  Bend.  The  doctor  is  independent  in 
his  political  affiliations,  preferring  to  cast  his 
ballot  for  the  men  whom  he  regards  as  best 
qualified  for  their  respective  positions,  and 
at  all  times  he  has  been  safely  relied  upon 
to  use  his  influence  in  the  advancement  of 
whatever  has  been  for  the  good  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Ryan  T.  Van  Pelt,  M.  D.  In  the  medical 
profession  advancement  is  not  easily  secured, 
but  the  high  position  which  Dr.  Van  Pelt  now 
occupies  in  the  medical  fraternity  demon- 
strates the  fact  that  he  is  well  informed  con- 
cerning the  principles  of  the  science,  and  has 
therefore  been  accorded  a  liberal  patronage. 
He  was  born  in  LaPorte,  LaPorte  county, 
Indiana,  on  the  4th  of  May,  1852.  His  father, 
Ryan  Van  Pelt,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  was  reared  in  Ohio  and  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  In  an  early  day  in 
its  development  he  came  to  Indiana,  and 
although  removing  to  Illinois  in  1861,  he 
afterward  returned  to  this  state,  and  here 
the  remainder  of  his  life  was  spent,  passing 
away  in  death  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 
He  was  of  Holland  descent.  Ere  his  removal 
from  Pennsylvania  he  married  Catherine  Van 
Pelt,  and  she,  too,  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
eighty-seven  years.  In  their  family  were 
twelve  children,  namely:  Mariah;  Elizabeth, 
who  died  in  infancy;  Mary;  Sarah;  Amanda; 
Abner;  Aaron,  who  laid  down  his  life  on  the 
altar  of  his  country  in  the  Civil  war;  Jacob, 
also  deceased;  Eliza,  the  wife  of  Reese 
Stephens,  of  South  Bend;  John,  who  served 
four  years  in  the  war  of  the  rebellion  and  is 
now  a  resident  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  and 
Catherine,  the  wife  of  Henry  C.  Wheeler,  of 
South  Bend. 

Dr.  Ryan  T.  Van  Pelt,  the  youngest  of  the 
twelve  children,  was  reared  in  both  Indiana 
and  Illinois,  having  been  about  eight  years 
of  age  when  he  accompanied  his  father  on  the 
removal  to  Kankakee  of  the  latter  state,  where 
he  continued  his  education  in  the  city  schools. 
Returning  thence  to  LaPorte  in  1865,  he  com- 
pleted his  literary  training,  graduating  from 
the    high    school    with    the    class    of    1869. 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


545 


Shortly  thereafter  he  took  up  the  study  of 
medicine  in  the  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chi- 
cago, where  he  completed  the  course  and  was 
graduated  in  1877,  after  which  for  a  short 
time  he  served  as  interne  in  the  Cook  County 
Hospital,  one  of  the  largest  hospitals  of  that 
city.  From  1878  until  1890  Dr.  Van  Pelt 
was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession in  Mishawaka,  Indiana,  after  which 
he  returned  to  Chicago  and  opened  an  office 
in  the  Lexington  hotel.  Twenty-second  street 
and  Michigan  avenue,  as  a  house  physician. 
After  a  continuous  and  lucrative  practice  of 
thirteen  years  in  Chicago  the  doctor  came  to 
South  Bend,  his  pleasant  and  well  equipped 
office  being  located  at  222  South  Lafayette 
street.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medi- 
cal Society,  the  St.  Joseph  County  and  the 
Indiana  State  Medical  Societies  and  the  Rush 
Alumni.  Throughout  the  long  period  in 
which  Dr.  Van  Pelt  has  been  a  representative 
of  the  medical  profession  he  has  maintained 
his  position  among  the  leaders  of  the  frater- 
nity and  has  won  a  large  and  lucrative  prac- 
tice. 

In  1885  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Van  Pelt  and  Mrs.  Hattie  L.  Simpson,  the 
widow  of  Col.  John  E.  Simpson,  of  St.  Louis, 
and  a  daughter  of  Dr.  M.  G.  Sherman,  of 
Michigan  City,  Indiana.  Mrs.  Van  Pelt  was 
born  in  Ogdensburg,  New  York,  and  received 
her  education  in  the'  eastern  states.  The 
Doctor  married  for  his  second  wife, Miss  Mary 
A.  Goggin,  of  Chicago,  June  26,  1907.  He 
is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  fraternally  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  P>i;hias  and  the 
Eagles. 

E.  M.  Drollinger.  Many  years  of  self- 
denying  labor  in  the  service  of  suffering 
humanity  is  the  resume  of  the  life  of  this 
honored  physician  of  South  Bend.  Being  of 
broad  and  liberal  mind,  and  having  enjoyed 
the  advantages  of  a  good  education,  he  has 
had  the  interests  of  the  people  deeply  at 
heart,  and  his  influence  has  been  exerted  at 
all  times  as  the  champion  of  progress.  He 
was  born  in  Laporte  county,  Indiana,  on 
the  6th  of  June,  1853,  a  son  of  Gabriel  and 
Mary  E.  (Chapman)  Drollinger,  the  former 
a  native  of  South  Carolina  and  the  latter  of 
New  York. 

The  literary  training  of  their  son,  E.  M. 
Drollinger,  was  received  in  the  excellent  pub- 
lic schools  of  Laporte,  and  after  completing 
his  studies  there  and  haVing  decided  upon  the 
medical  profession  as  a  life  work  he  entered 

35 


the  Cincinnati  Eclectic  Medical  Institute, 
where  he  was  graduated  in  1878.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year,  1879,  he  came  to  South  Bend 
and  opened  an  office  for  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine, where  he  has  practiced  for  many  years 
and  is  the  loved  family  physician  in  many  a 
household. 

In  1878,  the  year  of  his  graduation  from 
his  medical  college,  Dr.  Drollinger  married 
Miss  Mary  A.  Jarrell,  of  Marshall  county,  In- 
diana, and  they  have  one  daughter. 

N.  G.  BoRisowiCG,  M.  D.  In  the  medical 
profession  advancement  comes  only  through 
true  merit,  and  that  Dr.  Borisowicg  has  a 
large  and  representative  patronage  is  indica- 
tive of  his  skill  and  ability.  He  was  born  in 
Russian  Poland,  February  14,  1852,  and  after 
completing  his  literary  education  in  his  na- 
tive country  began  the  study  of  medicine, 
graduating  from  the  medical  department  of 
the  Imperial  University  of  Harkow,  Russia, 
in  1886.  From  the  time  of  his  graduation 
until  his  emigration  to  America  in  1889  he 
was  engaged  in  practice  in  the  province  of 
Kursk,  Poland,  and  after  his  arrival  in  this 
country  he  located  at  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  re- 
sumed his  profession.  On  the  27th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1892,  the  Doctor  arrived  in  South  Bend, 
Indiana,  where  he  has  ever  since  been  engaged 
in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession.  In 
his  long  identification  with  this  city  he  has 
gained  distinction  in  the  line  of  his  chosen 
calling,  for  he  has  ever  been  an  earnest  and 
discriminating  student,  and  now  holds  a 
leading  place  among  the  medical  practitioners 
of  northern  Indiana. 

Dr.  Borisowicg  was  married  in  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Clementena  Dydzinska,  also  a  native 
of  Russian  Poland,  and  their  pleasant  and  at- 
tractive residence  is  located  on  Chapin  street, 
which  was  built  in  1904  and  where  the  doctor 
also  has  his  well  equipped  office. 

John  Cassidy,  M.  D.  A  man's  worth  in 
the  world  is  determined  by  his  usefulness  and 
by  what  he  has  accomplished  for  his  fellow- 
men,  and  he  is  certainly  deserving  of  the 
greatest  honor  and  regard  whose  efforts  have 
been  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  humanity.  And 
to  none  is  there  so  great  an  opportunity  given 
as  to  the  physician  and  surgeon,  and  a  work 
of  this  character  would  certainly  be  incom- 
plete did  it  not  enroll  on  its  historical  pages 
the  gentleman  whose  name  forms  the  caption 
of  this  article.  In  private  life  he  is  disting- 
uished by  all  that  makes  the  true  gentleman, 
one  that  subordinates  personal   ambition   to 


546 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


public  good,  and  seeks  the  benefit  of  others, 
— morally,  physically  and  intellectually — 
rather  than  the  aggrandizement  of  self.  En- 
dowed by  nature  with  high  intellectual  quali- 
ties to  which  may  be  added  years  of  practical 
experience  as  a  physician  and  surgeon.  Dr. 
Cassidy  needs  no  introduction,  for  he  has 
been  the  well  known  and  loved  family  physi- 
cian in  the  homes  of  St.  Joseph  county  for  a 
great  many  years. 

Dr.  John  Cassidy  was  born  in  Linden  town- 
ship, Washtenaw  county,  Michigan.  His 
father,  John  Cassidy,  was  born  in  county 
Monaghan,  Ireland,  where  his  parents  were 
life-long  residents.  His  brothers,  Hugh, 
Cornelius  and  JNIichael,  and  sisters,  Mary, 
Ellen  and  Catherine,  all  came  to  America, 
and  in  due  time  settled  in  ^Michigan.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  the  youngest,  and 
the  last  to  come  to  America.  He  joined  his 
brothers  and  sisters  in  New  York,  where  he 
lived  for  a  time,  and  then  went  to  Chatham, 
New  Jersey,  and  lived  there  until  1836.  He 
then  started  for  the  territory  of  Michigan, 
having  been  commissioned  by  his  brothers  and 
brothers-in-law  to  buy  land  for  them.  He 
located  in  Linden  township,  Washtenaw 
county,  and  entered  several  tracts  of  govern- 
ment land,  making  the  journey  to  Detroit  and 
return  on  horseback.  At  this  time  and  for 
some  years  after  there  were  no  railroads  in 
Michigan.  Deer,  wild  turkeys  and  other  kinds 
of  wild  game  were  plentiful.  He  immediately 
commenced  improvements  by  building  a  log 
cabin  and  then  commenced  to  improve  the 
land.  In  1838  his  wife  and  child  joined  him 
in  their  western  home.  He  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  stock  raising  and  was 
the  first  to  introduce  sheep  into  Linden.  He 
was  successful,  and  in  due  time  erected  a 
brick  house,  a  commodious  barn,  and  other 
farm  buildings,  and  resided  there  till  his 
death,  at  a  good  old  age.  The  maiden  name 
of  the  mother  of  our  subject  was  Rose  Tim- 
mons.  She  was  born  in  county  Fermanagh, 
Ireland.  A  brother,  ]\Iichael.  and  two  sisters, 
Margaret  and  SiLsanna.  came  to  America. 
Their  mother  also  came  and  spent  her  last 
years  with  her  children,  and  died  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-eight  years.  The 
parents  of  our  subject  reared  seven  children, 
named :  Margaret.  John,  Thomas.  William, 
Mary,  Rose  and  Susanna. 

Our  subject  received  his  early  education  in 
the  pioneer  schools  of  his  native  town,  and 
attended  for  two  years  a  private  school  and 


the  Ypsilanti  high  school.  After  completing 
his  course  there  he  entered  Notre  Dame  Uni- 
versity at  South  Bend  and  graduated  from 
there  with  the  degree  of  B.S.,  and  later  re- 
ceived the  degree  of  M.S.  He  had  as  tutors 
in  the  different  institutions  of  learning, 
Duane  Doty,  who  was  later  superintendent 
of  schools  in  Chicago ;  Col.  R.  W.  Johnson, 
late  of  Elkhart;  Judge  Howard  O'Brien  of 
Minnesota  and  Judge  Rose  of  Auburn,  and 
Professor  Bacon.  After  completing  his  course 
at  Notre  Dame,  he  studied  medicine  at  Ann 
Arbor  one  year,  then  entered  Rush  Medical 
College,  Chicago,  and  graduated  from  that 
institution  in  1868,  and  commenced  practice 
in  South  Bend,  where  he  has  practiced  con- 
tinuously since.  He  was  married  in  1870  to 
Cecilia  Ascher.  She  was  born  in  New  Lon- 
don. Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Hermann  and  Sa- 
brina  (King)  Ascher,  the  father  a  native  of 
Konigsberg,  Germany,  and  the  mother  of  New 
York  state.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Cassidy  have  eight 
children:  Edith  (now  Mrs.  Connelly)  of 
Detroit;  jNIinnie,  Rose,  Sophia,  John,  Bertha, 
Thomas  and  Marjorie.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  St.  Patrick's  Roman  Catholic  church. 
The  children  have  all  studied  at  the  State 
University  at  Ann  Arbor.  Two  have  gradu- 
ated from  that  institution,  and  three  are  now 
students  there. 

William  Augustus  Weiser,  M.  D.  Among 
those  who  have  attained  distinctive  prestige 
in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  whose  success 
has  come  as  the  logical  result  of  thorough 
technical  information  and  skill  stands  Dr. 
Weiser,  who  is  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments 
and  who  has  made  deep  and  careful  research 
into  the  science  to  which  he  has  devoted  his 
life.  He  is  a  descendant  of  the  sturdy,  per- 
severing and  honorable  sons  of  Germany,  for 
his  father,  Adam  Weiser,  was  a  native  of  the 
fatherland,  and  was  a  member  of  the  medical 
profession,  as  was  also  his  grandfather.  The 
former  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  German 
army,  but  being  opposed  to  the  government 
of  that  time,  as  were  also  many  notable  Ger- 
mans, he  escaped  to  this  country  at  the  same 
time  as  Carl  Schurz,  in  1848,  first  settling  in 
New  Jersey.  He  afterward  removed  to 
Philadelphia  and  Pittsburg,  and  finally  lo- 
cated in  Butler  county,  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  practiced  medicine  until  he  was  accident- 
ally killed  at  a  railroad  crossing  on  the  10th 
of  January,  1900,  when  he  was  seventy-seven 
years  of  age.  He  was  a  typical  American 
citizen,  thoroughly  in  harmony  with  the  spirit 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


547 


of  till'  republic,  and  during  the  Civil  war  he 
valiantly  fought  as  a  member  of  Company  B, 
One  Hundred  and  Sixty-eighth  Regiment  of 
Pennsjdvania  Infantry.  Mrs.  Weiser  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Catherine  Werner,  and  was 
also  a  native  of  Germany.  She  was  also  ac- 
cidentally killed,  as  the  result  of  a  fall,  on 
January  10,  1866,  and  her  father  met  his 
death  in  exactly  the  same  manner  in  1894, 
at  the  remarkable  age  of  one  hundred  and 
four  years. 

"William  Augustus  Weiser  was  born  in 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  6th  of 
March,  1852,  and  when  but  twelve  years  of 
age  was  obliged  to  begin  the  battle  of  life 
for  himself.  At  that  time  he  was  taken  from 
school  to  work  as  a  gathering  boy,  he  being 
the  only  boy  in  Bellevernon  who  could  speak 
the  German  language.  This  accomplishment 
was  then  quite  necessary,  as  the  glass  blowers 
all  came  from  the  fatherland.  What  educa- 
tional training  he  received  in  the  earlier 
years  was  obtained  in  the  schools  of  Fayette 
county,  and  he  was  obliged  to  walk  four  miles 
in  order  to  enjoy  their  privileges.  He  holds 
a  certificate  from  a  medical  school  of  Chicago, 
and  was  elected  regent  in  Pennsylvania  under 
the  act  of  1881,  also  in  Michigan  under  the 
act  of  1899.  and  pursued  a  post-graduate 
course  in  the  Chicago  Medical  College.  Dr. 
Weiser  was  made  professor  of  pharmacology 
in  Indianapolis,  a  director  in  the  Bourbon 
Medical  Institute,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association  and  ex- 
secretary  of  the  Marshall  County  Pharmaceu- 
tical Association.  For  a  time  he  studied  law 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  Marshall 
county  in  1898,  but  his  entire  professional 
career  has  been  devoted  to  the  medical  profes- 
sion, having  practiced  in  Michigan,  South 
Dakota  and  is  registered  in  Oklahoma,  Illinois 
and  Indiana.  He  came  to  South  Bend  in 
1904,  and  has  won  prominence  in  the  medical 
fraternity  of  this  city. 

In  1891  the  doctor  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Lewallen,  whose  family  is 
a  prominent  one  in  Marshall  county  and  is 
of  Welsh  descent.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  church,  and,  fraternally,  of 
the  IMasonic  Lodge  No.  227,  of  Bourbon,  In- 
diana, the  Red  Men,  Loyal  Americans,  and 
St.  Joseph  County  Grange,  Society  No.  584, 
with  which  his  wife  is  also  identified.  The 
doctor  •  is  also  about  to  join  the  Sons  of 
Veterans,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and 


thus  be  one  of  the  patriotic  host  to  keep  Old 
Glory  flying. 

Edward  E.  Paxson.  During  the  years  of 
Dr.  Paxson 's  connection  in  South  Bend  he 
has  won  for  himself  a  place  of  distinction  in 
the  dental  fraternity  in  this  part  of  the  state. 
He  has  now  an  office  well  equipped  with 
modern  appliances  for  the  conduct  of  his 
business,  and  he  ever  keeps  in  touch  with  the 
advancement  that  is  continually  being  made 
in  the  profession,  utilizing  modern  methods 
and  adding  to  this  a  superior  mechanical  skill 
which  is  one  of  the  strong  elements  of  success 
in  the  dental  practitioner. 

The  doctor  was  born  in  Elkhart  county, 
Indiana,  on  the  11th  of  December,  1864,  a 
son  of  Eli  W.  and  Elizabeth  (Vesey)  Paxson, 
the  father  born  in  Virginia,  and  the  mother 
in  Vermont.  The  father,  who  was  born  in 
1825,  removed  to  Elkhart  county  in  1835, 
where  he  was  long  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  he  still  resides  at  Bristol  in  that 
county  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Dr. 
Paxson  attended  the  public  schools  of  South 
Bend  during  his  boyhood  days,  and  graduated 
from  the  high  school  in  1883.  Choosing  the 
profession  of  dentistry  as  a  life  work  he  then 
entered  the  dental  department  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan,  in  which  he  was  graduated 
in  1887,  and  in  the  same  year  came  to  South 
Bend  and  opened  an  office  for  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Michigan  State  Dental  Society  and  of  the 
South  Western  Michigan  Dental  Society. 

Frank  D.  Hager,  D.  D.  S.  Dr.  Hager,  one 
of  the  leaders  in  the  ranks  of  the  dental  fra- 
ternity in  South  Bend,  with  offices  at  108 
West  'Washington  street,  was  born  in  Hagers- 
ville,  Ontario^  December  14,  1871,  the  sixth 
son  of  Charles  and  Mary  Hager,  who  were 
natives  of  Canada.  After  attending  the 
parochial  and  high  schools  of  his  native  city 
of  Hagersville  their  son  Frank  entered  the 
Caledonia  Institute,  where  he  completed  the 
course  and  was  graduated,  and  to  still  further 
perfect  himself  in  his  literary  studies  then 
became  a  student  in  the  normal  school,  there 
preparing  himself  for  the  teacher's  profes- 
sion. But  after  teaching  for  a  short  time  in 
Canada  he  entered  the  dental  office  of  Dr. 
Nobbs,  while  in  1896  he  graduated  from  the 
Chicago  Dental  College  and  in  the  same  year 
came  to  South  Bend  and  began  the  practice 
of  his  chosen  profession.  From  that  time  for- 
ward Dr.  Hager  has  steadily  advanced  in  his 


548 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


work,  keeping  in  touch  -v^dtli  its  onward  pro- 
gress, and  the  prestige  which  he  has  gained 
is  indicated  by  the  liberal  patronage  which  he 
receives. 

In  1899  the  doctor  was  married  to  Adalyn 
Von  Trump,  whose  father,  C.  C.  Trump,  is 
a  well  known  resident  of  South  Bend,  where 
the  daughter  was  born  and  received  her  edu- 
cation. One  child  has  been  born  of  this  union, 
Frances  Adalyn.  Dr.  Hager  is  a  member  of 
the  Northern  Indiana  Dental  Society  and  the 
Chicago  Alumni  Association,  while  his  fra- 
ternal relations  connect  him  with  the  Elks 
and  the  Masons  in  South  Bend.  Dr.  Hager 
is  also  well  known  in  the  musical  circles  of 
this  city,  having  received  an  excellent  musical 
education,  and  is  now  basso  in  the  choir  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  church,  also  a  member 
of  the  male  quartette  and  is  engaged  in  much 
concert  work. 

S.  M.  McDonald,  D.  D.  S.  Since  entering 
the  professional  world  Dr.  McDonald  has 
steadily  advanced  step  by  step  until  he  has 
won  for  himself  a  place  of  distinction  in  the 
dental  fraternity  of  northern  Indiana.  His 
palatial  offices  at  102  South  Michigan  street, 
South  Bend,  are  equipped  with  modern  appli- 
ances, and  he  ever  keeps  in  touch  with  the 
advancement  made  in  dentistry.  At  a  very 
early  day  in  its  development,  in  1847,  John 
Milton  ]\IcDonald,  the  father  of  the  doctor 
and  a  native  of  Ohio,  came  with  ox  teams  to 
South  Bend,  being  then  about  twelve  years 
of  age,  and  was  accompanied  on  the  journey 
by  his  parents  and  other  members  of  their 
family.  From  that  early  day  he  has  remained 
an  honored  resident  of  this  city  and  St. 
Joseph  county,  where  with  his  wife,  nee 
Elizabeth  Ouderkirk,  a  native  of  New  York, 
they  are  enjoying  the  fruits  of  long  years  of 
toil  in  the  past.  In  their  family  were  ten 
children,  eight  of  whom  grew  to  years  of 
maturity. 

The  much  lamented  Charles  Albert  McDon- 
ald, a  brother  of  the  doctor  and  eldest  son 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  M.  McDonald,  passed 
away  December  14,  1905,  at  forty-six  years 
of  age.  His  untimely  and  regrettable  death 
was  due  to  typhoid  fever  mistakenly  diag- 
nosed and  treated  as  malaria.  At  the  time 
of  his  death,  Mr.  McDonald  was  city  editor 
of  the  South  Bend  Times,  a  leading  daily  and 
semi-weekly  newspaper,  and  was  also  one  of 
the  principal  stockholders  and  founders  of 
the  Times  Printing  company,  an  institution 
he  was  devotedly  identified  with  for  a  quarter 


of  a  century.  The  community  and  news- 
paperdom  never  lost  a  more  capable,  popular, 
prominent  man,  nor  a  better  friend  and  citi- 
zen. 

Dr.  McDonald,  the  seventh  in  order  of 
birth  of  his  parents'  children,  is  a  native  of 
South  Bend,  and  in  its  public  schools  received 
his  early  literary  training.  He  then  attended 
the  Kansas  City  Dental  College,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1895.  and  since  1899  he 
has  been  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  chosen  profession  in  the  city  of  his  birth, 
being  now  an  acknowledged  leader  in  the 
ranks  of  the  fraternity.  But  outside  of  his 
profession  Dr.  McDonald  has  also  achieved  a 
worthy  success,  for  he  is  a  true  railroad  man 
and  is  now  serving  as  president  of  the  Chi- 
cago, St.  Louis  &  Kansas  City  Electric  Rail- 
way company's  project.  He  is  recognized  as 
a  railroad  promoter,  and  was  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers of  the  latter  company.  During  the 
Spanish- American  war  the  doctor  enlisted  as 
a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
seventh  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving 
as  brigade  dental  surgeon  throughout  the  en- 
tire struggle,  and  at  its  close  returned  to  his 
home  in  South  Bend  and  resumed  the  prac- 
tice of  dentistry.  He  has  made  of  life  a  suc- 
cess, and  were  one  to  seek  for  its  secret  it 
would  be  found  in  that  persistent  purpose 
which  has  been  a  motive  power  in  his  life 
to  make  the  world  brighter  and  better  by 
putting  to  the  best  use  all  that  he  is  and  has. 

He  is  the  author  and  writer  of  many  good 
articles  that  have  appeared  in  newspapers  and 
magazines  throughout  the  country. 

James  B.  G-reene,  M.  D..  who  is  one 
of  the  leading  physicians  and  surgeons  of  St. 
Joseph  countv,  was  born  in  Lower  Sanduskv, 
Ohio,  :\Iay  29,  1845.  His  father,  John  L. 
Greene,  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence  county,  New 
York,  removed  to  Ohio  with  his  father  in 
1813,  the  family  locating  on  a  farm  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres.  This  proved  poor 
land,  however,  and  was  later  sold  for  one 
thousand  dollars,  considered  a  large  price  at 
that  time,  although  it  is  now  located  in  the 
very  heart  of  the  city  of  Cleveland.  In  the 
journey  to  the  Buckeye  state  Abraham  Gar- 
field drove  a  team  for  Mr.  Greene,  Sr.,  and  in 
the  party  was  also  Mary  Ballou,  who  gave 
her  hand  in  marriage  to  Abraham  Gai*field 
after  their  arrival  in  Ohio,  and  their  union 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  James  A.  Garfield, 
the  loved  and  honored  president  of  the  United 
States.    John  L.  Greene  took  up  the  study  of 


1 


.—  *,,v-^;!S«*.»:?W»"-., 


\ 


I 


THE 
New  VORK       V 
PUSLIC    LI&-MRYJ 


Astor,  Unftx  and  TiMen 

'909 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


549 


law  and  became  a  prominent  member  of  the 
bar  of  Ohio,  also  a  judge  of  the  common  pleas 
court  for  many  years,  his  son,  John  L.,  Jr., 
succeeding  him  both  in  practice  and  on  the 
bench.  His  death  occurred  on  the  8th  of 
November,  1879,  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  eighty-seven  years.  He  had  married  Marie 
Rosetta  Du  Comb  a  native  of  Bordeaux, 
France,  whose  father  was  a  sailor  and  a  resi- 
dent of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
the  first  man  to  run  the  British  blockade  in 
1812.  The  subject  of  this  review  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  a  military  family  on  both  the 
maternal  and  paternal  sides.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  who  was  born  at  Valley  Forge, 
was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  his  father, 
Eleazer  Greene,  having  been  a  captain  in  the 
Continental  army  at  the  time,  while  the  lat- 
ter's  father  was  the  well  known  Nathaniel 
Greene.  Dr.  Greene's  father  and  eldest 
brother  were  soldiei*s  in  the  Mexican  war, 
while  seven  brothers  and  himself  served  in 
the  war  of  the  rebellion,  and  his  youngest 
brother.  ^Marshal,  too  young  to  serve  in  the 
Civil  war,  took  part  in  the  Spanish  war  and 
was  killed  at  Manila. 

James  B.  Greene,  one  of  a  family  of  twelve 
children,  but  all  of  whom  are  now  deceased 
with  the  exception  of  himself  and  brother 
Vincent  Du  Comb,  superintendent  of  the  Au- 
tomatic Telephone  Company  of  Chicago,  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  schools  of  Ohio, 
while  his  professional  studies  were  pursued 
in  the  Cleveland  Medical  College,  in  which  he 
graduated  in  1867,  and  the  Royal  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Canada,  complet- 
ing the  course  in  the  latter  institution  in  1890. 
On  the  1st  of  June,  1867,  he  opened  an  office 
in  Woodland,  St.  Joseph  county,  for  the  prac- 
tice of  his  chosen  profession,  but  in  the  follow- 
ing year  came  to  Mishawaka.  His  prepara- 
tion for  the  medical  profession  was  thorough 
and  comprehensive,  and  since  his  entrance 
thereto  has  won  high  encomiums  from  the 
public  and  profession.  Dr.  Greene  was  the 
first  local  man  to  attempt  abdominal  surgery, 
in  which  he  met  with  great  success  and  has 
established  for  himself  a  reputation  as  a 
specialist  in  that  particular  branch  all  over 
northern  Indiana.  Previous  to  entering  upon 
the  study  of  medicine  the  doctor,  in  April, 
1861,  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  war, 
becoming  a  member  of  the  Eighth  Ohio  In- 
fantry, and  in  September,  1861,  he  went  out 
with  the  Third  Ohio  Cavalry,  from  which  he 
was  discharged  in  November,   1865,   for  the 


war  had  then  ended.  Throughout  the  period 
of  his  enlistment  he  never  received  a  furlough 
and  during  the  entire  time  w^as  at  the  front 
from  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  under  Sherman  and 
Thomas,  until  the  capture  of  Jeff  Davis. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Greene  w^as  celebrated 
in  January,  1868,  when  Mary  E.  Hagey,  a 
native  of  Carroll  county,  Ohio,  and  a  daughter 
of  Jonathan  Hagey,  became  his  wife.  They 
have  become  the  parents  of  five  children,  of 
whom  two  are  living.  The  doctor  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  order,  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  Houghton  Post,  the  ]\Iishawaka 
Physicians  Club,  the  County  Medical  Society, 
the  Thirteenth  District  Medical  Society,  the 
Tri  State  Medical  Society,  the  Indiana  State 
Medical  Society  and  the  American  ^ledical 
Association.  His  political  support  is  given 
to  the  Republican  party,  and  although  an  ac- 
tive and  public  spirited  citizen  the  only  office 
which  he  has  held  has  been  that  of  president 
of  the  medical  examining  board  for  twelve 
years.  He  is  an  enthusiastic  hunter,  and  shot 
the  last  deer  killed  in  St.  Joseph  county. 
The  doctor  can  speak  both  French  and  Ger- 
man fluently,  being  self-taught  in  those 
languages,  and  at  all  times  he  has  commanded 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men  by 
his  superior  intellectual  attainments  and  his 
upright  life.  On  the  evening  of  June  3,  1907, 
the  members  of  the  medical  profession  of 
Mishawaka  met  at  the  residence  of  Dr.  Stroup 
and  marched  to  the  home  of  Dr.  Greene  to 
celebrate  the  fortieth  anniversary  of  his  medi- 
cal practice  in  St.  Joseph  county.  In  token 
of  their  appreciation  of  his  ability  and  efforts 
they  presented  him  with  an  elegant  gold- 
headed  cane,  beautifully  chased  and  engraved. 

James  G.  Bostwick,  M.  D.  One  of  the 
honored  younger  representatives  of  the  medi- 
cal profession  in  Mishawaka.  Dr.  Bostwick  is 
laboring  unceasingly  in  his  calling,  striving 
to  do  all  in  his  power  toward  the  amelioration 
of  the  ' '  ills  to  which  the  flesh  is  heir. ' '  and  is 
succeeding  to  a  gi-atifying  degree  in  his  noble 
endeavors.  His  birth  occurred  in  this  city 
on  the  23d  of  August,  1878,  where  his  father, 
William  Bostwick,  has  for  many  years  been 
well  known  as  a  traveling  man.  He  was  born 
in  Lakeville,  Connecticut,  but  came  to  St. 
Joseph  county,  Indiana,  some  time  in  the  '70s 
and  was  married  to  Mary  A.  Grimes,  the 
daughter  of  Dr.  James  F.  and  Caroline  E. 
Grimes,  honored  early  pioneers  of  St.  Joseph 
county  and  also  early  residents  of  IMishawaka. 
Mrs.  i3ostwick  was  called  frdiu  this  life  on  the 


550 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


17th  of  January,  1904,  after  becoming  the 
mother  of  three  sons. 

Dr.  James  G.  Bostwick,  the  eldest  and  only 
living  child,  is  a  member  of  the  alumni  of  the 
Mishawaka  high  school,  and  was  also  for  a 
time  a  student  in  the  University  of  Indiana 
at  Bloomington,  where  his  close  application 
to  his  studies  gained  him  a  broad  literary 
training,  and  enabled  him  to  enter  upon  the 
study  of  the  profession  which  he  had  chosen 
as  a  life  work.  Entering  the  Rush  Medical 
College  of  Chicago,  he  graduated  therein  on 
June  18,  1902,  and  at  once  began  the  practice 
of  medicine  in  Mishawaka,  the  city  of  his 
birth,  where  he  has  built  up  an  excellent  prac- 
tice and  is  rapidly  winning  the  commendation 
of  the  public  and  his  professional  brethren. 

On  the  15th  of  June,  1904,  Dr.  Bostwick 
married  Mable  E.  Gay  lor,  the  daughter  of 
Albert  and  Mary  Gaylor,  and  they  have  one 
son,  William  G.  The  doctor  is  a  member  of 
the  Physicians 'Club  of  Mishawaka,  also  of  the 
State,  County  and  American  Medical  Socie- 
ties, and  of  the  Masonic  order  and  the  Knights 
of  Pythias.  His  professional  popularity  has 
led  to  his  selection  as  secretary  of  the  city 
board  of  health,  and  he  is  well  and  favorably 
known  to  the  citizens  of  his  native  county  and 
city. 

Chris  A.  Dresch,  M.  D.  Dr.  Dresch,  who 
is  rapidly  winning  for  himself  a  name  and 
place  among  the  leading  medical  practitioners 
of  St.  Joseph  county,  was  born  in  Goshen, 
Indiana,  May  23,  1878,  a  son  of  Christian 
and  Anna  (Wianubach)  Dresch,  both  natives 
of  Germany.  When  about  twenty  years  of 
age  the  father  sailed  from  his  native  land  to 
America,  and  making  his  way  to  Goshen, 
Indiana,  became  one  of  the  first  business  men 
of  that  city,  where  he  was  extensively  engaged 
in  mercantile  pursuits.  His  life  labors  were 
ended  in  death  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  fifty-four  years,  but  the  wife  and  mother 
was  seventy-one  years  of  age  ere  she  was 
called  to  the  home  beyond.  They  became  the 
parents  of  five  children,  three  sons  and  two 
daughters,  all  of  whom  grew  to  years  of 
maturity. 

Dr.  Dresch,  the  youngest  of  the  family, 
spent  the  early  years  of  his  life  in  the  city 
of  his  birth,  receiving  his  early  literary  train- 
ing in  its  public  schools,  and  in  1893  he  went 
to  Denver,  Colorado,  and  entered  the  Rocky 
Mountain  University,  graduating  in  its  medi- 
cal department  in  1898,  before  he  had  reached 


his  twenty-fii-st  year.  On  his  twenty-first 
birthday,  however,  he  received  his  diploma, 
and  for  two  and  a  half  years  he  remained  at 
Pueblo,  Colorado,  in  the  Colorado  Fuel  and 
Iron  Company's  hospital.  In  1900  he  went 
to  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  and  entered 
the  Medico- Chirurgical  College,  where  he 
completed  the  course  and  graduated  the  fol- 
lowing year.  Thus  with  an  excellent  medical 
training  to  serve  as  the  foundation  of  his  life 
work  Dr.  Dresch  came  to  Mishawaka  in  the 
same  year  of  his  graduation,  1900,  and  has 
here  gained  distinction  in  the  line  of  his 
chosen  calling.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can Medical  Association,  the  Indiana  State 
Medical  Society  and  the  Physicians  Club  of 
Mishawaka,  and  through  his  connection  with 
these  organizations,  as  well  as  through  con- 
stant study,  he  keeps  in  close  touch  with  his 
profession  in  its  advance  toward  perfection. 

In  1900  Dr.  Dresch  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Elizabeth  Sears,  who  was  born  in  Newton, 
Kansas,  the  daughter  of  T.  H.  Sears,  a  resi- 
dent of  Pueblo,  Colorado.  One  little  daughter 
has  been  born  to  bless  this  union,  Elizabeth. 
Dr.  Dresch  has  membership  relations  with  the 
^Masonic  order,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  all  of  Mis- 
hawaka. Both  in  professional  and  social  life 
he  inspires  friendship  of  unusual  strength, 
and  all  who  Ivnow  him  have  the  highest  ad- 
miration for  his  many  noble  characteristics. 

William  Field  Wood,  M.  D.  In  a  com- 
parison of  the  relative  value  to  mankind  of 
the  various  professions  and  pursuits  to  which 
men  devote  their  time  and  energies,  it  is  wide- 
ly recognized  that  none  is  more  important 
than  the  medical  profession.  From  the  cra- 
dle to  the  grave  human  destiny  is  largely  in 
the  hands  of  the  physician,  not  only  on  ac- 
count of  the  effect  he  may  have  on  the  physi- 
cal system,  but  also  upon  man's  mental  and 
moral  nature.  In  a  review  of  Dr.  Wood's 
life  one  of  his  principal  features  is  his  use 
of  this  power. 

From  sterling  Canadian  ancestors  has  the 
Doctor  descended;  from  earnest,  upright, 
sturdy  men,  and  women  of  piety  and  grace 
of  character.  His  father,  Alpheus  Field 
Wood,  was  for  many  years  connected  with 
the  Dominion  government  under  the  late  Sir 
John  A.  MacDonald,  and  for  twenty  years 
served  as  government  valuator  for  the  rail- 
way and  canals  department,  while  for  twelve 
years  he  was  elected  as  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lative assembly  of  the  provincial  government 


oodC 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


551 


of  Ontario.  Mrs.  Wood  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Eliza  A.  Ross,  and  was  a  most  re- 
fined and  enltnred  lady. 

In  his  early  youth  Dr.  W.  Field  Wood, 
who  was  born  at  Madoc,  Ontario,  June  3, 
1867,  was  sent  to  Upper  Canada  College  at 
Toronto,  a  government  school  modeled  after 
Rugby  College  in  England,  where  he  was  pre- 
pared for  the  University  of  Toronto,  there 
pursuing  the  arts  course.  It  was,  however, 
his  earnest  and  cherished  desire  to  enter  the 
medical  profession,  and  accordingly  he  en- 
tered the  medical  department  of  the  Universi- 
ty of  McGill  College  at  Montreal,  where  he 
studied  for  one  year,  and  then  to  further 
perfect  himself  in  his  chosen  profession  he 
went  abroad  and  studied  three  semesters 
under  the  direction  of  the  conjoint  examina- 
tion board  of  Great  Britain  in  the  Royal 
University  of  Berlin.  And  it  is  here  worthy 
of  mention  to  note  tliat  Dr.  Wood  visited  in 
Germany  during  the  ninety  days'  reign  of 
the  late  Emperor  Frederick,  thus  having  the 
unusual  pleasure  of  seeing  the  throne  occu- 
pied by  three  different  emperors.  After  the 
completion  of  his  studies  abroad  he  returned 
to  his  home  and  attended  three  sessions  of 
the  medical  faculty  of  Queen  University  at 
Kingston,  Ontario,  graduating  in  that  famous 
medical  institution  in  1891.  In  November  of 
the  same  year  the  doctor  came  to  Mishawaka 
and  embarked  on  the  professional  sea,  where 
he  has  built  up  a  large  and  remunerative 
general  practice.  He  holds  a  membership  in 
the  Landsmannschaft  Normannia,  a  most 
ancient  and  distinguished  corps  of  Berlin 
University,  and  is  also  an  elder  in  the  Zeta 
Psi  fraternity,  an  exclusive  organization 
which  has  existed  for  sixty  years  among  the 
leading  colleges  of  this  country,  while  to 
further  perfect  himself  along  professional 
lines  and  to  keep  abreast  of  the  advances 
which  are  constantly  being  made  in  the  medi- 
cal world  he  is  associated  with  the  American 
Medical  Association  and  with  the  State  and 
County  Medical  Societies. 

In  1890  Dr.  Wood  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Mina  A.  H.  McKinnon,  a  daughter  of 
David  McKinnon,  a  distinguished  barrister 
of  Hamilton,  Ontario,  but  whose  death  oc- 
curred in  Mishawaka  in  1893.  The  doctor 
afterward,  in  1895,  married  Mary  Radomska, 
of  this  city,  and  his  family  residence  is  at 
113  East  Third  street,  Mishawaka.  Honored 
alike  by  all,  he  is  well  worthy  to  be  repre- 


sented in  a  history  of  the  leading  men  of  St. 
Joseph  county. 

Dr.  James  F.  Grimes,  the  oldest  practicing 
physician  of  Mishawaka,  has  been  closely 
identified  with  the  progress  and  development 
of  St.  Joseph  county  throughout  the  period 
of  his  long  and  active  business  life,  and  none 
of  her  citizens  have  manifested  greater  public 
spirit  or  more  earnest  interest  in  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  country  from  a  wilderness  to  a 
fertile  land  of  fine  farms  and  a  flourishing 
little  city.  His  birth  occurred  in  Frederick 
county,  Maryland,  April  13,, 1825,  and  he  is  of 
Irish  descent.  When  he  was  a  little  lad  of 
eight  years  his  father,  who  was  also  a  native 
of  Frederick  county,  and  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, moved  to  Tiffin,  Seneca  county,  Ohio, 
where  the  little  son  grew  to  mature  years  and 
received  his  literary  education.  When  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  began 
the  study  of  medicine  in  Tiffin,  and  later, 
about  1851,  graduated  from  the  Eclectic 
School  or  College  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  In  the 
same  year  he  came  to  Mishawaka  and  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession,  and 
during  the  fifty-six  years  which  have  since 
rolled  their  course  he  has  continued  one  of 
the  city's  valued  and  useful  residents,  winning 
success  in  the  medical  profession,  and  thor- 
oughly deserving  the  genuine  praise  which  is 
freely  accorded  him  by  those  who  have  known 
him  almost  a  lifetime. 

In  Ohio  Dr.  Grimes  was  married  to  Caro- 
line E.  Harris,  a  native  of  England,  but  she 
was  reared  in  America  and  died  in  Mishawaka 
on  the  14th  of  March,  1906.  Of  their  family 
of  four  children  two  are  now  living,  Mrs. 
R.  E.  Window  and  Harriet  E.,  the  wife  of 
E.  V.  Bingham,  also  of  this  city,  whose  his- 
tory will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
Dr.  Grimes  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  in  Madison  township,  St.  Josepli 
county.  During  his  early  life  he  voted  with 
the  Whig  party,  and  at  the  organization  of 
the  Republican  party  he  joined  its  ranks,  be- 
ing one  of  the  forty  now  living  in  this  county 
who  voted  for  its  first  presidential  nominee, 
Fremont,  and  since  that  time  ho  has  continued 
to  support  each  of  its  presidential  candidates 
with  the  exception  of  Greeley.  He  has  always 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  public  affairs  of 
the  locality,  and  at  one  time  served  as  the 
trustee  of  Mishawaka.  Faithful  and  true  in 
all  the  relations  of  life,  he  need  have  few 
regrets  in  looking  back  along  the  pathway  by 


552 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


which  he  has  come,  and  to  his  children  he 
will  leave  the  priceless  heritage  of  a  stainless 
name  and  history. 

Harriet  L.  Lindt,  M.  D.  To  those  familiar 
with  the  residents  of  Mishawaka  Dr.  Harriet 
L.  Lindt  needs  no  introduction,  for  her  ef- 
forts in  behalf  of  the  medical  profession  have 
gained  her  a  reputation  not  confined  to  the 
limits  of  the  locality.  In  all  that  tends  to  her 
chosen  profession  she  has  taken  a  deep  inter- 
est, and  her  zeal  has  heen  of  that  practical 
kind  that  secured  results  immediate  and  bene- 
ficial. Mishawaka  may  well  be  proud  to  claim 
her  as  a  daughter,  for  her  career  has  been 
one  which  reflects  honor  upon  her  adopted 
city.  She  was  born  in  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa, 
June  18,  1878.  Her  father,  John  Lindt,  was 
a  native  of  Erie,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was 
also  reared  and  educated,  and  became  a 
lawyer  of  note,  receiving  his  professional 
training  in  the  Oberlin  Law  School.  About 
1873  he  came  west,  locating  in  Council  Bluffs, 
Iowa,  where  he  continued  his  practice  of  the 
law  and  also  took  an  active  part  in  the  public 
affairs  of  the  community.  During  the  war 
of  1861-65  he  nobly  put  aside  all  personal 
considerations  and  offered  his  service  to  his 
country's  cause,  and  is  now  department  com- 
mander for  Iowa  in  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic.  In  Mishawaka,  Indiana,  he  was 
married  to  Sarah  Grififin,  a  native  daughter  of 
this  city.  Her  father,  Stephen  Griffin,  was 
one  of  the  early  pioneers  in  St.  Joseph  county 
and  Mishawaka,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
blacksmitlis  in  the  county.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lindt  continue  to  reside  in  Council 
Bluffs,  where  they  are  well  known  and  hon- 
ored residents. 

Harriet  L.  Lindt,  their  only  child,  received 
her  literary  training  in  the  schools  of  Council 
Bluffs,  and  after  its  completion  entered  the 
John  A.  Creighton  Medical  College,  of  Omaha, 
Nebraska,  to  prepare  for  her  chosen  life  work, 
graduating  in  that  well  known  institution  in 
1900.  During  the  following  two  years  she 
was  engaged  in  practice  in  Omaha,  but  in 
January,  1903,  eame  to  Mishawaka,  the  birth- 
place of  her  mother,  and  entered  upon  the 
career  w^hich  has  been  so  fruitful  of  good 
works,  kind  deeds  and  loving  ministrations. 
Dr.  Lindt  is  a  member  of  the  Omaha  Medical 
Society,  and  of  the  Episcopal  church.  She 
is  and  has  been  a  discriminating  student,  and 
has  gained  distinction  in  the  line  of  her  chosen 
calling.  Her  strong  mentality  and  intellec- 
tual   attainments,    her   broad   sympathy    and 


charity  and  her  pleasing  social  qualities  have 
rendered  her  very  popular  and  won  her  the 
love  of  many  with  whom  she  has  been  asso- 
ciated in  the  active  pursuits  of  life. 

Henry  J.  Graham,  M.  D.,  who  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent physicians  of  Mishawaka,  was  born  in 
the  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  April  28, 
1878,  the  son  of  John  and  Rebecca  (McLel- 
lan)  Graham,  the  former  a  native  of  Scotland 
and  the  latter  of  Canada.  She  is  now  de- 
ceased, but  the  husband  and  father  survives, 
still  residing  in  Canada.  After  his  gradua- 
tion from  the  Glencoe  high  school  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  the  son  Henry  became  a  student  in 
the  Detroit  jNIedical  College,  where  he  com- 
pleted the  course  and  graduated  in  1900. 
During  the  two  years  following  this  impor- 
tant event  he  was  connected  with  the  Detroit 
hospital,  while  for  one  year  he  had  charge  of 
the  Jackson,  Michigan,  hospital.  In  1903  Dr. 
Graham  became  a  resident  of  Mishawaka, 
where  he  immediately  opened  an  office  for  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession,  and  has 
ever  since  enjoyed  a  large  and  representative 
patronage.  In  'he  line  of  his  profession  he  is 
a  member  of  the  St.  Joseph  County  Medical 
Society,  the  Ft.  Wayne  Medical  Society  and 
the  Jackson  County  Medical  Society,  thus 
being  enabled  to  keep  pace  with  the  many  new 
discoveries  which  are  constantly  being  made 
in  the  science.  Fraternally  the  doctor  has 
membership  relations  with  the  IMasonic  order, 
the  Knights  of  Pvthias,  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees,  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  all  of  Mishawaka. 

Dr.  Theodore  P.  Mover  is  acknowledged 
a  leader  in  the  rank?  of  the  dental  fraternity 
in  South  Bend,  and  he  has  risen  to  his  present 
enviable  position  through  earnest  study,  close- 
application  and  marked  ability.  With  a  na- 
ture that  could  not  be  content  with  medi- 
ocrity and  prompted  by  a  laudable  ambition 
to  rise  in  his  profession,  he  has  steadily 
advanced  and  gained  prestige  that  is  indi- 
cated by  the  regard  which  his  fellow  practi- 
tioners entertain  for  him  and  by  the  liberal 
patronage  which  he  receives.  He  was  born 
in  St.  Catherines,  Lincoln  county,  Ontario, 
Canada,  on  the  8th  of  January,  1869,  a  son 
of  David  H.  and  Anna  Moyer,  both  also  na- 
tives of  Canada. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county 
Theodore  P.  Moyer-  received  his  literary  edu- 
cation,   while    his    professional    studies    were 


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554 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


of  Elkhart,  Indiana,  they  stopped  otf  at  that 
place,  and  missing  their  train  the  following 
morning  decided  to  locate  in  South  Bend. 
Thus  it  was  that  Mr.  Sibley  became  a  resi- 
dent of  that  city  of  thirty-three  years'  stand- 
ing, during  which  period  he  enjoyed  a  con- 
tinuous and  prominent  identification  with  its 
jDrogressive  and  meritorious  interests.  His 
career  was  ever  such  as  to  warrant  the  trust 
and  confidence  of  the  business  world,  and  his 
activity  in  financial  circles  forms  no  unim- 
portant factor  in  the  history  of  St.  Joseph 
county. 

While  Mr.  Sibley  devoted  the  greater  part 
of  his  attention  to  his  private  affairs,  his  in- 
fluence in  public  matters  w^as  great  and  his 
judgment  eagerly  sought  and  highly  valued. 
Against  his  wishes  he  was  elected  to  the  city 
council  in  1904,  being  considered  a  valuable 
addition  to  Republican  leadership  and  the 
public  service,  giving  as  he  did  the  same  care- 
ful attention  to  his  public  duties  as  he  had 
to  his  private  affairs.  When  he  refused  a  re- 
nomination  in  1906.  it  was  felt  that  the  city 
had  lost  the  services  of  a  most  superior  pub- 
lic servant,  and  when  the  community  learned 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  May  25,  1907, 
it  was  fully  realized  what  a  broad  a.nd  lead- 
ing part  he  had  played  in  the  best  citizenship 
of  South  Bend.  The  irreparable  loss,  how- 
ever, was  to  his  most  intimate  relatives — his 
widow,  his  son  and  two  daughters,  who  had 
been  knit  to  him  by  years  of  thoughtful  care 
and  affectionate  solicitude,  a.nd  his  sister  of 
the  earlier  years,  Mrs.  Mary  Hobbs,  of  Spen- 
cer, Massachusetts.  These,  as  well  as  his 
warm  friends  and  close  business  and  indus- 
trial associates,  appreciated  his  stalwart  man- 
hood a.nd  his  high  worth,  from  personal  con- 
tact and  the  inner  view  of  character. 

The  O'Brien  Varnish  Works.  One  of 
the  most  extensive  manufactories  of  South 
Bend  and  one  of  the  largest  industries  of  a 
sharply  limited  nature  in  the  West,  is  known 
as  the  O'Brien  Varnish  Works,  located  at  the 
corner  of  Washington  and  Johnson  streets. 
The  business  was  established  and  incorpo- 
rated by  P.  O'Bi'ien  in  1878,  and  he  has  been 
its  president  ever  since.  The  other  officers  of 
tlie  company  are  his  sons — Samuel  P.,  W. 
D.,  GQorge  L.  and  F.  J. — all  keen  and  popular 
business  men,  who  have  joined  their  abilities 
to  those  of  their  father  to  develop  one  of 
the  largest  manufactories  of  superior  var- 
nish in  the  country.  The  high  reputation  both 
of   the    management    and   the   output   is   na- 


tional, and  therefore  materially  adds  to  the 
importance  of  South  Bend  as  a  commercial 
and  industrial  center. 

Sixteen  years  ago  the  company  erected  a 
linseed  oil  mill,  with  a  capacity  of  225,000 
bushels  of  flax  seed  annually,  and  thousands 
of  barrels  of  oil  and  large  quantities  of  oil 
cake  are  yearly  shipped  from  the  plant,  some 
of  the  output  being  exported  to  Europe.  Th- 
company  is  independent  in  its  transactions, 
and  has  always  maintained  such  a  high  stand- 
ard of  its  products  that  it  is  the  general  ad- 
mission of  dealers  and  consumers  alike  that 
the  aim  of  its  trademark  ha.s  been  fully  real- 
ized; the  legend  thereon  inscribed  is 
"Agimus  anteeedere,"  "We  strive  to  excel." 

]\Ir.  O'Brien,  the  founder  of  the  cosmo- 
politan business  which  now  extends  through- 
out the  United  States  and  Canada,  and  has 
branched  into  no  small  portion  of  the  old 
world,  has  been  the  leading  figure  of  th.^ 
great  industry  for  almost  half  a  century. 
He  is  therefore  a  notable  force  in  the  ma- 
terial progress  of  South  Bend,  and  is  placed 
high  in  the  claas  of  famous  manufacturers 
which  have  given  the  city  a  standing  in  the 
enterprising  and  growing  municipalities  of 
the  country. 

Almond  Bugbee.  In  the  death  of  Almond 
Bugbee  St.  Joseph  county  lost  one  of  her 
most  prominent  and  useful  citizens.  His  in- 
fluence for  good  was  widely  felt,  and  his  ex- 
ample was  indeed  worthy  of  emulation.  He 
was  at  all  times  actuated  by  the  highest  mo- 
tives and  the  most  lofty  impulses ;  he  lived 
for  the  benefit  of  others,  ancl  his  memory  re- 
mains as  an  unalloyed  benediction  to  all  who 
knew  him.  The  history  of  South  Bend  would 
be  incomplete  without  the  record  of  his  life, 
so  intimately  was  he  connected  with  indus- 
trial institutions. 

Mr.  Bugbee  was  born  in  Hyde  Park,  Ver- 
mont, January  3.  1815,  a  stirring  period  in 
our  national  history,  and  w^as  left  Mnthout 
father  or  mother  when  ten  years  of  age.  The 
educational  training  which  he  received  was 
obtained  in  the  district  schools,  and  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  in  Strafford,  Vermont,  he 
learned  the  tanner,  currier  and  shoemaker's 
trades,  and  at  the  same  time,  although  but 
a  mere  boy,  acted  as  assistant  postmaster.  On 
reaching  his  twenty-first  year  he  started  west, 
his  objective  point  being  Milwaukee,  Wiscon- 
sin, but  on  his  way  thither  he  heard  much 
concerning  the  prospects  to  be  found  in  South 
Bend  and  he  determined  to  direct  his  steps 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


to  this  city  and  see  for  himself.  Reaching 
his  destination  on  the  9th  of  March,  1837, 
he  was  at  once  pleased  with  the  village  and 
its  people,  so  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  its  early 
settlers,  and  from  that  time  until  his  busy 
and  useful  life  was  ended  in  death  he  was 
ever  a  stalwart  supporter  of  its  institutions. 
His  first  employment  here  was  as  a  shoe- 
maker, and  in  December,  1837,  he  started  a 
shoe  store  of  his  own.  In  1842,  however.  Mr. 
Bngbee  purchased  a  tannery  of  G.  D.  Edge, 
which  he  enlarged,  equipped  with  water 
power,  and  at  that  tiine  gave  employment  to 
more  men  than  any  one  employer  in  South 
Bend.  He  was  the  first  person  in  this  city 
to  sell  shoes  ready  made,  and  with  Alexander 
Foote  organized  the  first  incorporated  com- 
l)any  in  the  city.  "The  Cordwainers'  Union," 
for  the  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes,  it 
l)eing  also  the  first  co-operative  union  incor- 
porated in  Indiana  and  of  which  Mr.  Bugbee 
was  made  the  president.  In  its  management 
he  displayed  splendid  executive  power  and 
keen  discrimination,  and  he  was  widely  rec- 
ognized as  a  mo.st  capable  business  man. 

The  first  tannery  which  ]\lr.  Bugbee  owned 
was  burned,  and  although  he  immediately  re- 
built the  flood  of  1856  swept  away  the  dam 
across  the  river.  He  then  erected  a  furni- 
ture factory  on  the  same  site,  which  he  leased, 
and  this,  too,  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Again 
he  rebnilt,  this  time  leasing  it  to  a  Massa- 
chusetts firm,  wliile  it  was  afterward  leased 
to  the  Judst)n  ^Montgomery  Company,  the 
Studebaker  Brothers  and  to  Alexis  Co- 
quillard,  to  whom  he  ultimately  sold  the 
I)ro])erty.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  re- 
tired from  business,  choosing  to  rest  from  the 
arduous  cares  as  he  passed  down  the  western 
slope  of  life.  Mr.  Bugbee  was  a  dirjsctor 
in  the  State  Bank  of  Indiana,  and  also  as- 
sisted in  organizing  the  St.  Joseph  County 
Savings  Bank,  of  which  he  was  the  first  treas- 
urer. The  cause  of  humanity  never  had  a 
truer  friend,  and  while  he  was  deeply  con- 
cerned in  numerous  philanthropic  enterprises 
he  M^as  more  especially  identified  with  the  tem- 
perance cause. 

On  the  28th  of  April,  1844.  Mr.  Bugbee 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Adelia  Ann 
Crocker,  who  was  the  lady  principal  of  the 
first  academy  of  South  Bend.  Her  death  oc- 
curred January  28.  1861.  Willis  A.  was  the 
only  child  of  this  marriage,  and  he  is  truly 
a  worthy  son  of  a  worthy  sire,  well  known  in 
the  business  circles  of  South  Bend.     The  sec- 


ond marriage  of  Mr.  Bugbee  was  celebrated 
January  13,  1881,  when  Miss  Mary  P.  Moody 
became  his  wife.  She  was  a  native  of  New- 
buryport,  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Bugbee  died 
May  24,  1904,  and  the  comnumity  mourned 
the  loss  of  one  of  its  most  valued  citizens. 

Andrew  Kunstman.  Since  the  early  days 
of  St.  Joseph  county  the  Kunstman  family 
has  occupied  a  distinctively  honorable  place 
in  its  history,  and  Andrew  Kunstman,  whose 
death  occurred  May  23,  1907,  represented  it 
with  high  credit  as  one  of  the  most  respected 
citizens  of  South  Bend.  About  two  years 
ago  he  retired  from  active  business  to  the 
restful  comforts  of  his  pleasant  home  at  230 
North  Lafayette  street,  and  for  some  time 
prior  to  his  death  was  suffering  with  loco- 
motor ataxia,  although  his  trouble  had  not 
deterred  him  from  out  of  door  exercise.  Some 
two  weeks  before  his  demise  he  had  his  first 
stroke  of  apoplexy,  and  was  bedfast  there- 
after, the  second  stroke  proving  fatal  in  about 
an  hour. 

In  Mr.  Kunstman 's  sudden  death  Union 
township  lost  a  native  son,  his  birth  in  that 
section  of  the  county  occurring  July  21, 
1863.  He  was  the  younger  of  two  children — 
a  son  and  a  daughter — ^born  to  Andrew  and 
Barbara  Kunstman,  an  account  of  wliose 
lives  will  be  found  in  another  portion  of  this 
woi'k.  Andrew  Kunstman,  Jr..  received  his 
early  education  in  the  schools  of  INIishawaka 
and  South  Bend,  and  pursued  his  hiyher 
studies  at  Notre  Dame  ITniversity.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-three  he  entered  upon  the  ac- 
tive duties  of  a  business  life,  conducting 
opei'ations  on  his  own  account  in  South  Bend 
until  January.  1906,  when  failing  health  in- 
duced his  retirement.  At  that  time  he  had 
not  only  acquired  considerable  wealth  in  liis 
business  entei-prises,  but  was  a  stockholder 
in  the  American  Trust  Company  and  the 
owner  of  a  building  on  Washington  sti-eet 
and  what  are  known  as  llu'  Kunslmnii  Flats. 
So  that  he  was  able  to  }iass  the  last  years 
of  his  life  free  from  worldly  anxieties,  and 
left  his  family  in  comfortable  circumstances. 

On  October  2,  1889,  the  deceased  was 
united  in  mari'iage  to  Ann  Elizabeth  Boye,  a 
native  of  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  and  tln'y  be- 
came the  parents  of  two  children — Harold, 
now  attending  the  high  school  at  South  Bend, 
and  IMarguerite,  a  student  at  the  Sisters' 
Academy,  of  that  place.  Mr.  Kunstman  was 
a  member  of  the  fraternal  orders  of  Elks 
and    Eagles,    also    of   the    Commercial    Club: 


556 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


was  a  Republican  iu  his  political  affiliations, 
but  preferred  to  concentrate  his  attention 
and  his  abilities  on  the  development  of  his 
business  interests  and  the  domestic  duties  of 
a  good  husband  and  father.  That  he  made 
many  friends  and  retained  them  through  life 
is  an  evidence  of  his  just,  steadfast  and  alt-.:- 
gether  substantial  character. 

Marvin  Campbell.  Becoming  identified 
with  South  Bend  over  thirty-five  years  ago, 
Mr.  Campbell  has,  since  that  time,  been  con- 
nected with  many  activities  of  the  city,  but 
has  become  best  known  as  a  manufacturer. 
After  coming  here  in  1870,  at  that  time  a 
young  man  of  twenty-one  years,  and  fresh 
from  college,  he  spent  two  years  as  a  teacher 
of  mathematics  in  the  South  Bend  high  school. 
During  the  following  fifteen  years  the  citi- 
zens always  spoke  of  him  as  one  of  the  en- 
terprising hardware  merchants  and  a  public- 
spirited  helper  when  needed  in  a  movement 
of  a  general  nature.  In  1888,  as  treasurer 
and  partner  of  the  Mishawaka  AVoolen  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  he  became  associated 
with  one  of  the  most  important  manufactur- 
ing concerns  of  the  two  cities,  and  his  energy 
and  business  ability  were  recognized  as  a  fac- 
tor in  its  success  until  the  past  year  (1906), 
when  he  disposed  of  his  interests. 

In  1893  the  South  Bend  Folding  Box  Com- 
pany was  organized.  This  is  now  and  has 
been  for  several  years  one  of  the  largest  en- 
terprises of  the  kind  in  the  w^est.  Its  prod- 
uct, which  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  had 
only  a  very  limited  use,  is  now  indispensa- 
ble and  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  demands 
of  modern  business,  and  as  such  has  attained 
a  use  and  demand  as  extended  as  commerce 
and  industry.  For  a  numher  of  years  ^Ir. 
Campbell  and  his  sons  have  been  sole  own- 
ers of  this  establishment,  and  under  their 
skiUful  management  it  is  constantly  growing. 

Among  other  well  known  business  inter- 
ests in  which  Mr.  Campbell's  influence  is  felt, 
are  the  South  Bend  National  Bank,  and  the 
Long  Distance  Telephone  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  both  of  which  he  is  president. 

Mr.  Campbell,  whose  later  years  have  wit- 
nessed the  business  success  above  noted,  was 
born  on  a  farm  near  Valparaiso.  March  13. 
1849.  a  son  of  Samuel  A.  and  Harriet  (Cor- 
nell) Campbell.  His  father,  who  was  born 
in  New  York  in  1821,  accompanied  his  pa- 
rents to  Indiana  in  1833,  their  settlement  on 
a  farm  two  miles  east  of  Valparaiso  being 
in    the   nature   of   a   pioneer   endeavor.     On 


that  same  farm  where  the  family  located 
nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago,  the 
father  still  lives,  having  reached  the  ripe  age 
of  eighty-six  years.  His  wdfe,  who  was  born 
in  Ohio  in  1826,  died  many  years  ago,  in 
1865. 

Reared  on  a  farm,  Marvin  Campbell  at- 
tended district  school  and  completed  his  edu- 
cation in  the  old  V.  M.  &  F.  College  at  Val- 
paraiso. Before  moving  to  South  Bend  ho 
taught  mathematics  in  the  high  school  of  his 
home  city  for  one  year.  In  1874  he  married 
Miss  Lydia  A.  Brownfield,  a  daughter  of 
another  pioneer  family  of  1833,  her  parents 
being  John  and  Lydia  (Beeson)  Brownfield. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell's  children  are:  John 
Brownfield,  Harriet  B.  and  Marvin  Rudolph. 
The  sons  are,  respectively,  secretary  and  su- 
perintendent, and  treasurer,  of  the  Folding 
Paper  Box  Company,  and  are  thoroughly 
capable  young  business  men.  The  daughter 
is  the  wife  of  Dr.  AV.  A.  Hager,  of  South 
Bend.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist church,  of  which  Mr.  Campbell  is  a 
trustee  and  in  1904  was  a  delegate  to  the 
quadrennial  general  conference  at  Los  An- 
geles. He  affiliates  Avith  Lodge  No.  45,  of 
the  ]\Iasons.  Some  j^ears  -ago  Mr.  Campbell 
took  an  influential  part  in  local  politics,  and 
from  1883  to  1885  represented  St.  Joseph  and 
Starke  counties  in  the  state  senate.  He  is 
president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
Epworth  Hospital  at  South  Bend,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  triLstees  of  De  Pauw 
L^niversity. 

C.  B.  Stephenson.  The  Stephenson  broth- 
ers are  among  the  most  prominent  manufac- 
turers of  South  Bend.  C.  B.  Stephenson,  a 
worthy  and  prosperous  member  of  the  fam- 
ily, was  born  in  AVabash  county,  Indiana,  on 
the  12th  of  August.  1845.  His  father.  Amos 
T.  Stephenson,  was  a  native  of  Ired^'U 
county.  North  Carolina,  but  as  early  as  1837 
came  to  South  Bend,  where  he  married  Miss 
Priscilla  O.  AVall.  The  maternal  grandfa- 
ther. Benjamin  AYall,  became  a  resident  of 
South  Bend  in  1836.  and  was  highly  re- 
spected as  a  useful   and  honorable  pioneer. 

Mr.  Stephenson  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Sonth  Bend, 
later  attended  the  Ypsilanti  (INIich.)  Union 
Seminary,  and  for  a  time  served  as  a  clerk 
in  the  postoffice  of  the  former  place.  At  that 
time  there  were  only  two  clerks  in  that  serv- 
ice, and  they  were  not  broken  down  by 
over-work.     Afterward  the  youth  spent  four 


NEW  YORK 
/j  PUBLIC   LlS.'iARYl 

>^ Aster,  Unex  and  Tildgp 

FoBRdatlons, 

1909 


(S^(XJUi^V)X4Mn\/' 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


557 


years  in  Colorado,  and  then  removed  to  New- 
York,  where  for  tw^enty  years  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  dry  goods  salesman.  In  1873, 
with  his  father  and  brothers,  he  established 
a  retail  plumbing  business  in  South  Bend, 
which,  from  the  first,  met  with  a  high  de- 
gree of  success.  In  1889,  however,  the  char- 
acter of  the  enterprise  was  changed  and  the 
business  was  incorporated  under  the  name 
of  the  South  Bend  Pump  Company  and 
later  the  Stephenson  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, which  is  still  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  automatic  wood  turnings.  In  the 
year  mentioned  C.  B.  Stephenson  returned 
to  South  Bend  to  reside,  and,  wdth  his  broth- 
ers, A.  H.,  B.  C.  and  F.  A.  Stephenson,  be- 
came identified  wnth  the  A.  C.  Staley  Manu- 
facturing Company.  During  the  past  four 
years  the  business  has  been  entirely  in  the 
hands  of  the  Stephenson  brothers,  and,  un- 
der their  enterprising  and  skillful  manage- 
ment, the  establishment  has  become  one  of 
the  leading  industries  of  South  Bend  and 
one  of  the  best  known  underwear  manufac- 
tories in  the  country.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  also  president  of  the  Stephenson 
Manafacturing  Company. 

While  a  resident  of  New^  York  Mr.  Stephen- 
.son  Avas  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ada  Pres- 
ton, a  native  of  that  city,  and  they  have  one 
daughter.  Bertha.  Mr.  Stephenson  is  a  pub- 
lic spirited,  progressive  citizen,  honored  for 
his  integrity  in  business,  his  faithfulness  to 
family  and  friends  and  his  absolute  fidelity 
to  every  trust  which  he  has  ever  assumed. 
■  Calvin  Moon,  superintendent  of  the  South 
Bend  public  schools,  is  of  Scotch-English  an- 
cestry. He  is  the  son  of  James  and  Mary 
(James)  Moon,  and  was  born  May  16th,  1849, 
on  his  father's  farm  near  the  village  of  Lake- 
ville,  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  w^here  he 
grew^  to  manhood.  He  acquired  his  education 
in  the  district  schools  and  the  V.  M.  &  F. 
college  of  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  w^here  a  severe 
illness  from  pneumonia  brought  his  student- 
ship to  a  close  at  that  institution  two  months 
before  the  end  of  his  third  year. 

After  leaving  college,  Mr.  Moon  taught 
school  for  tW'O  years,  then  joined  the  engineer- 
ing corps  engaged  in  making  the  preliminary 
surveys  for  the  Chicago  &  Canada  Southern 
Railroad,  now  Imown  as  the  Wabash.  This 
was  merely  a  temporary  engagement,  how^ever, 
for  his  taste  tended  in  a  different  direction, 
inclining  him  to  educational  work.  The  op- 
portunity to  gratify  this  desire  came  to  him 


in  June,  1877,  when  he  was  elected  superin- 
tendent of  the  schools  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
there  being  nine  candidates  in  the  field  for  the 
position  at  that  time.  His  administration  of 
the  school  affairs  of  the  county  w^as  so  emi- 
nently satisfactory  that  he  was  re-elected 
seven  times  to  that  position,  under  varying 
political  conditions,  five  of  w^hich  w'ere  by 
unanimous  vote.  Mr.  Moon's  experience  of 
fourteen  years  and  one  month  in  this  capacity 
made  for  him  a  reputation  as  a  superintend- 
ent of  schools  that  was  scarcely  limited  by  the 
boundaries  of  the  state. 

It  is  due  to  Mr.  Moon's  industry,  progres- 
siveness  and  tact  that  St.  Joseph  county  has 
the  distinction  of  being  the  first  in  the  state 
—  (a)  to  have  a  uniformity  of  text  books 
throughout  the  country;  (b)  to  adopt  a  uni- 
form course  of  study  and  grade  the  country 
schools;  (c)  to  establish  a  minimum  salary  (of 
forty  dollars  a  month)  for  teachei*s  in  the 
country  schools  and  abolish  the  ancient  cus- 
tom of  "boarding  around";  (d)  to  organize 
and  maintain  a  County  Teachers'  Library  As- 
sociation. Through  his  personal  efforts  the 
Association  was  organized  in  1884  wnth  Mr. 
Charles  H.  Bartlett  as  president  and  INIr. 
Moon  as  librarian.  The  library,  which  is  still 
in  a  flourishing  condition,  under  the  careful 
supervision  of  County  Superintendent  Wil- 
liam Clem,  has  several  hundred  volumes, 
largely  of  a  professional  nature,  and  has  prov- 
en a  potent  factor  in  the  uplift  of  the  teach- 
ing profession  in  the  county. 

In  June,  1891,  Mr.  Moon's  abilities  were 
recognized  by  his  appointment  to  the  superin- 
tendency  of  the  South  Bend  jniblic  schools, 
the  position  w^hich  today  he  holds  to  the  credit 
of  himself  and  satisfaction  of  the  public,  and 
through  his  entire  incumhcncy,  covering  a 
period  of  sixteen  years,  his  steps  have  been 
steadily  forward.  Resigning  the  superin- 
tendency  of  the  county  schools,  July  1,  1891. 
to  accept  the  sn])erintoiulency  of  the  city 
schools,  he  applied  to  the  latter  the  same  intel- 
ligence, zeal  and  energy  that  had  brought  him 
distinction  in  the  former  position. 

The  growth  of  the  city  schools  during  ]\Ir. 
Moon's  superintendency  is  clearly  indicated 
in  the  figures  showing  that  the  enrolhnent  for 
the  school  year  ending  in  June,  1891,  was 
3,046,  while  for  the  current  year  U907)  it  is 
6,266.  The  number  of  teachers  in  1891  was 
61,  for  this  year  there  are  202;  and  during  the 
sixteen  years  ten  commodious  ward  school 
buildings  and  a  high  school  have  been  erected. 


558 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


additions  have  been  made  to  two,  doubling 
their  capacity,  and  one  of  the  old  buildings 
reconstructed  and  made  as  good  as  new.  In 
addition  to  these  improvements,  a  thirteen 
room  ward  school  and  a  manual  training  shop 
are  being  built. 

Mr.  Moon's  domestic  life  is  as  well  ordered 
and  happy  as  his  educational  work.  He  was 
married  December  21,  1876,  to  Miss  Cynthia 
A.  Stonehill,  a  native  of  the  county,  and  a 
daughter  of  Daniel  and  Adaline  (Brothers) 
Stonehill.  With  the  exception  of  a  daughter, 
who  died  in  infancy,  his  family  is  intact.  He 
has  five  sons,  James  S.,  Otto  R.,  Ray  E.,  Clar- 
ence C,  and  Charles  S.,  all  engaged  in  useful 
occupations,  or  in  school  preparing  themselves 
for  the  serious  duties  of  life.  The  family  oc- 
cupies a  pleasant  home  at  518  West  Colfax 
avenue,  conveniently  near  Mr.  Moon's  office 
in  the  high  school  building,  where  he  fre- 
quently may  be  found  in  the  evening  prepar- 
ing his  work  for  the  following  day. 

Mr.  Moon  is  a  man  of  strong  convictions 
and  broad  intelligence.  He  has  methodical 
habits  of  work  and  throws  all  the  energy  of 
his  ardent  nature  into  the  task  of  promoting 
the  interests  of  the  schools  of  South  Bend. 
In  him  the  pupils  of  the  schools  have  a  zeal- 
ous guardian,  the  parents  a  trusty  friend,  the 
teachers  a  loyal  and  unselfish  helper,  and  the 
board  of  education  a  capable,  earnest  and  ef- 
ficient official. 

E.  A.  Morse.  I\Ir.  E.  A.  Morse,  the  presi- 
dent of  the  South  Bend  Brick  Company,  one 
of  the  leading  institutions  of  the  city  and 
county,  has  made  for  himself  a  place  in  the 
industrial  activities  of  life  and  gained  recog- 
nition for  intrinsic  worth  of  character.  He 
is  also  numbered  among  the  younger  business 
men  of  his  adopted  city,  for  his  birth  oc- 
curred on  the  21st  of  May,  1874,  in  Durand, 
Wisconsin,  his  parents  being  Hobart  D.  and 
Elizabeth  A.  (Dorwin)  Morse,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  New" 
York,  and  both  are  living  at  the  present 
time.  Of  their  seven  children  two  are  de- 
ceased. 

E.  A.  Morse  was  but  a  babe  of  six  months 
at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  his  parents 
from  Wisconsin  to  New  York,  and  in  St. 
Lawrence  county  he  grew  to  mature  years, 
receiving  an  excellent  educational  training  in 
its  public  schools  and  in  an  academy  and 
business  college  at  Ogdensburg,  that  state. 
Thus  well  equipped  for  the  activities  of  life, 
he    came    to    South    Bend    at    the    age    of 


eighteen  year-s  and  secured  employment  with 
the  old  South  Bend  Construction  Company 
in  the  capacity  of  a  bookkeeper,  while  later 
on  he  was  made  the  manager  of  the  South 
Bend  Brick  Exchange,  conducting  its  busi- 
ness for  some  years.  Finally  purchasing  the 
brick  plant  of  the  John  H.  Shank  estate, 
Mr.  Morse  continued  the  business  until  the  or- 
ganization of  the  South  Bend  Brick  Com- 
pany in  1903,  which  was  launched  with  a 
capital  of  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  he  was 
made  the  president  and  manager,  his  pres- 
ent positions.  He  is  also  the  agent  for  the 
Hydraulic  Press  Brick  Company  through 
northern  Indiana  and  western  IMichigan, 
which  necessitates  his  being  on  the  road  about 
half  the  time.  Their  yards  are  located  on 
Portage  avenue,  and  the  output  of  the  plant 
is  about  sixty-five  thousand  brick  a  day. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Morse  was  celebrated 
in  1898,  Edith  Dunnahoo  then  becoming  his 
wife,  and  she  is  a  daughter  of  Griffin  Dun- 
nahoo, of  South  Bend.  Two  children,  a  son 
and  a  daughter,  have  been  born  to  them,  Ed- 
ward and  Phoebe.  Mr.  Morse  holds  member- 
ship relations  with  the  Elks  and  the  Odd 
Fellows  of  South  Bend,  and  he  is  an  active 
worker  in  the  ranks  of  the  Democratic  party. 
He  is  a  man  of  enterprise,  liberal  views  aijd_ 
sterling  worth,  and  is  thoroughly  identified 
in  feeling  with  the  growth  and  prosperity  of 
the  city  and  county  which  have  been  his 
home  throughout  his  entire  business  life. 

A.  D.  Baker  has  been  so  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  interests  of  South  Bend  that  the 
city  feels  a  just  pride  in  claiming  him  among 
her  citizens.  He  stands  to-day  at  the  head 
of  one  of  the  leading  industrial  concerns  of 
the  county,  being  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
the  South  Bend  Chilled  Plow  Company,  and 
his  prestige  has  been  won  through  marked 
executive  force,  keen  discrimination,  sound 
.iudgment  and  unfaltering  energy.  His 
birth  occurred  in  Decatur,  Illinois,  on  the 
25th  of  April,  1856.  His  father.  George  W. 
Baker,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  but 
when  only  six  years  old  was  brought  by  his 
brother,  A.  S.  Baker,  to  South  Bend,  where 
he  remained  until  he  had  reached  his  twenty- 
seventh  year,  going  thence  to  Decatur.  Illi- 
nois. In  1876,  however,  he  returned  to  South 
Bend,  and  this  city  continued  as  the  scene 
of  his  operations  until  his  busy  life  was  ended 
in  death.  To  him  came  the  attainment  of  a 
distinsfuished  position  in  connection  with  the 
industrial    interests    of    this    section    of    the 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


559 


state,  for  lie  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  South  Bend  Chilled  Plow  Company, 
which  has  attained  a  wide  reputation  over  all 
portions  of  the  United  States.  A  man  of 
distinctive  and  forceful  individuality,  he  left 
his  impress  upon  the  business  world,'  and 
upon  the  ladder  of  his  own  building  he 
climbed  to  prominence  and  prosperity.  Mr. 
Baker  married  Catherine  Dewey,  of  Vermont, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  three  children, 
but  only  two  are  now  living,  A.  D.  and  his 
sister,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Oren,  of  South  Bend. 
One  sister  became  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Birdsell, 
of  this  city,  and  is  now  deceased. 

A.  D.  Baker,  after  receiving  an  excellent 
educational  training,  assisted  his  father  in  or- 
ganizing the  South  Bend  Chilled  Plow  Com- 
pany in  1875,  and  has  since  been  connected 
with  it  as  secretary  and  treasurer.  This  in- 
stitution has  received  world-wide  renown, 
and  in  conducting  its  affairs  and  enlarging 
its  scope  Mr.  Baker  has  so  directed  his  ef- 
forts that  the  business  interests  have  grown 
apace  with  the  ]irogress  which  dominates  this 
country. 

He  was  married  in  1883  to  Bessie  Hinds, 
of  IMadison,  Indiana.  In  his  fraternal  rela- 
tions Mr.  Baker  is  a  member  of  the  order  of 
Ellcs,  and  was  also  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Indiana  Club,  of  which  he  was  president 
for  nine  years.  His  religious  connection  is 
with  St.  Paul's  Method'ist  Episcopal   church. 

George  S.  Hunt.  In  the  business  circles 
of  South  Bend  the  name  of  George  S.  Hunt 
is  well  kno'wni  as  the  president  and  treasurer 
of  the  Hunt  Brothers'  ^Tanufacturing  Com- 
pany, located  at  332  and  334  South  Scott 
street.  He  was  born  in  Dodge  county,  Wis- 
consin. April  4,  1859,  a  son  of  W.  D.  and 
Diantha  (Dunham)  Hunt,  both  of  whom 
claimed  the  Empire  State  as  the  common- 
wealth of  their  nativity.  They,  however,  be- 
came early  pioneers'  of  Wisconsin,  taking  up 
their  abode  there  in  1850,  where  the  father 
was  well  kno^vn  as  a  w^agon  maker  in  Bran- 
don. They  now  maintain  their  residence  in 
South  Bend. 

George  S.  Hunt,  the  .second  child  in  order 
of  birth  in  his  parents'  family,  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  place 
of  his  nativity,  receiving  his  educational 
training  in  its  public  schools,  and  he  there 
learned  the  painter's  trade.  On  the  22d  of 
May.  1880,  he  became  a  resident  of  South 
Bend,  where  he  was  afterward  employed  by 
the    Studebaker   Brothers    and    the    Olivers, 


while  in  the  fall  of  1892  he  became  associated 
with  his  brother.  W.  I.  Hunt,  in  the  manu- 
facturing and  repairing  business.  This  as- 
sociation continued  for  eleven  years,  and  at 
its  close  in  1905  Mr.  Hunt  purchased  his 
brother's  interest  and  reorganized  the  com- 
pany, which  was  always  known  as  the  Hunt 
Brothers'  ]\Ianufacturing  Company,  and  of 
which  he  is  the  president  and  treasurer.  The 
manufactory  furnishes  employment  to  about 
twelve  men,  and  they  are  extensively  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  and  fc])airing  of 
buggies  and  other  vehicles.  Mr.  Hunt  is  a 
man  of  excellent  business  and  executive  abil- 
ily,  of  keen  discrimination,  sound  judgment 
and  capable  management,  and  he  enjoys  the 
confidence  and  regard  of  tho.se  with  whom 
he  has  been  brought  in  contact  through  busi- 
ness dealings. 

In  1884  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Hunt  and  Miss  Emma  McBroom,  she 
being  the  daughter  of  William  and  Annaliza 
McBroom.  Two  sons  have  been  born  of  this 
union,  Charles  E.  and  Russell  G.  Mr.  Hunt 
supports  the  Republican  party  where  national 
issues  are  involved,  but  at  local  elections 
easts  his  ballot  independent  of  party  ties, 
li'or  twenty  years  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order,  and  for  eight  years  has 
had  membership  relations  with  the  ^lodern 
Woodmen.  The  principal  years  of  his  life 
having  been  spent  in  St.  Joseph  county,  he  is 
well  known  among  its  citizens  and  is  held 
in  uniform  regard. 

'Daniel  Greene,  president  of  the  South 
Bend  Foundry  Company,  is  one  of  the  ven- 
erable and  honored  fathers  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  and  his  wife  has  the  distinction  of 
li(4ng  the  oldest  continuous  resident  of  St. 
Joseph  county.  Their  homelike  and  commo- 
dious residence  on  South  Uafayette  street  is 
therefore  the  headquarters  for  many  of  the 
)]d-timers  who  have  watched  with  pride  the 
commercial,  industrinl  and  civic  growth  of 
their  town. 

Daniel  Greene  is  a  native  of  Greene  county. 
Ohio,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  December 
15,  1818.  His  parents  were  John  and  Nancy 
N.  (Jackson)  Greene  and  they  were  both  na- 
tives of  Delawni-e.  Of  the  t'onr1(MMi  childi'i'ii 
in  the  family,  twelve  reached  manhood  and 
womanhood  and  all  settled  in  St.  Josejih 
county.  Daniel  was  the  seventh  child,  and 
was  fourteen  yeai's  of  age  when  he  came  to 
the  county  with  the  other  nu^mbei-s  of  the 
family.     He  was  reared  in  Greene  township 


560 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


in  the  western  part  of  the  county,  and  re- 
mained on  the  family  homestead  until  1866. 
His  father  died  in  1838  and  his  mother  in 
1844,  and  he  continued  to  reside  there  after 
his  marriage  in  1849  until  the  year  named. 
In  1866  he  settled  in  South  Bend  to  assume 
the  position  of  deputy  county  treasurer,  un- 
der his  brother  Ezekiel.  Later  he  became 
connected  with  the  South  Bend  Chilled  Plow 
Company,  of  w^hich  he  was  treasurer  for 
itiany  years.  In  1886  he  severed  his  con- 
nection with  that  establishment  and  .spent 
about  six  months  with  his  family  in  Cali- 
fornia, isinee  which  time  he  has  been  virtually 
retired  from  active  business,  although  for  the 
sake  of  employment  he  has  been  somewhat 
identified  with  fire  insurance. 

It  is  difficult  to  realize  that  Mr.  Greene 
has  been  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph  county  for 
nearly  seventy-five  years.  His  first  presiden- 
tial vote  was  cast  for  ^lartin  Van  Buren  in 
1840.  and  he  has  since  voted  in  St.  Joseph 
county  at  every  national  election.  In  1844, 
1848  and  1852  he  supported  the  Free  Soil 
ticket,  and  in  1856  he  assisted  in  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Republican  party.  Since  the 
founding  of  the  party  he  has  never  aban- 
doned it;  on  the  contrary,  has  been  an  en- 
thusiastic advocate  of  its  principles,  although 
he  has  never  sought  public  office  or  other 
preferment  through  the  organi^.ation.  Mr. 
Greene  is  a  leader  in  the  work  of  the  Presby- 
terian church,  and  is  the  oldest  member  of 
that  religious  body  in  South  Bend.  He  has 
long  been  one  of  its  elders,  and  has  repre- 
sented the  church  in  several  of  its  general 
assemblies. 

In  1849  Daniel  Greene  was  married  to  ]\Tary 
Leeper,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
Leeper.  his  wife  being  born  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  in  1829.  When  slie  was  about  six 
months  of  age  the  family  came  to  St.  Joseph 
county,  in  which  .she  has  since  continuously 
resided.  Her  parents  were  among  the  very 
first  pioneers  of  the  county,  coming,  in  fact, 
before  it  was  organized  or  before  South  Bend 
was  platted  as  a  town.  Of  the  five  children 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greene  three  are  still 
living:  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Dr.  Kettering, 
now  living  in  the  home  of  her  parents;  Hor- 
ace, proprietor  and  manager  of  the  South 
Rend  Foundry  Company,  and  Edna,  wife  of 
William  C.  Warner  of  South  Bend. 

(tEOrge  Cutter.  The  men  of  deeds  are 
the  Mien  the  world  delights  to  honor,  and 
anionu;-  those  who  have  .stood  as  distinguished 


tj'pes  of  the  world's  w^orkere  and  who  have 
introducd  new  eras  of  thought  by  inven- 
tions of  great  utility  no  one  is  more  worthy 
of  honorable  mention  than  George  Cutter,  the 
president  of  the  George  Cutter  Company, 
patentees  of  electrical  specialties.  He  was 
born  in  Boston,  ]\Iassachusetts,  October  13, 
1853,  and  in  that  city  his  father,  George  T. 
Cutter,  also  had  his  nativity.  The  family  his- 
tory, however,  is  traced  back  to  the  mother 
country  of  England,  in  Northampton,  but  as 
early  as  1630  representatives  of  the  family 
came  to  America  and  established  their  home 
here,  where  they  have  ever  since  been  lead- 
ing and  honored  residents.  George  T.  Cut- 
ter followed  the  miller's  trade,  becoming  the 
well  known  proprietor  of  the  Mahogany  ]\Iill. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Abbie 
E.  Blaisdell,  and  was  a  native  of  Milton, 
New  Hampshire,  but  of  north  of  France  de- 
scent. They  became  the  parents  of  four  sons, 
all  of  whom  grew  to  u.seful  manhood. 

George  Cutter,  the  third  son  in  order  of 
birth,    was    reared    and    received   his    educa- 
tional training  in  his  native  city  of  Boston, 
and  there   he   also    prepared    for    his    life's 
work.     He  began  the    electrical    business  at 
the  early  age  of  sixteen  yeare,  and  after  com- 
pleting his  apprentice.ship  he  spent  two  years 
in  Europe,  those  of  1881-2,  in  order  to  fur- 
ther perfect  himself   in    his   chosen    occupa- 
tion.    Returning  home,  he  became  associated 
with    the   Bell    Teleohofiie    Company    at    the 
time  of  its  organization,  and  later  as  its  rep- 
resentative  he   spent    one    year    in    Ru.ssia. 
During  two  and  a  half  years  Mr.  Cutter  was 
the  chief  engineer  for  the  Thomson-Houston 
Electric  Light  Company,  while  for  six  years 
he   had   charge  of  their  testing   rooms.      At 
this  time  Mr.  Cutter  decided  to  engage  in  the 
electrical  business  for  him.self,  and  choosing 
Chicago  as  his  field  of  endeavor  he  engaged 
in  business  there  in  1889,  but  in  1905  trans- 
ferred his  residence  and  place  of  activity  to 
South   Bend,   where  he   is    engaged    in    the 
formation  and  manufacture  of  outdoor  light- 
ing supplies.    His  business  now  extends  to  all 
parts  of  the  known  world,  and  at  the  present 
time  he  furnishes  employment  to  about  sixty 
operatives.     In  this  age  of  large  enterprise 
and   marked   intellectual    energy    the    promi- 
nent and  successful  men  are  those  whose  abil- 
ities, persistence  and  courage  lead  them  into 
large  undertakings,  and  it   is  these  qualities 
that  have  made  Mr.   Cutter  a  leader  in   the 
business  world  and  won  him  a  name  in  con- 


A  THE       \ 

NEW  YORK 

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.1909 


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HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


561 


neetion  with  industrial  interests  that  is 
widely  known. 

In  1888  Mr.  Cutter  married  Miss  Inez 
Gass,  whose  father,  John  Gass,  was  born  in 
Waynetown,  Indiana.  J\lr.  Cutter  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Institute  of  Electrical 
Engineers.  In  his  business  relations  he  is 
thoroughly  upright  and  conscientious,  con- 
siderate and  courteous  in  his  personal  and 
social  contact,  and  is  at  all  times  an  earnest, 
patriotic  citizen. 

Samuel  Shepard  Perley.  One  of  the 
most  prominent  of  South  Bend's  business 
men  is  Samuel  S.  Perley.  His  connection 
with  many  of  the  leading  corporations  of  this 
city  makes  him  too  well  known  to  need  intro- 
duction to  the  readers  of  this  volume,  but  as  a 
business  man  and  citizen  we  would  preserve 
the  record  of  his  career  among  a  people  who 
have  learned  to  respect  and  honor  him.  He 
was  born  in  Portland,  Maine,  on  the  8tli  of 
October,  1861,  a  son  of  J.  H.  and  Fannie 
(Smith)  Perley.  The  father  Avas  long  a  busi- 
ness man  in  Maine,  and  was  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Portland.  In 
1869  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Detroit, 
Michigan,  where  he  was  largely  interested  in 
the  lumber  business  until  his  retirement  from 
trade  relations,  and  his  death  occurred  in 
South  Bend  the  2d  of  December,  1869.  His 
wife,  who  was  a  native  of  Newburyport,  New 
Hampshire,  survived  him  for  many  years, 
passing  away  in  1886. 

Their  son  and  the  sub.iect  of  this  review, 
Samuel  S.  Perley,  on  leaving  school  entered 
the  wagon  works  of  Alexis  Coquillard  in  an 
official  capacity,  and  as  the  years  have  grown 
apace  he  has  risen  step  by  step  until  he  now 
occupies  a  high  povsition  in  this  large  con- 
cern. For  many  years  he  has  held  an  ex- 
ecutive position  therein,  and  since  the  death 
of  Mr.  A.  Coquillard,  the  founder  of  the 
business,  has  been  its  trustee  and  manager. 
His  interests  in  South  Bend,  however,  are 
many  and  varied,  for  he  is  also  president  of 
tiie  Perley  Lumber  Company,  a  director  of 
the  Citizens'  National  Bank,  a  stockholder  in 
the  Bissell  Plow  Company  and  also  con- 
nected with  other  large  enterprises.  Thus  to 
Mr.  Perley  has  come  the  attainment  of  a  dis- 
tinguished position  in  connection  with  large 
industries.  A  man  of  distinctive  and  force- 
ful individuality,  he  has  left  and  is  leaving 
his  impress  upon  the  industrial  world,  while 
there  has  been  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  in- 
jiLstice  to  mar  his  career. 

36 


The  marriage  of  Mr.  Perley  and  Miss  Lil- 
lian Casady,  a  daughter  of  W.  L.  Casady, 
was  celebrated  in  1892.  The  father  is  a  well 
known  business  man  and  an  honored  citizen 
of  South  Bend.  Three  children  have  been 
born  to  bless  this  union,  namely,  Margaret, 
William  Casady  and  Harold  Otis. 

William  F.  Wood.  Among  the  names  of 
the  men  who  are  distinguishing  themselves 
for  the  possession  in  an  eminent  degree  of 
those  qualities  of  character  which  mainly 
contribute  to  the  success  of  private  life  and 
to  public  stability  is  found  that  of  William 
F.  Wood.  As  the  record  of  a  young  man  it 
is  one  of  which  he  may  be  justly  proud,  for  it 
is  distingiiished  by  the  most  substantial  qual- 
ities of  character.  He  was  born  in  Koss- 
ville,  Indiana,  May  7,  1876,  a  son  of  R€v. 
Deloss  M.  and  Emma  (Farraw)  Wood,  who 
make  their  home  in  Hammond,  Indiana.  In 
their  family  were  but  two  children,  a  son 
and  a  daughter,  and  the  latter,  Louise,  is  at 
home.  The  father  is  a  prominent  minister 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  in 
that  capacity  he  has  traveled  over  much  of 
this  country. 

William  F.  Wood,  their  only  son,  attended 
De  Pauw  University  for  four  years,  j)ursiiing 
the  classical  course,  and  during  a  similar 
period  he  was  a  newspaper  correspondent, 
his  work  in  that  line  taking  him  over  many 
parts  of  the  world  and  identifying  him  with 
the  Spanish-American  war,  where  he  served 
on  the  battleship  Iowa  in  the  capacity  of 
ship's  yeoman.  After  the  close  of  the  con- 
flict he  was  associated  with  the  "San  Fi-an- 
cisco  Evening  Report"  until  in  February, 
1900,  when  he  went  to  Lebanon,  Boone 
county,  Indiana,  there  maintaining  his  resi- 
dence until  his  removal  to  Soulli  Bend  iti 
September,  1900.  His  first  association  in 
this  city  was  with  the  Sandage  Steel  Skein 
Company,  with  whom  he  remained  until  in 
February,  1904,  and  in  July  of  that  year 
purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  Economy 
Electric  Company.  Afterwards  Mr.  Wood 
bought  the  remaining  stock  and  the  firm 
name  was  changed  to  the  Wood  Electric  and 
Manufacturing  Company.  The  company 
gives  employment  to  about  twenty  men,  and 
is  one  of  the  leading  electrical  manufacturing 
enterprises  of  the  city.  He  is  a  man  of  dis- 
tinctive and  forceful  individuality,  and  un- 
der his  direction  the  Wood  Electric  and  Man- 
ufacturing Company  has  increased  its  busi- 
ness three  hundred  per  cent.     Although  one 


562 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


of  the  younger  representatives  of  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  South  Bend,  he  has  gained 
a.  brilliant  success,  the  just  reward  of  meri- 
torious, honorable  effort,  which  commands 
the  respect  of  all. 

On  the  3d  of  July,  1900,  Mr.  Wood  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Blanch  Lee  Daily,  a 
daughter  of  American  C.  Daily,  a  prominent 
banker  and  financier  and  ex-state  auditor. 
Mrs.  "Wood-  was  born  in  Lebanon,  Indiana^, 
there  receiving  her  education  in  its  grammar 
and  high  schools,  and  she  is  also  a  talented 
musician.  They  have  two  children,  Mary 
Daily  and  Deloss  Calvin.  Mr.  Wood  has  in 
every  way  proven  himself  a  public  spirited 
citizen,  and  he  possesses  the  public  confidence 
to  a  high  degree. 

Henry  F.  Elbed.  No  name  figures  more 
conspicuously  or  is  mentioned  with  greater 
honor  on  the  pages  of  the  history  of  St.  Jo- 
seph county  than  the  Elbel  family.  What 
the  Olivers  and  Studebakers  have  been  to 
the  industrial  life  of  South  Bend,  the  Elbels 
have  been  to  the  nuisical  life.  They  are  a 
familv  of  musicians,  and  in  the  early  davs 
made  this  city  famous  in  the  musical  world. 
There  were  six  brothers  of  the  first  family 
of  Elbels  associated  with  South  Bend,  Er- 
hardt,  Christian,  Lorenz,  Wolf.  John  and 
Henry,  and  all  were  fine  musicians,  while 
Christian  won  more  than  a  local  reputation 
as  a  composer.  Lorenz,  the  father  of  him 
whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  for 
more  than  half  a  century  a  director  of  the 
orchestra  which  still  bears  his  name  and  was 
also  a  leader  of  the  Elbel  Military  Band. 
He  had  six  sons, — Henry,  Herman,  Richard, 
Robert,  Fred  and  Louis,  all  of  whom  have 
inherited  their  father's  musical  ability  to  a 
high  degree,  and  Louis  has  gained  high  hon- 
ors both  at  home  and  abroad.  At  Leipsic  he 
was  one  of  the  very  few  Americans  to  ap- 
pear as  soloist,  and  made  a  record  of  which 
lie  and  his  family  may  well  feel  proud.  The 
brothers  are  proprietors  of  a  large  piano 
store,  and  all  are  enterprising,  worthy  citi- 
zens, w^orthy  children  of  a  worthy  sire. 

Henry  F.  Elbel,  the  immediate  sub.iect  of 
this  review,  wa.s  born  in  South  Bend  on  the 
9th  of  November,  1856,  a  son  of  Lorenz  and 
Johannah  Elbel,  both  natives  of  Germany. 
Early  in  life,  however,  they  crossed  the  ocean 
to  the  United  States  and  became  thoroughly 
American  citizens,  in  harmony  with  the  spirit 
of  the  republic,  and.  making  the  most  of  his 
opportunities,  Mr.  Elbel  steadily  worked  his 


way  upward  to  success  and  all  that  was  de- 
sirable and  ennobling  in  life.  Their  son 
Henry  F.  received  his  educational  training  in 
the  schools  of  South  Bend,  and  was  for  many 
years  thereafter  engaged  with  the  Singer 
Company.  He  is  now  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  the  South  Bend  Engraving  and  Electro- 
typing  Company,  one  of  the  leading  and 
most  prosperous  institutions  in  the  city.  He 
has  ever  been  active  and  earnest  in  his  ad- 
vocacy of  all  measures  for  the  public  good, 
and  the  cause  of  education  especially  finds 
in  him  a  stalwart  friend.  He  is  now  serving 
as  treasurer  of  the  school  board,  and  has 
proved  himself  a  valued  factor  in  its  behalf. 

Edward  Muessel.  During  a  pioneer  epoch 
in  the  histor}^  of  St.  Joseph  county  the  Mues- 
sel family  was  founded  within  its  borders 
by  Christopher  Muessel,  the  father  of  Ed- 
ward, and  who  was  a  native  of  Bavaria, 
Germany.  In  a  very  early  day,  however,  he 
came  to  South  Bend,  and  the  members  of 
his  family  have  taken  an  active  and  promi- 
nent part  in  the  development  of  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  He  was  a  brewer  in  the 
old  country,  as  was  his  father  before  him, 
and  after  coming  to  Indiana  continued  in 
the  same  occupation,  his  first  brewery  being- 
located  at  Vistula,  and  a  part  of  this  old 
building  is  still  standing.  He  owned  one 
hundred  and  thirty-six  acres  of  land  north 
of  the  city,  on  which  was  splendid  Avater 
power,  but  in  about  1868  he  removed  to  the 
present  site  of  the  brewery.  It  was  the  first 
one  established  in  the  town  and  is  still  owned 
by  the  family,  ]\Ir.  Edward  Muessel  serving 
as  its  president.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  in- 
stitutions of  the  county,  and  has  served  its 
part  in  luaking  South  Bend-  one  of  the  lead- 
ing industrial  centers.  Though  his  business 
demanded  much  of  his  attention,  Christopher 
]\Iuessel  yet  found  time  to  labor  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  many  movements  and  measures 
intended  to  benefit  the  community  and  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  his  fellow  men.  He  was 
a  public-spirited,  progressive  citizen,  honored 
for  his  integrity  in  industrial  life  and  for 
his  fidelity  to  every  trust. 

Edward  Muessel,  a  son  of  this  honored  In- 
diana pioneer,  was  born  in  South  Bend  on 
the  3d  of  January,  1858,  and  in  its  public 
schools  received  his  early  educational  train- 
ing, while  later  he  was  a  student  in  Notre 
Dame  LTniversity.  He  then  bes"an  work  with 
his  father  in  the  brewery,  and  in  1895  com- 
menced a  wholesale  liquor  business.     He  was 


THi'E 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


563 


married  to  Mary  Miller,  a  daughter  of  George 
Miller,  of  Marshall  county,  Indiana,  and  they 
have  two  daughters,  Alma  and  Netta.  Mr. 
Muessel  is  a  member  of  the  South  Bend  Turn 
Verein. 

AViLLiAM  Muessel.  One  of  the  oldest  and 
most  enterprising  business  men  of  South 
Bend  is  William  Muessel,  the  secretary  of  the 
Muessel  Brewing  Company,  and  who  is 
ranked  with  the  representative  citizens  of  the 
place.  His  birth  occurred  across  the  sea  in 
Germany,  July  10,  1847,  but  when  only  six 
years  of  age  he  was  brought  by  his  father, 
Christopher  Muessel,  to  the  United  States, 
who  at  once  made  his  way  to  South  Bend  and 
permanently  established  the  family  home  in 
this  city.  The  year  of  the  emigration  was 
1852,  and  shortly  after  their  arrival  the 
father  established  the  brewing  business.  The 
little  son  grew  to  years  of  maturity  in  this 
city,  and  after  completing  his  education  in 
its  public  schools  began  work  in  his  father's 
brewery,  thus  continuing  until  the  latter 's 
death,  the  son  being  then  about  thirty  years 
of  age.  His  brother  Ludwig  then  assumed 
charge  of  the  business,  and  when  it  was  reor- 
ganized as  the  Muessel  Brewing  Company 
William  Muessel  was  made  the  secretary,  an 
office  which  he  has  since  so  ably  filled.  Al- 
though he  entered  upon  a  business  already 
established,  in  conducting  this  and  enlarging 
its  scope  he  has  so  directed  his  efforts  that 
its  interests  have  grown  apace  with  the  prog- 
ress Avhich  dominates  this  progressive  age,  and 
with  the  other  members  of  this  large  manu- 
factory he  occupies  a  leading  place  in  the 
business  life  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Muessel  was  married  in  1875,  Martha 
Kelner  then  becoming  his  wife,  and  she,  too, 
claims  the  fatherland  as  the  place  of  her  na- 
tivity. Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  seven  children :  Leander,  Otto  S., 
Emma,  Henry,  Albert,  Clara  and  William. 
In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Muessel  is  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  of  this  city  and  the  Turners  Society. 
During  the  long  period  of  fifty-three  years  he 
has  made  his  home  in  South  Bend,  and  during 
that  time  he  has  attained  prominence  in  its 
business  circles,  while  in  private  life  no  man 
in  the  city  has  more  friends  than  he. 

Walter  G.  Muessel,  treasurer  and  man- 
ager of  the  Muessel  Brewing  Company,  was 
born  in  South  Bend  on  the  5th  of  September, 
1869,  the  eldest  of  the  two  sons  of  Ludwig 
Muessel.     The  father  was  the  eldest  son  of 


Christopher  Muessel,  who  came  to  this  coun- 
try from  Germany,  and  in  an  early  day  estab- 
lished the  family  home  in  South  Bend.  To 
him  belongs  the  credit  also  of  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Muessel  Brewery,  and  although 
fifty-five  years  have  passed  since  that  event 
it  is  yet  owned  by  the  family,  and  under  their 
guidance  has  grown  to  large  proportions,  oc- 
cupying a  leading  place  among  the  large 
manufactories  of  South  Bend. 

Walter  G.  Muessel,  the  grandson  of  this 
early  St.  Joseph  county  pioneer,  has  spent 
his  entire  life  in  South  Bend.  After  attend- 
ing its  public  schools  he  entered  Purdue  Uni- 
versity, where  he  pursued  the  mechanical  en- 
gineering course  and  graduated  in  1892.  Dur- 
ing the  following  two  years  he  was  employed 
as  an  engineer  in  different  localities,  and  on 
the  1st  of  March,  1895,  assumed  the  important 
position  he  now  holds  in  the  Muessel  Brewing 
Company,  that  of  treasurer  and  manager, 
while  in  addition  he  is  also  director  of  the 
American  Trust  Company  of  South  Bend. 
His  interests  are  many  and  varied,  and  he  is 
numbered  among  the  successful  young  busi- 
ness men  of  South  Bend,  where  his  entire  life 
has  been  passed  and  where  he  has  won  and 
retained  many  friends. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Muessel  was  celebrated 
in  1897,  when  Florence,  the  daughter  of  the 
late  Andrew  J.  Chrisman,  became  his  wife, 
and  their  three  children  are  Robert,  Helen 
and  Hester.  Mr.  Muessel  holds  a  leading 
place  in  the  social  as  well  as  business  circles 
of  South  Bend,  and  has  membership  rela- 
tions with  the  Elks,  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Masonic  orders. 

Adolph  J.  Muessel,  superintendent  of  the 
Muessel  Brewing  Company  of  South  Bend, 
was  born  in  this  city  on  the  3d  of  October, 
1870,  the  second  son  of  Ludwig  Muessel.  The 
latter  is  the  son  of  Christopher  Muessel,  who 
was  the  founder  of  the  family  in  the  United 
States  and  the  organizer  of  the  Muessel  Brew- 
ing Company.  After  completing  his  educa- 
tion in  the  city  schools  of  South  Bend  Adolph 
J.  entered  Notre  Dame  University,  where  he 
completed  a  three  years '  general  course.  Dur- 
ing the  three  succeeding  years  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  sheet  ii-on  worlvs  of  this  city, 
and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period,  in  1893, 
was  made  the  superintendent  of  the  Muessel 
Brewing  Company,  one  of  the  largest  manu- 
facturing concerns  of  St.  Joseph  county.  He 
has  ever  since  discharged  the  duties  of  that 
important  position,  and  South  Bend  is  proud 


564 


HISTORY   OF   ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


to  claim  him  among  her  enterprising  young 
business  men. 

In  1897  Mr.  Muessel  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Sarah  E.  Blyler,  the  daughter  of 
David  Blyler,  of  St.  Joseph  county,  and  their 
only  child  is  a  daughter,  Margaretta.  Mr. 
Muessel  is  a  member  of  the  Turners  Associa- 
tion, and  is  a  valued  factor  in  the  social  life 
of  his  community. 

Leighton  Pine.  When  Leighton  Pine 
passed  away  one  more  name  was  added  to 
the  list  of  honored  dead  whose  earthly  rec- 
ords closed  with  the  words,  "Well  done," 
but  as  long  as  memory  remains  to  those  who 
knew  him  the  influence  of  his  noble  life  will 
remain  as  a  source  of  encouragement  and  in- 
spiration. Many  business  concerns  and 
moral  enterprises  owe  their  excellence  and 
progress  largely  to  his  influence.  He  was 
in  touch  with  the  people,  and  from  a  sincere 
and  deep-felt  interest  in  their  welfare  la- 
bored for  all  that  would  prove  of  public 
benefit  until  the  busy  and  useful  life  was 
ended.  j 

Mr.  Pine  was  born  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  February  10,  1844,  the  youngest  son 
of  William  Pine,  and  his  education  was  re- 
ceived in  the  schools  of  his  native  city.  At 
an  early  age  he  learned  photography,  and 
during  the  Civil  war  was  official  photogra- 
pher on  the  staff  of  General  Gilmore.  In  the 
early  '60s  he  entered  the  employ  of  Francis 
A.  Ross,  at  that  time  engaged  in  cabinet  work 
for  the  Singer  Sewing  Machine  Coinpany. 
With  his  far  seeing  judgment  Mr.  Pine  pro- 
posed to  the  Singer  Company  the  establish- 
ment of  a  cabinet  factory  in  the  middle  west, 
which  was  approved,  and  he  came  to  South 
Bend  on  the  15th  of  May,  1868.  The  city 
then,  as  now,  offered  superior  inducements, 
and  the  company  built  on  the  east  race,  but 
the  site  was  abandoned  in  a  few  years  and 
the  mammoth  concern  was  built  on  West  Di- 
vision, one  of  the  finest  plants  in  the  world, 
and  with  the  new  plant  was  established  a 
foundry.  In  1875  Mr.  Pine  left  the  Singer 
Company  and  went  with  the  Oliver  Chilled 
Plow  Works,  assisting  in  organizing  the  plant 
and  becoming  its  secretary.  But  in  November, 
1879,  he  returned  to  the  Singer  Company, 
remaining  with  that  corporation  until  his 
life's  labors  were  ended  in  death.  In  the 
late  '70'S  Mr.  Pine  also  organized  the  Econo- 
mist Plow  Company,  while  later  he  organ- 
ized the  South  Bend  Spring  Curry  Comb 
Company,    but   the    latter   afterward   passed 


into  the  control  of  Marvin  Campbell.  He 
'was  a  man  of  distinctive  and  forceful  indi- 
viduality, and  the  Singer  Company  even- 
tually made  him  manager  of  all  its  great  cabi- 
net works  in  South  Bend,  Cairo,  Illinois, 
Scotland,  Grermany  and  Russia.  In  this  high 
position  Mr.  Pine  displayed  executive  power 
and  keen  discrimination,  and  was  widely 
recognized  as  a  most  capable  business  man. 
Much  of  the  strength  of  his  life  for  many 
years  was  given  to  the  betterment  of  public 
life.  He  fought  relentlessly  against  boodle 
and  graft  in  public  affairs,  and  his  life  was 
beautiful  in  its  purity,  goodness  and  Chris- 
tian virtues.  A  staunch  Republican  in  his 
political  affiliations,  he  defended  the  policy 
of  his  party  with  intelligence  and  ardor. 

On  the  5th  of  November,  1865,  Mr.  Pine 
was  married  to  Maria  C.  Barmore,  of  New 
York  city,  and  one  son  was  born  to  them, 
Milton  B.,  who  now  ably  fills  his  father's 
position.  The  death  of  the  loving  husband 
and  father  occurred  on  the  15th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1905.  His  loss  was  deeply  mourned  in 
this  connnunity,  and  his  memory  is  en- 
shrined in  the  hearts  of  his  friends  and 
associates,  to  whose  interests  he  was  ever 
faithful. 

GusTAV  A.  Stueckle.  From  a  little  Ger- 
man home  across  the  sea  Gustav  A.  Stueekle 
made  his  way  to  the  United  States  and  en- 
tered upon  a  career  which  has  proved  suc- 
cessful. He  is  distinctively  the  architect  of 
his  own  fortunes,  for  coming  to  this  country 
without  capital  he  has  made  his  way  to  suc- 
cess througli  wisely  directed  efforts  and  to 
all  that  is  ennobling  in  life.  He  was  bom 
in  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  on  the  1st  of  De- 
cember, 1863,  a  son  of  Jacob  John  and  Caro- 
line (Rapp)  Stueekle,  also  natives  of  Wur- 
temberg. They  now  reside  in  the  village  of 
Rohracker,  in  the  district  of  Cannstatt,  and 
Mr.  Stueekle  also  has  two  brothers  and  two 
sisters  in  the  fatherland. 

After  receiving  an  excellent  educational 
training  in  his  native  land  Gustav  A.  Stueekle 
came  to  the  United  States,  arriving  in  this 
country  on  the  23d  of  July.  1881,  and  im- 
mediately took  up  his  abode  in  South  Bend. 
Thus  for  many  years  his  life  history  has 
been  closely  identified  with  the  history  of 
this  city.  His  career  has  been  one  of  un- 
tiring activity,  but  success  has  attended  his 
efforts  and  has  placed  him  in  the  ranks  of 
the  leading  men  of  affairs.  His  first  em- 
ployment here  was  as  a  cabinet-maker,  which 


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HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


565 


was  also  the  trade  of  his  father,  thus  con- 
tinuing' for  twelve  years.  During  all  those 
years  he  was  also  a  diligent  student,  obtain- 
ing- a  good  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
English  language  and  of  the  business  meth- 
ods of  this  country.  In  1899  he  entered  upon 
a  business  life  for  himself,  and  through  many 
channels  he  has  contributed  to  his  own  pros- 
perity and  to  the  w^elfare  and  upbuilding  of 
South  Bend.  He  is  president  of  the  South 
Bend  Brewing  Company,  which  was  organ- 
ized in  1903,  the  stock  of  which  is  principally 
owned  by  local  capital,  and  in  1900  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  city  council  to  repre- 
sent the  Fourth  ward,  to  which  position  he 
has  been  twice  re-elected  and  is  now  serving 
hi.s  third  term.  The  Democracy  receives  his 
hearty  support  and  co-operation,  and  he  is 
an  active  worker  in  its  ranks. 

In  1886  Mr.  Stueckle  married  Elizabeth 
INIargaret  Doberlein.  a  daughter  of  John 
Doberlein,  Avho  came  from  Germany  and  set- 
tled in  St.  Joseph  county  in  the  early  '70s. 
One  son  has  been  born  of  this  union,  Clar- 
ence C.  Mr.  Stueckle  is  a  member  of  the 
Turn  Verein,  the  Mannerchor  and  the 
Eagles.  He  arrived  in  this  country  a  stranger 
in  a  strange  land,  with  no  knowledge  of  the 
English  language,  but  by  persistent  study 
and  hard  and  diligent  w^ork  he  ha.s  mastered 
the  intricate  problems  of  life,  and  few  have 
more  devoted  friends  than  he.  He  has  but 
lately  returned  with  his  family  from  a  visit 
to  his  native  land. 

Theodore  Thorward.  No  better  illustra- 
tion of  the  characteristic  energy  and  enter- 
prise of  the  Germ  an- American  citizen  can  be 
found  than  that  afforded  by  the  career  of 
Theodore  Thorward,  one  of  the  best  known 
business  men  of  South  Bend.  Coming  to 
this  country  with  no  capital  except  his  abili- 
ties, he  has  made  his  way  to  success  through 
wisely  directed  efforts,  and  he  can  now  look 
back  with  satisfaction  to  past  struggles.  He 
was  born  in  Germany  on  the  11th  of  Novem- 
ber. 1859.  and  coming  to  the  United  States 
with  relatives  settled  in  Powhattan,  Ohio, 
w^here  he  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
and  also  attended  the  German  Methodist 
Episcopal  College  of  Wallace,  at  Berea,  Ohio. 
He  fully  realized  the  value  of  an  education, 
and  therefore  worked  his  own  way  through 
college.  Thus  with  an  excellent  foundation 
for  his  future  life  work  he  busied  himself 
at  various  occupations  until  1881,  when  he 
went  to  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  and  entered 


the  telephone  business.  He  commenced  work 
by  soliciting  for  the  first  independent  tele- 
phone company  there,  and  after  obtaining  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  business  he  was 
made  the  assistant  manager  of  the  Home 
Telephone  Company  of  that  city. 

At  that  time  Mr.  Thorward  began  looking 
about  for  new  fields  for  his  operations,  and 
as  South  Bend  offered  a  splendid  opportu- 
nity he  induced  capital  to  invest  here  and 
secured  a  thirty-seven  year  franchise  for  a 
telephone  system  in  South  Bend  and  Misha- 
waka.  He  then  organized  the  Home  Tele- 
phone Company,  with  exchanges  at  South 
Bend,  Mishawa.ka  and  several  places,  and  the 
company  now  has  two  hundred  miles  of  toll 
line  connected  with  the  Home  Company.  The 
system  is  one  of  the  most  perfect  in  the 
country,  and  under  Mr.  Thorward 's  presi- 
dency and  management  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful, representing  an  investment  of  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  including  real  es- 
tate in  South  Bend  and  Mishawaka.  Mr. 
Thorward  has  also  interested  some  well  known 
capitalists  in  Chicago  in  the  organizing  of  a 
long  distance  independent  toll  line  between 
Chicago  and  South  Bend,  with  the  result  that 
this  city  will  be  the  hub  of  a  large  inde- 
pendent toll  line  system.  He  is  president 
and  general  manager  of  the  Home  Telephone 
Company,  and  although  his  residence  in 
South  Bend  dates  from  only  1902  he  is  num- 
bered among  its  best  known  and  most  suc- 
cessful business  men.  His  political  support 
is  given  to  the  Republican  party,  and  he  takes 
&n  active  interest  in  its  work  and  upbuilding. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Thorward  was  cele- 
brated in  1881,  when  Miss  Minnie  Dendel,  of 
Allegan,  Michigan,  became  his  wife,  and 
they  have  two  sons,  George  T.,  a  graduate 
of  the  University  of  Michigan  and  now  as- 
sistant manager  of  the  Home  Telephone 
Company,  and  Benjamin,  a  graduate  of  the 
South  Bend  high  school  and  now  a  student 
at  Ann  Arbor.  The  family  worship  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  Mr.  Thor- 
w^ard  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Elks,  the 
Commercial  Athletic  Club  and  the  Indiana 
Club. 

Joseph  Greeley  Bartlett.  who  died  in 
South  Bend  on  January  9,  1873,  was  one 
of  the  prominent  pioneer  merchants  of  the 
city,  and,  aside  from  his  business  career,  is 
especially  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  the 
old  settlers  because  of  the  leading  part  he 
took  in  the  establishment  of  the  Presbyterian 


566 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


church  in  this  locality.  A  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  born  in  1816,  he  came  to  St. 
Joseph  countj^  in  the  early  thirties,  while 
still  a  j^outh,  and  was  thereafter  reared,  edu- 
cated and  trained  to  manly  ways  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  passed  the  balance  of 
his  life.  When  he  came  to  Indiana  all  rail- 
roads were  in  their  early  infancy,  and  he 
passed  through  New  York  on  his  way  west- 
ward, via  the  Erie  canal.  He  lived,  there- 
fore, through  a  remarkable  era  of  develop- 
ment, both  for  the  east  and  west,  of  which 
latter  section  Indiana  was  a  border  state  at 
the  time  of  his  coming  to  it. 

When  Joseph  G.  Bartlett  arrived  in  South 
Bend  he  was  already  master  of  the  baker's 
trade,  and  immediately  proceeded  to  open  a 
shop.  He  prospered  in  the  undertaking,  and 
added  groceries  to  his  bakery  goods,  the  com- 
bination proving,  in  the  after  years,  remark- 
ably profitable.  During  his  career  as  a  mer- 
chant in  these  lines  he  received  Myron  Camp- 
bell into  partnership,  and  for  many  years 
before  his  death  he  was  placed  among  the 
leading  business  men  and  honorable,  public 
spirited  citizens  of  St.  Joseph  county.  Quite 
early  he  built  the  present  residence  of  the 
Bartlett  family,  its  location  then  being  at 
the  head  of  Washington  street. 

Mr.  Bartlett  was  married  in  New  England 
to  Elizabeth  Springer,  by  whom  he  had 
four  children — -William,  Joseph,  Anna  and 
Charles,  all  natives  of  South  Bend,  where  the 
wife  died  in  1861.  In  1865  he  married  again, 
his  second  wife  being  Mrs.  Sarah  Wliittaker, 
and  by  this  union  had  a  son  and  a  daughter 
— Harry  H.  and  Mabel  A.  Both  of  these 
children  were  also  born  a^d  reared  in  South 
Bend.  Harry  H.  Bartlett  is  well  known  for 
his  connection  with  the  Singer  Sewing  Ma- 
chine Company,  and  Mabel  A.  is  a  talented 
organist.  The  life  of  Joseph  Greeley  Bart- 
lett is  therefore  very  closely  intertwined  with 
the  history  of  South  Bend,  considered  from 
the  standpoints  of  busin&ss,  religious  and 
family  reasons. 

During  his  long  residence  in  South  Bend 
Mr.  Bartlett  was  among  the  most  active  lead- 
ers in  the  work  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
He  was  long  one  of  its  most  influential 
elders,  helped  to  build  its  present  house  of 
worahip,  and  wais  in  every  way  among  the 
most  liberal  contributors  to  its  support  and 
progress.  He  was  an  old-line  Whig  and  Re- 
publican, and  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F. 
Energetic  and  conscientious  in  whatever  field 


of  activity  he  entered,  endowed  with  great 
common  sense  and  an  unusual  power  for  mak- 
ing and  retaining  friends,  when  death  called 
him  away  at  the  comparatively  early  age  of 
fifty-nine,  the  community  deeply  mourned, 
both  because  of  close  attachment  to  his  per- 
sonality and  because  he  iseemed  to  be  snatched 
away  at  the  very  height  of  his  broad 
usefulness. 

Charles  Arthur  Carlisle.  The  glory  of 
our  republic  is  the  perpetuation  of  individ- 
uality and  in  according  the  utmost  scope  for 
individual  accomplishment.  Of  America  is 
the  self  made  man  a  product,  and  the  record 
of  accomplishment  in  this  individual  sense  is 
the  record  which  the  true  and  loyal  Ameri- 
can holds  in  the  deepest  regard  and  highest 
honor.  From  a  poor  lad  Mr.  Carlisle  has 
alone  made  his  way,  step  by  step,  until  he 
won  admittance  to  one  of  the  greatest  com- 
mercial institutions  of  the  land. 

He  was  born  in  Chillicothe,  Ross  county, 
Ohio,  May  4,  1864,  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  that  city,  but  to  his  mother 
he  gives  all  credit  for  her  persevering  pri- 
vate tutoring  at  home.  Owing  to  financial 
reverses  in  the  family,  he  began  at  a  very 
early  day  to  contribute  financial  support  at 
home,  his  first  work  being  as  a  clerk  in  a 
grocery  store,  after  which  he  tried  his  hand 
at  the  dry  goods  business,  but  found  both 
confining  and  not  to  his  liking.  He  next  en- 
tered the  railway  service,  commencing  as 
messenger  boy  for  the  Marietta  &  Cincinnati 
Railway,  now  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  South- 
Avestern  Railroad,  at  Chillicothe,  Ohio.  In 
1884.  however,  he  left  the  railway  service 
and  identified  himself  with  journalistic  work, 
becoming  connected!  with  the  Ohio  State  Jour- 
nal, of  Columbus.  Ohio,  a  leading  Repub- 
lican paper.  In  the  broad  field  of  .journalism 
he  came  into  contact  with  those  who  moulded 
public  opinion,  and  from  his  association  with 
public  men  his  inspirations  led  him  forward 
successfully  into  the  great  arena  of  public 
activity. 

In  1886  Mr.  Carlisle  re-entered  the  rail- 
way service,  determining  upon  a  career  in 
that  great  arm  of  commerce.  Standing  again 
upon  the  lowest  round  of  the  ladder,  in  a 
subordinate  position  with  the  local  freight 
department  of  the  Nickel  Plate  Railroad,  the 
New  York.  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad, 
at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  he  passed  successfully 
through  various  departments  and  in  1888 
was  elected  to  fill  the  very  important  posi- 


Ckarles  A.  CarlisL 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


567 


tiou  of  cashier  of  three  joint  stations.  In 
the  following-  year  he  became  the  private 
secretary  of  the  general  manager  of  the  To- 
ledo &  Ohio  Central  Railroad,  at  Toledo, 
Ohio.  In  1890  he  was  made  purchasing- 
agent  of  the  "Burke  System"  of  railways, 
to  which  had  been  added  the  Toledo,  Co- 
lumbus &  Cincinnati  Railroad  and  the 
Kanawha   Michigan  Railroad. 

Mr.  Carlisle  has  recently  been  selected  by 
the  unanimous  choice  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors of  the  American  Trust  Company  as 
its  president.  This  is  a  new  financial  insti- 
tution with  a  capital  of  two  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  and  a  surplus  of  fifty  thousand, 
and  which  began  business  at  South  Bend 
about  January  1,  1904.  This  institution, 
which  ranks  prominently  among  the  foremost 
financial  concerns  of  the  state,  is  made  up 
of  the  progressive  element  of  this  busy  com- 
munity, and  numbers  among  its  stockholders 
substantial,  conservative  leaders  in  modern 
and  advanced  methods,  and  who  are  promi- 
nent in  civic,  state  and  national  affairs.  He 
is  a  director  of  the  Studebaker  Brothers' 
^Manufacturing  Company,  of  South  Bend,  in 
charge  of  the  purchasing  department,  the 
advertising  department  and  the  traffic  de- 
partment. He  is  the  secretary  of  the  South 
Bend  Fuel  and  Gas  Company,  a  director  of 
the  South  Bend  Malleable  Iron  Company  and 
is  prominently  identified  with  many  other  ex- 
tensive corporations. 

Although  Mr.  Carlisle  has  no  political  as- 
pirations and  not  seeking  public  favors,  he 
has  served  as  president  of  the  Harrison  Re- 
publican Club,  the  leading  permanent  Re- 
publican organization  in  St.  Joseph  county. 
He  is  vice-president  of  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Manufacturers,  and,  if  the  will 
of  that  organization  had  been  heeded,  he 
would  doubtless  have  been  at  the  head  of 
the  new  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor 
— with  a  seat  in  President  Roosevelt's  cabi- 
net. He  is  a  member  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  Carriage  Builders'  National 
Association  and  is  the  vice-president  for  In- 
diana of  the  Scotch-Irish  Society  of  America. 
He  is  also  prominent  in  the  great  order  of 
IMasonry,  being  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason 
and  A  Shriner  as  well  as  a  Knight  Templar. 
He  served  for  four  years  as  a  member  of 
Governor  ^Mount's  military  staff  of  Indiana, 
with  the  rank  of  lieutenant  colonel,  and  when 
Governor  W.  T.  Durbin  came  into  office  he 


commissioned  ^Ir.  Carlisle  as  a  member  of  his 
staff,  with  the  rank  of  colonel. 

On  the  17th  of  September,  1891,  at  South 
Bend,  Mr.  Carlisle  was  married  to  Miss  Anna 
Studebaker,  only  daughter  of  Hon.  and  Mrs. 
Clement  Studebaker.  He  has  a  beautiful 
summer  home  at  Chautauqua,  New  York, 
where  his  summers  are  spent.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  St.  Paul's  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
of  South  Bend,  and  takes  a  prominent  inter- 
est in  all  the  work  of  his  church  and  is  a 
member  of  its  official  board.  He  was  an 
honored  guest  at  the  meeting-  of  the  Gridiron 
CUub  of  Washington,  D.  C,  at  its  banquet  on 
January  31,  1903.  His  name  has  been 
enrolled  in  the  great  Guest  Book  of  that 
world-famed  organization,  and  will  go  down 
to  posterity  associated  with  the  greatest  and 
most  brilliant  of  national  leaders.  Mr.  Car- 
lisle is  also  a  member  of  the  American  Acad- 
emy of  Political  and  Social  Science,  of  Phila- 
delphia. Pennsjdvania ;  the  American  Insti- 
tute of  Civics,  of  New  York  city;  the  Twen- 
tieth Century  Club,  of  Chicago,  Illinois;  the 
Sphinx  Club,  of  New  York  city,  composed 
of  only  national  advertisers;  the  Columbia 
Club,  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana ;  the  Chicago 
Athletic  Association,  of  Chicago,  Illinois; 
the  Indiana  Club,  of  South  Bend ;  the  North- 
ern Indiana  Historical  Society,  of  South 
Bend ;  and  the  Country  Club,  of  St.  Joseph 
Valley,  of  which  he  was  its  first  president. 
He  is  a  life  member  of  the  Scottish  Patri- 
otic Association,  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  the 
object  of  which  is  the  cultivation  of  the 
spirit  of  patriotism  and  the  defense  of  Scot- 
land's national  rights.  He  is  also  chairman 
of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Associated 
Charities  of  South  Bend,  an  association  that 
devotes  much  time  and  attention  to  the  poor 
as  well  as  correcting  the  indulgences  of  evil 
in  the  community. 

Charles  G.  Folsom  is  a  man  who  has 
a  remarkable  record,  and  from  the  study 
of  his  life  history  one  may  learn  valuable 
lessons.  It  illustrates  in  no  uncertain  man- 
ner what  it  is  possible  to  accomplish  when 
perseverance  and  determination  form  the 
keynote  to  a  man's  life.  Depending  upon 
his  own  resources,  he  has  risen  from  com- 
parative obscurity  to  a  place  of  prominence 
in  the  commercial  world. 

Mr.  Folsom  was  born  in  "Waterloo,  Seneca 
county,  New^  York,  on  the  2d  of  November, 
1845.  His  father.  Benjamin  Folsom.  was  a 
native  of  Vermont  and  started  upon  his  won- 


568 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


derful  business  career  as  a  wagon  maker. 
He  subsequently  rose  to  the  position  of  a  rail- 
road contractor,  and  removing  to  New  York 
in  1823  he  became  a  personal  friend  of 
DeWitt  Clinton,  governor  of  that  state.  Dur- 
ing his  residence  there  he  was  one  of  the 
promoters  of  the  Erie  canal,  also  the  builder 
and  contractor  for  the  first  line  of  telegraph 
from  Albany  to  Buffalo,  this  important  work 
being  completed  on  the  1st  of  November,  1845. 
He  was  then  awarded  many  important  con- 
tracts on  the  New  York  Central,  the  New 
York  &  Erie,  the  Michigan  Central,  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy.  the  ^Michigan 
Southern  and  Northern  Indiana  railroads.  He 
was  afterwards  with  the  New  York  &  Erie, 
where  he  was  the  right-hand  man  for  Jay 
Gould  and  Jim  Fisk.  Coming  to  South  Bend, 
Mr.  Folsom  resided  on  a  farm  in  the  western 
part  of  the  county  until  1863.  when  he  went 
to  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  constructed  the  De- 
troit City  Railroad,  in  which  he  was  a  stock- 
holder. The  death  of  this  great  financier  and 
business  man  occurred  suddenly  near  La- 
porte,  Indiana,  while  on  a  railroad  journey 
from  Chicago  to  the  east.  Mrs.  Folsom  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Polly  Sedgwick,  and  was 
a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York,  her  people 
having  been  among  the  early  settlers  of  the 
Mohawk  valley. 

Charles  C  Folsom,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  received  his  early  educational 
training  in  the  schools  of  Adrian,  Michigan, 
while  later  he  became  a  pupil  in  the  South 
Bend  public  schools.  His  first  employment 
after  completing  his  education  was  at  the 
tinner's  trade  in  Adrian,  Michigan,  later  fol- 
lowing the  same  occupation  in  Detroit,  and 
in  1866  he  came  to  South  Bend.  For  some 
time  after  his  arrival  in  this  city  he  worked 
at  his  trade  at  St.  Mary's,  which  was  then 
built  for  the  music  hall,  also  assisting  in  the 
construction  of  the  St.  Joseph  Academy  of 
South  Bend.  In  1867  he  removed  to  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1872,  when  he 
returned  to  South  Bend  and  started  in  busi- 
ness in  a  very  small  way  at  the  tinner's  trade. 
During  the  panic  of  1873  he  suffered  in  the 
general  disaster,  and  he  then  removed  to  Roll- 
ing Prairie  and  was  engaged  in  the  hardware 
business  for  four  years.  Coming  again  to 
this  city,  Mr.  Folsom  became  an  employe  of 
the  Studebakers,  Singler  and  Creviston  in  a 
hardware  business,  after  which  he  was  with 
the  Miller  Knobloek  Company,  and  next  with 


the  Lake  Shore  Railroad  Company.  His  pres- 
ent business  was  commenced  by  pushing  a 
hand  cart  on  the  streets  of  South  Bend  and 
doing  odd  jobs  at  the  tinner's  trade,  and  from 
that  time  to  the  present,  as  the  years  have 
grown  apace,  his  business  has  enlarged  cor- 
respondingly until  it  now  occupies  a  place 
among  the  leading  industrial  concerns  of 
South  Bend,  and  the  name  of  the  C.  G.  Fol- 
som ^Manufacturing  Company  is  well  known 
throughout  northern  Indiana.  The  manufac- 
tory gives  employment  to  fifty  men  and  is  a 
valuable  adjunct  to  the  business  interests  of 
the  city.  Mr.  Folsom  was  the  first  manufac- 
turer of  rural  mail  boxes  in  the  United  States, 
and  still  continues  in  their  construction,  and 
in  addition  manufactures  all  kinds  of  sheet 
metal  and  structural  iron  work.  As  a  man 
his  business  ability  has  been  constantly  mani- 
fested, showing  unlimited  possibilities,  noth- 
ing too  ^  great  to  grasp  and  master,  and  the 
extensive  concern  of  which  he  is  now  the  head 
is  a  monument  to  his  w^onderful  power. 

Mr.  Folsom  married  Miss  Mary  C.  France, 
a  daughter  of  Adam  and  Lydia  France,  of 
Rolling  Prairie.  They  have  five  living  chil- 
dren :  Jonathan  France,  engaged  in  business 
with  his  father,  Lydia  ]\Iary,  Emma  Lou, 
Charles  R.  and  Nadine.  Mr.  Folsom  is  an 
active  worker  in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  has  been  twice  elected  as  a  member 
of  the  city  council,  representing  the  fifth 
ward,  which  is  one  of  the  richest  wards  in 
the  city,  and  is  the  present  incumbent  of  the 
office.  He  is  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  45  of 
the  Masonic  order,  having  been  connected 
with  that  fraternity  since  1871,  and  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Chapter  and  Council,  of 
which  he  is  past  high  priest  and  a  Knight 
Templar.  He  is  vice-president  of  the  County 
Humane  Society. 

F.  A.  Bryan.  Rising  above  the  heads  of 
the  mass  are  many  men  of  sterling  worth  and 
value,  who  by  sheer  perseverance  and  deter- 
mination, accompanied  by  unflagging  effort, 
have  risen  from  the  ranks  of  the  commonplace 
to  eminence,  and  to  occupy  positions  of  re- 
spect and  trust.  Among  this  number  may  be 
mentioned  F.  A.  Bryan,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  Carroll  county,  Ohio,  on  the  21st  of  De- 
cember, 1867,  his  parents  being  John  Henry 
and  Anna  (Azdell)  Bryan,  both  natives  of 
Ohio.  The  father,  who  was  a  well  knowm  busi- 
ness man,  passed  away  in  death  in  1872. 

F.  A.  Bryan  attended  the  public  schools 
of    WellsviUe,    Ohio,    and   the    Pennsylvania 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


569 


State  College,  graduating  in  the  engineering 
course  in  the  latter  institution.  Thus  having 
laid  an  excellent  foundation  for  his  future 
life  work  he  became  an  employe  as  engineer 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  the  Edison  Gen- 
eral Electric  Company  and  Michigan  Central 
Railroad.  In  May,  1901,  he  came  to  South 
Bend  in  the  capacity  of  manager  of  the  South 
Bend  Electric  Company,  which  was  formed 
in  1884,  and  he  is  also  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  the  Elkhart  Electrical 
Company,  the  St.  Joseph  and  Elkhart  Electric 
Company  and  the  Berrien  Springs  Electric 
Company.  These  companies  own  practically 
the  entire  water  power  along  the  river,  and 
are  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Bryan. 
Since  assuming  charge  of  these  concerns  they 
have  been  greatly  developed  and  improved, 
for  previous  to  that  time  they  were  purely 
lighting  companies,  while  now  the  various  cor- 
porations have  secured  rights  and  erected 
dams  along  the  river,  thus  supplying  prac- 
tically all  the  power  used  by  the  smaller  man- 
ufacturing companies  in  South  Bend.  Wires 
have  also  been  placed  underground,  and  the 
service  in  every  way  has  been  vastly  im- 
proved, being  now  one  of  the  best  organized 
systems  in  the  state.  The  company  owns  the 
Elkhart  dam,  the  Twin  Branch  dam,  the 
Buchanan  dam  and  has  commenced  construc- 
tion on  the  Berrien  Springs  dam,  while  in  the 
near  future  they  will  have  dams  at  the  state 
line  and  Bristol,  making  six  in  all.  It  is  a 
master  mind  that  can  plan,  execute  and  con- 
trol a  large  institution,  and  the  gentleman 
who  stands  at  its  head  well  deserves  to  be 
ranked  among  the  most  prominent  business 
men  of  his  adopted  city,  where  only  ability 
of  a  very  superior  order  is  now  recognized. 

In  1896  Mr.  Bryan  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Estella  McVicker.  of  Lisbon,  Ohio.  They 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
Mr.  Bryan  is  also  connected  with  the  Country, 
Commercial  and  Indiana  clubs. 

Captain  Edwin  Nicar.  Its  mission  ful- 
filled in  the  union  of  its  warring  factions  by 
a  bond  of  common  humanity,  and,  in  place 
of  a  demoralized  trade,  the  substitution  of  a 
commercial  growth  unparalleled  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  world — the  tragedy  of  the  Civil 
war  has  become  only  an  echo,  a  fading  into 
historical  mists  of  tented  fields,  glittering 
armaments,  marching  armies  and  waving  ban- 
ners. Individual  experience  alone  keeps  a 
vivid  remembrance  of  the  desolation  and  un- 
certainty, carnage  and  heroism,  of  the  great 


struggle  for  unity  of  purpose  and  ideals, 
which  animated  the  followers  of  the  great 
Emancipator. 

Yet  among  those  who  comprise  the  fast- 
thinning  ranks  of  veterans  a  difference  exists 
in  impressions,  influence  and  etfect,  and  a 
perusal  of  the  lives  of  these  soldiers  reveals 
stories  of  great  human  interest  and  import. 
To  some  the  service  was  an  episode,  a  fulfil- 
ment of  duty  as  they  saw  it,  and  a  subsequent 
return  to  accustomed  tasks  with  little  change 
save  a  broader  conception  of  existence.  To 
others  the  experience  was  a  keynote,  a  magnet 
toward  which  seemed  to  gravitate  their  zeal- 
ous youth,  and  which  mastered  and  deter- 
mined their  entire  future.  In  this  class  be- 
longs Captain  Edwin  Nicar. 

Edwin  Nicar,  who  is  connected  with  one  of 
the  largest  corporations  in  northern  Indiana, 
five  Oliver  Company,  was  born  in  St.  Joseph 
county,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1840,  a  son 
of  Robert  B.  and  Mary  E.  (Lewellen)  Nicar, 
both  natives  of  Lynchburg,  Virginia.  In  1833 
the  father  came  to  Mishawaka,  Indiana,  mak- 
ing the  journey  by  team  across  the  Allegheny 
mountains.  There  he  followed  his  trade  of  a 
miller  and  millwright  until  1851,  when  he  was 
elected  treasurer  of  St.  Joseph  county  and 
thereafter  made  his  home  in  South  Bend.  He 
held  the  office  mentioned  for  five  years,  after 
which,  until  1865,  he  was  engaged  in  the  hard- 
ware business  in  that  city,  ill  health  then 
necessitating  his  retirement  from  active  work. 
His  death  occurred  in  the  year  named.  The 
deceased  was  a  Whig  and  afterwards  a  Re- 
publican and  strongly  opposed  to  slavery,  this 
attitude  being  the  principal  reason  which  in- 
duced him  to  leave  his  native  state.  He  was 
both  honored  and  beloved  among  the  early 
pioneers  of  St.  Joseph  county. 

After  completing  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  South  Bend,  Edwin  Nicar  went 
to  Wisconsin  to  live  with  relatives,  and  there 
remained  for  four  years.  Returning  thence 
to  South  Bend  he  joined  his  father  in  the 
hardware  business  and  thus  continued  until 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  responding  to 
the  first  call  of  1861  and,  as  a  member  of 
Company  B,  Fifteenth  Indiana  Infantry, 
serving  as  a  private  and  non-commissioned 
officer  until  November  of  that  year.  He  was 
then  made  second  lieutenant  and  in  Decem- 
ber, adjutant  of  the  regiment  with  the  rank 
of  first  lieutenant,  while  on  the  26th  of  No- 
vember, 1863,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  captain.     He  served  in  western  Virginia, 


570 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


under  Rosecrans  and  McClellan.  and  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Rich  Mountain.  This 
was  followed  by  scouting  duty  during  the 
summer  months,  when  his  command,  under 
General  J.  J.  Reynolds,  repulsed  the  rebels 
under  General  Lee  at  Cheat  Mountain.  On 
the  third  of  October,  1861,  he  took  part  in 
the  battle  of  Green  Briar,  while  in  November 
following  he  was  ordered  to  Louisville,  Ken- 
tuck}',  to  join  the  army  of  General  Buell, 
afterward  organized  as  the  Army  of  the  Ohio 
and  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  In  Febru- 
arv,  1862,  a  new  division  was  formed  com- 
manded  bj'  Brigadier  General  Thomas  J. 
Wood,  and  in  that  command  ]\Ir.  Nicar  served 
until  after  the  battle  of  Chiekamauga.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh  and  Per- 
ry\ille  and  in  numerous  skirmishes,  and  was 
afterward  in  the  fighting  ranks  at  Stone  River 
and  Murfreesboro,  in  the  latter  engagement 
the  fragment  of  a  shell  injuring  his  horse  and 
wounding  him  in  the  ankle — the  only  wound 
he  received  during  his  entire  army  career. 
At  this  battle,  also,  his  regiment  suffered 
severely  in  killed  and  wounded,  as  it  did  in 
many  other  engagements.  His  brigade  was 
the  first  to  cross  into  Chattanooga  and  was 
left  there  as  a  garrison  during  the  progress 
of  the  battle  of  Chiekamauga.  Afterward  the 
regiment  was  throAvn  into  Sheridan's  division 
and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Missionary 
Ridge,  where  it  lost  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
nine  out  of  three  hundred  and  thirty-four  en- 
gaged. Captain  Nicar.  then  on  staff  duty, 
was  with  General  Wagner  during  the  Atlanta 
campaign,  and  in  May,  1864,  took  part  in  the 
battles  of  Rocky  Face  Ridge.  Dalton.  Adairs- 
ville  and  Kenesaw  Mountain,  after  which  he 
rejoined  his  regiment,  which  had  been  ordered 
home  on  account  of  the  expiration  of  ser\dce, 
and  was  mustered  out  at  Indianapolis,  on  the 
25th  of  June,  1864.  His  military  career  is 
one  which  will  ever  redound  to  his  honor  as 
a  loj^al  and  brave  son  of  the  republic,  and 
as  one  whose  courage  was  founded  on  the 
rock  of  his  convictions. 

Returning  at  once  to  South  Bend,  Captain 
Nicar  remained  with  his  father  in  the  hard- 
ware business  until  1865,  when  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  a  partnership,  continuing  to  con- 
duct the  establishment  after  his  father's 
death,  or  until  1875,  when  for  four  years  he 
assumed  the  responsible  duties  of  clerk  of 
the  circuit  court.  He  then  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Oliver  Chilled  Plow  Works,  with  which 
corporation  he  has  ever  since  continued. 


In  1884  Captain  Nicar  was  married  to  Miss 
Cora  A.  Beckwith,  of  Michigan,  and  they 
have  two  sons — Edwin  B.  and  Philip  L.  Lo- 
cally Mr.  Nicar  has  held  not  a  few  positions 
of  responsibility.  He  reorganized  the  volun- 
teer fire  department  of  South  Bend  and  was 
its  chief  from  1873  to  1876.  In  1902  he  was 
appointed  minority  member  of  the  board  of 
public  works,  and,  whether  as  an  official  or 
a  private  citizen  has  always  done  his  full 
share  in  advancing  the  best  interests  of  his 
home  city.  In  his  fraternal  connections  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  the  Indiana  Com- 
mandery  of  the  Loyal  Legion  and  Auten  Post 
of  South  Bend,  No.  8.  Captain  Nicar 's  char- 
acter and  personality  are  as  well  known  in 
South  Bend  as  are  his  services  in  behalf  of 
the  Union.  Kindly  in  manner,  obliging  at 
home  and  abroad,  always  ready  to  do  a  good 
turn  for  those  less  fortunate  than  himself, 
he  embodies  many  excellencies  of  mind  and 
heart,  and  enjoys  the  appreciation  and  good 
will  of  all. 

Samuel  A.  Hilleer.  For  many  years  an 
active  factor  in  the  industrial  interests  of 
South  Bend,  Samuel  A.  Hillier,  through  his 
diligence,  perseverance  and  business  ability, 
acquired  a  handsome  competence,  and  also 
contributed  to  the  general  prosperity  through 
the  conduct  of  a  large  enterprise,  for  until 
his  death  he  was  the  leading  lumber  merchant 
of  South  Bend.  His  birth  occurred  in  Bur- 
lington, New  Jersey,  October  30,  1850.  His 
father,  Richard  Hillier,  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, and  after  coming  to  America  became 
an  extensive  shoe  manufacturer  of  Burling- 
ton, New  Jersey,  where  he  was  also  extensively 
engaged  in  the  real  estate  business.  In  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania,  he  was  married  to 
Francis  Stoll,  who  was  born  in  Switzerland, 
but  came  to  America  when  a  child  and  was 
reared  in  the  east.  They  became  the  parents 
of  nine  children,  four  sons  and  five  daughters, 
of  whom  Samuel  A.  was  the  youngest  in  order 
of  birth,  and  all  grew  to  years  of  maturity. 

After  attaining  to  manhood's  estate  Samuel 
A.  Hillier  left  his  native  city  of  Burlington 
and  came  to  South  Bend,  being  a  lad  of 
eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  arrived  in  this 
city,  his  only  capital  being  his  willing  hands 
and  willing  heart.  During  a  period  of  two 
years  he  was  employed  as  a  contractor,  after 
which  he  launched  out  into  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, organizing  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Indiana   Lumber   and    Manufacturing   Com- 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


571 


pany,  and  when  death  cut  short  his  busy  and 
useful  life  he  was  serving  as  its  manager.  In 
other  fields  of  endeavor  he  also  directed  his 
energies,  and  his  wide  counsel  and  sound 
judgTiient  contributed  to  the  success  of  one  of 
the  leading  concerns  of  the  city.  He  erected 
his  beautiful  residence  at  1104  South  Mich- 
igan street,  and  also  owned  many  dwellings 
at  one  time,  in  addition  to  valuable  farming 
land. 

On  the  8th  of  February,  1872,  Mr.  Hillier 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Martha  E.  Elder, 
who  was  born  in  South  Bend  on  the  9th  of 
January,  1851,  her  father,  John  Elder,  having 
been  numbered  among  the  early  pioneers  of 
the  city.  He  was  born  in  Scotland  November 
11,  1808,  and  in  1838  came  to  America,  lo- 
cating first  in  Buffalo.  New  York,  where  he 
followed  his  trade  of  tailoring.  In  1839  he 
came  to  South  Bend,  and  in  1847  purchased 
a  small  farm  on  South  Michigan  street,  which 
is  now  a  very  valuable  property.  His  politi- 
cal support  was  given  to  the  Whig  party,  and 
he  was  one  of  the  best  known  men  in  the  city 
of  South  Bend  in  an  early  day.  In  1842  Mr. 
Elder  married  Emily  A.  Sweet,  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  five  sons  and  four  daughters, 
namely :  Robert  and  Alexander,  deceased ; 
John  W. ;  Mary  A.  Whitten ;  William  A., 
Martha  E. ;  Amanda  A.  Williams;  Sidney; 
and  Harriet  E.,  deceased,  all  of  whom  were 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  South  Bend.  The 
loving  husband  and  father  died  on  the  7th  of 
October,  1895.  Unto  Mr.  and  :\Irs.  Hillier 
were  born  six  children:  Ada  A.;  Edith  E., 
the  wife  of  H.  C.  Kreighbaum,  of  Tulley,  New 
York ;  Forest,  treasurer  of  the  Indiana  Lum- 
ber Company ;  Glenn,  a  resident  of  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah ;  Samuel  Dale  ;  and  Martha  Fran- 
cis. Mr.  Hillier  held  membership  relations 
with  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
in  which  he  was  an  active  worker  and  a  gen- 
erous contributor.  His  political  affiliations 
were  with  the  Republican  party,  and  he  was 
one  of  the  active  temperance  workers  of  the 
community.  Death  came  to  him  while  with 
his  wife  at  Kingston,  Ontario,  whither  he  had 
gone  to  take  a  long  needed  rest,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-two  year-s,  when  one  more  name  was 
added  to  the  list  of  honored  dead  whose  earth- 
ly records  closed  with  the  words,  "Well  done, 
thou  good  and  faithful  servant." 

]\rr.  and  Mrs.  Hillier  and  son,  Dale,  left 
South  Bend  late  Monday  night,  their  objective 


point  being  Portland,  Maine,  for  an  absence 
of  two  months.  They  left  the  train  at  Kings- 
ton, intending  to  take  a  boat  for  a  trip  down 
the  St.  Lawrence  river  to  Montreal,  Canada, 
and  to  there  resume  the  journey  by  rail  to 
Portland.  Mr.  Hillier  had  been  in  poor 
health  resulting  from  heart  troubles  and  when 
they  arrived  at  Kingston  Tuesday  night  he 
became  very  ill.  A  number  of  telegrams  re- 
garding his  condition  were  sent  to  South  Bend 
and  on  Thursday  his  son.  Forest,  and  daugh- 
ter. Miss  Ada,  were  summoned. 

]\Ir.  Hillier  was  one  of  South  Bend's  best 
known  citizens.  He  was  an  excellent  business 
man,  a  man  of  high  character  and  one  who 
made  and  kept  friends. 

F.  C.  Winkler.  During  a  long  period  the 
name  of  F.  C.  Winkler  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of  St. 
Joseph  county,  and  as  the  president  of  the 
Winkler  Brothers  Manufacturing  Company 
he  is  too  well  known  to  need  introduction  to 
the  readers  of  this  volume.  A  native  son  of 
South  Bend,  his  natal  day  was  the  10th  of 
July,  1854,  and  he  is  a  worthy  representative 
of  the  sturdy  sons  of  the  fatherland,  his 
father,  Charles  Winkler,  being  a  native  of 
Darmstadt,  Germany.  When  eighteen  years 
of  age  he  left  his  little  home  across  the  sea 
and  came  to  America,  but  three  j^ears  later 
returned  to  his  native  land,  where  he  spent 
one  year,  thence  coming  again  to  this  coun- 
try and  locating  in  South  Bend.  About  1856 
he  removed  to  Ohio,  which  continued  as  his 
home  until  1862,  and  in  that  year  returned 
to  South  Bend.  During  his  residence  in  Ohio 
he  was  employed  as  a  merchant,  but  on  his 
return  to  Cass  county,  Michigan,  he  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits,  thus  continuing  until 
his  removal  to  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  in 
1891.  Again  he  returned  to  South  Bend,  and 
is  yet  an  honored  resident  in  this  city.  In 
his  native  land  Mr.  Winkler  married  Barbara 
Brickman,  a  native  also  of  Germany,  and  her 
death  occurred  when  she  had  reached  the  age 
of  sixty-eight  years.  In  their  family  were 
six  children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  all 
of  whom  grew  to  years  of  maturity  and  were 
an  honor  to  the  honored  name. 

F.  C.  Winkler,  the  eldest  child  in  order  of 
birth,  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Michigan,  re- 
ceiving his  elementary  education  in  its  com- 
mon schools  and  completing  his  training  in 
Notre  Dame  University.  He  learned  the 
wagon  and  carriage  builders'  trade  at  Niles, 
Michigan,  and  in  1877.  with  his  bz^other  Len- 


572 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


hart,  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  business 
at  what  is  known  as  Tjrutt  Corners  in  Cass 
county,  but  three  years  later  removed  to 
South  Bend  and  resumed  their  manufactur- 
ing, while  in  addition  they  also  added  the  gro- 
cery, coal  and  wood  business,  admitting 
Charles  H.  Winkler  to  the  partnership.  The 
brother  Lenhart  died  about  1897.  After  a 
time  the  grocery,  coal  and  wood  departments 
were  abandoned,  and  in  1902  the  firm  was 
incorporated  as  the  Winkler  Brothers  Manu- 
facturing Company,  with  F.  C.  Winkler,  pres- 
ident; C.  H.  Winkler,  vice-president;  Will- 
iam Knoblock,  treasurer,  and  John  G.  Grimm, 
secretary,  these  gentlemen  also  constituting 
the  board  of  directors.  In  this  large  manu- 
factory are  constructed  business  and  delivery 
wagons  of  every  description,  and  their  plant 
has  been  constantly  enlarged  to  meet  the 
growing  demands  of  the  trade. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  1879,  Mr.  Winkler  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Emma  Jane  Gardner, 
and  their  five  children  are  Sada  B.,  Jenevieve, 
Alfreda,  Frederick  Charles  and  Harold.  Ever 
since  attaining  to  years  of  maturity  Mr. 
Winkler  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  pub- 
lic affairs  of  his  community,  and  has  long 
been  accounted  one  of  the  prominent  and 
progressive  citizens  of  South  Bend,  affiliating 
with  the  Democratic  party.  He  has  earned 
for  himself  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  care- 
ful man  of  business,  always  loiown  for  his 
prompt  and  honorable  methods  of  dealing, 
which  have  won  the  deserved  and  unbounded 
confidence  of  his  fellow  men.  The  family 
affiliate  with  the  Catholic  church,  and  he  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
and  St.  Paul's  Benevolent  Society. 

John  C.  Wagner,  who  is  now  living  re- 
tired from  the  active  duties  and  cares  of  life, 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  years  of  toil  in  the 
past,  was  born  in  Peru,  La  Salle  county,  Il- 
linois, on  the  11th  of  September,  1849.  His 
father,  John  C.  Wagner,  a  native  of  Prussia, 
Germany,  came  to  America  with  his  parents 
when  about  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  after 
a  residence  in  Maryland  for  a  short  time  the 
family  came  to  St.  Joseph  county  in  1831.  At 
that  time  John  C.  Wagner,  Sr.,  entered  the 
property  which  afterward  became  the  county 
poor  farm,  on  the  Michigan  road,  which  he 
owned  and  operated  for  about  ten  years,  when 
he  sold  it  and  purchased  the  present  Stover 
farm.  At  that  time  the  property  was  owned 
by  B.  A.  Birdsell,  and  Mr.  Wagner  gubse- 
quently  disposed  of  it  to  Jacob  Stover,  father 


of  Ex-Treasurer  George  H.  Stover.  Moving 
thence  to  Mishawaka,  he  organized  the  first 
brewery  in  St.  Joseph  county,  located  on  the 
present  site  of  the  Baker  Wagon  Works,  but 
after  conducting  this  for  several  years  the 
brewery  was  converted  into  a  furniture  fac- 
tory. For  a  short  time  thereafter  Mr.  Wag- 
ner was  a  resident  of  Illinois,  and  returning 
to  South  Bend  formed  what  is  now  known  as 
the  Kamm  &  Shellingar  Brewery  Company, 
which  he  conducted  from  1849  until  1868.  In 
the  latter  year  he  sold  his  interest  therein  and 
retired  from  the  active  cares  of  a  business 
life,  his  death  occurring  when  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  His  name  was 
inscribed  high  on  the  roll  of  St.  Joseph  coun- 
ty's honored  pioneers,  and  he  performed  well 
his  part  in  the  further  development  of  the 
community.  Mrs.  Wagner,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Barbara  Meyer,  was  a  native 
of  Alsace,  France,  now  a  part  of  Germany, 
and  was  there  reared  and  educated.  Coming 
to  America  with  her  parents,  the  family  home 
was  first  established  in  Ohio,  but  later  in  St. 
Joseph  county,  Indiana,  and  she  lived  to  the 
age  of  seventy  years.  In  the  family  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wagner  were  two  children,  the  sis- 
ter of  our  subject  being  Rocelia,  the  wife  of 
John  Good,  of  Denver,  Colorado. 

John  C.  Wagner,  the  younger  of  the  two 
children,  was  born  during  the  sojourn  of  his 
parents  in  La  Salle  county,  and  when  less 
than  a  year  old  they  returned  to  St.  Joseph 
county  and  he  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Mishawaka  and  the  University  of  Notre 
Dame,  in  the  latter  institution  taking  the 
commercial  course,  while  his  preceptor  in 
mathematics  was  Judge  Howard,  the  editor 
of  this  work.  During  the  long  period  of  nine- 
teen years  Mr.  Wagner  was  proprietor  of  the 
Union  House,  and  although  retired  from  its 
active  management,  still  owns  the  building  in 
which  it  is  located,  on  the  corner  of  Michigan 
and  Center  streets.  He  also  owns  a  business 
block  at  the  corner  of  Main  street  and  La  Salle 
avenue,  as  well  as  the  commodious  home  at 
521  North  Main  street,  in  which  he  lives.  A 
Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations,  from 
1884  until  1892  he  was  very  active  in  the  po- 
litical affairs  of  his  community,  having  served 
as  both  city  and  county  chairman  and  as  a 
member  of  the  State  Central  Committee  of 
the  Democratic   party. 

In  1870  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Wagner  and  Clara  A.  Meyer,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  Meyer,  late  of  Harris  township,  St.  Jo- 


THE 

N£WY0RK       , 

'PUBLIC    LISiSARVl 

W09 


^S^d^ 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


573 


seph  eouuty.  Six  children  have  been  born  of 
this  union,  three  sons  and  three  daughters : 
J.  Edward,  of  Chicago;  Eba  B.,  at  home; 
Catharine  B.,  wife  of  John  Blakley,  of  South 
Bend;  and  Ada,  Lulu  and  Fred,  all  at  home. 
Father  Joseph  Schp:rer.  C.  S.  C.  pastor 
of  St.  Mary's  church  in  South  Bend,  was 
born  in  Zunsweir,  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden, 
Germany,  July  15,  1850.  When  but  five  years 
of  age  he  came  with  his  parents  to  the  United 
States,  the  family  tirst  locating  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  in  1866  moved  to  Portsmouth, 
Ohio,  and  in  June,  1873,  the  son  Joseph  came 
to  Notre  Dame  to  pursue  his  studies.  His 
work  therein  was  pursued  thoroughly  and 
diligently,  and  on  the  21st  of  June,  1875,  he 
entered  the  novitiate,  but  just  one  year  later, 
on  the  23d  of  June,  1876,  he  became  a  pro- 
fessor of  the  college.  In  1880,  by  Rt.  Rev. 
Dwenger,  Father  Scherer  was  ordained  to  the 
ministry,  and  from  that  time  until  1887 
served  as  president  of  St.  Isidor's  College 
at  New  Orleans.  In  that  year  he  was  made 
pastor  of  the  Sacred  Heart  church,  New  Or- 
leans, Louisiana,  and  in  1890  Avas  called  to 
St.  ]\Iary's  Academy  as  its  chaplain.  In 
1897  Father  Scherer  was  transferred  to  Notre 
Dame  as  assistant  superior  of  the  community 
house  and  pastor  of  the  congregation,  but  in 
the  following  year  he  was  sent  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  as  president  of  St.  Joseph  College.  Re- 
turning again  to  Notre  Dame  in  1904,  Father 
Scherer  was  appointed  superior  of  the  com- 
munity house,  and  upon  the  death  of  Rev. 
Father  Johannes,  C.  S.  C,  was  appointed  his 
successor  at  St.  Mary's  church,  where  he  has 
since  been  active  in  the  continuance  of  the 
work  to  which  he  dedicated  his  life  when  in 
the  prime  of  his  earlj'  manhood.  His  influ- 
ence has  been  far-reaching  and  beneficial,  his 
power  in  his  holy  office  having  been  exerted 
in  a  spirit  of  deepest  human  sympathy  and 
tender  solicitude  and  his  efforts  have  been 
abundantly  blessed. 

Rev.  a.  M.  Just,  C.  S.  C,  pastor  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  church  of  South  Bend,  was 
born  in  Harlange,  Grand  Duchy  of  Luxem- 
berg.  May  27,  1880.  His  elementary  educa- 
tion was  received  in  the  Atheneum  of  Luxem- 
berg,  but  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  in  1895, 
he  went  to  Paris,  France,  and  studied  in  the 
University  of  Angers.  In  1902  he  began  his 
travels  over  the  eastern  country,  visiting 
Rome,  Bengal,  where  he  remained  for  two 
years,  and  other  points  in  Asia.  On  account 
of  ill  health  he  then  came  to  America,  where 


he  entered  the  Washington  Catholic  Universi- 
ty, and  was  ordained  priest  on  the  2d  of 
August,  1906.  On  the  6th  of  October,  1906, 
Father  Just  was  appointed  the  successor  of 
Rev.  P.  P.  Klein  as  pastor  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  church  of  South  Bend,  where  he  min- 
isters to  a  congregation  of  one  hundred  and 
five  families. 

Rev.  a.  Zubowicz,  C.  S.  C.  For  many 
years  Rev.  Zubowicz  has  been  one  of  the  most 
efficient  laborers  in  the  cause  of  Christianity, 
and,  a  strong  and  forcible  speaker,  earnest 
and  eloquent  in  the  presentation  of  the  truth, 
his  efforts  have  been  abundantly  blessed.  He 
was  born  in  Poland  jNIarch  4,  1860,  and  in  his 
native  country  received  an  excellent  academic 
and  classical  education.  After  coming  to 
America  in  1882  he  still  continued  his  search 
for  knowledge  by  his  matriculation  in  Notre 
Dame  University,  where  he  was  subsequently 
graduated.  For  a  time  thereafter  he  was  as- 
sistant pastor  at  St.  Hed wig's  and  had  charge 
of  the  schools  for  twelve  years.  He  was  in- 
strumental in  the  building  of  the  St.  Casimir 
church  and  school,  but  subsequently  left  that 
charge  and  assumed  the  directorship  of  the 
St.  Hedwig's  school,  where  he  remained  until 
1902.  In  that  year  he  was  called  back  to  his 
former  charge  at  St.  Casimir,  where  he  has 
ever  since  been  the  loved  pastor.  He  organ- 
ized the  parish  and  all  the  societies  connected 
with  the  church,  and  was  also  special  mis- 
sionary to  the  Tarakopa  congregation  at  Roll- 
ing Prairie,  Indiana.  Rev.  Zubowicz  has  been 
an  indefatigable  worker  in  the  interests  of  his 
people,  and  in  addition  to  the  building  up  of 
his  own  charge  he  was  also  instrumental  in 
the  organization  of  the  St.  Casimir  parish  in 
South  Bend,  which  under  his  able  ministra- 
tions has  increased  from  a  population  of  two 
hundred  and  eighty  families  to  five  hundred 
and  twenty-five  families.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  C.  S.  C.  order.  He  is  thoroughly  earnest 
and  sincere  in  all  his  thoughts,  words  and 
deeds,  and  his  noble,  manly  life  has  proved 
an  inspiration  to  many  of  his  associates. 

Rev.  Samuel  Beck.  During  many  years 
Rev.  Beck  has  been  an  efficient  laborer  in  the 
cause  of  Christianity  in  northern  Indiana  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  has  the 
honor  of  having  served  in  its  conference  more 
years  than  any  minister  now  living  in  the 
county.  His  birth  occurred  in  Wayne  county, 
Indiana,  November  3,  1832,  a  son  of  William 
Beck,  who  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
in  1809.    His  father  was  Samuel  Beck,  a  na- 


574 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


tive  of  the  Old  Dominion  state  of  Virginia 
and  of  German  descent,  and  in  a  very  early 
day  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  becoming  a  resident  of  the 
commonwealth  ere  its  admittance  to  state- 
hood. His  son  William  was  but  a  lad  at  the 
time  of  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Wayne 
county,  receiving  his  education  in  its  primi- 
tive pioneer  schools,  and  in  later  life  became 
a  prosperous  and  well  known  farmer.  In 
1849  he  removed  to  Putnam  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  devoted  the  remainder  of  his  life 
to  agricultural  pursuits  and  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-four  years.  Mr.  Beck  married  Cath- 
erine Nethercutt,  a  native  of  Virginia  and  the 
daughter  of  Moses  and  Christena  Nethercutt, 
who  in  a  very  early  day  moved  from  the  Old 
Dominion  on  horseback  to  Ohio,  carrying  their 
little  daughter  in  their  laps.  Later  they  con- 
tinued the  journey  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana, 
where  Mrs.  Beck  grew  to  years  of  maturity, 
and  subsequently  the  family  moved  to  Put- 
nam county.  There,  on  November  26,  1858, 
and  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years,  she  died. 
The  Nethercutt  family  was  of  German  and 
English  descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beck  became 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  but  only  three 
are  now  living,  namely:  M.  M.,  who  served  as 
captain  of  the  Eighteenth  Indiana  Battery 
during  the  Civil  war,  and  is  now  editor  of  the 
Holton  County  Recorder  and  Tribune  at  Hol- 
ton,  Kansas;  Samuel,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  and  David  D.,  who  is  now  serving 
as  postmaster  at  Scott,  Kansas.  He  was  also 
a  member  of  the  Eighteenth  Indiana  Battery 
during  the  Civil  war. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Rev.  Samuel  Beck 
were  spent  on  a  farm  in  Wayne  county,  In- 
diana, where  he  attended  its  common  schools 
during  the  fall  and  winter  seasons,  and  when 
sixteen  years  of  age  went  to  Putnam  county, 
this  state,  with  his  parents,  but  previous  to 
this  time  he  had  taught  one  term  of  school  in 
Wayne  county.  During  the  winter  of  1849- 
50  he  taught  in  the  schools  of  Putnam  county, 
continuing  the  dual  occupation  of  teaching 
and  farming  for  twelve  years.  From  his 
youth  Rev.  Beck  possesed  a  deeply  religious 
nature,  and  as  he  grew  older  the  meaning  and 
responsibilities  of,  life  wore  a  yet  graver 
aspect  for  him,  finally  leading  him  into  the 
ministry  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
in  1858,  while  in  1864  he  entered  the  North- 
west Indiana  Conference,  his  first  appoint- 
ment being  at  Covington,  Indiana.  During 
his  subsequent  years  in  the  ministry  he  was. 


stationed  at  Attica,  Crawfordsville,  Green 
Castle,  Florenton,  Terre  Haute  and  Brazil, 
and  at  this  time  was  made  a  presiding  elder 
of  the  Frankfort  district,  thus  continuing  for 
four  years.  During  the  following  three  years 
he  was  stationed  at  Asbury,  Terre  Haute, 
after  which  he  served  six  years  in  the  La 
Porte  district,  residing  at  South  Bend,  In- 
diana. Subsequently  for  a  similar  period  he 
served  as  the  presiding  elder  of  the  Valparaiso 
district,  closing  his  term  of  service  there  in 
1902,  and  w^as  then  appointed  corresponding 
secretary  of  the  Preachers'  Aid  Society,  while 
in  addition  and  by  request  of  the  Quarterly 
Conference  he  is  serving  as  associate  pastor 
of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of 
South  Bend.  He  has  for  a  number  of  years 
been  permanently  located  in  this  city,  where 
he  owns  his  own  pleasant  residence  and  other 
property,  including  four  houses  which  he 
rents. 

On  November  18,  1854,  Rev.  Beck  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Elizabeth  Adair,  of  Put- 
nam county,  Indiana,  and  they  were  the  par- 
ents of  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  now 
living :  Emma,  the  wife  of  Rev.  J.  W.  Walker, 
D.  D.,  presiding  elder  of  the  Green  Castle 
district;  James  Watson,  M.  D.,  a  practicing 
physician  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa ;  Lillian,  the 
deceased  wife  of  Daniel  Rich,  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Rich  &  Rich,  prominent  attorneys 
of  South  Bend;  and  Bertha  E.,  the  wife  of 
Horace  Zimmerman,  circulating  manager  for 
the  South  Bend  Times.  The  mother  of  these 
children  died  in  Green  Castle,  Indiana,  in 
1875,  and  in  1876  Rev.  Beck  married  Harriet 
N.  Dunlap,  of  Perrysville,  Indiana,  and  their 
only  child,  Hubert,  died  at  the  age  of  two 
yeare.  During  his  work  in  the  ministry  Rev. 
Beck  has  filled  many  pastorates,  for  many 
years  labored  as  a  presiding  elder,  and  has 
served  more  years  in  the  Methodist  confer- 
ence than  anyone  now  living  in  the  county. 
A  strong  and  forcible  speaker,  earnest  in  the 
presentation  of  the  truth,  his  efforts  have 
been  abundantly  blessed,  and  although  he  has 
practically  retired  from  the  active  ministry, 
he  yet  earnestly  continues  the  work  to  which 
he  devoted  his  life  when  in  the  prime  of  his 
early   manhood. 

Rev.  Father  Charles  L.  Stuer,  pastor  of 
St.  Bavo's  Catholic  church,  INIishawaka,  was 
born  at  St.  Gilles,  East  Flanders,  Belgium, 
on  the  11th  of  September,  1876.  He  was 
reared  and  educated  in  his  fatherland,  pur- 
suing a  course  of  six  years  at   St.  Anthony 


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HISTOEY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


577 


College,  Renaix,  Belgium,  after  which  he  en- 
tered the  College  of  Philosophy  at  St.  Nich- 
olas, a  town  situated  a  few  miles  southwest 
of  Antwerp.  He  remained  at  that  institution 
for  about  two  years,  after  which  he  attended 
the  seminary  at  Ghent,  Belgiimi,  until  June 
10,  1900.  upon  which  date  he  was  ordained 
priest  of  the  diocese  of  Ghent.  Following 
his  first  mass  he  became  preceptor  in  a  noble 
Belgian  family,  and  at  a  still  later  date  pro- 
fessor of  French,  Flemish  and  Commerce  in 
St.  Joseph  Institute,  at  St.  Nicholas.  While 
he  was  thus  engaged  he  received  a  visit  from 
Bishop  Theophile  Meerschaert,  of  Guthrie, 
Oklahoma,  who  was  so  attracted  to  the  per- 
sonality of  the  priest  that  he  urged  him  to 
come  to  the  United  States,  but  his  own  bishop 
prevailed  on  him  to  remain  another  year  in 
Belgium,  during  which  time  he  held  the  po- 
sition of  assistant  at  Wieze.  During  this 
year  Father  Oechtering  of  Mishawka  inter- 
ceded through  Father  Stuer's  bishop  at  home 
in  Belgium,  for  a  priest  to  be  sent  here,  and 
Father  Stuer  was  thus  prevailed  on  to  come 
to  Mishawaka  instead  of  Oklahoma.  His  la- 
bors here  have  been  such  as  to  receive  only 
words  of  praise  from   all  denominations. 

Father  Roman  Marciniak,  C.  S.  C.  One 
of  the  well  Imown  and  most  generally  loved 
Polish  citizens  of  South  Bend  is  Father  Ro- 
man Marciniak,  pastor  of  St.  Stanislaus 
church.  He  was  born  in  the  city  of  New 
York  January  17,  1873,  and  was  but  a  small 
boy  when  he  came  to  South  Bend,  receiving 
his  elementary  education  in  the  parochial 
school  of  St.  Hedwig,  after  which  he  entered 
Notre  Dame  University  and  later  the  Wash- 
ington Catholic  University,  remaining  in  the 
last  named  institution  for  two  years.  He  was 
ordained  at  Notre  Dame  on  the  12th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1897,  and  was  made  assistant  pastor 
at  St.  Hedwig 's  for  one  year,  while  during  the 
following  two  years  he  served  in  the  same  ca- 
pacity at  the  Holy  Trinity  Polish  church  in 
Chicago,  Illinois.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  was  made  pastor  of  St.  Stanislaus  church, 
entering  upon  his  duties  in  this  charge  in 
1900.  His  parish  consists  of  three  hundred 
and  sixty  families,  with  a  fine  brick  church 
and  residence,  while  in  1903  he  was  instru- 
mental in  the  erection  of  a  school  house  in 
connection  with  the  church.  Father  Mar- 
ciniak is  an  efficient  laborer  in  the  cause  of 
Christianity,  and  is  proving  a  light  to  guide 
many  to  the  better  way. 

37 


Rev.  John  F.  De  Groote,  C.  S.  C.  It  is  of 
distinct  value  to  the  thoughtful  reader  to  be 
able  to  scan  the  life  history  of  one  who  not 
only  has  progressed  through  the  unaided  force 
of  his  own  personality,  but  has  achieved  suc- 
cess according  to  a  wisely  matured  plan  in 
which  the  details  seem  to  have  been  nicely 
calculated,  each  with  reference  to  the  other. 
As  a  noteworthy  example  of  this  rare  and 
strong  type  of  manhood  is  presented  the  hon- 
ored subject  named  above. 

The  Rev.  John  Francis  De  Groote,  pastor 
of  St.  Patrick's  church  of  South  Bend,  is  one 
of  the  most  esteemed  and  able  pastors   the 
city  has  ever  had.     In  seeking  for  the  causes 
which  have  contributed  to  his  success,  they 
may  be  summed  up  by  saying:    The  dignity 
of  a  moral  leader,  the  literary  ability  of  a 
teacher   and  the   eloquence   of   an   orator — a 
combination  of  qualities  which  are  bound  to 
produce  highest  results.     It  is  no  very  rare 
thing  for  a  poor  boy  in  our  country  to  be- 
come  a   prosperous   man   or   occupy   a   com- 
manding position  in  the  world,  but  many  who 
fought   their   way    from   poverty   to   wealth, 
from   obscurity   to    prominence,    retain    some 
scars  and  marks  of  the  conflict.     They  are 
apt  to  be  narrow  and  grasping,  even  if  not 
sordid  and  unscrupulous.    Father  De  Groote, 
however,  is  an   instance  of  a  man  who  has 
achieved  success  without  paying  the  price  at 
which   it  is  so   often  bought,   for  his  prom- 
inence has  not  removed  him  farther  from  his 
fellow  men,  but  has  brought  him  into  closer 
and  more  intimate  relations  with  them;    the 
more  success  he  has  had,  the  more  he  has  done 
for  those   around  him,   for  his   congregation 
and  city,  and  he  is  now  numbered  among  its 
most  prominent  citizens.     He  is  a  native   of 
Indiana,  born  in  Mishawaka  August  27,  1866, 
a  son   of  Benjamin  De   Groote,   a   native   of 
Belgium,  and  Catherine  Woods,  who  was  a 
native  of  Ireland.     His  father  immigrated  to 
America  and  became  a  prosperous  farmer  of 
St.   Joseph   county.     Until  he  Avas   fourteen 
years  of  age  Father  De  Groote  lived  at  Mish- 
awaka and  attended  the  parochial  schools  of 
his  native  city.     In   1881  he   entered  Notre 
Dame  University  and  worked  his  way  through 
the  preparatory  courses,  afterwards  taking  a 
classical  course,  with  a  view  of  preparing  for 
the    priesthood.      He    graduated    from    that 
famous  institution  with  high  honors  in  1887. 
He  later  went  to  Austin,  Texas,  as  prefect 
of  discipline  at  St.  Edward's  College,  where 
he  remained  one   year,  when  he  was  called 


578 


HISTOEY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


to  Xew  Orleans,  Louisiana,  as  prefect  of 
discipline  at  the  Holy  Cross  College  in  the 
Crescent  City.  Here  he  remained  four  years. 
Father  De  Groote  was  ordained  to  the  priest- 
hood in  1893  at  Notre  Dame,  by  Bishop  Rade- 
maeher,  of  Ft.  Wayne.  While  in  New  Or- 
leans he  was  assistant  pastor  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  church.  In  :\Iarch.  1899,  Father  De 
Groote  was  called  to  South  Bend  as  pastor 
of  St.  Patrick's  church,  to  succeed  the  late 
Father  Clark.  Under  his  careful  and  intelli- 
gent pastorate  the  church  has  advanced  in 
usefulness,  and  Father  De  Groote  has  given 
to  his  charge ,  his  earnest  thoughts  and  un- 
selfish labor.  Each  day  witnesses  the  com- 
pletion, as  far  as  lies  in  his  power,  of  the 
tasks  assigned  him.  He  does  all  things  well 
and  in  perfect  order,  realizing  that  a  power 
higher  than  his  measures  the  extent  of  his 
work.  He  is  a  man  of  rare  mental  graces,  a 
deep  thinker,  and  forcible  speaker,  whose  sil- 
very, poetic  eloquence  voices  eternal  truths 
and  points  the  way  to  practical,  useful  citi- 
zenship. Father  De  Groote  is  loved  by  all 
who  know  him,  regardless  of  church  ties. 

Rev.  Traugott  Thieme.  For  many  years 
an  effective  laborer  in  the  cause  of  Christian- 
ity, Rev.  Traugott  Thieme  has  spent  eighteen 
and  a  half  years  of  his  life  as  the  loved  pas- 
tor of  the  St.  Paul's  Evangelical  Lutheran 
church  of  South  Bend.  He  was  born  in  Ft. 
Wayne,  Indiana,  October  27.  1857.  a  son  of 
J.  G.  and  Sophia  (Bleeke)  Thieme,  the  for- 
mer a  native  of  Saxony,  Germany,  and  the 
latter  of  Prussia.  In  about  1847  the  father 
left  his  native  land  for  the  L^nited  States,  lo- 
cating in  Ft.  Wayne,  Indiana,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  clothing  business  for  fifty 
years,  and  his  death  occured  when  he  had 
reached  the  seventy-eighth  milestone  on  the 
journey  of  life.  The  mother  was  but  thirteen 
years  of  age  when  she  left  her  German  home, 
and  she  is  j^et  living,  having  attained  the 
ripe  old  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  In  their 
family  were  seven  children,  two  sons  and  five 
daughters,  all  of  whom  grew  to  years  of  ma- 
turity. 

Rev.  Traugott  Thieme.  the  eldest  son  and 
fourth  child  in  order  of  birth,  spent  the  early 
years  of  his  life  in  his  native  city  of  Ft. 
Wayne,  and  for  six  years  he  was  a  student 
in  the  Concordia  College  of  that  city,  pur- 
suing the  study  of  languages.  In  1877  he 
matriculated  in  a  college  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, in  which  he  was  graduated  in  1880,  and 
immediately  thereafter  he  took  up  his  abode 


at  Tuscumbia,  Colbert  county,  Alabama, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years  and  four 
months,  returning  thence  to  Columbia  City, 
Whitley  county,  Indiana.  For  six  years  he 
there  labored  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  period,  in  1889,  came  to 
South  Bend  and  has  since  been  the  loved 
pastor  of  St.  Paul's  Evangelical  Lutheran 
church.  A  strong  and  forcible  speaker,  ear- 
nest and  eloquent  in  the  presentation  of  the 
truth,  his  efforts  have  been  abundantly 
blessed,  for  during  his  pastorate  the  church 
membership  has  doubled  in  numbers,  the 
church  now  containing  five  hundred  and  thir- 
ty members.  In  connection  with  the  church  is 
a  school,  where  all  branches  are  taught  as 
well  as  the  Bible,  and  the  pupils  from  this 
institution  can  enter  the  eighth  grade  of  the 
public  schools.  The  school  is  under  the  super- 
vision of  two  competent  teachei*s,  and  the 
teaching  is  performed  in  German  and  Eng- 
lish, but  mostly  English. 

In  1881  Rev.  Thieme  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Anna  Roemer,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  the  daughter 
of  J.  C.  D.  Roemer,  a  prominent  merchant  of 
that  citj'.  Six  children  have  blessed  this 
union:  Rev.  Traugott  Thieme,  Jr.,  a  minister 
in  the  German  Lutheran  church  of  Saskatoon, 
Canada,  and  he  is  also  a  missionai:y ;  Anna, 
the  wife  of  Oscar  Roeder,  of  Bremen,  In- 
diana ;  and  Hattie,  Beata  and  ]\Iartin.  One 
little  son.  Otto,  died  at  the  age  of  four  years. 
Rev.  Thieme  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Synod  of  Missouri,  Ohio  and  other 
states,  and  in  its  central  district  he  is  the 
visitator  of  its  congregation  and  pastors. 

Rev.  Peter  Lauth,  C.  S.  C,  pastor  of  the 
St.  Joseph  church  of  South  Bend,  Avas  born 
at  the  bend  of  the  Mosel  river  in  Luxemburg, 
Germany,  May  24,  1834,  but  just  twenty 
years  later,  in  1854,  he  bade  adieu  to  his  boy- 
hood's home  and  friends  and  came  to  the 
United  States,  landing  in  New  York  city  on 
the  9th  of  ]May  following.  For  a  few  years 
thereafter  he  was  a  resident  of  Illinois,  and 
in  1859-60  was  a  student  in  St.  Mary's  Col- 
lege of  Chicago,  while  on  the  7th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1861,  he  came  to  Notre  Dame.  On  the 
7th  of  March,  1869,  he  was  ordained  to  the 
priesthood,  and  for  a  time  thereafter  served 
as  assistant  priest  to  Father  P.  P.  Cooney.  of 
St.  Patrick's  church  in  South  Bend,  going 
thence  to  the  St.  Joseph  church,  where  he 
served  as  its  pastor  from  1872  until  1876. 
During  the  following  year  he  served  as  presi- 


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580 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Levite  took  up  the  responsibilities  and  cares 
that  ever  fall  to  the  lot  of  those  who  will 
accept  them.  At  Plymouth  he  spent  the  very 
flower  of  his  life.  He  found  the  church  sadly 
in  debt,  the  school  not  up  to  the  standard,  and 
the  congreaation  in  tears.  He  set  himself  the 
task,  with  never  wearying  zeal,  of  giving  his 
people  a  standing  in  the  community.  He 
taught  them  by  precept  and  by  example  (and 
as  a  teacher  he  has  few  equals)  the  trutlis  of 
their  holy  religion,  and  knew  no  rest  until  the 
work  of  the  parish  school  had  attained  a  high 
degree  of  excellence.  Under  his  direction  St. 
Michael 's  Academy  came  to  be  one  of  the 
strongest  educational  factors  in  the  diocese. 
His  maxim,  "The  best  is  not  too  good  for 
my  people,"  bore  excellent  fruit  in  the 
schools;  and  above  all,  his  towering  faith 
attracted  many  outsiders  who  came;  through 
him,  to  find  their  true  home.  His  sixteen 
years  of  devoted,  persistent  work  in  Plym- 
outh is  best  illustrated  in  the  intelligence, 
loyalty  and  zeal  of  the  people  of  St.  Michael's 
parish  as  Catholics. 

Father  Moench  is  not  a  dreamer  of  dreams. 
He  is  practical,  far-seeing  and  his  sound 
judgment  has  enabled  him  to  transact  the 
business  part  of  his  duty  in  a  most  gratify- 
ing manner.  Indeed,  so  rare  is  it  to  find  a 
priest  who  possesses  the  varied  gifts  that  have 
enabled  Father  Moench  to  fill  the  difficult  role 
of  pastor,  teacher  and  financier  so  effectively 
that  he  has  always  had  his  full  share  of  the 
latter.  Wherever  he  has  been  stationed  he  has 
been  obliged  to  undertake  the  unpleasant 
task  of  removing  debts.  Plymouth  was  no 
exception.  He  found  a  small  congregation, 
a  debt  of  five  thousand  dollars  and  an  annual 
interest  of  five  hundred  dollars.  At  the  close 
of  his  sixteen  years  of  labor  he  had  the  happi- 
nes  of  seeing  this  entirely  cleared,  with  the 
addition  of  many  valuable  improvements  and 
four  thousand  dollars  in  the  treasury.  He 
was  happy  and  content  and  came  to  look  upon 
Plymouth  as  his  abiding  place  during  his 
earthly  career.  But  God  had  ordered  other- 
wise. There  was  a  vacancy  at  Valparaiso  and 
he  was  asked  by  the  bishop  to  take  up  the 
work  there. 

Like  a  faithful  soldier  who  knows  no  word 
but  "  obey,"  he  went  to  Valparaiso  in  July, 
1898,  and  found  conditions  similar  to  those 
of  Plymouth  in  1883.  Although  he  remained 
there  but  four  and  a  half  years,  he  won  the 
love  and  respect  and  esteem  of  all,  irrespect- 
ive of  creed,  race  or  party.     He  proved  him- 


self a  pastor  of  whom  his  people  were  proud ; 
a  sympathetic,  true  friend ;  and  a  citizen  and 
public  benefactor  of  the  highest  type.  On  all 
important  questions  concerning  the  well- 
being  of  the  community  his  wise  counsel  was 
sought.  He  improved  the  church,  rectory 
and  church  property  (which  he  found  in  a 
very  dilapidated  condition)  until  they  looked 
like  new.  He  purchased  the  school  property 
from  the  Sisters  of  Providence  and  made  it 
a  permanent  part  of  the  church  property. 
He  reduced  the  indebtedness  many  thousands 
of  dollars,  and  when  he  left,  non-Catholics 
united  with  his  own  people  in  a  loving  trib- 
ute of  esteem  to  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop. 
In  February,  1903,  at  the  word  of  command, 
he  took  up  the  important  work  at  INIishawaka, 
left  incomplete  by  the  death  of  the  lamented 
Father  Oechtering.  Here  he  is  following  out 
the  plan  so  dear  to  his  heart,  and  is  well  fitted 
for  the  work. 

He  is  a  most  convincing  and  persuasive 
speaker,  an  able  theologian,  a  scholar  of  wide 
and  varied  culture.  He  has  won  for  him- 
self an  enviable  reputation  as  an  educator 
of  high  rank.  Under  such  guidance  it  is  safe 
to  predict  that  the  parish  and  schools  of  St. 
Joseph's  will  rank  among  the  first  in  the  dio- 
cese. In  all  these  things,  however,  he  takes 
no  credit  to  himself,  humbly  maintaining 
that, 

"  Neither  he  that  planteth  is  anything,  nor 
he  tha.t  watereth;  but  God  that  givetli  the 
increase. ' ' 

Calvert  H.  Defrees.  In  connection  with 
business  interests  the  name  of  Calvert  H. 
Defrees  is  not  confined  within  the  limits  of 
South  Bend  or  St.  Joseph  county,  but  is 
widely  known  through  the  northern  portion 
of  Indiana.  He  is  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  earliest  families  making  permanent  settle- 
ment within  the  borders  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
and  throughout  the  many  years  which  have 
since  come  and  gone  its  members  have  aided 
materially  in  the  development  of  the  re- 
sources of  the  community  and  taken  an  active 
part  in  everything  intending  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  its  people.  As  early  as  1835 
Arckibald  Defrees  located  on  a  farm  west  of 
South  Bend,  being  accompanied  on  his  jour- 
ney hither  by  his  son,  Joseph  H.,  who  was 
a  native  of  Ohio  and  was  seventeen  years  of 
age  at  that  time.  He  was  here  subsequently 
married  to  Sarah  Calvert,  who  was  born  in 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  but  when  a 
young  lady   in   1834   came   with   her   father, 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


581 


Isaac  Calvert,  to  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana, 
where  they  were  numbered  among  the  early 
pioneers  and  where  the  father  became  well 
known  as  an  agriculturist.  Together  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Defrees  lived  and  labored  in  St.  Joseph 
county  until  their  life  work  was  ended  in 
death,  the  father  passing  away  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years,  while  the  mother  was 
seventy-six  when  called  to  join  her  husband 
in  the  home  beyond.  They  became  the  par- 
ents of  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter, 
the  latter  being  Isabel,  of  South  Bend. 

Calvert  H.  Defrees,  the  elder  of  the  chil- 
dren, was  born  in  South  Bend  on  the  5th  of 
August,  1859,  and  during  his  youth  and  early 
manhood  received  an  excellent  educational 
training,  having  attended  the  high  school  of 
his  native  city.  His  first  business  venture 
was  with  the  Stone  &  Pipe  Manufacturing 
Company,  and  after  severing  his  connection 
therewith  was  engaged  in  the  laying  of  ce- 
ment sidew^alks  and  in  sewer  contracting 
until  embarking  in  the  sale  of  cement,  lime 
and  mason's  supplies.  Later  Mr.  Defrees  be- 
came well  known  as  a  contractor  for  brick 
pavements,  having  constructed  many  miles 
of  those  pavements  in  South  Bend,  and  he  is 
now  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  cement,  building  stone,  sewer  pipe,  fire 
brick,  etc.  Thus  he  stands  today  at  the  head 
of  one  of  the  leading  industrial  concerns  of 
the  county,  and  his  prestige  has  been  won 
through  marked  executive  force,  keen  dis- 
crimination and  unfaltering  energy.  Many 
enterprises  stand  as  the  result  of  his  splen- 
did ability,  one  being  the  South  Bend  & 
Southern  Michigan  Traction  Railroad,  which 
he  built  from  South  Bend  to  Niles,  Michigan, 
and  he  has  also  done  much  contract  work  in 
this  city  and  in  Niles,  Mishawaka,  Michigan 
City,  St.  Joseph  and  Knox.  It  is  a  master 
mind  that  can  plan,  execute  and  control  large 
undertakings,  and  the  man  who  stands  at 
their  head  well  deserves  to  be  ranked  among 
the  most  prominent  business  men  of  northern 
Indiana. 

In  1878  Mr.  Defrees  married  Ellen  Curl, 
who  died  after  becoming  the  mother  of  two 
children,  William,  a  resident  of  Los  Angeles, 
California,  and  Grace,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years.  The  father  subsequent- 
ly married  Mary  S.  Brown,  and  they  have 
four  children,  Victor,  Frank,  Inez,  and  Isa- 
bel. Mr.  Defrees  has  given  a  life-long  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party,  and  is  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Masonic  order,  in  which 


he  has  reached  the  Knight  Templar  degree, 
and  of  the  Elks  of  South  Bend. 

James  Daugherty.  One  of  the  prominent 
and  well-known  citizens  of  South  Bend  and 
St.  Joseph  county  was  James  Daugherty,  who 
has  long  since  passed  away,  but  his  influence 
for  good  yet  remains  with  those  who  knew 
him,  and  his  example  is  well  worthy  of  emula- 
tion. Born  in  Adams  county,  Pennsylvania, 
March  28,  1824,  he  was  of  Irish  parentage. 
His  father,  James  Daugherty,  Sr.,  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  Emerald  Isle,  and  was  there  mar- 
ried to  one  of  its  native  daughters,  Elizabeth 
McCloggan.  After  the  birth  of  their  first 
child  they  came  to  America,  first  locating  in 
Pennsylvania,  but  later  removing  to  Canton, 
Ohio,  and  for  twelve  years  the  father  was 
a  member  of  the  teacher's  profession.  It  was 
in  the  year  1850  that  the  family  home  was 
established  on  a  farm  in  Penn  township,  St. 
Joseph  county,  Indiana,  where  the  loving 
husband  and  father  died  just  one  year  later. 

Of  their  five  children,  three  sons  and  two 
daughters,  James  Daugherty,  Jr.,  was  the 
eldest  son.  In  Wooster,  Wayne  coiuity,  Ohio, 
March  28th,  1849,  he  was  married  to  Anna 
Elizabeth  Stauffer,  also  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  when  a  little  maiden  of  five  years 
her  parents  came  to  Wayne  county,  Ohio, 
where  she  was  reared  to  mature  years,  mar- 
ried and  lived  there  until  1858.  Her  father 
was  one  of  the  well-known  and  prominent 
agriculturists  of  that  county,  as  well  as  one 
of  its  leading  public  men.  In  1864  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Madison 
township,  which  he  owned  and  operated  until 
1877,  in  that  year,  on  the  Democratic  ticket, 
being  elected  the  sherift'  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
in  which  he  served  for  two  years,  while  for 
two  terms  he  was  a  county  commissioner  and 
for  eight  years  a  member  of  the  board  of 
trustees.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  ad- 
vocacy and  adoption  of  all  measures  tending 
to  prove  of  public  benefit,  and  lived  that  prac- 
tical life  which  teaches  charity,  kindness, 
sympathy  and  benevolence.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Daugherty  were  born  eight  children : 
Charles  A.,  Alice  M.,  Minnie  E.,  John,  Emma, 
Anna,  Carrie,  and  George  M. ;  but  three, 
Alice,  Minnie,  and  John,  are  deceased.  The 
three  youngest  were  born  in  St.  Joseph  coun- 
ty, and  all  were  reared  and  educated  here. 
During  many  years  Mr.  Daugherty  carried  on 
his  agricultural  labors  in  St.  Joseph  county, 
winning  for  himself  a  name  and  place  among 
its  leading  business  men,  and  in  addition  to 


582 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


his  farm  he  also  owned  a  third  interest  in  a 
sa^^-mill  near  by.  Throughout  the  period  of 
his  residence  here  he  was  closely  identified 
with  the  locality's  leading  interests,  was  suc- 
cessful in  his  business,  and  in  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  the  20th  of  October,  1896,  the 
community  mourned  the  loss  of  one  of  its 
valued  citizens.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity. 

The  N.  p.  Bowsher  Company.  This  com- 
pany, manufacturers  of  feed-grinding  mills, 
mill  cogs,  conveyor  flights,  speed  indicators, 
balancing  ways  and  other  like  specialties,  has 
done  a  large  part  in  spreading  abroad  the 
reputation  of  South  Bend  for  reliable  goods 
and  fair  dealing.  Their  feed  mills  are  per- 
haps their  greatest  specialty,  and  have 
brought  the  Bowsher  name  to  the  favorable 
attention  of  cattlemen  throughout  the  United 
States  and  even  in  many  foreign  countries. 
The  Bowsher  Company  serve  a  widely  varied 
class  of  customers,  from  the  fancy  dairies 
along  the  Hudson  where  expenditures  for 
equipment  are  sometimes  on  a  prodigal  scale, 
to  the  humble  farm  of  the  newly  arrived  emi- 
grant on  the  extreme  northwestern  frontier, 
where  the  investment  of  every  dollar  must  be 
considered  and  planned  with  care.  The  busi- 
ness was  established  in  1882  by  the  late  N.  P. 
Bowsher  and  removed  to  its  present  location, 
corner  of  Sample  and  Webster  street,  in  1894. 

Nelson  P.  Bowsher,  the  founder  of  the 
company,  was  born  in  Noble  county,  Indiana, 
in  1845.  He  was  the  second  son  of  Boston 
and  Sophia  (Koonce)  Bowsher,  who  came 
from  Virginia  Dutch  stock  and  reached  In- 
diana by  ox-team  as  the  Pottawatomie  and 
Miami  Indians  were  leaving  it.  The  youth 
early  learned  the  trade  of  cabinet  making, 
himself  felling  the  walnut  trees  which  he 
afterward  worked  into  finished  goods.  After 
finishing  a  four  years'  apprenticeship  at 
Ligonier,  under  W.  A.  Brown,  he  spent  a 
short  time  in  Cincinnati,  which  was  then  the 
center  of  the  furniture  industry,  and  followed 
his  trade  as  a  journeyman.  In  1871  he 
walked  into  South  Bend,  a  frail-looking 
young  man  of  twenty-six,  but  charged  to  the 
brim  with  energy  and  dauntless  spirit.  He 
first  secured  employment  in  the  overhauling 
of  the  Keedy  &  Loomis  flouring  mills,  where 
his  industry  and  mechanical  skill  and  insight 
brought  prompt  recognition.  Soon  after  he 
was  employed  by  Bissel  &  DeCamp,  machin- 
ists and  millwrights,  and  his  next  engagement 
was  in  the  pattern  department  of  the  Oliver 


Plow  "Works.  The  eight  years  of  his  associa- 
tion with  the  latter  firm  established  his  rep- 
utation as  both  an  originator  and  an  expert 
mechanic,  but,  to  their  mutual  regret,  ill 
health  compelled  him  to  sever  these  relations. 

Several  years  before  Mr.  Bowsher  had  pat- 
ented his  speed,  or  motion  indicator,  and  as 
his  health  compelled  him  to  adopt  an  outdoor 
life  he  took  a  horse  and  wagon  and  com- 
menced to  install  his  devices  in  the  small 
flouring  mills  of  the  country.  Eight  months 
each  year  he  spent  in  travel  and  four  months 
in  the  manufacture  of  goods.  In  this  way 
he  virtually  covered  the  northwest,  and  in 
1884,  with  restored  vigor,  located  in  South 
Bend,  on  the  old  West  race,  and  opened  a  job 
machine  and  blacksmith  shop  there.  Busi- 
ness continued,  with  varying  seasons  of 
growth  and  discouragement,  until  the  close  of 
the  World's  Fair  year,  1893.  By  this  time 
it  had  so  expanded  that  Mr.  Bowsher  was 
justified  in  removing  to  the  present  location. 
The  finest  exclusive  display  of  feed  mills  at 
the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  was  made 
by  Mr.  Bowsher,  and  his  company  later  main- 
tained its  reputation  at  the  fairs  held  at  At- 
lanta, Omaha,  and  St.  Louis. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Bowsher  occurred  in  May 
of  1898,  and  during  the  last  six  years  of  his 
life  he  was  a  semi-invalid.  During  this  period 
the  responsibilities  of  the  business  fell  upon 
his  sons,  D.  D.  and  J.  C,  Who  were  thus 
trained  to  carry  forward  the  work  he  had 
established.  The  company  was  incorporated 
in  1897.  The  business  done  today  is  c  Juble 
what  it  was  at  the  time  of  its  founder's  death, 
the  works  having  been  enlarged,  new  machin- 
ery installed  and  other  changes  brought  about 
to  make  the  plant  an  up-to-date  concern. 

The  deceased  was  an  active  factor  in  the 
public  improvements  of  South  Bend.  From 
1884  to  1887  he  was  a  member  of  its  board 
of  water  works,  and  he  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  establishing  the  city's  fine  supply 
of  artesian  water.  In  religious  and  charitable 
matters  he  was  also  a  leader,  being  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  one 
,of  its  trustees.  Generous  hearted  in  all  his 
dealing's  with  his  fellows,  by  his  will  he  left 
a  thousand  dollars  to  the  Epworth  Hospital 
building  fund,  which  nucleus  went  far  to- 
ward encouraging  the  active  promoters  and 
friends  of  this  enterprise  in  renewed  effort 
for  the  completion  of  the  work.  When  build- 
ing operations  commenced  his  sons  also  con- 
tributed liberally  toward  its  completion,  and 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


583 


his  widow  served  for  many  years  as  secretary 
of  the  woman 's  board. 

In  1865  Mr.  Bowsher  married  Clarissa 
Hostetter,  whose  family  emigrated  from  Ohio 
about  the  same  time  as  his  own  and  settled 
on  an  adjoining  section  of  land.  Mrs.  Bow- 
sher's  elder  brother  was  the  first  white  child 
born  in  Noble  county.  Mr.  Bowsher 's  first 
wife,  who  was  a  most  earnest  and  loving  help- 
mate, died  in  1892,  and  the  deep  grief  and 
shock  caused  thereby  undoubtedly  weakened 
his  vitality  to  a  point  which  brought  about  a 
recurrence  of  his  former  illness.  His  second 
wife  was  Miss  Laura  Caskey,  of  South  Bend, 
to  whom  lie  was  married  in  1897,  but  he  sur- 
vived her  less  than  a  year. 

Delevan  D.  Bov^^sher,  president  and  treas- 
urer of  the  company,  was  born  in  Ligonier, 
in  the  year  1868,  and  his  parents  removed  to 
South  Bend  upon  his  third  birthday.  In 
188-1  he  graduated  from  the  High  School,  was 
connected  for  a  short  time  with  the  Tribune 
Printing  Company,  and  was  then  taken  into 
his  father's  shop,  where  he  worked  as  a  me- 
chanic in  the  day  and  as  a  bookkeeper  at 
night.  With  the  growth  of  the  business  all 
his  time  was  given  to  the  office  and  the  adver- 
tising side  of  the  business,  and  the  success 
of  the  company  is  largely  a  testimonial  to  his 
efficiency  in  these  departments.  He  resides 
in  the  old  home  at  No.  805  West  Washington 
street. 

Jay  C.  Bowsher,  the  vice-president  of  the 
company,  w^as  born  in  South  Bend  in  1872, 
and.  practically  his  entire  life  has  been  spent 
in  the  city.  He  was  educated  in  the  High 
School  and  through  special  studies.  Travel 
from  home,  with  business  responsibilities 
laid  upon  him  at  an  early  age,  rounded  out 
the  work  of  the  class-room.  He  has  always 
given  special  attention  to  the  mechanical  de- 
partment of  the  business,  has  taken  out  a 
number  of  valuable  patents,  and  in  these  re- 
gards has  done  credit,  in  a  marked  degree,  to 
his  father's  name.  Mr.  Bowsher  was  married, 
in  1898,  to  Eva  A.  Spencer.  They  have  two 
children  and  reside  in  a  very  comfortable 
home  at  No.  828  West  Colfax  avenue. 

John  C.  Knoblock.  No  more  honored 
family  exists  in  northern  Indiana  than  that 
of  the  Knoblocks,  who  from  a  very  early  day 
have  been  intimately  associated  with  the  de- 
velopment and  increasing  prosperity  of  South 
Bend  and  St.  Joseph  county,  the  name  being 
inseparably  interw^oven  with  the  record  of 
their    advancement.     The   family   was   estab- 


lished here  by  John  C.  Knoblock,  who  came 
from  Canton,  Stark  county,  Ohio,  where  he 
was  born  November  3,  1830,  to  St.  Joseph 
county,  Indiana,  in  1843,  locating  first  near 
Bremen.  In  1847  he  came  to  South  Bend, 
where  he  became  one  of  its  leading  business 
men.  He  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in 
1856,  and  originated  the  wholesale  grocery 
trade  of  South  Bend.  He  organized  the 
South  Bend  Chilled  Plow  Company  in  1875, 
and  was  its  president  until  he  sold  out  in 
1890.  He  assisted  in  organizing  the  St.  Jo- 
seph County  Saving's  Bank  in  1869  and  was 
its  treasurer  until  he  died. 

He  was  married,  July  12,  1853,  to  Lizetta 
Meyer,  who  died  in  1897.  He  married  Mrs. 
Rebecca  Baer  in  1905,  who  survived  him. 
Mr.  Knoblock  died  August  18,  1906.  South 
Bend  has  had  few  more  valued  citizens,  and 
by  the  pioneers  who  knew  him,  as  well  as  the 
younger  residents,  his  memory  is  revered. 

Otto  M.  Knoblock,  son  of  John  C.  and 
Lizetta  (Meyer)  Knoblock,  was  born  in  South 
Bend  June  19,  1859,  and  has  spent  his  entire 
life  within  the  confines  of  this  city.  After 
completing  his  studies  in  its  public  schools 
he  became  a  student  in  the  Indianapolis 
Business  College,  in  which  he  graduated  in 
1876.  With  this  excellent  educational  train- 
ing he  was  well  fitted  to  engage  in  life's  activ- 
ities, and  entering  the  manufacturing  field, 
assisted  to  organize  and  was  treasurer  of  the 
South  Bend  Chilled  Plow  Company,  but  in 
1890  he  sold  his  interest  in  that  corporation 
and  turned  his  attention  to  the  manufacture 
of  wagons  as  secretary  of  the  Miller-Knob- 
lock  Company.  In  1900  Mr.  Knoblock  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  electrical  appli- 
ances as  a  member  of  the  Knoblock-Heideman 
Manufacturing  Company,  of  which  he  is  now 
the  president.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in 
the  Knoblock-Ginz  Milling  Company,  of 
South  Bend.  As  a  representative  of  the 
manufacturing  interests  of  South  Bend  he 
fills  aji  important  place  in  its  business  life 
and  has  made  the  institutions  with  which  he 
is  connected  the  leading  financial  concerns  of 
this  section  of  the  state. 

On  the  24th  of  November,  1887,  Mr.  Knob- 
lock was  united  in  marriage  to  Margaret 
Starr,  who  was  born  in  Cass  county,  Mich- 
igan, of  which  her  father  was  one  of  the  hon- 
ored early  residents,  and  they  have  one  son, 
J.  Starr,  a  young  man  of  seventeen  years. 
Mr.  Knoblock  holds  membership  relations 
with  many  of  the  fraternal  orders,  including 


584 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Ameri- 
ca, and  the  Travelers'  Protective  Associa- 
tion. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Country 
Club,  the  Indiana  Club,  and  is  treasurer  of 
the  Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society.  He 
gives  a  stanch  and  unfaltering  support  to  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party,  and  as 
its  representative  served  as  the  trustee  of  the 
city  water  works.  Upright  and  just  in  all 
his  relations,  Mr.  Knoblock  has  won  the  con- 
fidence and  high  regard  of  all  who  know  him, 
and  is  a  man  of  the  most  sterling  worth. 

Godfrey  L.  Poehlmax.  From  an  early 
period  in  the  development  of  South  Bend  and 
-  St.  Joseph  county  Godfrey  L.  Poehlman  has 
been  an  important  factor  in  their  improve- 
ment and  advancement,  but  he  is  now  living 
retired  from  the  active  cares  of  a  business 
life  save  his  connection  with  the  Muessel 
Brewing  Company.  He  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
Germany,  June  5,  1835,  and  in  1853,  when 
about  seventeen  yeare  of  age,  he  left  his  Ger- 
man home  and  came  to  America,  coming 
direct  to  South  Bend.  For  a  short  time  there- 
after he  clerked  in  a  dry  goods  store,  after 
which  he  learned  the  tinner's  trade  in  the 
hardware  store  of  Massey  Brothers,  with 
whom  he  was  connected  for  seven  j^ears.  In 
1860  he  joined  the  tide  of  emigration  to 
Pike's  Peak,  Colorado,  making  the  journey 
across  the  plains  with  a  team,  and  after 
spending  a  short  time  in  the  mountains  went 
to  the  city  of  Denver,  where  to  him  belongs 
the  distinction  of  putting  on  the  first  tin  roof 
of  the  first  mint  built  at  Denver.  Remaining 
there  for  a  time,  he  worked  his  way  back, 
making  the  return  journey  via  Council  Bluffs 
and  Iowa  City  to  South  Bend.  For  four 
years  thereafter  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk 
in  the  dry  goods  store  of  John  Brownfield,  at 
that  time  the  leading  merchant  in  the  city, 
and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  estab- 
lished in  company  with  Godfrey  Meyers  a 
hardware  store  and  tin  shop,  the  firm  being 
known  as  Meyers  &  Poehlman.  They  con- 
tinued in  business  from  1864  until  1893,  when 
Mr.  Poehlman  sold  his  half  interest  to  his 
partner's  son,  John  B.  Meyers,  the  present 
proprietor  of  the  business.  Although  Mr. 
Poehlman  has  retired  from  his  mercantile  in- 
terests, he  is  yet  a  stockholder  and  one  of  the 
directors  in  the  Muessel  Brewery  Company, 
one  of  the  large  establislmients  of  the  citv. 

On  the  10th  of  Jul}',  1864,  Mr.  Poehlman 
was- united  in  marriage  to  Anna  K.,  a  daugh- 


ter of  Christopher  and  Christene  Muessel. 
The  father  is  well  known  throughout  St.  Jo- 
seph county  through  his  identification  with 
the  brewing  business,  and  his  residence  here 
dates  from  1852,  during  all  of  which  time  he 
has  been  prominently  connected  with  the  for- 
mative history  of  the  locality.  Two  daughters 
have  been  born  to  brighten  and  bless  this 
home:  Hattie,  the  wife  of  John  Ober,  and 
Ottilia,  wife  of  Homer  Miller,  both  of  South 
Bend,  where  ]\Ir.  ]\Iiller  is  connected  with  the 
Stephensen  Woolen  factory.  During  the  long 
period  of  fifty-three  years  Mr.  Poehlman  has 
been  prominently  identified  with  the  history 
of  South  Bend,  ever  taking  an  active  and 
commendable  interest  in  its  public  life  and 
ever  honored  for  his  integrity  to  every  trust. 
He  has  given  a  life-long  support  to  Demo- 
cratic principles,  and  fraternally  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  for  fifty  years. 

John  N.  Lederer.  John  N.  Lederer,  one 
of  the  leading  business  men  of  South  Bend, 
was  bom  in  Arzberg,  Bavaria,  Germany,  on 
the  16th  of  November,  1833,  a  son  of  Fred- 
erick and  Barbara  (Kunstman)  Lederer.  He 
acquired  a  good  education  in  his  native  coun- 
try, first  attending  the  public  schools  and 
then  a  gymnasium.  In  April,  1853,  he  left 
his  little  German  home  and  sailed  for  the 
United  States,  and  after  his  arrival  came 
direct  to  South  Bend,  first  securing  a  position 
in  the  office  of  Harper  &  Company,  the  lead- 
ing manufacturers  of  this  city  at  that  time, 
and  with  whom  he  remained  for  one  year. 
During  the  following  year  he  was  an  employe 
of  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad  Company,  while 
from  1854  until  1860  he  was  a  clerk  in  a  gro- 
cery store,  on  the  expiration  of  that  period 
purchasing  a  meat  market  on  W^est  Washing- 
ton street,  which  he  conducted  until  1871, 
being  very  successful  in  that  venture.  In  the 
following  year,  1872,  Mr.  Lederer  returned 
to  his  old  home  in  Germany  to  visit  his  par- 
ents and  the  scenes  of  his  boyhood  days,  and 
on  his  return  to  this  city  he  eng-aged  in  the 
grocery  business  with  John  C.  Knoblock,  for 
whom  he  had  formerly  clerked.  So  honor- 
able had  been  his  relations  as  clerk,  and  so 
diligently  had  his  duties  been  discharged  that 
Mr.  Knoblock  was  anxious  to  admit  him  to 
partnership,  and  this  connection  was  main- 
tained until  1877. 

Disposing  of  his  interest  in  the  business 
in  that  year.  Mr.  Lederer  went  to  Nebraska 
to  look  after  his  landed  interests  there,  but  in 
1880    returned    to    this    city    and    opened    a 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


585 


steamship  agency,  also  a  fire  insurance  busi- 
ness and  was  a  notary  public.  He  is  still  in- 
terested in  these  various  enterprises,  and  as 
the  years  have  passed  he  has  enlarged  their 
scope  until  they  have  assumed  large  propor- 
tions, and  he  has  thus  won  for  himself  a  name 
and  place  among  the  leading  business  men 
of  South  Bend.  He  is  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinary-  ability,  and  carries  forward  to  com- 
pletion whatever  he  undertakes. 

In  1860  Mr.  Lederer  was  married  to  Miss 
Antinetta  Bauer,  who  died  in  1871,  and  he 
was  afterward  married  to  Miss  Margarette 
Kunstman,  a  native  of  south  St.  Joseph 
county  and  a  daughter  of  Christopher  Kunst- 
man. who  emigrated  from  Germany  to  the 
United  States  in  1849,  and  at  once  established 
his  home  in  St.  Joseph  county.  One  daugh- 
ter, Anna,  was  born  of  the  first  union,  while 
by  the  second  marriage  there  were  three  chil- 
dren :  Herbert,  who  is  engaged  in  business 
with  his  father,  and  Alma  and  Irma.  During 
the  early  years  of  his  residence  in  South  Bend 
Mr.  Lederer  served  as  city  and  county  com- 
missioner and  also  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board.  Public-spirited  and  progressive  in  all 
his  ideas,  he  lends  his  influence  to  all  meas- 
ures which  he  believes  useful  to  the  majority. 
and  throughout  his  long  connection  with 
South  Bend  and  St.  Joseph  county  has  ever 
been  recognized  as  an  earnest  and  patriotic 
citizen. 

Willis  A.  Bugbee.  Since  the  early  days 
of  South  Bend's  history  the  Bugbee  family 
have  occupied  a  distinctive  place,  and  Willis 
A.  Bugbee  is  a  worthy  scion  of  the  name. 
His  birth  occurred  in  this  city  on  the  17th  of 
September,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  Almond 
Bugbee,  the  history  of  whose  life  will  be 
found  in  another  part  of  this  work.  Willis 
A.  attended  the  public  schools  of  South  Bend 
and  Chicago,  and  in  1867  graduated  from 
the  law  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor.  After  his  admis- 
sion to  the  bar  he  entered  the  law  and  ab- 
stract office  of  Andrew  Anderson,  with  whom 
he  was  associated  until  1880,  when  Mr.  An- 
derson retired  from  the  firm  and  Mr.  Bugbee 
purchased  the  records  and  established  the 
business  on  his  own  account.  His  office  con- 
tains a  perfect  set  of  records  of  the  title  of 
every  foot  of  ground  in  the  county,  and  being 
a  painstalving,  particular  and  conscientious 
worker,  his  records  are  unqualifiedly  accepted 
by  every  real  estate  man  and  attorney  in  the 
county.      His   real   estate   transactions    cover 


millions  of  dollars,  and  the  univereal  satis- 
faction evinced  by  his  clients  speal^  for  it- 
self. When  a  man  wins  the  high  respect  of 
those  with  whom  business  and  social  relations 
have  brought  him  in  contact  it  is  by  reason 
of  his  intrinsic  honor  and  his  worthy  achieve- 
ments. In  addition  to  his  large  business  in- 
terests i\Ir.  Bugbee  is  secretary  of  the  South 
Bend  Building  &  Loan  Association,  also  an 
official  in  the  St.  Joseph  Loan  &  Savings 
Association,  a  trustee  of  the  St.  Joseph  Coun- 
ty Savings  Bank  and  director  of  the  St.  Jo- 
seph Loan  &  Trust  Company. 

jNIr.  Bugbee  married  j\Iiss  Evelyn  E.  Badest, 
of  New  London,  Connecticut,  and  they  have 
two  daughters.  He  is  a  worthy  member  and 
officer  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  and 
takes  an  active  interest  in  the  cause  of  Chris- 
tianity. 

George  Wyman.  Many  years  have  been 
added  to  the  past  since  George  Wyman,  a 
youth  of  twenty-one  years,  arrived  in  the 
city  of  South  Bend,  where  he  has  won  for 
himself  a  distinguished  position  in  connection 
with  its  great  material  industries,  being  now 
the  proprietor  of  the  leading  mercantile  estab- 
lishment of  the  city.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Painesville,  Ohio,  January  27,  1839,  his  par- 
ents being  Guy  and  Rebecca  J.  (King)  Wy- 
man, the  former  a  native  of  Manchester, 
Vermont,  and  the  latter  of  Suffield,  Connec- 
ticut. He  had  three  sisters:  Clarissa  J.,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Byron  Paine,  the  asso- 
ciate justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  Wiscon- 
sin; Ellen  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years;  and  Abby  A.,  the  wife  of  Professor 
D.  H.  Darling,  of  Joliet,  Illinois. 

George  Wyman  attended  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  city  of  Painesville  until  four- 
teen years  of  age,  and  at  that  early  age  began 
clerking  in  the  store  of  Albert  Gillett,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  one  year,  while  during 
the  following  year  and  a  half  he  had  charge 
of  the  store  of  Jarvis  Howard  at  Madison, 
ten  miles  east  of  Painesville.  At  the  close  of 
that  period  Mr.  Wjnnan  was  able  to  enter 
college,  and  accordingly  matriculated  in  the 
Commercial  College  of  j\Iilwaukee,  where  he 
continued  his  studies  for  several  months. 
Returning  thence  to  Painesville,  he  resumed 
his  occupation  of  clerking  in  the  store  of 
George  R.  Cowles,  more  conunonly  known  as 
"  Yankee  "  Cowles,  where  a  line  of  notions, 
carpets  and  dry  goods  was  carried,  and  there 
he  remained  until  he  had  reached  his  twenty- 
first  year.    It  was  then  that  he  came  to  South 


586 


HISTOEY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


Bend,  this  being  in  the  year  1860,  and  in 
August  of  the  same  year  opened  a  store  on 
North  Michigan  street,  occupied  until  re- 
cently by  T.  F.  Berkley,  and  on  the  1st  of 
December,  1865,  removed  to  what  was  known 
as  the  Colfax  Building  in  the  Marble  Block. 
Previous  to  this  time,  in  January,  1865,  he 
had  admitted  to  a  partnership  in  the  business 
Henry  H.  Metcalf  and  Garland  E.  Rose,  un- 
der the  name  of  George  Wyman  &  Company. 
Mr.  Metcalf  only  continued  with  the  firm  for 
one  year,  however,  his  interest  being  then 
bought  by  Mr.  Wyman,  but  Captain  Rose 
continued  his  association  therewith  for  about 
eighteen  years.  On  the  17th  of  September, 
1878,  the  firm  moved  to  their  present  quar- 
ters, the  building  having  been  erected  by 
them,  and  then  consisted  of  a  large  double 
store  room,  forty  by  one  hundred  and  five 
feet,  two  stories  in  height.  In  1883  Captain 
Rose  sold  his  interest  in  the  business,  and  a 
few  years  later,  in  1888,  sixty  feet  was  added 
to  the  rear  two  stories,  the  business  having 
so  increased  in  volume  as  to  make  enlarge- 
ments necessary.  In  1890  the  store  was  re- 
built, also  an  addition  of  one  store  room  on 
the  south,  twenty  by  eighty-five  feet,  while  a 
third  story  was  added  to  the  entire  building. 
With  the  passing  years,  however,  the  busi- 
ness continued  to  increase  so  rapidly  that  in 
1904  another  addition  was  made  to  the  build- 
ing, consisting  of  a  store  room  on  the  second 
and  third  floors,  and  the  first  floor  is  leased 
by  the  South  Bend  National  Bank.  In  1898 
H.  W.  Eldridge  was  admitted  to  a  partner- 
ship in  the  firm.  The  growth  of  the  business 
has  been  continuous  and  healthy  from  the 
start,  and  its  importance  to  the  city  of  South 
Bend  places  its  proprietor,  George  Wyman, 
among  the  leaders  in  its  industrial  circles, 
and  he  has  achieved  that  success  which  is  the 
result  of  enterprise,  resolute  purpose  and 
straightforward  methods.  These  are  the  only 
qualities  absolutely  essential  to  development, 
and  upon  the  ladder  of  his  own  building  he 
has  climbed  to  prominence  and  prosperity. 

John  A.  Swygart,  a  prominent  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  the  old  and  hon- 
ored pioneer  families  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
was  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  February 
23,  1856.  His  father,  George  W.  Swy- 
gart, was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  there 
continued  to  make  his  home  until  his  removal 
to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1848,  where  he  resumed 
his  trade  of  a  mason  and  contractor.  In  the 
early  year  of  1858  he  made  his  way  to  South 


Bend,  Indiana,  and  here  purchased  sixty 
acres  of  land  south  of  Sample  street,  which 
is  now  owned  by  the  Studebaker  Manufac- 
turing Company.  He  took  an  active  part  in 
the  upbuilding  and  improvement  of  South 
Bend  and  vicinity,  and  the  home  which  he 
erected  on  West  Washington  street  was  con- 
sidered at  that  time  the  finest  building  in 
the  city.  After  the  destructive  fire  he  pur- 
chased the  present  site  of  the  Oliver  Hotel, 
or  rather  the  corner  lot  on  which  the  hotel 
now  stands  and  occupied  by  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank,  there  erecting  the  three-story 
business  block  which  he  later  sold.  Subse- 
quently he  purchased  the  land  and  erected 
the  buildings  occupied  by  the  Johnson  meat 
market,  but  these  he  also  later  sold  and  then 
bought  the  property  south  of  the  city  hall  on 
Main  street,  this  being  still  owned  by  his 
estate.  Mr.  Swygart  continued  the  business 
of  brick-making,  real  estate  and  contracting 
throughout  the  remainder  of  his  active  busi- 
ness career,  his  busy  and  useful  life  being 
ended  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  He 
was  an  important  factor  in  the  improvement 
and  advancement  of  this  section  of  the  state, 
and  the  part  which  he  took  in  its  develop- 
ment well  entitles  him  to  prominent  mention 
in  this  volume.  He  was  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views,  was  at  one  time  a  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
was  prominently  identified  with  the  Presby- 
terian church,  having  erected  the  building 
previously  occupied  by  that  congregation. 
Mrs.  Swygart  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Caro- 
line M.  Moyer,  and  was  born  and  reared  in 
Pennsylvania.  She  lived  to  be  seventy-three 
years  of  age,  dying  in  Elkhart,  Indiana,  in 
1896.  In  their  family  were  nine  children, 
five  daughters  and  four  sons,  of  whom  seven 
are  now  living. 

John  A.  Swygart,  the  fourth  child  and  sec- 
ond son  in  order  of  birth,  was  about  fourteen 
years  of  age  when  he  started  out  in  life  for 
himself.  He  had  previously  learned  teleg- 
raphy at  the  Lake  Shore  depot,  and  his  first 
employment  was  as  a  brakesman  for  that 
company,  his  run  being  from  Elkhart  to 
Chicago.  Subsequently  he  was  promoted  to 
the  position  of  conductor,  but  five  years  later 
severed  his  connection  with  that  company, 
and  during  the  following  eight  years  was  a 
passenger  conductor  with  the  Wabash  Rail- 
road Company.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  accepted  the  position  of  foreman  in 
the     machinery     department,     but     fourteen 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


587 


months  later  removed  to  Palestine,  Texas,  to 
enter  upon  the  work  of  a  yard  engineer,  while 
three  months  later  he  was  placed  in  the  shops 
{IS    a   machinist's  helper.      Gradually,    as   he 
displayed  his  ability,  he  was  promoted  from 
one   higher   position   to   another,   serving   as 
foreman  of  the  shops  at  Houston,  Texas,  as 
road  engineer  for  the  International  and  Great 
Northern  for  six  months,  and  was  then  made 
traveling  engineer,  having  charge  of  all  engi- 
neers and  firemen  on  the  system.     After  one 
year  in  that  high  official  position  Mr.   Swy- 
gart  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  reconstruc- 
tion of  the  San  Jacinto  river  bridge  and  the 
road  in  that  vicinity.     He    was    next    given 
charge  of  the  International  &  Great  Northern 
Railroad  trains  and  engine  men  on  the  con- 
struction of  the  road  from  Rockdale  to  Aus- 
tin, Texas,  a  distance  of  about  sixty  miles, 
and  after  the  completion  of  this  important 
work  Mr.  Swygart  was  offered  and  accepted 
the  position  of  engineer  for  the  Wabash  Rail- 
road Company,  his  run  being  from  Spring- 
field, and  he  remained  with  that  corporation 
for  eighteen  years,  filling  the  following  posi- 
tions:   Freight    engineer    one    year    out    of 
Spring-field,  two  years  as  engineer  of  the  Kan- 
sas  City  and   Chicago   division  on  the  mail 
train,  after  which  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Chicago   and  Decatur   division   as   passenger 
engineer.     He   was  next   placed   on  the   St. 
Louis   run,   where   for   twelve  years   he    had 
charge  of  the   limited  known   as   the   Royal . 
Blue.     On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
transferred  his  connections  to  the  Rock  Isl- 
and Railroad,  but  a  short  time  afterward  was 
offered   and   accepted  the   position   of  train- 
master on  the   Chicago,  Peoria  &  St.   Louis 
Road,  where  he  remained  for  eight  months, 
returning  thence  to  the  Wabash  road  as  road 
foreman  in  charge  of  the  engineers  and  fire- 
men, while  later  he  was  made  train-master, 
which   he    continued    for   three    years.      His 
next  position  was   as  superintendent  of    the 
Missouri  Pacific,   later  was   general  superin- 
tendent of  the  Louisiana  Railway  &  Naviga- 
tion Company,  and  then  severing  all  connec- 
tions with  railroad  work,  returned  to  South 
Bend  to  take  charge  of  his  father's  estate. 
His  record  in  the  service,  however,  is  one  of 
which  he  has  just  reason  to  be  proud,  for  he 
was  ever  prompt,  vigilant  and  efficient,  and 
one  who  could  be  trusted  and  relied  upon  on 
every  occasion. 

In  1887  Mr.  Swygart  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Mattie  J.  Hollyman,  who  was  born 


and  reared  in  Hannibal,  Missouri,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Emma  Hollyman.  The  only 
child  of  this  marriage,  a  daughter,  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  Swygart  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  in  which  he  has  attained  the 
Royal  Arch  degree,  and  is  also  a  member  of 
the  order  of  Elks  of  South  Bend. 

Samuel  C.  Lontz.  Of  the  pioneer  fam- 
ilies which  have  materially  contributed  to  the 
prosperity  of  St.  Joseph  county,  and  par- 
ticularly to  South  Bend,  the  one  represented 
by  Samuel  C.  Lontz  occupies  an  important 
place.  He  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Miller 
&  Lontz,  dealers  in  coal,  wood,  etc.,  in  South 
Bend,  and  was  born  in  Cumberland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  March  14,  1847,  his  parents 
being  Jonas  and  Hannah  (Heck)  Lontz,  both 
also  natives  of  that  county.  The  father  moved 
to  Ohio  in  an  early  day,  establishing  his  home 
in  Summit  county,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
the  milling  business  until  his  removal  to  St. 
Joseph  county,  Indiana,  in  1861,  where  he 
found  employment  as  a  miller  with  the  firm 
of  W.  Miller  and  Joseph  Miller  for  some  time. 
He  lived  to  the  age  of  about  sixty-two  years, 
and  at  one  time  in  his  active  business  career 
he  represented  the  Fourth  ward  in  the  city 
council.  With  his  old  employer,  Mr.  Miller, 
he  was  one  of  the  three  organizers  of  the 
Grace  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  con- 
tinued as  one  of  its  most  efficient  and  active 
workers  until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in 
death.  Mrs.  Lontz  passed  away  at  the  age 
of  sixty-eight  years.  In  their  family  were 
eleven  children,  five  of  whom  grew  to  years  of 
maturity. 

Samuel  C.  Lontz,  the  eldest  of  the  living 
children,  was  fourteen  years  of  age  when  he 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
St.  Joseph  county,  completing  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  South  Bend.  When  seven- 
teen years  of  age  he  began  the  milling  busi- 
ness, serving  for  two  years  as  head  miller  for 
Joseph  Miller,  and  in  1886  was  admitted  to 
a  partnership  with  his  old  employer,  the  firm 
of  Miller  &  Lontz  being  now  extensively 
known  over  northern  Indiana.  They  are  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  the  sale  of  wood,  coal, 
l)uilding  materials,  farm  implements,  etc.,  and 
they  are  now  the  oldest  merchants  in  their 
line  in  South  Bend,  twenty  years  having 
rolled  their  course  since  they  established  their 
business  in  this  city.  Mr.  Lontz  is  also  a 
member  of  the  American  Trust  Company  of 
South  Bend,  of  which  he  is  one  of  the  direc- 
tors. 


588 


HISTORY    OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


In  1868  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Hen- 
rietta Harris,  and  the  only  child  of  this 
union,  Albert,  is  now  deceased.  In  1876  Mr. 
Lontz  married  Jennie  Martin,  and  two  sons 
have  been  born  of  this  marriage,  Daniel  R., 
and  Harley  C,  who  are  engaged  in  business 
with  their  father.  Mr.  Lontz  has  been  a  life- 
long Republican,  and  has  twice  represented 
his  w^ard  in  the  city  council  and  was  also 
trustee  of  the  water  works.  Fraternally  he 
has  attained  the  third  degree  in  the  Masonic 
order,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Elks  and 
the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  takes  a  deep 
interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  wel- 
fare of  his  town  and  county,  and  contributes 
liberally  to  the  support  of  all  measures  for 
the  public  good. 

WiLLLUi  I.  Hunt.  William  I.  Hunt  may 
well  be  termed  a  representative  citizen  of 
South  Bend,  as  well  as  one  of  its  leading  busi- 
ness men,  for  as  proprietor  of  the  Vehicle 
Exchange,  located  at  664  and  666  Laporte 
avenue,  he  is  well  known  to  its  citizens.  He 
was  born  in  Dodge  county,  Wisconsin,  July 
22,  1863,  a  son  of  W.  D.  and  Diantha  (Dun- 
ham) Hunt,  both  of  whom  are  yet  living  and 
residents  of  this  city.  The  father,  a  native 
of  Tioga  county.  New  York,  w^as  one  of  the 
early  pioneers  in  Washington  count}^,  Wis- 
consin, having  resided  there  as  early  as  1853. 
and  became  well  known  as  a  wagon-maker, 
following  that  occupation  in  the  days  when 
work  was  done  by  hand. 

William  I.  Hunt,  the  youngest  of  his  par- 
ents' four  sons,  inherited  the  love  of  his  trade 
from  his  father,  for  when  large  enough  to 
handle  the  tools  he  began  working  at  the 
wagon-maker 's  trade,  becoming  proficient ,  in 
the  calling  as  the  years  grew  apace  and  finally 
winning  for  himself  a  leading  place  in  manu- 
facturing circles.  In  1903  the  Hunt  Brothers 
Manufacturing  Company  was  formed,  while 
three  years  later  the  brother  George  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  partnership,  the  name  continu- 
ing the  same  until  in  1905  William  I.  Hunt 
withdrew  from  the  firm  and  in  the  following 
year  built  the  plant  of  the  Vehicle  Exchange, 
of  which  he  is  the  sole  owner.  His  place  is 
equipped  with  all  the  necessary  appliances, 
and  employment  is  furnished  to  a  number  of 
skilled  worlnnen.  From  the  inception  of  his 
business  career  until  the  present  time  he  has 
been  steadily  advancing  until  he  now  occu- 
pies a  very  creditable  and  enviable  position 
in  the  ranks  of  the  business  men  of  St.  Joseph 
county. 


In  1886  Mr.  Hunt  married  Hettie  Jewett, 
who  died  in  1898,  leaving  one  son,  Jay  Jew- 
ett, at  home  with  his  father.  In  the  following 
year,  1899,  Mr.  Hunt  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Ida  Barhardt,  but  no  children  have  been 
born  of  this  union.  In  his  political  views  he 
is  a  supporter  of  Republican  principles,  and 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  issues  and  ques- 
tions of  the  day,  at  the  same  time  laboring 
earnestly  to  promote  the  growth  and  pros- 
perity of  the  community  in  which  he  has  so 
long  resided. 

,  Francis  M.  Cald\nt:ll.  The  true  measure 
of  individual  success  is  determined  by  what 
one  has  accomplished,  and  in  connection  with 
the  industrial  interests  of  South  Bend,  with , 
its  real  estate  and  loans,  Francis  M.  Caldwell 
has  gained  recognition  as  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative citizens  of  St.  Joseph  county.  He 
■was  born  in  Xenia.  Ohio,  March  12,  1851,  and 
on  the  paternal  side  is  descended  from  Mary 
Jackson,  his  grandmother,  who  w^as  a  cousin 
of  Old  Hickory  Jackson  and  a  sister  of  Gen- 
eral Robert  Jackson.  The  family  is  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent.  The  parents  of  our  subject  are 
John  M.  and  ]\Iary  Ann  (Nichol)  Caldwell, 
both  natives  of  Ohio.  The  father,  who  w^as 
a  .farmer  and  stock-raiser  by  occupation,  re- 
moved to  Illinois  in  1855.  He  left  Xenia, 
Ohio,  with  one  thousand  sheep  and  one  shep- 
herd dog,  and  took  them  safely  to  Illinois. 
He  took  up  his  abode  in  Warren  county  of 
that  state,  and  was  there  engaged  in  farming 
until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death  in 
1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of  War- 
ren county,  Illinois,  Francis  M.  Caldwell  en- 
tered Monmouth  College,  where  he  gained  an 
excellent  education.  When  the  time  came  to 
enter  upon  a  business  life  he  embarked  in  the 
building,  loan,  real  estate  and  insurance  busi- 
ness, and  during  his  connection  therewith  he 
held  several  important  positions,  having  been 
the  general  traveling  loan  agent  in  Indiana 
and  Michigan  for  the  Indianapolis  Loan 
Company.  Many  other  positions  of  trust  and 
responsibility  were  awarded  him  as  he  demon- 
strated his  true  w^orth  and  ability.  In  1902 
Mr.  Caldwell  became  a  resident  of  South 
Bend  and  took  charge  of  the  La  Salle  Build- 
ing and  Loan  Company,  and  the  St.  Joseph 
County  Real  Estate  Company,  which  are  very 
successful  corporations,  and  under  his  man- 
agement they  have  achieved  successes.  In 
addition  to  his  connection  with  these  com- 
panies he  is  also  engaged  privately  in  the  real 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


589 


estate  business,  and  is  numbered  among-  the 
representative  business  men  of  South  Bend. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  Caldwell  was  cele- 
brated in  July,  1904,  when  Anna  Schmidt,  of 
Burr  Oak,  Michig-an,  became  his  wife.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  Lodge  No. 
294,  also  of  the  Chapter  and  Commandery, 
and  is  council  commander  of  the  Modern 
Maccabees  of  South  Bend.  He  is  a  worthy 
and  consistent  member  of  the  Congregational 
church. 

James  Q.  C.  Vanden  Bosch.  The  late 
James  Q.  C.  Vanden  Bosch,  who  passed  away 
at  his  home  in  South  Bend,  April  20,  1907, 
was  a  highly  respected  resident  of  that  place 
for  nearly  half  a  century.  Quite  early  in  his 
industrious  and  useful  life  he  amassed  con- 
siderable wealth  in  western  mining  ventures, 
and,  by  far-seeing  investments  in  various  in- 
dustries and  property  in  St.  Joseph  county, 
added  to  his  fortune  so  that  the  later  years 
of  his  venerable  life  were  spent  in  the  repose 
which  his  long  period  of  intelligently  directed 
labors  had  justly  earned  him.  He  was  a 
typical  Hollander,  of  the  higher  class,  intelli- 
gent and  educated.  His  loss  is  deeply  felt  by 
loving  relatives  and  many  friends  knit  closely 
to  him  by  his  steadfast  character  and  thought- 
ful acts.  The  deceased  was  also  a  man  of 
remarkable  determination,  business  ability 
and  balanced  strength  of  character. 

James  Q.  C.  Vanden  Bosch  was  born  in  the 
Netherlands,  on  the  17th  of  October,  1824, 
and  when  ten  years  of  age  was  sent  to  Ger- 
many to  pursue  his  education  at  school  at 
Neuwied  on  the  Rhine,  Germany.  He  com- 
pleted his  education  at  Lausanne,  Switzer- 
land, and  he  paid  particular  attention  to 
chemistry  and  metallurgy.  After  complet- 
ing his  studies  he  made  several  voyages 
to  the  East  Indies,  but  the  climate  of  the 
tropics  threatening  his  health  he  returned  to 
Holland,  and  in  1848  emigrated  to  America. 
He  first  settled  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  where 
he  was  bookkeeper  in  a  hardware  store.  But, 
like  other  enterprising  Europeans,  the  east 
was  but  a  station  for  the  collection  of  funds, 
for  inquiry  and  investigation,  in  anticipation 
of  a  westward  journey  and  final  settlement. 
In  1849  Mr.  Vanden  Bosch  started  for  what 
was  then  the  west,  and,  arriving  in  South 
Bend,  found  a  position  there  as  clerk  and 
bookkeeper  in  the  general  store  of  Leonard 
Harris,  which  position  he  held  for  about  two. 
years.  The  excitement  of  mineral  discoveries 
in  the  real  west  was  then  at  its  height,  and. 


having  saved  a  tidy  little  simi,  he  joined  the 
caravan  of  fortune-seekers  wending  their 
way  toward  the  Pacific  coast,  his  special  des- 
tination being  Oregon.  For  ten  years  he  was 
actively  and  profitably  engaged  in  mining  in 
the  vicinity  of  Roseburg,  after  which  he 
headed  his  horse  toward  central  Nevada. 
There  he  surveyed  the  site  and  founded  the 
city  of  Austin,  Lander  county,  and  also  dis- 
covered the  Reese  river  silver  mining  coun- 
try, which  has  since  produced  millions  of  dol- 
lars of  that  metal.  For  three  years  he  con- 
tinued his  mining  operations  in  that  locality, 
being  at  one  time  at  the  head  of  the  Oregon 
Mill  &  Mining  Company,  but  at  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  sold  his  interests  to 
the  Manhattan  Company  of  New  York,  which 
corporation  has  since  taken  out  twelve  inil- 
lions  of  dollars  from  the  mine. 

From  Nevada  Mr.  Vanden  Bosch  returned 
to  South  Bend,  in  1866,  being  now  in  such 
comfortable  circumstances  that,  accompanied 
by  his  wife  and  four  children,  he  spent  a 
year  of  rest  and  recreation  in  a  European 
trip.  He  then  located  in  South  Bend  as  his 
home,  established  the  first  wood-pulp  mills  in 
that  locality  and  invested  largely  in  real  es- 
tate throughout  St.  Joseph  county.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  owned  two  hundred  acres 
of  land  five  miles  south  of  South  Bend,  and 
valuable  property  in  the  city,  as  well  as  at 
Mishawaka.  The  pleasant  family  home  is  lo- 
cated at  No.  529  West  Washington  street. 

In  1851  Mr.  Vanden  Bosch  was  married 
to  Mary  Jane  Smith,  daughter  of  Colonel 
John  Smith,  of  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana, 
and  their  three  living  daughters  are :  Sarah 
Louisa,  wife  of  Henry  Beiger,  of  Mishawaka; 
Mary  Alice,  now  Mrs.  Clem  W.  Studebaker, 
of  South  Bend;  and  Cornelia  Adrina,  living 
at  home.  The  oldest  child  was  John  Walter, 
who  died  April  22,  1899,  leaving  his  wife  and 
one  son,  James  W.  He  was  for  many  years 
engaged  with  his  father  in  all  his  business 
enterprises.  Mr.  James  Q.  C.  Vanden  Bosch 
was  a  firm  Republican  and,  in  his  fraternal 
relations,  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic 
order  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. Following  the  lines  of  the  national 
character  he  was  domestic  in  his  tastes,  and, 
with  the  throwing  aside  of  business  cares, 
he  had  no  inclination  to  assume  any  burdens 
in  behalf  of  the  public. 

Albert  M.  Harris.  Among  the  families 
which  have  been  prominent  in  the  history  of 
St.  Joseph  county  from  an  early  period  in  its 


590 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


development  may  be  mentioned  the  Harrises, 
who  established  their  home  within  its  borders 
during  the  pioneer  epoch,  and  its  township 
of  Harris  was  named  in  their  honor,  as  was 
also  Harris  Prairie.  The  grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  review  was  the  founder  of  the 
family  here,  and  he  was  numbered  among 
the  honored,  early  pioneers  of  Harris  town- 
ship. His  son,  James  Harris,  was  a  native 
son  of  Pennsylvania,  and  he  became  the 
father  of  twelve  children,  six  sons  and  six 
daughters,  of  whom  Albert  M.  of  this  review, 
was  the  seventh  child  and  fifth  son  in  order 
of  birth. 

Mr.  Albert  M.  Harris,  one  of  the  leading 
representatives  of  this  honored  pioneer  fam- 
ily, is  well  known  throughout  St.  Joseph 
county  as  the  proprietor  of  the  South  Bend 
Spark  Arrester  Company.  His  birth  occurred 
in  Clay  township,  St.  Joseph  county,  Sep- 
tember 30,  1850,  and  he  was  about  five  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  to 
Portage  township,  where  he  grew  to  years  of 
maturity,  and  his  educational  training  was 
received  in  the  schools  of  South  Bend.  Dur- 
ing his  early  business  career  he  was  engaged 
in  the  tin  and  general  merchandise  industry 
in  company  with  Levi  Steadman.  In  1886 
he  turned  his  attention  to  his  present  indus- 
try, the  manufacture  of  spark  arresters,  and 
in  1890  formed  the  company  known  as  the 
South  Bend  Spark  Arrester  Company,  but 
after  the  death  of  W.  H.  Kingsby  Mr.  Harris 
purchased  the  entire  stock  and  has  since  been 
the  sole  proprietor  of  this  large  and  con- 
stantly increasing  industry.  To  his  enterprise 
and  thorough  reliability  the  success  of  the 
business  is  largely  due,  and  to  his  efforts  may 
be  attributed  its  high  standing  in  financial 
circles. 

In  1881  Mr.  Harris  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Elva  Loutz,  whose  death  occurred  in  1893, 
leaving  two  children,  Bessie  and  Jay.  In 
1896  Mr.  Harris  wedded  Maggie  Holem,  and 
their  only  child  is  a  daughter,  Margaret.  He 
is  independent  in  his  local  political  affilia- 
tions, voting  for  the  men  whom  he  regards 
best  qualified  for  publie  office,  and  he  at  all 
times  takes  an  active  part  in  the  advocacy 
and  adoption  of  all  measures  tending  to  prove 
of  public  benefit.  He  is  now  the  only  repre- 
sentative of  the  once  large  and  happy  family 
which  gathered  around  the  table  of  the  pio- 
neer settler,  James  Harris.  He  is  a  man  of 
unquestioned  integrity  in  all  business  trans- 
actions, is  progressive  in  his  methods,  and  the 


success  and  prosperity  he  has  achieved  are  the 
deserved  reward  of  honorable  labor. 

Frederick  W.  Mueller.  "When  one  is  able 
to  say  of  a  grocery  house  that  it  has  been  in 
existence  and  doing  an  extensive  business  for 
the  long  period  of  twenty-seven  years  it  must 
argue  strong  business  vitality  and  the  con- 
ducting of  the  establishment  along  estab- 
lished commercial  lines.  This  is  true  of  the 
well-known  Mueller  grocery  house,  and  to  its 
proprietor,  Frederick  W.  IMueller,  belongs 
the  honor  of  being  the  third  oldest  grocer  in 
point  of  years  of  continuous  service  in  South 
Bend.  His  birth  occurred  in  Jefferson,  Wis- 
consin, October  2,  1853,  a  son  of  John  Martin 
and  Elizabeth  B.  (Meyer)  Mueller,  both  na- 
tives of  Germany.  They  came  to  America  in 
1847.  making  their  way  at  once  to  South 
Bend,  but  after  a  residence  in  this  city  of  six 
months  they  went  to  Jefferson.  Wisconsin, 
where  Mr.  John  M.  Mueller,  who  was  an  agri- 
culturist, took  up  land.  Later,  however,  he 
began  work  at  the  carpenter's  trade  and  in 
the  hotel  b^^siness,  and  his  death  occurred  in 
Jefferson  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  Mrs. 
Mueller  survived  him  for  many  years,  and 
died  in  Wisconsin  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years.  Of  their  children  four  sons  and  one 
daughter  are  now  living. 

Frederick  W.  Mueller,  the  second  child  and 
eldest  son  in  order  of  birth,  spent  the  early 
years  of  his  life  in  the  place  of  his  nativity, 
receiving  his  education  in  its  common  schools. 
When  he  had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen  years 
he  left  home  and  served  his  time  at  the  har- 
ness-maker's trade.  It  was  in  1872  that  he 
came  to  South  Bend  and  worked  at  his  trade 
as  harness-maker  until  December,  1873.  He 
served  as  a  clerk  for  L.  Nickel  from  1874 
until  1880,  when  he  established  his  grocerv^ 
store  on  the  corner  of  Jefferson  and  Michigan 
streets,  continuing  at  that  location  for  twen- 
ty-six years.  On  the  18th  of  November,  1906, 
he  moved  into  his  present  handsome  building, 
217  East  Jefferson  street.  He  is  one  of  the 
oldest  grocery  dealers  and  most  highly 
esteemed  citizens  of  South  Bend,  and  one  of 
its  best-known  business  men.  His  interests 
here  are  many  and  varied,  for  in  addition  to 
being  proprietor  of  one  of  its  leading  grocery 
houses  he  is  also  treasurer  of  the  South  Bend 
Wholesale  Grocery  Company,  a  stockholder 
and  a  director  in  the  Citizens  National  Bank, 
and  a  stockholder  in  the  Citizens  Loan  & 
Trust  Company. 

In  1880  Mr.  Mueller  was  united  in  mar- 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


591 


riage  to  Anna  M.  Sack,  whose  father.  Dr. 
John  C.  Sack,  was  numbered  among  the  hon- 
ored, old  pioneer  physicians  of  St.  Joseph 
county.  She  is  a  native  daughter  of  South 
Bend.  Six  children  have  been  born  to  bless 
their  union,  Edward,  Thekla,  E.  Margaret, 
Gertrude  A.,  Ella  and  Walter  S.  Mr.  Muel- 
ler is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  affiliations, 
while  fraternally  he  holds  membership  rela- 
tions with  the  Masonic  order,  and  the  Odd 
Fellows  of  South  Bend.  He  is  an  active,  hon- 
orable and  highly  esteemed  citizen  and  busi- 
ness man,  and  enjoys  to  the  fullest  extent  the 
highest  regards  of  the  community. 

Delmar  C.  Leer.  Connected  with  the  real 
estate  business,  Delmar  C.  Leer  is  well  known 
in  South  Bend,  where  he  has  resided  through- 
out his  entire  life  and  where  the  family  have 
long  been  prominently  identified  with  its  in- 
terests. As  early  as  1830  his  grandfather, 
Samuel  Leer,  journeyed  to  this  city,  where 
he  built  the  little  log  hoiise  which  stands  on 
Vistula  avenue,  one  of  the  first  houses  erected 
on  that  street  and  one  of  the  valuable  old 
landmarks  of  South  Bend.  His  son  Jacob, 
the  father  of  Delmar  C.  Leer,  and  who  was 
born  in  Miami  county,  Indiana,  was  but  a 
babe  of  tliree  years  when  he  was  brought  by 
his  parents  to  this  city,  and  he  continued  to 
live  and  labor  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  his 
son  Delmar  until  his  busy  and  useful  life  was 
ended,  death  claiming  him  when  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  Two  of 
his  children  are  now  living,  a  son  and  daugh- 
ter Kathryn. 

The  former,  Delmar  C.  Leer,  is  a  native 
son  of  the  city  of  South  Bend,  his  birth  here 
occurring  on  the  3d  of  July,  1869,  and  in  its 
public  schools  he  received  his  educational 
training.  Upon  reaching  the  age  of  twenty 
years  he  embarked  in  the  real  estate  business, 
having  ever  since  been  extensively  engaged  in 
the  buying  and  selling  of  property,  and  he 
now  owns  about  one  hundred  lots  and  has 
built  about  forty  residences.  He  has  platted 
two  additions,  known  as  First  and  Second 
Leer  Additions  to  South  Bend.  In  the  line 
of  his  endeavor  he  has  proved  a  valuable  fac- 
tor to  the  business  life  of  South  Bend,  and  is 
rapidly  winning  for  himself  a  name  in  con- 
nection with  its  industrial  interests  that  is 
widely  known.  His  interests  are  many  and 
varied,  and  include  the  vice-presidency  of  the 
South  Bend  Brick  Company. 

In  1892  Mr.  Leer  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Elnora  Denslow,  the  daughter  of  Robert 


and  Mary  Denslow,  and  their  only  child  is  a 
son,  Bertram  R.  Mr.  Leer  is  prominent  in 
the  social  as  well  as  the  business  life  of  his 
community,  and  his  fraternal  relations  con- 
nect him  with  the  Elks  and  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

W.  K.  McHenry.  who  is  identified  with 
the  manufacturing  and  real  estate  interests 
of  South  Bend,  was  fcorn  in  county 
Antrim,  Ireland.  He  received  his  edu- 
cation in  Belfast,  Ireland,  where  he  at- 
tended a  Methodist  college.  In  1892  he  left 
his  home  in  the  old  world  and  sailed  for  the 
United  States,  and  after  his  arrival  in  this 
country  went  at  once  to  Salina,  Kansas, 
where  for  seven  years  he  was  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  dry  goods  business.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period,  in  1899,  he  came  to 
South  Bend,  and  in  company  with  his 
brothers,  Daniel  and  John,  engaged  in  the 
dry  goods  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
McHenry  &  Company.  In  1901,  however, 
this  firm  dissolved  partnership,  the  brothers 
engaging  in  the  manufacture  of  roofing  and 
machinery.  About  that  time  he  also  em- 
barked in  the  real  estate  and  insurance  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  has  been  successfully  en- 
gaged to  the  present  time.  He  is  a  business 
man  of  more  than  ordinary  ability  and  carries 
forward  to  completion  whatever  he  under- 
takes. In  his  fraternal  relations  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Ell^,  and  is  also  connected  with  the  Com- 
mercial Athletic  Club. 

William  T.  Wyant.  One  of  the  leading 
citizens  and  influential  business  men  of  South 
Bend  during  the  past  ten  years,  Mr.  William 
T.  Wyant  is  well  known  in  industrial  circles 
through  his  connection  ^  with  the  South  Bend 
Cold  Storage  Company,  of  which  he  is  the 
president  and  manager.  His  birth  occurred 
in  Plymouth,  Marshall  county,  Indiana,  Au- 
gust 5,  1866,  a  son  of  William  and  Lydia 
(Clemens)  Wyant,  also  of  that  county,  where 
they  reared  their  son  William  to  years  of 
maturity  and  gave  to  him  the  advantages  of 
a  common-school  education.  In  his  native 
city  of  Plymouth  he  began  his  business  career 
as  a  butter  maker,  spending  eight  years  in 
that  occupation  with  the  Plymouth  Creamery, 
and  in  that  long  period  he  learned  the  busi- 
ness in  its  every  detail.  Seeking  a  field  in 
w^hich  to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count, he  came  to  South  Bend  in  1897,  and 
in  1904  organized  the  South  Bend  Cold  Stor- 
age  Company,    dealers   in   butter,   eggs   and 


592 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


cheese,  and  in  the  same  year  the  building  in 
which  this  business  is  transacted  was  erected, 
located  at  414  and  416  South  St.  Joseph 
street.  They  are  exclusively  wholesale  deal- 
ers, and  about  four  persons  are  associated  in 
the  business.  Mr.  William  T.  Wyant  is  at 
the  head  of  this  large  industrial  concern,  and 
is  numbered  among  the  influential  residents 
of  his  adopted  city. 

In  1888  Mr.  Wyant  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Sarah  J.  Lechlitner,  of  German  township, 
Marshall  county,  Indiana.  They  are  held  in 
high  esteem  in  the  community  in  which  they 
have  so  long  made  their  home,  and  their 
kindly  social  qualities  have  won  for  them  the 
friendship  and  good  will  of  all  who  have  the 
pleasure  of  their  acquaintance. 

Samuel  W.  Stark  is  conspicuously  iden- 
tified with  the  business  life  of  South  Bend 
as  a  contractor  and  builder,  being  associated 
in  his  work  with  H.  G.  Chrisman.  Back  to 
the  land  of  G-ermany  must  we  turn  for  the 
early  ancestral  history  of  the  family,  but 
long  ago  they  left  that  country  and  crossed 
the  ocean  to  the  United  States.  There  have 
been  strong  men  and  true  as  one  generation 
has  followed  another,  men  leal  and  loyal  to 
our  national  institutions  and  to  the  duties 
of  citizenship.  Mr.  Stark's  birth  occurred  in 
Prussia,  Germany,  November  9,  1843,  and  in 
the  land  of  his  nativity  he  received  his  educa- 
tion and  learned  his  trade  of  a  builder,  hav- 
ing attended  the  Builder's  High  School  in 
his  native  city,  and  from  1863  until  1866  he 
served  in  the  engineering  corps  in  the  Ger- 
man army,  while  for  twenty-six  months  he 
was  secretary  of  the  Engineer  Guard.  In 
1866  he  joined  his  parents  in  the  United 
States,  they  having  preceded  him  to  this  coun- 
try, and  made  his  way  at  once  to  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  where  he  gradually  worked  his  way 
upward  as  a  contractor.  After  a  residence 
in  that  city  of  five  years  he  removed  to  Chi- 
cago, Illinois,  in  1871,  where  he  M^orked  at 
the  mason's  trade  until  1873,  coming  thence 
to  South  Bend  and  securing  employment  by 
the  day  with  the  Studebaker  Brothers,  where 
his  ability  soon  became  recognized  and  it  was 
not  long  until  he  was  made  their  boss  mason. 
During  his  connection  with  the  Studebakers 
he  erected  about  one-half  of  their  build- 
ings, and  he  remained  with  them  for 
ten  years,  a  faithful  and  competent 
employe.  At  the  expiration  of  that  period 
Mr.  Stark  began  contracting  and  build- 
ing,    on     his     own     account,     and     among 


the  many  large  structures  which  he  erected 
may  be  mentioned  the  Grace  M.  E.  church, 
the  German  Evangelical  church  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river  and  the  Presbyterian  church, 
all  of  which  were  erected  in  the  same  year, 
also  the  school  house  on  Lafayette  street,  the 
Studebaker  school,  the  Manual  Training 
school,  the  Christian  church,  the  Joe  Oliver 
residence  on  Washington  street,  the  Y. 
M.  C.  A,  building,  the  Russworm  har- 
ness shop,  and  it  is  known  that  he 
has  erected  more  school  houses,  churches  and 
dwellings  than  any  one  man  in  South  Bend. 
In  1898  he  became  associated  in  the  work 
with  H.  G.  Chrisman,  and  since  that  time  has 
been  identified  with  much  of  the  building  of 
the  city.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest  contractors 
in  St.  Joseph  county,  and  his  commendable 
efforts  have  made  his  success  well  merited. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Stark  was  celebrated 
in  1868,  when  Caroline  Wanner,  a  native  of 
Wellersburg,  Germany,  became  his  wife,  and 
they  have  had  four  children :  Emma,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Horenu,  collector 
for  the  Mishawaka  Brewing  Company  and  a 
resident  of  South  Bend  and  she  died  February 
19,  1899 ;  Bertha,  musical  director  for  the 
Olympic  Theater  of  this  city;  Clara,  ticket 
seller  at  that  theater;  and  William  S.,  who 
is  associated  with  the  Mineral  Point  Zinc 
Company  in  DePue,  Illinois.  Mr.  Stark  has 
given  a  stalwart  support  to  the  Democratic 
party,  taking  an  active  interest  in  the  public 
affairs  of  his  community,  and  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Masonic  order. 

Frank  Elmer  MacDonald,  secretary  and 
general  manager  of  the  St.  Joseph  Lumber 
&  Manufacturing  Company,  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  lumber  interests  since  he 
was  ten  years  of  age,  and  as  its 
representative  he  has  risen  to  a  place 
of  prominence  in  the  commercial  world.  He 
is  also  numbered  among  South  Bend's  native 
sons,  his  natal  day  being  the  twenty-eighth  of 
September,  1873,  and  his  parents.  Joseph  and 
Sarah  H.  (Smith)  MacDonald,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  the  commonwealth  of  Ohio.  The 
father  was  numbered  among  the  earliest 
residents  of  South  Bend,  where  he  be- 
came prominently  known  as  a  contrac- 
tor and  builder,  and  many  of  the  large 
and  importa.nt  buildings  of  this  county 
were  the  result  of  his  handiwork.  The 
death  of  this  honored  South  Bend  pioneer  oc- 
curred when  he  had  reached  the  sixty-seventh 
milestone  on  the  journey  of  life,  but  is  still 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


593 


survived  by  his  widow,  who  has  returned  to 
her  native  state  of  Ohio.  They  became  the 
parents  of  four  children,  two  sons  and  two 
daughters :  Jennie  B.,  the  wife  of  W.  H. 
Heck,  of  South  Bend;  Frank  Elnier,  whose 
name  introduces  this  review;  Cora,  the  wife 
of  A.  A.  Waterfield,  assistant  manager  of  the 
Ct)lfax  Manufacturing  Company  on  East  La- 
Salle  avenue;  and  Joseph  A.,  with  the  South 
Bend  Engraving  Company. 

Mr.  Frank  E.  MacDonald  received  his  edu- 
cational training  in  the  public  schools  of  this 
city,  and  at  the  early  age  of  ten  years  he 
began  to  work  with  his  father.  During  eigh- 
teen years  of  his  early  life  he  was  associated 
with  the  Indiana  Lumber  company,  working 
his  way  upward  in  that  corporation  from  a 
humble  capacity  to  the  important  position 
of  manager  of  their  east  side  lumber  yard, 
and  for  seven  years  he  continued  in  that  ca- 
pacity. In  1905  he  organized  the  St.  Joseph 
Lumijer  &  Manufacturing  Company,  with  the 
following  members:  Mr.  H.  M.  Kauffman, 
C.  P.  Greene  and  Frank  E.  MacDonald,  the 
last  named  being  made  the  manager.  After 
a  time  Mr.  Kauffman  sold  his  interest  to  0. 
S.  Hans,  and  the  present  members  and  of- 
ficers are:  C.  B.  Greene,  president  and 
treasurer;  0.  S.  Hans,  vice-president;  and 
Frank  E.  MacDonald,  secretary  and  general 
manager.  The  company  operate  a  factory  in 
connection  with  their  lumber  yard,  and 
furnish  employment  to  from  ten  to  fifteen 
men.  The  long  experience  of  Mr.  MacDonald 
in  the  lumber  business  enables  him  to  conduct 
the  duties  connected  with  his  important  posi- 
tion with  ability,  and  his  well  directed  ef- 
forts, sound  judgment  and  ^capable  manage- 
ment have  brought  to  the  company  a  gratify- 
ing success. 

The  marriage  of  Frank  E.  MacDonald  and 
Miss  Lida  Harpster  was  celebrated  on  the 
twenty-fifth  of  June,  1902.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  David  and  Amanda  Harpster,  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  two  children,  a 
son  and  a  daughter,  Horace  E.  and  Helen 
Ruth.  In  national  politics  Mr.  MacDonald 
casts  his  ballot  with  the  Democracy,  but  in 
local  affairs  he  is  not  bound  by  party  ties. 
As  a  citizen  he  is  held  in  high  esteem,  and 
as  a  business  man  he  is  rapidly  winning  a 
high  place  in  life's  activities. 

George  N.  Whiteman  has  long  been 
closely  identified  with  the  interests  of 
South  Bend,  and  today  stands  at  the  head 
of  many  of   its   leading  indastrial  concerns, 

38 


being  vice-president  of  the  Whiteman  Whole- 
sale Grocery  Company,  president  of  the  South 
Bend  Paper  Box  Company,  and  is  also  serv- 
ing as  a  councilman  at  large  of  this  city. 
He  was  born  in  Portage  township,  St.  Jo- 
seph county,  Indiana,  December  15,  1858,  his 
father  being  Abram  Whiteman,  who  came 
from  his  native  connnonwealth  of  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Indiana  in  1854,  locating  on  a  farm 
in  Portage  township,  St.  Joseph  county.  His 
entire  business  career  was  devoted  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  he  lived  to  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years,  passing  away  in  the  faith 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which 
he  was  long  a  faithful  member.  Mrs.  White- 
man  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Beeh- 
ler,  and  was  a  native  of  Germany,  but  came 
to  America  in  her  girlhood  days  and  lived 
to  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  In  the 
family  of  this  worthy  pioneer  couple  were 
nine  children,  seven  sons  and  two  daughters, 
all  of  whom  are  living  at  the  present  time. 

George  N.  Whiteman,  the  fifth  child  and 
fifth  son  in  order  of  birth,  spent  the  period 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth  on  the  old  home 
farm  in  Portage  township,  early  becoming  in- 
ured to  its  varied  duties,  and  when  not  thus 
employed  attended  the  district  school  near  his 
home.  After  attaining  to  years  of  maturity 
he  began  the  business  of  teaming  in  South 
Bend,  following  that  occupation  for  five  years, 
while  during  the  following  four  years  he  was 
engaged  in  the  confectionery  business.  Sell- 
ing his  interest  therein  on  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  embarked  in  the  wholesale  gro- 
cery business  in  1891,  at  that  time  forming, 
a  partnership  with  his  brother  William,  while 
in  1906  the  business  was  incorporated  under 
the  name  of  the  Whiteman  Brothers  Company, 
wholesale  grocers,  of  which  George  N.  White- 
man  is  the  vice-president.  In  the  same  year 
he  also  built  the  factory  known  as  the  South 
Bend  Paper  Box  Manufactory,  of  which  he 
is  the  president,  and  is  also  a  stockholder  in 
the  Whiteman  Land  company.  It  is  a  master 
mind  that  can  plan,  execute  and  control  large 
institutions,  and  the  man  who  stands  at  their 
head  well  deserves  to  be  ranked  among  the 
most  prominent  business  men  of  his  city, 
where  only  ability  of  a  very  superior  order 
is  now  recognized. 

In  1882  Mr.  Whiteman  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Mary  Borough,  but  she  died  leaving 
one  son,  Warren,  of  Chicago,  Illinois.  He 
was  afterward  married  to  Annie  Wagner,  and 
they  have  two  daughters,  Edith  and  Esther. 


594 


HISTORY  OF  ST.  JOSEPH  COUNTY 


In  matters  of  public  moment  Mr.  "Whiteman 
is  deeply  interested,  giving  his  support  to  the 
Democratic  party,  and  in  1900  he  was  elected 
to  rejjresent  his  ward  in  the  city  council  of 
South  Bend,  being  returned  to  that  office  in 
1906.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the 
^laccabees.  the  Elks  and  OwLs. 

Henry   Gardner  Niles.     The  life  history 
of  Henry  Gardner  Niles  is  closely  identified 
with  the  history  of  St.  Joseph  county,  which 
has  been  his  home  for  many  yeai-s.     He  began 
his   remarkable   career   in   the   early   pioneer 
epoch  of  the  county,  and  throughout  the  years 
which  have   since   come   and  gone  has   been 
closely  allied  with  its  interests  and  upbuild- 
ing.    His  life  has  been  one  of  untiring  ac- 
tivity,  and   has   been   crowned  with   a  high 
degree  of  success.     He  is  of  the  highest  type 
of  business  man,  and  none  more  than  he  de- 
serves a  fitting  recognition  among  those  whose 
enterprise  and  abilities  have  achieved  results 
that    awaken    the    admiration    of    those    who 
know  him.     Mr.   Niles  was  born   in  Geneva, 
New   York,   February   11,    1833,   his   parents 
being  John  and  Catherine   (Gardner)   Niles, 
the  former  a  native  of  Vermont  and  the  latter 
of  New  York.     In   1837  the  father  came   to 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  but  after  a  short  resi- 
dence there,  during  \;hich  he  was  connected 
with    Alexis    Coquillard    as    advisor    in    the 
buildins'  of  water  power,  he  came  to  Misha- 
waka  in  1838  and  became  connected  with  the 
St.  Joseph  Iron  Company,  the  original  works, 
and  iMishawaka  at  that  time  was  known  only 
as    St.    Joseph    Iron    Works.      In    connection 
with  this  industry  he  also  operated  a  smelt- 
ing works  and  store.     This  company  executed 
all  the  iron  work  done  for  hundreds  of  miles 
around.      In    1855    Mr.   Niles   purchased   the 
interest  of  the  other  partners,  and  until  his 
death  was  president  of  that  large  corporation 
and  had  entire  charge   of  its  control.     His 
busy  and  useful  life  was  ended  on  the  eighth 
of  September,  187-4,  when  he   had  reached  the 
seventy-first  milestone  on  the  journey  of  life. 
In  the   forties   Henry   G.    Niles,   a    son   of 
this  honored   old   Indiana   pioneer,    came   to 
Mishawaka,   this   being   in   the   midst   of   the 
campaign    of   "Tippecanoe    and   Tyler   too," 
and  in  its  public  schools  and  the  University 
of  Michigan  he  received  his  educational  train- 
ing.    In  the  meantime  his  father  and  asso- 
ciates had  purchased  an  iron  mine  and  erected 
a    blast    furnace    in    Wisconsin,    sixty    miles 
from  ^lilwaukee,  and  young  Henry  went  there 
to  take   charge   of  the   store   connected   with 


the  works.  Three  years  later  he  returned 
to  Mishawaka,  but  two  years  afterward  went 
to  Watertown,  Wisconsin,  and  was  engaged 
in  business  there  for  himself  for  two  years. 
During  this  time  his  father  had  purchased 
his  partners'  interest  and  the  son  then  re- 
turned and  assumed  control  of  the  mercantile 
department,  thus  continuing  until  his  father's 
retirement  ten  years  later,  when  he  was  given 
the  management  of  the  entire  works.  After 
the  expiration  of  the  old  charter  it  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  new  corporation,  of  which  he 
became  secretary.  The  new  company  manu- 
facture plows.  The  company  went  out  of 
existence  in  1903,  and  since  that  time  Mr. 
Niles  has  owned  and  conducted  the  entire 
plant.  He  is  also  president  of  the  South  Bend 
Woolen  Company,  of  which  he  is  the  prin- 
cipal owTier,  and  he  owns  large  landed  in- 
terests in  Mishawaka. 

In  1857  Mr.  Niles  was  married  to  Martha 
Spencer  Drapier,  a  daughter  of  Ariel  Drapier, 
publisher  of  the  St.  Joseph  County  Forum  in 
South  Bend.  Five  children  have  been  born 
of  this  union:  Josephine,  the  wife  of  W. 
W.  Hubbard,  of  Indianapolis;  Harry  G., 
manager  and  treasurer  of  the  South  Bend 
Woolen  Company;  John,  in  business  with  his 
father;  Stanley  A.,  secretary  of  the  South 
Bend  Woolen  Company:  and  Cathenne,  now 
Mrs.  Bressler.  Mr.  Niles  is  a  member  of 
Lodge  No.  130,  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  also 
of  the  Chapter  and  Council,  and  is  a  worthy 
and  acceptable  member  of  the  Christian 
church.  He  is  thoroughly  identified  in  feel- 
ing with  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the 
county  which  has  so  long  been  his  home,  and 
in  years  past  he  served  the  town  of  Misha- 
waka as  trustee  and  also  as  president  of  the 
board  of  trustees.  As  a  business  man  he 
is  upright,  reliable  and  honorable.  Few  men 
have  more  devoted  friends  than  he,  and  none 
excell  him  in  unselfish  devotion  and  unswerv- 
ing fidelity  to  the  worthy  recipients  of  his 
confidence  and  friendship. 

Adolph  Kamm.  One  of  the  leading  busi- 
ness men  of  ^lishawaka  is  Adolph  Kamm,  a 
man  whose  history  furnishes  a  spendid  ex- 
ample of  what  may  be  accomplished  through 
determined  purpose,  laudable  ambition  and 
well  directed  efi'orts.  Starting  out  in  life  for 
himself  at  an  early  age  he  has  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward  and  is  now  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  Kamm  &  Schellinger  Brewing 
Company.  He  was  born  at  Zoebingen  Ober- 
ant  Elevanger,  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  June 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


595 


13,  1842,  a  son  of  Frank  J.  and  Antonia 
Maria  (Wurstner)  Kamm.  The  father  came 
to  the  United  States  in  18-48,  taking  up  his 
abode  in  Fryburg,  Ohio,  where  the  son  Adolph 
remained  until  his  sixteenth  year.  He  then 
went  to  Delphos.  Ohio,  to  become  an  em- 
ploye of  a  brewing  company,  and  also  fol- 
lowed the  same  occupation  in  Fort  Wayne 
and  Toledo.  Coming  to  JNIislmwaka  in  1870, 
he  became  associated  in  business  with 
Clemens  Dick,  purchasing  the  brewery 
(if  John  Wagner,  who  had  established 
it  as  early  as  1853.  At  that  time  the 
business  was  not  on  a  very  paying 
basis,  but  by  hard  and  persistent  labor  and 
honest  dealing  the  new  firm  soon  placed  it  on 
the  road  to  prosperity,  equipping  it  with  the 
best  and  latest  improved  machinery,  and  it 
soon  became  recognized  among  the  leading 
breweries  of  Indiana.  Mr.  Dick  subsequently 
sold  his  interest  to  his  partner,  who  then  ad- 
mitted his  brother-in-law,  Nicholas  Schell- 
inger,  into  the  firm,  business  being  thereafter 
conducted  under  the  name  of  the  Kanm^i  & 
Schellinger  Brewing  Company.  Under  the 
new  regime  the  business  has  continued  to  pros- 
per and  grow,  and  in  1883  it  was  incorporated 
with  a  capital  of  sixty-five  thousand  dollars. 
Improvements  are  constantly  being  made,  and 
a  new  ice  plant  of  a  most  approved  plan  has 
just  been  added.  The  output  of  the  brewery 
is  thirty-three  thousand  barrels  a  year,  and 
this  is  one  of  the  largest  industrial  interests 
of  the  county. 

In  1869  Mr.  Kamm  married  Maria  Weber, 
of  Toledo,  Ohio,  whose  death  occurred  in 
1871,  and  he  subsequently  married  Josephine 
Schellinger.  They  have  become  the  parents 
of  ten  children,  the  eldest  of  whom,  Rudolph, 
is  associated  with  his  father  in  business. 

Nicholas  Schellinger.  Mishawaka  in- 
cludes among  its  leading  business  men  Nicho- 
las Schellinger,  the  treasurer  of  the  Kamm  & 
Schellinger  Brewing  Company.  He  was  born 
in  Muehlheim,  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  No- 
vember 4,  1847,  a  son  of  Xavier  and  Elizabeth 
(Huber)  Schellinger.  The  father  was  a  suc- 
cessful miller  in  his  native  land,  and  after 
coming  to  the  United  States  took  up  his  abode 
in  ]\Iishawaka,  where  he  became  prominently 
identified  with  its  bminess  interests.  The 
son  Nicholas  received  his  education  in  Ger- 
many, and,  accompanying  the  family  on  their 
emigration  to  America,  soon  became  connected 
with  the  business  life  of  Mishawaka.    In  1880 


his  brother-in-law,  Adolph  Kamm,  admitted 
him  to  a  partnership  in  the  brewery,  the  firm 
then  becoming  known  as  the  Kamm  &  Schell- 
inger Brewing  Company,  of  which  Mr. 
Schellinger  became  the  treasurer.  His  life 
has  been  characterized  by  industry,  deter- 
mination and  ambition,  and  these  qualities 
have  enabled  him  to  steadily  work  his  way 
upward  to  success,  and  he  now  ranks  among 
the  prominent  business  men  of  St.  Joseph 
county. 

Mr.  Schellinger  married  Amelia  Kamm,  a 
daughter  of  Frank  J.  and  a  sister  of  his  part- 
ner, Adolph  Kamm.  Of  their  ten  children 
five   are   living. 

Mr.  Schellinger  is  a  member  of  the  Catho- 
lic chuirh,  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters, 
Elks,  Turn  Verein  and  the  Maennerchor. 

Otto  E.  Lang,  to  whom  belongs  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  oldest  hardware  mer- 
chant in  Mishawaka,  was  born  in  Penn  town- 
ship, St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  April  17, 
1858.  His  father,  Frederick  Lang,  was  a 
native  of  Wurtemberg,  Prussia,  Germany, 
but  when  seventeen  years  of  age  he  left  his 
native  land  for  America,  first  establishing  his 
home  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  but  in  the 
fifties  came  to  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Penn  township. 
In  addition  to  his  agricultural  labors  he  was 
also  employed  as  a  lumberman  and  saw  mill 
man,  and  his  busy  and  useful  life  was  ended 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  ]Mr.  Lang- 
had  married  in  early  life  Ernestine  Frank, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  their  mar- 
riage was  celebrated  in  that  commonwealth. 
She  too  was  laid  to  rest  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
four  years,  after  becoming  the  mother  of  four 
children,  the  three  daughters  being  Emma, 
the'  eldest  dauahter,  who  died  in  1892.  wife 
of  F.  E.  Milburn;  Tillie  D.,  wife  of  C.  D. 
Hilderbrand,  of  South  Bend;  and  Minnie, 
wife  of  Henry  McKnight.  of  Toledo,  Ohio. 

Otto  E.  Lang,  the  eldest  child,  spent  the 
early  years  of  his  life  in  Penn  township  and 
]\Iishawaka,  receiving  his  education  in  the 
common  and  high  schools  of  the  city.  In 
1886  he  embarked  in  the  hardware  business 
in  ^Mishawaka,  and  from  that  time  to  the  pres- 
ent his  name  has  been  prominently  associated 
with  that  line  of  trade,  in  which  he  has  won 
an  enviable  reputation,  and  he  now  has  the 
honor  of  being  one  of  the  oldest  merchants 
in  the  city  and  its  oldest  hardware  dealer. 
His  interests,  however,  have  been  many  and 


596 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


varied,  and  at  the  present  time  he  is  serving 
as  a  director  in  the  Mishawaka  Trust  and 
Savings  Bank. 

In  December,  1886,  Mr.  Lang  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Martha,  the  daughter  of  L.  T. 
and  S.  M.  (Boyce)  Booth  and  a  native  of 
Mishawaka.  Their  two  children  are  Lewis 
and  Helen.  Mr.  Lang  has  given  a  lifelong 
support  to  the  Republican  party,  ever  taking 
an  active  interest  in  the  public  affairs  of  his 
community,  and  for  five  years  he  was  the  in- 
cumbent of  the  office  of  township  trustee. 
His  fraternal  relations  connect  him  with  the 
Masonic  order  of  Mishawaka  and  the  Elks  of 
South  Bend. 

Norman  E.  Parks.  In  the  early  settle- 
ment and  subsequent  history  of  St.  Joseph 
county  the  Parks  family  have  been  very 
prominent,  and  for  the  long  period  of  fifty- 
eight  years  Norman  E.  Parks  has  made  his 
home  within  its  borders  and  been  prominently 
identified  with  its  interests.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Mishawaka  on  the  19th  of  March, 
1849.  His  father,  Isaac  K.  Parks,  a  native 
of  Pen  Yan,  Yates  county,  New  York,  was 
one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Mishawaka,  com- 
ing to  this  city  during  his  early  boyhood  days. 
In  Elkhart,  Indiana,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Sarah  A.  Huntsman,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  first  family  that  located  in 
that  city,  while  to  her  sister  belongs  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  first  white  woman  to  re- 
side in  Penu  township,  St.  Joseph  county. 
The  family  removed  from  Ohio  to  Elkhart. 
For  many  years  in  addition  to  his  agricultural 
pursuits  Isaac  Parks  conducted  a  peddling 
wagon,  and  during  several  years  he  served  as 
the  constable  of  Mishawaka,  taking  a  very 
active  part  in  the  early  political  history  of 
this  locality.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  sixty- 
four  years,  while  his  wife  was  eighty-two  ere 
she  was  called  to  the  home  beyond,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  five  sons,  namely :  Lieu- 
tenant Seth  Parks,  who  was  killed  during  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga  during  the  Civil  war; 
Horace,  who  served  throughout  that  conflict 
and  is  now  a  farmer  in  Johnson  county,  Kan- 
sas; Robert  M.,  who  was  a  member  of  Com- 
pany B,  Seventh  Illinois  Cavalry  during  the 
Civil  war,  but  was  captured  by  the  Confed- 
erates three  weeks  after  his  enlistment  and 
remained  as  a  prisoner  of  war  for  thirteen 
months  and  died  sixteen  days  after  his  ex- 
change; Norman  E.,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review ;   and  Eben,  who  resides  in  Misha- 


waka, his  native  city.     All  of  the  five  sons 
were  born  in  this  city. 

AVhen  but  five  years  of  age  Norman  E. 
Parks  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  a  farm  five  miles  northeast  of  Misha- 
waka, where  he  remained  until  his  thirteenth 
year,  going  thence  to  the  place  on  which  he 
now  resides.  For  many  years  he  had  been 
engaged  in  the  nursery  business  for  his  uncle, 
George  C.  Merrifield.  The  old  home  now  lies 
within  the  corporate  limits  of  Mishawaka  and 
is  platted  and  laid  out  into  town  lots,  on 
which  have  been  erected  many  buildings. 
The  land  is  located  on  Second  street,  and  is 
one  of  the  valuable  additions  of  the  city. 
Probably  no  family  has  been  more  influential 
in  this  section  of  the  state  than  has  the  Parks, 
and  the  name  is  favorably  known  on  account 
of  the  active  part  which  the  owners  have 
borne  in  its  varied  interests.  Norman  Parks 
gives  his  political  support  to  the  Democratic 
party,  and  is  a  popular  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Elks  fraternities 
of  South  Bend. 

Edmund  B.  Byrkit.  Since  the  early  days 
of  St.  Joseph's  history  the  Bj^rkit  family  has 
occupied  a  distinctive  place,  it  having  been 
founded  within  the  borders  of  the  county  by 
Edmund  Byrkit,  who  leaving  his  Ohio  home 
in  a  very  early  day  took  up  his  residence  on 
a  farm  on  the  St.  Joseph  river  in  St.  Joseph 
county.  The  various  representatives  of  the 
family  have  taken  an  active  part  in  the  de- 
velopment of  this  section  of  the  state,  aiding 
in  transforming  its  wild  lands  into  rich 
farms,  and  in  other  ways  promoting  the  prog- 
ress and  advancement  which  made  a  once  wild 
region  the  home  of  a  contented,  prosperous 
people. 

George  V.  Byrkit,  a  son  of  this  honored  old 
St.  Joseph  pioneer,  was  born  in  Penn  town- 
ship of  this  county,  and  was  here  married  to 
Susan  Boles,  a  native  of  Ohio.  Although  he 
was  a  contractor,  he  purchased  a  farm  near 
Rolling  Prairie,  on  which  he  remained  but  a 
short  time  and  then  returned  to  Mishawaka 
and  resumed  his  contracting  business,  while 
for  a  long  period  he  was  engaged  in  the  mak- 
ing of  wagon  boxes  for  the  Milburns.  His 
death  occurred  when  he  had  reached  the  fifty- 
sixth  milestone  on  the  journey  of  life,  when 
a  noble  and  useful  career  was  ended.  During 
his  lifetime  he  had  served  his  native  county 
in  many  positions  of  honor  and  trust,  at  one 
time  having  been   its   representative    in    the 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


597 


legislature,  and  he  was  well  known  through- 
out the  community  in  which  his  entire  life 
had  been  passed.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Byrkit  had 
but  two  children,  a  son  and  daughter,  the 
latter,  Jennie,  being  the  wife  of  G.  H.  Uhler 
and  a  resident  of  Olympia,  Washington. 

Edmund  B.  Byrkit,  the  only  representative 
of  this  honored  pioneer  family  in  St.  Joseph 
county,  was  born  on  Rolling  Prairie,  Indiana, 
November  26,  1863,  and  was  but  six  years  of 
age  when  his  parents  returned  to  Mishawaka. 
where  he  was  reared  to  years  of  maturity 
and  received  his  education.  After  entering 
upon  his  business  career  he  spent  five  years 
in  Tacoma,  Washington,  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness, and  on  his  return  to  IMishawaka  was 
married  to  Laura  Stinchcomb.  a  native  of 
Ohio  and  a  daughter  of  W.  R.  and  Catherine 
(Elarton)  Stinchcomb.  Two  sons  have 
blessed  this  union,  George  W.  and  Harold 
E.,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Mishawaka. 

For  a  time  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Byrkit 
was  engaged  in  dairying  on  the  old  home- 
stead farm,  but  after  about  eight  years  de- 
voted to  that  occupation  he  platted  the  land 
and  in  1893  placed  on  the  market  the  Byrkit 's 
First  Addition,  in  the  same  year  erecting  his 
present  commodious  and  pleasant  residence 
thereon,  while  two  years  later,  in  1895,  he 
platted  Byrkit 's  Second  Addition,  on  w^hich 
he  has  erected  several  houses.  He  owns  in 
all  about  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  the 
most  of  which  is  within  the  corporate  limits 
of  Mishawaka  and  all  in  one  body.  Thus  he 
has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  de- 
velopment and  advancement  of  Mishawaka, 
and  while  his  varied  interests  have  brought 
him  success  they  have  also  advanced  the  gen- 
eral welfare.  He  is  prominently  associated 
with  the  Mishawaka  Trust  and  Savings  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  is  one  of  the  directors,  and 
also  has  many  other  interests  in  St.  Joseph 
county.  But  not  only  in  business  affairs  is 
he  well  known,  for  he  is  active  and  earnest 
in  his  advocacy  of  all  measures  for  the  public 
good,  and  is  a  stanch  Democrat  in  his  po- 
litical views.  His  fraternal  relations  are  with 
the  Masonic  order  in  Mishawaka,  whose  benefi- 
cent and  helpful  principles  he  manifests  in 
his  every  day  life. 

John  Dixon.  For  many  years  John  Dixon 
was  a  prominent  figure  in  the  business  circles 
and  at  the  bar  of  Mishawaka.  By  a  life  of 
uprightness,  industry  and  honorable  methods, 
a  life  devoted  to  the  support  of  whatever  was 
good   and  true,  he  won   the   admiration   and 


regard  of  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances,  who 
sincerely  mourned  his  loss  when  he  was  called 
upon  to  lay  aside  the  burdens,  joys  and  sor- 
rows which  had  fallen  to  his  share,  as  to  all, 
in  the  journey  of  life.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Gallipolis,  Ohio,  January  26,  1834,  a  son  of 
Hezekiah  and  Malinda  Dixon.  When  but  a 
babe  of  one  year  he  was  brought  by  his  pa- 
rents to  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  where 
the  father  entered  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  Penn  township,  and  as  the  son 
grew  older  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home- 
stead and  attended  the  district  schools  near 
his  home.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he 
began  teaching  school,  following  that  profes- 
sion until  1855.  In  the  following  year,  1856, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Susan  L.  Laid- 
law,  a  native  of  Penn  township  and  the 
daughter  of  John  Laidlaw,  who  was  born 
near  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  and  was  but  a  lit- 
tle lad  of  eight  years  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  emigration  to  America. 
His  father  and  mother  died  in  New  York, 
and  he  journeyed  on  to  St.  Joseph  county 
when  a  young  man,  and  was  here  married  to 
Sallie  Shaw,  a  native  of  Ohio.  They  became 
the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  five  sons  and 
eight  daughters,  Mrs.  Dixon  being  the  eldest 
in  order  of  birth.  Mr.  Laidlaw  devoted  his 
business  life  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  in 
Penn  township  he  cleared  a  large  tract  of 
land  and  w^as  numbered  among  the  leading 
farmers  of  the  township.  His  life's  labors 
were  ended  in  death  when  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  and  thus  ended 
a  busy  and  useful  career.  His  entire  posses- 
sions were  the  result  of  ceaseless  labor  and 
unfaltering  perseverance,  for  he  began  the 
battle  of  life  with  but  fifty  cents  to  his  credit, 
but  so  honorable  was  his  course  and  so  per- 
sistent his  efforts  that  at  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  worth  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
After  his  marriage  Mr.  Dixon  farmed  for 
seven  years  in  Minnesota,  but  in  1863  re- 
turned to  St.  Joseph  county  and  entered  the 
mercantile  business,  becoming  a  member  of 
the  A.  M.  Wing  Company.  In  1865  he  en- 
gaged in  the  dry  goods  business  in  company 
with  his  brother,  but  in  the  meantime  he  had 
been  pursuing  the  study  of  law,  and  in  1873 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  courts  of  In- 
diana. It  was  in  1875,  two  years  after  his 
admission  to  the  bar,  that  he  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  chosen  profession,  which  was  con- 
tinued with  such  gratifying  success  until  his 
useful  life  was  ended  in  death.     He  gave  his 


598 


HISTORY   OF    ST.    JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


political  support  to  the  Republican  party,  and 
as  its  representative  was  four  times  elected 
to  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  He  was 
at  one  time  a  member  of  the  order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  He  was  a  kind  and  loving  husband, 
sympathetic  and  responsive  to  the  needs  of 
the  poor  and  just  and  noble  in  all  the  rela- 
tions of  life. 

John  W.  Harbou,  the  present  auditor  of 
St.  Joseph  county,  has  for  many  years  been 
an  honored  citizen  of  South  Bend,  actively 
interested  in  all  measures  advanced  for  the 
good  of  the  people,  and  has  performed  his  full 
share  in  the  development  and  improvement 
of  the  city.  His  birth  occurred  in  Oneida 
county.  New  York,  on  the  24th  of  January, 
1847,  his  parents  being  Fritz  and  Judith 
(Fritcher)  Harbou.  The  father  was  born  in 
Copenhagen,  Denmark,  but  came  to  the 
United  States  when  a  young  man,  and  ever 
afterward  remained  a  loyal  citizen  of  the 
republic. 

John  W.  Harbou  came  to  South  Bend  on 
the  16th  of  October,  1873,  and  for  two  years 
thereafter  worked  at  his  trade  as  a  carpenter. 
He  then  became  deputy  clerk  of  the  circuit 
court  under  George  W.  Mathews,  continuing 
two  years  through  the  remainder  of  his  term, 
for  four  years  during  the  term  of  Edwin 
Nicar,  then  under  Judge  Howard  for  a  period 
of  six  months,  filling  the  position  as  deputy 
clerk  six  and  a  half  years  altogether.  For 
four  years  after  that  time  he  served  as  justice 
of  the  peace,  to  which  office  he  was  duly 
elected.  On  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
office  as  justice  of  the  peace  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Oliver  Chilled  Plow  Works, 
serving  in  their  office  for  fourteen  years.  On 
the  1st  of  January,  1903,  he  became  the  audi- 
tor of  St.  Joseph  county,  while  in  1906  he 
was  re-elected  to  that  position,  being  the 
present  incumbent.  He  is  a  stanch  Republi- 
can in  his  political  affiliations,  and  fraternal- 
ly is  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  45,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  the  Chapter  of  the  Masonic  order,  and 
of  the  orders  of  Elks  and  Owls. 

Marshall  Hughes,  who  is  now  filling  the 
position  of  trustee  of  Portage  township,  was 
born  at  Three  Rivers,  St.  Joseph  county, 
Michigan,  April  7,  1855.  His  parents,  Jesse 
and  Louisa  (Adkinson)  Hughes,  were  natives 
of  the  connnonwealth  of  Pennsylvania.  In 
1854  they  establi.shed  their  home  in  St.  Jo- 
seph county,  ]\Iichigan,  where  they  were  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  near  Three 
Rivers.     During  the  last   fortv-one  vears  of 


his  life  the  father  resided  at  Schoolcraft, 
Michigan,  where  his  busy  and  useful  life  was 
ended  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  but  he  is 
still  survived  by  his  widow,  who  has  reached 
the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-four  years.  In 
their  family  were  twelve  children,  four  of 
whom  are  now  living,  three  sons  and  one 
daughter,  namely :  Frank,  a  resident  of  Lan- 
sing, Michigan;  Dr.  George  A.,  of  Cassopo- 
lis,  that  state ;  Marshall,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review;  and  Emma,  the  wife  of 
Bela  Crose,  of  Kalamazoo,  Michigan. 

Marshall  Hughes  accompanied  his  parents 
on  their  removal  from  Three  Rivers  to  School- 
craft, being  then  about  ten  years  of  age,  and 
in  the  schools  of  the  last  named  city  he  re- 
ceived the  beginning  of  his  school  training, 
this  being  later  supplemented  by  attendance 
at  the  Kalamazoo  Business  College.  With  an 
excellent  educational  training  to  serve  as  the 
foundation  for  his  future  life  work  Mr. 
Hughes  began  learning  the  carpenter's  trade, 
which  he  followed  as  an  occupation  for  twelve 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
embarked  in  the  grocery  business  in  Marcel- 
lus,  Michigan,  in  partnership  with  his  brother 
Frank,  but  after  about  seven  years  of  a  pros- 
perous business  connection  in  that  city  their 
store  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Mr.  Hughes  then 
turned  his  face  westward  and  journeyed  to 
Wichita,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  for  two 
years,  and  during  the  following  four  years 
was  engaged  in  carpenter  work  in  the  Da- 
kotas.  During  his  residence  there  he  was 
also  for  twelve  and  a  half  years  lumber  in- 
spector. It  was  in  1887  that  he  came  to  South 
Bend,  and  during  all  the  years  which  have 
since  come  and  gone  he  has  labored  earnestly 
and  energetically  in  its  growth  and 'upbuild- 
ing. He  stalwartly  upholds  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  a  number  of  years 
ago"  was  elected  trustee  of  the  water  works 
of  this  city,  holding  that  position  for  one  year 
or  until  the  old  city  charter  abandoned  the 
office.  In  1901  he  was  appointed  to  fill  out 
the  unexpired  term  of  James  D.  Reed  as  trus- 
tee of  Portage  township,  to  which  position 
he  was  elected  in  1904,  and  is  the  present  in- 
cumbent. 

In  1890  Mr.  Hughes  was  married  to  Alice 
Standerline,  a  native  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
Michigan,  and  a  daughter  of  George  Stander- 
line. His  fraternal  affiliations  are  with  the 
Masonic  order  of  South  Bend,  the  Blue 
Lodge,  Chapter  and  Commandery ;  the  Ben- 
evolent   and    Protective    Order   of    Elks,    No. 


Jonn  W.  Harbou 


THE 
/'        NEW  YORK 
'public   LISrrARY' 


^^  Asl»r,  Lenex  and  Tlldea^ 
\\         FoHnaationi, 
^.      1909 


HISTORY   OF   ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


599 


235 ;  the  Knights  of  Pythias ;  the  South  Bend 
Eastern  Star;  and  the  Grange.  In  his  social 
and  official  relations  he  is  popular  and  influ- 
ential, and  his  life  is  characterized  by  great 
activity  in  the  important  things  that  concern 
the  interests  of  society  and  g'ood  government. 

David  B.  J.  Schafer.  Honored  and  re- 
spected by  all,  David  B.  J.  Schafer  has  been 
for  many  years  prominently  identified  with 
the  public  aft'airs  of  St.  Joseph  county  and 
is  now  serving  as  its  efficient  sheriff.  He  has 
long  been  an  honored  citizen  of  South  Bend, 
actively  interested  in  all  measures  advanced 
for  the  good  of  the  people,  and  has  performed 
his  full  share  in  the  development  and  improve- 
ment of  the  city.  He  was  born  in  Adams 
county,  Indiana.  February  21,  1859,  a  son  of 
Christian  and  Catherine  (Ahr)  Schafer,  both 
natives  of  Germany.  The  father  was  there 
born  in  1810,  and  when  nineteen  years  of  age 
crossed  the  ocean  to  the  United  States,  living 
for  a  number  of  years  thereafter  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,- when  he  removed  to  Adams  coun- 
ty, Indiana.  He  was  there  actively  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  from  that  time  until 
his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death,  in  1886. 
The  mother  came  with  her  parents  to  the 
United  States  when  but  three  years  old,  the 
family  home  being  first  established  in  Ohio, 
where  she  resided  until  her  marriage.  This 
worthy  couple  continued  to  travel  life's  jour- 
ney together  for  many  years,  and  were  num- 
bered with  the  honored  and  valued  residents 
of  the  localities  in  which  their  lots  were  cast. 

David  B.  J.  Schafer,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review,  obtained  his  early  educa- 
tional training  in  the  country  schools,  being- 
early  inured  to  the  work  of  the  fields,  and  he 
continued  to  reside  on  the  farm  until  seven- 
teen years  old,  when  he  removed  to  Decatur, 
Indiana,  and  obtained  employment  in  a  gro- 
cery store.  After  thus  continuing  for  a  few 
years  he  entered  a  railroad  office  and  learned 
telegraphy,  and  in  1879  he  came  to  South 
Bend  and  became  an  employe  in  the  Stude- 
baker  works,  where  he  remained  for  two 
years.  In  1882  he  entered  the  grocery  busi- 
ness for  himself,  and  for  many  years  he  has 
been  prominently  identified  with  the  varied 
interests  in  St.  Joseph  county,  in  this  time 
becoming  recognized  as  one  of  its  most  valued 
and  useful  citizens.  For  four  years  Mr. 
Schafer  served  as  the  mayor  of  South  Bend, 
for  a  time  was  census  commissioner  of  the 
thirteenth  congressional  district,  and  in  1894 
was  elected  sheriff,  the  duties  of  which  high 


official  position  he  is  discharging  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  He  is  a  Republican  in  his  political 
affiliations,  and  is  one  of  the  most  trusty  ad- 
visers of  his  party  in  the  county.  He  has 
filled  the  various  offices  to  which  he  has  been 
called  with  credit  and  distinction,  and  as 
sherifl:  has  given  the  county  one  of  the  best 
administrations  in  its  history.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  order,  Lodge  No.  294,  also 
of  the  Chapter  and  Commandery,  and  has 
membei'ship  relations '  also  with  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  the  Be- 
nevolent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 

Alex  Staples  is  well  known  to  the  resi- 
dents of  South  Bend,  for  here  he  has  passed 
his  entire  life,  and  here  his  parents  lived  for 
many  decades.  His  birth  occurred  in  the  city 
of  South  Bend  on  the  10th  of  June,  1840, 
his  father,  Ralph  Staples,  a  native  of  Maine, 
having  taken  up  his  abode  here  as  early  as 
1836.  The  latter 's  father,  Alex  Staples,  was 
also  a  native  of  Maine,  where  he  spent  his 
entire  life,  and  was  of  English  descent. 
Ralph  Staples,  a  contractor  and  carpenter, 
erected  many  of  the  large  buildings  and  fac- 
tories in  South  Bend,  and  was  engaged  in 
that  occupation  from  1836  until  1860.  In 
1861  he  went  to  Pike's  Peak,  Colorado,  where 
he  was  killed  when  about  fifty  years  of  age. 
He  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  improve- 
ment and  upbuilding  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
and  his  name  is  on  the  roll  of  its  honored 
pioneers.  He  served  as  the  postmaster  of 
South  Bend  and  as  sheriff  of  St.  Joseph  coun- 
ty, and  was  at  all  times  a  public-spirited  and 
loyal  citizen.  Mrs.  Staples  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Hannah  Cromwell,  and  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Olen  Cromwell,  a  native  of  Maine  and 
a  descendant  of  Oliver  Cromwell.  Her  death 
occurred  when  she  had  reached  the  age  of 
eighty-seven  years.  In  their  family  were 
eleven  children,  nine  sons  and  two  daughters, 
three  of  whom  died  when  young. 

Alex  Staples,  the  third  child  and  second 
son  in  order  of  birth  in  the  above  family, 
was  reared  and  educated  in  South  Bend,  and 
in  his  boyhood  days  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade,  while  in  1862  he  was  engaged  in  the 
house-moving  business.  In  1863  he  enlisted 
in  the  Twenty-first  Indiana  Battery  as  a  cor- 
poral, serving  with  his  command  until  the 
close  of  the  war  in  1865,  and  during  that 
time  participated  in  many  of  the  historical 
battles,  including  those  of  Nashville,  Frank- 
lin and  Columbia,  Tennessee.  Three  of  his 
brothers  also  took  part  in  the  struggle,  all  of 


600 


HISTORY    OF    ST.   JOSEPH    COUNTY. 


whom  returned  home  without  having  been 
wounded,  and  all  are  yet  living.  After  his 
military  career  had  ended  Mr.  Staples  re- 
turned to  South  Bend  and  resumed  his  oc- 
cupation of  house  moving,  Avhich  he  contin- 
ued for  forty  years,  retiring  from  the  active 
cares  of  business  life  in  1905  to  enjoy  the 
comforts  which  he  had  so  richly  earned. 

In  1866  Mr.  Staples  Avas  married  to  Selestia 
Alexander,  whose  death  occurred  in  1883, 
leaving  two  sons,  Crawford  E.  and  Guy  D., 
both  of  South  Bend.  Mr.  Staples  afterward 
married  Elniira  Lytel.  For  sixty-six  years 
he  has  made  his  home  in  South  Bend,  during 
which  time  he  has  witnessed  its  growth  from 
a  village  of  a  few  inhabitants  to  a  population 
of  fifty  thousand,  faithfully  performing  his 
full  share  in  this  wonderful  transformation. 
He  has  been  a  life-long  Democrat,  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  city  council,  as  a  commis- 
sioner of  water  works,  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  public  works,  for  over  forty  years 
has  been  a  member  of  the  fire  department, 
and  is  one  of  the  three  charter  members  of 
Auten  Post,  G.  A.  R.  His  religious  connec- 
tion is  with  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Elias  Rupel.  Throughout  his  entire  life 
Elias  Rupel  has  been  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  for  he  is  one  of  its  native  sons,  his 
birth  occurring  in  Center  township  on  the 
23d  of  February,  1835,  and  throughout  the 
subseciuent  years  he  has  been  identified  with 
many  of  the  interests  that  have  contributed 
to  its  substantial  development  and  improve- 
ment. His  sterling  characteristics  have  won 
him  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  townsmen, 
and  now,  in  the  evening  of  life,  his  pathway 
is  brightened  by  the  veneration  and  respect 
which  ever  follow  an  upright  career.  In  the 
days  when  St.  Joseph  county  was  a  wilder- 
ness the  parents,  Peter  and  Christena  (Schu- 
maker)  Rupel,  became  identified  with  its  in- 
terests, and  a  more  complete  account  of  their 
history  will  be  found  in  the  sketch  of  their 
son  Bazel  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Elias  Rupel  received  his  educational  train- 
ing in  the  primitive  schools  of  Center  town- 
ship, for  they  were  indeed  primitive  in  those 
early  days,  and  when  a  small  boy  he  began 
assisting  his  widowed  mother  in  the  mainte- 
nance of  her  large  family  of  children,  remain- 
ing with  her  until  she  was  called  to  her  final 
rest.  On  January  29,  1885,  he  was  married 
to  Mary  A.  Lock,  the  widow  of  Wesley  Bar- 
rett, and  in  the  same  year  located  in  his  pleas- 
ant home  in  South  Bend,  at  1421  South  Michi- 


gan street.  She  died  February  15,  1903. 
Since  age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of 
franchise  he  has  supported  the  principles  of 
the  Democracy,  and  for  four  years  served  as 
the  trustee  of  Center  township,  while  for  a 
time  he  was  treasurer  and  clerk  of  Mylertown, 
which  he  assisted  in  organizing.  He  also  as- 
sisted in  the  organization  of  the  Grange,  being 
now  one  of  its  charter  members  and  an  active 
worker  in  its  ranks.  No  one  in  the  communi- 
ty enjoys  a  better  reputation  for  integrity 
of  word  or  deed,  and  when  a  man  stands  high 
in  the  estimation  of  the  people  who  have 
knowTi  him  during  his  entire  life  no  greater 
testimonial  to  his  worth  can  be  given. 

William  Hughes  Stull.  No  death  caused 
more  profound  sorrow  throughout  the  county 
than  did  the  passing  aw^ay  of  this  venerable 
citizen,  William  Hughes  Stull,  for  by  long 
years  of  an  honorable,  upright  life  and  kindly 
nature  he  had  grown  into  the  affections  of. 
his  fellow  citizens  to  a  marked  degree.  He 
was  born  on  a  farm  near  North  Vernon,  Jen- 
nings county,  Indiana,  February  28,  1826,  his 
parents  being  Henry  and  Rebecca  (Hughes) 
Stull,  the  former  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
the  latter  of  South  Carolina.  They  were  num- 
bered among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  St.  Jo- 
seph county,  for  it  was  during  the  early  year 
of  1830  that  they  established  their  home 
within  its  borders,  eventually  becoming  num- 
bered among  its  leading  citizens.  In  their 
familv  Avere  eleven  children,  nine  of  AA'hom, 
three  sons  and  six  daughters,  grcAV  to  years 
of  maturity,  and  all  were  born  in  Indiana, 
while  six  of  the  number  claimed  St.  Joseph 
county  as  the  place  of  their  nativity.  The 
family  journeyed  hither  from  Jennings  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  in  1830,  and  in  the  folloAving 
year  the  father  entered  a  farm  from  the  gov- 
ernment, going  on  horseback  to  Ft.  Wayne 
to  have  the  deed  signed  by  AndreAV  Jackson. 
As  the  years  grew  apace  he  cleared  this  farm, 
placed  the  fields  under  an  excellent  state  of 
cultivation,  and  became  one  of  the  leading 
agriculturists  of  Portage  township.  In  his 
political  affiliations  he  was  an  old-line  Whig, 
and  w^as  a  prominent  factor  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  St.  Joseph  county. 

Remaining  on  the  old  homestead  farm  un- 
til twenty-one  years  of  age,  William  H.  Stull 
then  began  the  battle  of  life  for  himself,  his 
first  employment  being  as  a  carpenter,  and 
after  folloAving  that  occupation  for  about 
four  years  he  returned  to  the  work  of  the 
farm,  .starting  Avith  a  small  place  of  eighty 


HISTORY   OF    ST.   JOSEPH   COUNTY. 


601 


acres  ancl  gradually  adding  to  his  possessions 
until  he  was  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  all  of  which  he  had  cleared  and 
placed  under  an  excellent  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. St.  Joseph  county  claimed  him  among 
her  leading  and  representative  citizens,  and 
.both  in  business  and  social  circles  he  was  well 
known  and  honored. 


In  1850  Mr.  Stull  was  united  in 


marriage 


to  Saphronia  Day,  who  became  the  mother  of 
two  daughters,  and  died  in  1862.  In  1864 
Mr.  Stull  was  again  married.  Miss  Nora 
Rohrer  then  becoming  his  wife.  She  was 
born  in  Center  township,  St.  Joseph  county, 
Indiana,  December  9,  18-43.  the  daughter  of 
John  Rohrer,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  but  in 
1830  came  to  St.  Joseph  county  with  his  pa- 
rents, where  they  entered  land  from  the  gov- 
ernment. Their  son  John  was  married  in  this 
county  to  Charlotte  Pickett,  and  Mrs.  Stull 
is  their  only  child.  Mr.  Rohrer  followed  the 
tilling  of  the  soil  as  a  life  occupation,  and 
was  successful  in  his  chosen  calling,  his  name 
being  well  known  throughout  the  county  as  a 


leading  agriculturist.  Throughout  the  period 
of  his  majority  Mr.  Stull  was  actively  inter- 
ested in  all  measures  advanced  for  the  good 
of  the  people,  and  was  a  zealous  worker  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Democratic  party.  In  1886 
he  was  elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the 
state  legislature,  wherein  he  won  the  com- 
mendation of  all  concerned  and  when  he  was 
again  placed  in  nomination  he  was  elected 
with  little  opposition,  and  continued  to  fill 
the  duties  of  that  high  and  important  posi- 
tion for  three  terms.  He  was  also  a  valued 
member  of  the  Grange.  The  death  of  this 
honored  old  St.  Joseph  pioneer  occurred  in 
1899,  leaving  a  wife  and  three  daughters. 
His  loss  was  deeply  mourned  throughout  the 
conununity,  and  his  memory  is  enshrined  in 
the  hearts  of  his  old  friends  and  associates, 
to  whose  interests  he  was  ever  faithful.  Since 
her  husband's  death  Mrs.  Stull  has  erected  a 
pleasant  home  on  St.  Joseph  street,  where 
she  is  spending  the  declining  years  of  her 
beautiful  and  useful  life  surrounded  by  life- 
long friends  and  associates. 


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